Wow, what a shift in scenery for Evrim and I...
Being at the Krishnamurti center at the Raj Ghat school in Varanasi I can easily speak for us both when I say that it was a unique and special part of our trip to stay in such a place. So, going from that setting of luscious green trees, roses that smell of jasmine, and a large, quite library overlooking landscaped gardens, and the flowing holy Ganga it was much of a shock arriving to the hustle and bustle of Bodhgaya, which is known to be the holiest spot for Buddhist pilgrims.
In Bodhgaya we stayed at the Root Institute, another Tibetan Buddhist study and medical help center. I have to admit that what I enjoyed most staying at the Root Institute was the delicious food. We were finally eating organic and clean, and the food actually felt nourishing! (so we were a bit spoiled coming from the K center's amazing Indian food and now to the Root Institute). One night after eating Tibetan Momo soup (which is like a thin vegetable dumpling soup), we got to have our very first brownie in India. The brownie was in a shape of a ball and was filled with different kinds of nuts and rolled in coconut. You can't imagine how much of a treat this was for us. We were giggling in delight.
Aside from the food we also were able to visit the various sites in and around Bodhgaya. Bodhgaya is sort of like a Buddhist Disney World, minus the cleanliness and plus a lot of beggars. First we went to Vulture's Peak, the spot where the Buddha gave his teaching on the Heart Sutra/Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (the prajnaparamita). At the site there is also an amazing Japanese temple that you take a chair lift to reach. This was a very funny scene. We had never seen Indians laugh so much than when they were hopping on to these chair lifts. After another hot and bumpy ride from Vultures Peak we also visited the site of Nalanda University, which was the largest Buddhist University in the world until it was destroyed by Muslim invasions. This was one of the most amazing places I've ever seen and also one of the saddest. We were about to walk around going in and out of monasteries and temples which are now in ruins, but you can still imagine monks congregating, debating, and worshiping... which is what we did. The final site that we visited was the Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi tree, where the Buddha attained enlightenment... It is an amazing tree and it is worshiped and prayed over all day long.
Finally after another 4:00AM train ride Evrim and I reached Kolkata where we were graciously greeted by Atiya and Arun (Hala and Halu, Aunty and Uncle) who are now taking wonderful care of us and feeding us the most amazing Indian food we have had the entire trip.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Buddha's Not Here
Varanasi: another speechless city.
Full of noise and dust and burning and chanting but the river is there, speechless and gently flowing, unusually turning in on it self just north of here.
We left our comfortable nook at one end of the city, Assi Ghat, and went to the last ghat at the other end Raj Ghat. This is where the Rajghat School and Vasanta College for Women, founded by J. Krishnamurti, in addition to the Krishnamurti Study Centre, are located. It is situated above the banks looking dwon over the river, the paths and buildings winding through a kind of forest we've not seen here yet. Banyan, neem, amla, acacia, and pipal trees abound. Flowers and butterflies are everywhere. Smells of honeysuckle and gardenia! And the early morning light caressing everything with gold. We felt we were in a very different place, a different realm. Food was still a hot topic speaking with some staff and guests at the Centre.
We had time to read and reflect and walk. The walks were the best part I think, as you can imagine. After all the exhaust (the machines, the vehicles, and of our bodies) it was welcome green, welcome rest.
Today, we visited Sarnath.
This is the place where the Buddha--after deciding to teach what he had seen under the Pipal tree many kilometres away from here (in Bodhgaya where we go next, tomorrow) --gave his first teaching, gave that first wonderous spin to the wheel of eternal law. The stupa (a religious honorary monument) erected there is large, impressive, old. A group of Burmese monks, nuns, and laypeople chanted towards the spot, burning candles and incense. We walked in the heat. Tons of tourists. We looked at the ruins of the place. We sat in the cool shade of the stupa, on the cool stone. I closed my eyes and tried to picture the Buddha there, walking around, sitting, chatting with his disciples, sitting up on a platform and sharing his teaching--patiently, sincerely, carefully...I couldn't do it.
We were tired. The sun got us again. We loved the trees of the park.
We returned to the Centre for a great lunch and to say goodbye to that forest and those flowers and that wide strangely still-yet-flowing river.
Mary said it perfectly before we left:
"The Buddha's not here anymore."
Full of noise and dust and burning and chanting but the river is there, speechless and gently flowing, unusually turning in on it self just north of here.
We left our comfortable nook at one end of the city, Assi Ghat, and went to the last ghat at the other end Raj Ghat. This is where the Rajghat School and Vasanta College for Women, founded by J. Krishnamurti, in addition to the Krishnamurti Study Centre, are located. It is situated above the banks looking dwon over the river, the paths and buildings winding through a kind of forest we've not seen here yet. Banyan, neem, amla, acacia, and pipal trees abound. Flowers and butterflies are everywhere. Smells of honeysuckle and gardenia! And the early morning light caressing everything with gold. We felt we were in a very different place, a different realm. Food was still a hot topic speaking with some staff and guests at the Centre.
We had time to read and reflect and walk. The walks were the best part I think, as you can imagine. After all the exhaust (the machines, the vehicles, and of our bodies) it was welcome green, welcome rest.
Today, we visited Sarnath.
This is the place where the Buddha--after deciding to teach what he had seen under the Pipal tree many kilometres away from here (in Bodhgaya where we go next, tomorrow) --gave his first teaching, gave that first wonderous spin to the wheel of eternal law. The stupa (a religious honorary monument) erected there is large, impressive, old. A group of Burmese monks, nuns, and laypeople chanted towards the spot, burning candles and incense. We walked in the heat. Tons of tourists. We looked at the ruins of the place. We sat in the cool shade of the stupa, on the cool stone. I closed my eyes and tried to picture the Buddha there, walking around, sitting, chatting with his disciples, sitting up on a platform and sharing his teaching--patiently, sincerely, carefully...I couldn't do it.
We were tired. The sun got us again. We loved the trees of the park.
We returned to the Centre for a great lunch and to say goodbye to that forest and those flowers and that wide strangely still-yet-flowing river.
Mary said it perfectly before we left:
"The Buddha's not here anymore."
Friday, November 14, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Safe in Varanasi...
Finally we escaped the hustle and bustle of Delhi!
After randomly running into our dear friend Robby, from the Deer Park Institute , and having lunch with him, Evrim and I boarded our all night train to Varanasi. The train ride wasn't too bad... I will say there were cockroaches in my bed and I probably didn't sleep all night but, when we awoke to the golden sun we had an amazing view of India that was unlike any we had seen before. Together we gazed out our window of the moving train onto the lives of so many different types of Indians and their daily activities. We passed many fields upon fields, one village after the next, women slapping together hundreds of cow patties leaving them to dry, cows grazing, peacocks running around, HUGE hogs on piles of trash, little babies dancing on their woven beds under their cob huts and some of the most amazing trees we have ever seen...this is the closest we've felt to rural India.
Arriving to Varanasi was the easiest arrival we have had yet in a train station. We were quickly greeted by our Rickshaw driver, Lakshmi, with a sign that read "Edrem and Mari". Lakshmi drove us through the busy streets and led us into the old alley ways, with colorful stucco walls, passing chai wallas smelling strong of cardamom and ginger, bread frying, sadhus chanting, and finally ending at our home sweet home... Shanti Guesthouse. So far we have only eaten breakfast on the rooftop here that overlooks the Manikarnaka Ghat, which is the main burning ghat. We are eagerly waiting to have a room and a shower!
Hope you are all doing well. We will write more soon.
Much love to all our readers!
After randomly running into our dear friend Robby, from the Deer Park Institute , and having lunch with him, Evrim and I boarded our all night train to Varanasi. The train ride wasn't too bad... I will say there were cockroaches in my bed and I probably didn't sleep all night but, when we awoke to the golden sun we had an amazing view of India that was unlike any we had seen before. Together we gazed out our window of the moving train onto the lives of so many different types of Indians and their daily activities. We passed many fields upon fields, one village after the next, women slapping together hundreds of cow patties leaving them to dry, cows grazing, peacocks running around, HUGE hogs on piles of trash, little babies dancing on their woven beds under their cob huts and some of the most amazing trees we have ever seen...this is the closest we've felt to rural India.
Arriving to Varanasi was the easiest arrival we have had yet in a train station. We were quickly greeted by our Rickshaw driver, Lakshmi, with a sign that read "Edrem and Mari". Lakshmi drove us through the busy streets and led us into the old alley ways, with colorful stucco walls, passing chai wallas smelling strong of cardamom and ginger, bread frying, sadhus chanting, and finally ending at our home sweet home... Shanti Guesthouse. So far we have only eaten breakfast on the rooftop here that overlooks the Manikarnaka Ghat, which is the main burning ghat. We are eagerly waiting to have a room and a shower!
Hope you are all doing well. We will write more soon.
Much love to all our readers!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Pahar Ganj पहर गंज
What can we write about Pahar Ganj that would be anything but...dirty?
I hope the auspicious symbol of the lotus means something Real to us here because in terms of great beauty and purity being born of the mud, there is no place deeper in smog, shit, and muck that I can think of. So, this should give us great inspiration to make effort to grow wise and beautiful, no? But you start to search for things here: a smile, some kind of small intimacy, a good dosa, an honest word. They become precious beyond measure.
Mostly we've hung out around here. Watched some movies and typed on the computer. We met a remarkable man by the name of Swamiji, and we hope he has arrived safely to his destination.
We leave on an overnight train to Varanasi (वाराणसी) around 6:30pm (8am E.S.T.). Tomorrow we will wake up to dawn over that city.
And there will be a lot to write then...
I hope the auspicious symbol of the lotus means something Real to us here because in terms of great beauty and purity being born of the mud, there is no place deeper in smog, shit, and muck that I can think of. So, this should give us great inspiration to make effort to grow wise and beautiful, no? But you start to search for things here: a smile, some kind of small intimacy, a good dosa, an honest word. They become precious beyond measure.
Mostly we've hung out around here. Watched some movies and typed on the computer. We met a remarkable man by the name of Swamiji, and we hope he has arrived safely to his destination.
We leave on an overnight train to Varanasi (वाराणसी) around 6:30pm (8am E.S.T.). Tomorrow we will wake up to dawn over that city.
And there will be a lot to write then...
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Obama in the Himalayas!!!
Hello Everyone! Congratulations on Obama's victory! We are so happy to be coming home to a country that is finally moving towards positive change. We were delighted to hear that Obama was in the lead as we were tucked away in an Indian rock tent at the top of a mountain peak in the Himalayas. We were listening to a tiny, cheap radio in hindi and sipping chai when we heard the news. Finally, as travelers, we are proud to say we are from America!
So, that is what we have been up to, hiking Trek Triund for our last days in Dharamsala. I told Evrim at the top of the mountain, "this is the kind of moment that makes you believe in fairy tales...", It really was magical. We were treking uphill for 6 hours looking over steep cliffs with hovering vultures and passing billy goats to reach over 10,000ft to arrive at our home for the night, a rock tent with a tarp and two indians inside (a man and his son), who fixed us dal, rice, and chai on the fire. That night was our first night in India with silence, a silence I will never forget. It is almost impossible to write about our experience at the top of that mountain, so close to the stars, the moon, and then the rising sun... I hope all of us will continue to have these moments spent in nature's paradise! The beauty of this Earth brings tears to my eyes... so, go for a hike today! :)
We leave tonight on our next 15hr bus ride to Delhi before heading to Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodhgaya, and Calcutta. We are sad to leave this precious Tibetan colony of which we have become quite a part of, but we are looking forward to diving into the ancient parts of this country.
We hope you are all happy, healthy, and delighting in this special time of being an American.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Stayed on...
Change of plans.
Evrim got a wee bit sick. And stayed in bed for 5 days. And this is his first day out. Oh gratefulness! Hawks in the blue sky, sun like the beach, noodles, water, and always the peaks watching over everything.
Diwali was loud explosions for days, warlike.
Halloween was quiet.
So we'll try and wrap up things now that Evrim has returned to this world.
Then we'll be moving on to Delhi, Varanasi, Sarnath.........
Evrim got a wee bit sick. And stayed in bed for 5 days. And this is his first day out. Oh gratefulness! Hawks in the blue sky, sun like the beach, noodles, water, and always the peaks watching over everything.
Diwali was loud explosions for days, warlike.
Halloween was quiet.
So we'll try and wrap up things now that Evrim has returned to this world.
Then we'll be moving on to Delhi, Varanasi, Sarnath.........
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