Maureen In India

Farewell India

2007-03-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

My time in India is drawing to a close and though I am so ready to return home to my family and friends, India has forever left it's mark on me.

The power places of Arunachala, Beneras, Vrindavan and Rishikesh. The Saints, sages, Sadhus and Samadhis. The Holy Rivers and Holy Cows. The rituals and disciplines, the very air here has conspired with All-That-Is to further me on my Path to Awakening.

I am forever grateful for my deeply spiritual community at home, whose desire, through many varied practices, it is to grow in 'the sunlight of the Spirit'. It is an honor to walk this Path with you. Thank you also for the prayers from my Mother and her friends!

My trip ends with the darshun of the Saint, Mata Amritanandamayi (recognized by the United Nations for her humanitarian work and affectionately known as the Hugging Saint), on my 41st birthday and the same evening as my beloved Reiki Clinic meets. May we be united through intention and love on this most auspicious day.

Then I will click my heels together three times and chant 'there's no place like home, there's no place like home'.... I am so looking forward to seeing you soon.

Love & Light,
Maureen

Rishikesh

2007-03-28T05:45:00.000-07:00

Today we drove into the Himalayas on a beautiful mountainous road, surrounded by a jungle of trees, high above the ribbon of Ganga far below. Twenty minutes of breathtaking scenery and we were at the Vasishta Guha Ashram. Guha means cave. Many people have claimed to have had psychic experiences while meditating in the cave here. Many, many Saints, Sages and Siddhas have lived in this cave. Before going into a meditation deep within the cave, I took my first bath in the Ganga! The water was so cold that it took my breath as I waded in. The snow up in the Northern Himalayas is starting to melt. After I acclimatized the water felt completely renewing. I have been surrounded by the Ganga since I came to North India and this part of the River was thankfully clean and beautiful.

On our way out we ran into a Swami whose home is in the Ashram. We had seen a picture of Sai Baba on entering the cave and asked the Swami to tell us the story.... It was early 1950's and Sai Baba was 31 years and had only a small following then. He had traveled some distance with a group of devotees to meditate in this Cave. At the time the Ashram consisted of a very small building and there was no shelter for the travelers. Sai Baba told the Swami that he needed a bigger place and then proceeded to materialize 100 Rupee notes! The astonished Swami declined the money. Sai Baba insisted the Swami take something and he then materialized a crystal mala!

India. Heaven meets Earth and the Metaphysical rules!

Sadhana Kendra Ashram

2007-03-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

This tiny Ashram is nestled in the base of the mighty Himalayan mountains just outside of Dehra Dun in the state of Uttaranchal. It borders China to the North and Nepal to the South. The landscape is take your breath away, bring tears to your eyes beautiful. The Ashram sits on a rise overlooking the Yamuna River and an extremely wide (2 football fields) river basin of polished rock. Cows, goats, donkey and horses graze in the lush fields boarding the basin and drink from the pristine waters of the Yamuna. Across the basin lies a small village rising above green fields and protected on three sides by the mountain range.

If it weren't for the view I might not have made it! The schedule here is rigorous:

4:30 - 5:30 am - Meditation
6:30 am - Breakfast
7:00 am - Seva (Service)
9:00 - 10:00 am - Meditation
11:00 - 12:00 pm - Satsang
12:00 pm - Lunch
3:30 - 4:30 pm - Meditation
4:45 pm - Tea
6:30 - 7:30 pm - Meditation
8:00 pm - Dinner

Besides all the meditation we also take our meals on the floor and by day 3 my knees were groaning. No toilet paper allowed. Bucket baths only. Hot water available at 6:30am only. No laundry service. Please wash your clothes in the dirty canal water that the entire village uses across the street. Oh my God, I'm paying for this! But I must admit that once I settled into a routine, including smuggling toilet paper into the bathroom, I quite enjoyed the place.

Miss you all. Sending you Light and Love.

Krishna's Secret Garden

2007-03-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Wandering down a narrow street we must past by a row of 30 or more beggars, all crying out, many maimed, asking for food or money. Then it is up 3 short steps an onto a patio where dozens of monkeys are running around, all via-ing for your glasses or camera or bag. We take off our shoes before entering the Garden and are given a stick to ward off the monkeys. The energy here feels primal and it looks like we are headed into the territory of the Wicked Witch of The West.

The trees within the Garden are short, maybe 6 feet tall. They look as if a strong wind has sweep the treetops right or left and then frozen them in place. Monkeys cry and dart amoung the many paths running throughout the garden, there are very few people about. A high wall surrounds the grounds and at night the gates are closed and locked. It is rumored that all who try in enter after dark either go mad or die on the spot for this is the place where Krishna and Radha dance their Holy Dance and Gopis abound. The energy of the Gods is too high for mortal eyes, we simply cannot hold that much Light.

Years ago a Swami found an ancient statue to Krishna and now there are several temples erected on site not far from the Holy waters of the Yamuna.

A month in India feels like a really, really long time!

2007-03-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends,

Traveling in North India is much more difficult than Southern India or maybe I am worn out! The ever present Holy Cow wandering the streets at night may look charming in a photo but there are thousands and thousands of dogs, cows and now in the North, monkeys, camels and horses all scrounging in trash piles for food. All homeless, simply wandering the streets. It is difficult to decide who to help so I give money to the beggars and I feed the dogs with my leftovers from dinner. And yet most of the people I have met seem happy and always willing to share. The Sadhu's in the picture fed me along with some other guests and even gave me 20 rupee during a huge celebration called Bhandari. We eat, sitting cross legged on the floor, on a plate of dried banana leaves using the fingers of the right hand as a utensil, scooping up the food. Many different curries and rice or my favorite, puris, hot bread fried in ghee! The sadhu make fun of me as I struggle to get on and off the floor!

Sarnath was another world. As soon as we entered the massive gates of the Tibetan Monastery I was whisked out of India and into peace and quiet and beauty. Not a scrap of paper anywhere. This is the area where Buddha began His teachings and there are many schools and sects there.

Another overnight train to Vrindavan and I am in the place of Krishnas Birth. I love the sweet feeling of this place especially compared to Varanasi where the intense energy of Shiva abounds. I have spent alot of time in Neem Karoli Babas Ashram and have had some wonderful meditations in his Shrine. Purnima and I had the good fortune to meet Babas Son and last living relative. He told us his Father was fun to be around but he did not know he was a Saint, only that his Father 'traveled alot'. He is quite old now and it was precious to spend a few minutes with him.

I miss you all and carry you in my heart.
Love,
Maureen

Varanasi

2007-03-09T03:19:00.000-08:00

After a hellish two days of travel via road, plane and overnight train we have made it to Northen India and the ancient city of Varanasi on the Holy Ganges River. I am tucked away in a beautiful boutique hotel overlooking the massive Ganges. I met Purnima at 5:30 this morning on the Assi Ghats or steps of the Ganges. Assi is the Southern most ghat. Each ghat is named and denotes the local neighborhood. We watched the morning Arati as the sky was just turning pink and hour before it actually rose. Then we took a boat down the River watching the local villagers and tourist washing, praying, doing morning yoga and generally going about their business. We saw the funeral ghats and the ritual washing of the bodies before the burnings. All this right next to the dhobi wallas or laundry washers. The business of Life and Death and everything in between seems to be the norm here on the Holiest River in India.

New Age India

2007-03-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

Auroville is a precious town that is a cross between the hip and eco-conscience of Asheville, NC and the simple charm of Indonesia. This alternative community was born out of the Dream of a highly evolved French woman called The Mother. She met her guru Sri Aurobindo in a dream as a small child in France and when she wasolder and able, moved to Pondicherry (adjacent to Auroville) to be with him.

The Mother stated, "There should be somewhere on earth a place which no nation could claim as its own, where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of Supreme Truth..." (August 1954) and thus Auroville was born. About 1,500 people from all over the globe call Auroville home. The infrastructure is amazing. There are organic farms and alternative schools, architects and engineers, shop keepers, cottage industry factories, all involving the local villagers. It is nothing like the India I have experienced so far.

At it's center is a massive gold dome where seekers of the Truth come to meditate. I must admit in spite of it's sci-fi appearance, this is yet another power spot. After meditating inside the dome I sat under a massive banyan tree garlanded with marigolds and enjoyed a rare peace and quiet so hard to find in India!

Maureen

The serious side of India

2007-03-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

Pondicherry -We were four travelers and now we are two. Purnima is Dutch born but lives in India and is the guide. Also I was traveling with two French women Marylene, 50 and Anne, 62. When we first arrived Anne was having a difficult time adjusting. She needed to understand the schedule and have time in her room to arrange her things. This gave her a sense of control in an environment that is the most foreign I have ever experienced and I have traveled Third World. But Anne has lived in Africa and because we were in Tiruvannamalai for about a week she soon adjusted to her environment.

The environment, let's see.... The land of squat toilets with no toilet paper. Cows, dogs, pigs in abundance wandering the roads looking in massive trash piles for food because there is no one to take care of them. Beggars everywhere because there is not enough money for food. Noise and humanity and filth everywhere. That is the surface of India. On top of that we are on a tour that focuses on spiritual sights and places. So our routine is much like that of an ashram. We are up at 5am going to a Samadti Temple for meditation or chanting or sightseeing. Then there is breakfast at 9am, then more sightseeing. After lunch the heat of the day forces us inside for a rest until about 4pm, after that we are on the move until we drop into bed at 9pm. The spiritual vibration of India cannot be underscored enough. The energy purifies and as it does old blockages are released. Exactly like the Reiki or Paramita treatments but with more intensity. People have been coming to these places in search of The Divine for thousands and thousands of years so the build up of energy is like nothing I have felt before. I was mentally prepared for this. In my first report I may have mentioned that this is the 3rd time I have tried to come to India and it was not my time until now. I understand that this is a great gift that I knew when it was not yet my time and not to push it.

Marylene became increasing worse. As the days wore on she would become increasingly confused about where we were or what time we were to meet and she would cry on and off. She stopped eating and would forget to carry water. The temperature is around 95 to 100 degrees F and there is no A/C anywhere. It was frustrating at first because it was difficult for her to take care of herself. But it soon became frightening because she cried all day and did not know where she was. We were so blessed to be heading to Pondicherry, a two and half hour ride from Truivannamalia and the ONLY place in Southern India with a French Embassy. We were able to get her to the Embassy and a doctor. She was immediately hospitalized and tranquilized. The Embassy doctor called it 'deep cultural shock'. Her and Anne are staying in the hospital until their flight out on Tuesday when Purnima and I will go and collect them and and put them on the plane for France! On Friday afternoon Marylene and Anne were much better but still resting. I ask that your prayers be with them and their families and that Marylene be fully restored to sanity upon her return home.

India has my full respect!
Maureen

Computer Illiteracy

2007-02-28T05:08:00.000-08:00

Namaste Friends!

Because I am computer illiterate I am relying heavily on my computer guru, Lauren. Thanks to her my blogs are forthcoming at all! I cannot actually see the pictures I have downloaded and so I am unable to provide commentary! I did however want to show you some of what I have seen in Truivannamalai. Tomorrow we leave for Pondicherry on the South East coast of India. I am looking forward to the beach and apparently the cleanest part of India I will know!

For those who want to know (Mom) the Ox and Cart was a wonderful way to travel around the mountain until we got back into the city, I'm talking main road here, and then I feared for my life!

Jai! Jai! Jai!
Maureen

Namaste!

2007-02-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

This picture is of the Holy Mountain Arunachala. We walked 'the short loop' a few days ago. Tomorrow we are renting an ox and cart, (I'm not kidding!) to take us around the 'long loop'! Yesterday we hiked up the mountain to sit in meditation in the cave of the great saint Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. I had an amazing experience at the cave and shrine of Ramanas Mother. I went into a deep meditation and begin crying (again, so much releasing!) and then I felt light as a feather for many hours later.

Ramana was a high born Indian and when he became Realized he shun the Indian caste system believing we are all equal in the eyes of God. This was all too much for his Mother! She loved her son and wanted to care for him which meant she had to go live in a cave near him and cook for him without the assistance of servants. Many people of a lower caste would come to visit him and she would be in close proximity with them. She would cry and scream to Ramana and he would tell her to go home if she couldn't deal. In the end of course she stayed and worked through many layers of her ego. For her dedication Ramana gave her Enlightenment before she died.

This is a picture of a mandala. You see them in front of almost every door. They invite luck and keep away 'bad spirits'. The Indian people are very quick with a smile, kind and desperately poor. You see sadus and beggars everywhere. There is never a moment when you are alone. I was sitting at a table having Chai the other morning thinking about writing postcards when the owner came out and sat down with me and proceeded to tell me all about her stomach problems! That is the way in India. There is no touching or affectionate hugging between anyone, male or female, but when the men here see a baby they melt. Ga-gaing in tickling the child. Family is so important here. It is really quite precious. The women dress in saris in South India and punjabs in the North. The colors and outfits are exquisite. It is like getting to dress up every single day. Orange, turquoise, red, gold, okra, pink, plum, all different patterns and texture. And in this heat! All to go to the post office or the market or to climb a mountain. There is trash in the street and the sewage flows in concrete gullies in the street and yet there is so much beauty. That is India!

I hold you all in the Light!
Maureen

Tiruvannanalia - So. India

2007-02-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

I am here in Tiru to visit the Ashram of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi which resides at the base of the Holy Mountain, Arunachala. The god Shiva appeared on this Mountain and ever since Ramana was a small child he heard the name of the mountain repeating over and over in his head. He became Self-Realized at 16 and ran away from his family (who eventually found him and began to care for him, he would go into meditations for years at a time!) to go and be at this mountain. The energy of the Mountain is extremely high. We walked it yesterday (the short path, which did take 3 and 1/2 hours!) I cried as we were leaving because my heart felt so happy there, I did not want to leave. Tomorrow we are walking up the mountain to a cave where Ramana meditated in Samadti for 13 years!

I shopped for clothes today. You go into a fabric shop and choose whatever you like, then you walk to the tailor and tell him what to make, he measures you and two days later you have beautiful outfits! I only choose a few because this is a small town. Apparently when we get to New Delhi it will be a whole new game. I may need to buy another suitcase.

The sights and sounds are amazing. Cows (and dogs and pigs and goats) really do wander the streets, I mean everywhere! From Bombay to Tiruvannamalai. Everywhere you smell spices, incense, excrement, diesel. And the noise. Horns blaring, (must be the national anthem!) goats bleeting, so many different languages and dialects all vying to be heard! I am still quite overwhelmed but will try to tackle downloading pictures soon!

You are all with me in thought and in my heart.
Maureen

Leela

2007-02-21T05:24:00.000-08:00

Mumbai, India

There is an Indian word for the drama or 'play' of life, Leela. The English equivalent might be Murphy's Law. If something could go wrong, it probably will! Much leela seems to occur when a person decides to make the spiritual journey to India. My friend Elisabeth had been planning her trip to India for many months. Days before she was to leave she could not find her passport anywhere. It had been returned with her visa approval from the Indian Embassy and was with the rest of her packed bags. After frantic searching she finally surrendered her trip. The passport was discovered in another State and Fed-Exed to her 2 days before she was to board her plane. This is leela!

Many of you know this is my 3rd attempt to get here and I wasn't sure if I would make it up until about 2:25pm Monday! I arrived at the airport at 4:30am on Monday (thank you Lora!) to catch the 6am flight out of Charleston only to discover Delta had refunded my ticket! What????!!!! I cried? I didn't request a refund. DELTA: Well it's in the computer! OK, just issue a new one, here's my credit card. DELTA: We can't reissue, it was a special ticket. Okay, how will I get to India? DELTA: Have your Mother (the administrator of the ticket) drive to a Delta office and sign a special paper authorizing a payment because you are flying out today. And on it goes....... I won't bore you with the details but after many phone calls and trips back and forth to the airport I did eventually land a seat and 18 hours later I have arrived in India!

This adventure I dedicate with love and gratitude to my Mother.

Leaving for India in 7 days!

2007-02-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

Namaste!

Here’s the Plan (and you know how that goes!)

Purnima, the woman I am traveling around India with wrote,”…this trip is indeed a rare and unique opportunity. Rare because during all the 13 years that I am doing this work a chance like this, to be able to join both tours, never occurred since usually there is much gap between a North and a South tour. Unique in the sense that mostly all major holy places will be covered so you will get a good introduction.”

And that, my friends, is how it all begins!

I fly into Mumbai on the 18th of February. I have a few days and will have some punjab’s made for traveling, and then it is off to Ramesh S. Balsekar for satsang. He is now a very old sage, a former President of a national bank; upon retirement he began his ‘second life’, the search for God. He gives talks at his home every day of the year!

Next stop Tiruvannamalai, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, for a 3 and half hours walk around the holy mountain! Done to erase karma. (I’ll keep you posted if I don’t drop dead from heat exhaustion!) Purnima wrote, “You need to protect your head from the

sun because it is already hot during the daytime...”

“On 28 early morning we will leave to Bangalore and in the evening an airconditioned train is booked to bring us to a places near Chidambaram where we will visit the famous Nataraj temple. From there, we drive to Pondicherry where we will spend 1 night to be able to visit the samadhi shrine of Sri Aurobindo and the town of Ponicherry. Next day, 2 March we will go to Auroville. You will spend 2 nights in the middle of this interesting international Community. The last 2 nights you can relax and reflect over your wonderful journey, on the beach. On the 6 of March, we will leave and since we will have a full day left before departure I think we can visit Mahabalipuram on our way back to Chennai.”

That’s just my first 3 weeks! After that Purnima and I are off to Varanasi, one of the oldest and most mysterious cities in the world, for a week of exploration.

Moving farther North we go to the famous yogic cities of Hardawar and Rishikesh after a short shopping break in New Delhi! From there we head to Uttarkashi and Gayatri (the source of the famous Ganges). And finally we explore the royalty of Rajastan before heading back to Mumbai and then Charleston.

I have an open-ended ticket but expect to be back around mid-April. Thank you for your warm wishes. I so look forward to greeting your faces again. Because there’s no place like home…

Love, Maureen

PS - HUGE thank you to my technology guru, Lauren. Charleston will miss you!