REally glad you are back, Khazana. And looking forward to more of your adventures. I ahve never been to India, so for me this is especially interesting and sweet.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, khazana108 <no_reply@...> wrote: > > Barry, and also Marek, and whoever has been reading this, I'll hit the road > tomorrow, going to East Germany, so I won't complete it tonight, still have > to back and prepare some things. Don't expect too much though, and pretty > near the end. Thanks for giving me the thumbs up. :-) > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > Very nice. An adventure, indeed. And you have a great way of describing > > it. Thanks. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, khazana108 <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@ wrote: > > > > > > > > Very possibly. But to be honest I'd prefer to hear about > > > > your recent Road Trip. It sounds as if it may have been > > > > edifying. > > > > > > Yes. > > > > > > > If it's not classified :-), > > > > > > Some of it. > > > > > > > where did you go, > > > > and did you have fun there? > > > > > > Yes, some fun, and great experiences (I would have reported some of it > > anyway), but also challenging situations. > > > > > > So places: All of it South India. Final landing place: Bangalore. The > > place I stay most of the time is about 125 kms from Bangalore. I am > > there for doing work, some overseeing works at several construction > > sites. Some working with special machines, a heavy jackhammer, much of > > the trip about 3-4 hours daily. There is a school, the school is being > > expanded, the additional rooms being created are actually very much > > needed, as the number of pupils doubled since last May. (I was there too > > 3 month in the school holidays). I usually do the heavy work, as I am > > fit (doing running regularly) and strong enough. Other westerners who > > live there, either teach at the school, mostly women, or do supervising > > and just other works and the different building sites. Somebody has to > > direct all the works, control the Indian workers organize materials, > > another person supervises the activities at another ground, has to be > > there. take deliveries, pay workers etc. > > > > > > We are here in rural India, not in Bangalore or Pondichery, there are > > almost constant power-cuts, since some day in June or July, when almost > > all of India was without electricity the situation has worsened > > considerable. On many days we will have power only about 3 hours, and > > you never know when. This is a major problem for all building > > activities. > > > > > > On the place itself, I have a bicycle to get around, I go for food > > outside, I know all the places, simple Indian food, meals, very hot, > > lots of chilly. > > > > > > The children are absolutely sweet, there is a smaller group of > > children, living on the site, the majority is brought by a bus or by > > their parents. The children who live on the site, I know all by name, > > some of them for a few years now. > > > > > > This basically is my second home, This year I was there more often > > than in Europe. > > > > > > Since I finished my works early, I took a week off, I took a direct > > night bus to Pondy, 4,5 hrs starting at 3 am, just to have some > > spiritual holiday, see and bath in the ocean. It's not a new place to > > me, but it's more of a city, I stay in a very affordable guest house, > > run and built by a German, I frequent the Ashram places (Aurobindo > > Ashram), the Samadhi, and I want to go into the Matri Mandir, the > > spiritual center of Auroville. I still don't know, if I will stay three > > days or more, I am playing with the thought of going also to > > Tiruvanamallai, which is on the way to Bangalore, where my flight will > > go off. > > > > > > This time I want to go into the Matri Mandir, I was there last 13 > > years back, on my last trips to Pondy I found the administrative hurdle > > always too much, you have to phone a certain number in Auroville between > > 10 and 11 am, just one hour, to be able to maybe get a pass for the next > > day. I missed this time on the date of my arrival, but somebody told me, > > as I have been there before, they would give me admission if I just go > > there on the next day. There is a bus leaving to Auroville everyday in > > front of the Ashram at 8.15 am, but that is Indian time. The bus brings > > you to the visiting center in Auroville, where upon arrival immediately > > a long queu is being formed. There is an A group and a B group, the A > > group are people who have an appointment to actually meditate in the > > Matri Mandir, the meditation takes about 40 minutes is in total silence, > > and is in the center of the building, starting from 10 am. But I have no > > reservation! No chance, the Indian lady says in a stern voice. I ask her > > if I can talk with her, then say I have been inside before, she says its > > full. But I could make an appointment, calling this number for the next > > day. If you want, she says, you can meditate in the petal. I lighten up > > and immediately agree. The petals are small rooms adjoining the main > > sanctuary of the Matri Mandir, the meditations are actually called > > concentration. I now find out that there is actually even an email, to > > make a reservation. So I walk the little path from the visitors center, > > and get to the main entrance of the Matri Mandir. I tell my story again, > > and get a pass for the petal, only two of the twelve petals are open for > > the meditation, 3 times are fixed in the morning, I am already late. I > > have to choose, do I want 'goodness' or ' courage'? I said, whatever, no > > I have to choose. Courage, I respond immediately, and the Indian lady > > smiles. > > > > > > I walk there, again a lady receives me, takes the ticket, I am alone > > in the room. It is breathtaking. The whole room is in a sort of orange > > crimson color, there is a foggy light coming from below, no direct > > window, I hear a reverberating sound, like coming from a motor, maybe > > the air-condition. I get white socks, and sit on one of the cushions. I > > am immediately pulled inside. The reverberating sound mixes with the > > sound of OM. I meditate on OM. Just Ooooohhhmmmm, a long continuing OM, > > no repetitions, just that. It's the first time I really accept OM as a > > mantra, nothing more just that. This is all that I need. I am in the > > pure state of the mind. The Sahasrara chakra is being felt, the heart is > > being felt, there is a state of total absorption. > > > > > > Later. when I told this story to a friend, she said, that when she > > meditated in the Matri Mandir, she heard OM as from a thousand voices. > > This revelation of OM is what I will from now on associate with the > > Matri Mandir. I feel that OM is all we need for a mantra. It has always > > been the universal mantra, the one talked about in the Upanishads. Sound > > is Akasha, space. > > > > > > I must have been quite spaced out when I walked back, had my coffee > > and pineapple cake at the visitors center, and I make sure I will have > > an appointment for the next day, for the main sanctuary. > > > > > > When back in Pondy, I went for food, a small meals place in the main > > road. I had rented a bicycle. At the restaurant I saw a small prayer > > card, photo, with some text in Tamil, and three photos of some saints, > > one I recognized: it was Vallalar, saint Ramalingam. He lived in the > > nineteenth century, and could have been a contemporary of Ramakrishna. > > He never became that famous, because he obviously didn't have a > > Vivekananda. But he was a great saint, his movement negated the caste > > system, cared for the poor, and obviously he ranted against tradition > > and the Vedas. At the end of his life, he locked himself into a room > > for many days, maybe month, I am not sure anymore, and told people not > > to open the door. Finally, after a long time the door was opened, and > > nobody was there. He is purported to have dissolved into the grace > > light, the Arut Perum Jyothi. > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramalinga_Swamigal > > > > > > That room, is in a small village called Mettu Kuppam, near Vadalur. I > > had asked one Indian at my guest house, and he told me which buses I > > could take. Vadalur is about 60 kms from Pondy. That village, Mettu > > Kuppam, is somewhere close, on the way to Vadalur. > > > > > > So, seeing the poster at the restaurant, I went with my cylce to the > > bus station, took the bus to Cuddalore, and from there the bus to > > Vadalur, telling the conductor, that I would like he stops in Mettu > > Kuppam. You see, you have to do this communication with hand and feet, > > showing him the names written, mentioning the name of the saint, using > > typical indian pronounced English. It worked, the conductor shake me up, > > and let me exit, from there I walked about 3 kms to Mettu Kuppam. > > > > > > Now, Barry, I am running short of time, and will finish this tonight. > > > :-) > > >
