7 days in India
I just came back from a packed seven-day trip to India with my kids and their father. It was a very moving experience. The tour was arranged so that there were visits to spiritual sites and the Taj Mahal. It was moving for me because, since I started doing Clairvision meditation five years ago, I tend to feel people and places more intensely. So this time it was an experience of India that was non-physical.
Upon getting off the plane in New Delhi I was taken aback by the heavy muskiness of the air. At the same time I was struck by the “heartness” of the people. In this way it is similar to what I feel in the Philippines.
I knew the key to getting my kids to enjoy the country was to make sure we stayed in good hotels and had good food. The New Delhi hotel I stayed in — Le Meridien — was excellent. There was one night where we got upgraded to a deluxe room. The kids had a blast! There was a massage chair, a Jacuzzi — with push buttons for light, foot massage, back massage. The shower was as wide as the shower area, so it felt like rain coming down from above. And the spa — oh, my goodness. The treatments were heavily Ayurvedic. I felt like I was part of the offering — being treated with touching reverence. The key to any spa will always be the people.
On the first day the highlight was going to Old Delhi where I was told the Pandavas used to live: Indrapastha. I have read the Mahabharat several times. So this was very moving for me — to feel the energy of the place. The Mahabharat is an historical account of the fight between good and evil thousands of years ago. The Pandavas were the epitome of righteousness, integrity and wisdom. Although their structures had been destroyed by Muslim rulers I could still feel a magnificence in the place.
The next day we went to Mathura — the actual cell where Krishna was born. Krishna is one of the personalities adulated by the Hindus. I am not Hindu but I have read the stories. I made sure my children knew the stories so that they would appreciate the visit. Then we went to Vrindavan — where Krishna grew up. We took a tricycle through the cobbled streets and looked at the garden where he would dance with the gopis. For me it was like going back in time, and seeing images of what must have been. It was most amusing for me to be in this place that was inundated with spiritual vibrations. I went into the house where Krishna grew up and there was this priest — dressed in Kamiseta. He sat on a stage and asked us to sit down. Then he asked us to chant, saying “Krishna, Krishna…” He then proceeded to tell us that if we give him such and such amount of money these are the benefits that we will receive, and we can give in any currency. He had many rings on his fingers. I found it quite amusing how materialistic impulses just carry on — even in deeply spiritual places.
I never thought I would be able to find a place where the septic waste would be bad and garbage was strewn all over the place — yet the place could still feel spiritual. Well, to me, Vrindavan fits the bill. There were chants wafting in the air — because the following day marked the day when Krishna killed his uncle Kamsa, who was so evil he was killing any baby he thought was Krishna. On the way to Vrindavan there were hundreds of people walking barefoot all around Mathura in homage to that day.
We spent the night in Agra — at a splendid hotel with great South Indian food and a spectacular Ayurvedic spa. The Taj Mahal was awesome. Twenty thousand laborers, 22 years. The gardens, the detail of its architecture… this emperor Shah Jahan was amazing. He was quite a builder. At the Taj, surprisingly what I felt was a space of pain — it didn’t feel joyful, maybe because he built it after she died. His story is also sad. He had 14 children and his youngest son killed his two older brothers, imprisoned Shah Jahan and took over the kingdom. So Shah Jahan views the completion of the monument of his love from his “prison” which is actually quite comfortable and beautiful.
It was very interesting for me to walk through the palace where Shah Jahan and his family lived. Images of opulence ran through my mind — even just viewing the courtyard where all the concubines lived, or the hall built for his only daughter. Moving courtyard after courtyard — for one hour — only to find out that this was just 10 percent of the entire court!
The next day we went to Haridwar. I was told that, as Mecca is to the Muslims, so Haridwar is to the Hindus. “Haridwar” means gate to heaven. This is where one of their Gods, Shiva, spent much time — and the Pandavas also spent time here after they were done ruling Indrapastha. My meditations here were awesome. Very deep. Very high. At about six in the evening I attended an arathi (prayer) at the River Ganges. There must have been thousands there. Our guide got us a good location and I was able to sit comfortably. Again it was quite amusing to see these men talking loudly, offering this and that spiritual boon for so much money. And I was quite surprised to see many Indians actually giving them money!
The arathi lasted only 15 minutes, but it was a spectacle of fire. There are a few seconds where the energy hit a crescendo. I could understand how collective aspiration could lead to divine blessings. I was told that thousands upon thousands come here daily — from all over India — just to bathe in the river or attend the arathi. I was also told that next year would be the Kumbha Mela — an astrological event that happens only every 12 years and where literally millions come to bathe in the river and attend rituals. Twelve years ago six million came to bathe in the river.
The next day we went to Rishikesh — a place also frequented by Shiva and the Pandavas. I was quite touched, walking around the temples and ashrams and seeing that they provide free medical treatment and food for the underprivileged. The cows are revered — so you won’t be able to order beef in any restaurant in Rishikesh or Haridwar. My goodness, there is even a bird hospital!
One highlight of the trip for me was the hotel, which was right by the river; I slept with the roar of the river all around me. And the final climax was the white river rafting down the River Ganges. Rimo was our Nepali guide — a winner of many awards, he had great personality, making the trip a lot of fun for me and my kids. At one point he stopped the rubber boat and said, “Okay, here you get off.” Huh? We get off? It’s freezing cold! So finally, summoning my courage, I jumped in — and was so shocked by the cold that I immediately climbed back in the raft, surprised at the kick it had given my nervous system...
Each rapid was given a name — like Going Back to the Center, or Kingdom to Heaven. At one of the rapids Rimo said “Hold on, hold on...” I held on, but fell off! At another point he said, “Now you get off… and body surf.” This time I declined. But I did jump off a high point to the right of the river, and that was really good.
The River Ganges. I had originally thought it was dirty. I was surprised to find that it is actually quite clean!! Just very, very cold! I was also quite struck upon observing that despite the millions of people who bathe here — during my whole trip, I saw only one plastic bag! I naturally thought of the Pasig River, where plastic bags are such a bane. While I was in the raft, I wouldn’t even spit into the water because of the perception that the river is sacred. This further strengthened my conviction that the only way to get the Pasig River clean is to see it differently. It’s a river a life. I am convinced that as much as we give to nature, nature will give us back a hundredfold. For me the Ganges River feels very much like a mother. It has a nurturing feel to it. To me, the Pasig River feels gunked up, pained... but we can bring it back to life, if we begin to nurture our relationship with it.
On our final day we ate in this “hole in the wall” restaurant called Sagar. It was packed to the rafters and had amazing South Indian food at very reasonable prices.
India is an amazing land. Its greatest gift for me is the centuries of deep spiritual tradition that permeate the land and the people. My meditation in India was blessed. I would get up really early and sometimes sit for two hours. It was amazing that even in the hotel I found myself going deep. I felt the jump in the Ganges River refreshed my spirits. In essence, I feel the trip there was a gift for my soul.
