We arrived in the Hindu Holy city of Varanasi after a short train ride from Bodhgaya the night of the 12th, welcomed by dry air, refreshing bright lights, and freedom from constant threat of mosquito attack. The city is, in my personal opinion, lovely – it sits comfortably on the river Ganga and is filled with more half dressed holy men than I ever thought possible. The river is really a mystery; despite being said to heal the soul with a “simple” bath (freeing one not only from sin but the continuous cycle of rebirth) and exsiting as one of the spiritual center points to the Hindu population in Varanasi, the Ganga is undoubtely one of the dirtiest bodies of water known to man. Trust me on this one, it is absolutley beautiful. Greeting a new day with a short yoga practice on the roof of our current abode, one can get an amazing view of the seemingly endless lazy river. Stretching out for miles and reflecting the warm Indian sun, it is home to trash, blind dolphins, and unfortunetly, half burnt bodies (this is due to the “burning ghats”, Varanasi’s ghat known for the large number of cremations performed there on a daily basis). Again, I find myself comfortable and completley content with India’s traditions remaining a mystery. Over these next few days the 10 of us travelers find ourselves in the mix of the busy city – learning Hindi in the mornings with our teacher Pinku Ji, and splitting up in the afternoons to intern in different areas around the city. I am very excited about this considering I seem to be benefiting greatly from the different skills and practices our group is picking up. Not only do i get to enjoy the beautiful sound of Olivia recieving vocal lessons on classical Indian song, but I am soon to be the recipient of a daily aryuvedic message (of course I am helping Anna in her personal quest to heal the soul, yes I am helping). This should be a great learning experience for all of us, growing not only in our personal skills, but also in our ability to learn from another culture. I truly believe that all of us really are experiencing the spiritually uplifting part of Varanasi, for some that may come in the form of a friendly Hindi driven connection with a local, a glimpse of a half naked holy man’s need for a little more clothing, or a heavenly message. Maybe the Ganga has more to offer than meets the eye.
Last week, however, was a stark contrast to the city we are in now; we stayed at a semi monastic center in Bodhgaya, the birthplace of Buddhism, and participated in a silent meditation retreat. Spirtually uplifting for some and just plain annoying for others, the teachings taught us a variety of things… if nothing else, to practice patience. Venerable David taught us twice a day and we participated in three meditation sessions a day. On the last day we visited a temple dedicated to the bodhi tree Buddha attained enlightenment under 2500 years ago for a sunrise meditation. Bodhgaya was a beautiful place, but I think we are all thankful to be able to converse again.
peace and love
Maggie Mae and Anna
