Blog from Emily S. Photos from Savannah and the Overseas Educators
Namaste from Bodhgaya!
Emilia here, writing from the Root Institute! We arrived here yesterday healthy and excited to be studying Buddhism! It’s a different change of pace compared to Varanasi, a city full of bustling cows, water buffalo, rickshaws and people. We stayed in Banaras (the local term for the city) for almost one week, learned some “survival Hindi” and immersed ourselves in one of India’s holy cities, according to Hinduism.
Before our excursion to Varanasi, we were in Agra for two days, and visited some of the sites that put India on the map, like the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. After our quick visit to Agra, we boarded a train that would take us to Varanasi. Nate, Alessandra and I got a case of food poisoning before arriving in the train station, and then everyone else except for Dani and Chris caught it between arriving at the train station, waiting for our delayed train for roughly 3 hours, and the 16 hour train ride to Varanasi. After a quick recovery, and glad we had experienced it sooner rather than later, we dove into classes in Varanasi that ranged from stone carving, to jewelry making, to fire dancing.
In Banaras, we were greeted by a friend of Carpe Diem, Pinkhu-ji, who was instrumental in introducing us to the teachers, teaching us some Hindi, giving us the inside scoop on local places to eat, the history of the city he calls home, and answering our many, many questions.
Catherine, Alessandra, and Savannah took on the challenge of stone carving this week with Munna-ji, and in the end, made beautiful pieces with their names scribed in Hindi on the back, which were made into necklace pendants. I caught up with them, asking how they felt about their experience. Savannah described as the process being very meditative, and Catherine agreed, adding that they had an excellent teacher and that they learned a lot.
Besides Hindi class after lunch, most of us were split up, spending our days separately in different classes, and coming back together as a group to talk of our experiences and the things we’d witnessed that day.
Catherine, Savannah, Nate, Dani, Fordham, and I also took a class on Ayurveda medicine. A practice that predates written records, and was first past down via word of mouth through the generations. So we were very glad to hear about it from an experienced practitioner, Dr. Assit. The basic concept, as we were told, is that it is a healing of the body through opposites. Nate found it interesting to know how we already practice Ayurveda in our daily lives. For example, if a person has a cold, the most common thing to do is to give that person warm tea or hot soup.
In Hindi class, we learned how to say things that we might need to know, like how to tell the time, “excuse me”, and my personal favorite, “yaha kitne badar hai?”, which translates to, “how many monkeys are here?”
Nate, Alessandra and I all took on fire dancing this week, where we were taught by a true master of his craft, Krishna-ji,. Alessandra and I were learning how to use poi, Nate learned a handful of moves on the staff, which led to an informal performance of sorts the night before we left Varanasi. I think I can speak for the three of us when I say that it was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my time here.
Two nights before we left Varanasi, Pinkhu-ji led us around a walking tour, showing us some of the local temples in the city of Shiva, and the burning ghats, leading us to a light ceremony being performed on one of the ghats. There were so many people there, but the group found a balcony later that gave a great view of the performers, the boats, and all of the people who had come to see it.
When reflecting on our longest stay in one place thus far, and that place being Varanasi, we all had interesting things to say about the city. Nate found it interesting how we were there during a time of celebration. Ford, Dani, and most of us agreed that the importance of the public cremations was something to note. It is an honor in the Hindu tradition to be cremated after death at the Ganga River, and we were able to witness that on a bout tour that we all took one morning. Catherine noted that the rituals involving and about the river was fascinating, it being the lifeblood of this town.
Glad to have had this fulfilling week in Varanasi, and ready for the slower pace of the Root Institute, the group is here with one member less. Before leaving for Agra, our friend Terry flew back home for personal reasons, and we know that she is doing well, and we are thinking of her here.
Tonight at the Institute, we will be greeting Tenzin Palmo, an influential figurehead in the Tibetan Buddhist world, and we can’t wait to attend her teachings for the next two days!
I’ve attached some photos of our recent experiences, all of which were taken by Savannah!
Until next time!
