Blessing
Asking people
that they lay hands
on me
and give their
blessings
while kneeling in
front of them.
................................................................
People who give their blessing:
.
I
interrupted the journey and meet a friend for breakfast.
The
young man helps his friend and prepares us a very good omelette.
In
the evening, looking for a place to stay, he happens to stop next to me - I can
sleep with him.
Also
the next few days: He helps a lot, not only me.
What
makes it so special: His beautiful tranquility and inner friendliness.
......................................
I interrupt the pilgrimage and want to meet a friend in Kota.
I have to spend the night at the train station.
There's a little garden in the train station.
I ask permission to stay overnight.
The railway police send me to a wonderful colleague,
with whom I can exchange ideas about spirituality.
In the first ashram they don't take care of me.
But the priest celebrates a beautiful ritual with his students.
In the end he takes me to his ashram.
I marvel at his pure, genuine kindness.
His students, although very young, reflect this purity.
The man says I'm the first to notice his blindness straight away.
It's nice to look at him.
Although one can tell that his open eyes are never in exactly the right direction, one get the feeling that he is present and understands everything.
Sometimes understanding even more?
Oh, that hasn't happened in a long time: I'm simply turned away in an ashram.
The women point in a direction where I should go instead.
But right next to them lies a small hidden ashram:
The guru there looks like a spiritual lifestyle which I don't model: drugs.
But his mind is deep-observant and he has good intuition.
I like him somehow.
The next day, I am generously gifted by some of his followers.
It's dark, I'm rejected again by an ashram. But only
briefly, the priest comes and persuades his old mother that I can stay.
But he himself appraises me strangely and touches me noticeable often - the dog is
very afraid of him.
After half an hour I say goodbye.
Next door is an ashram
with a friendly welcoming atmosphere; the whole family smiles, although there
are language difficulties.
Grandfather is reserved.
He looks odd with his damaged, crooked glasses. But he always understands when
I need something.
I am happy
because my spare glasses look good on him.
It's a maybe 9-year-old boy who entangles me in an engaging conversation on a street corner. His
English is fluent, his questions and responses are very interesting for his age.
The attentive grandfather
invites me to his home for refreshments.
A fine, educated
gentleman.
He worries about his
grandson, whether he is under too much pressure to perform for his age.
I feel very enriched by
this family. So rich that I can even refuse a large gift of money.
Unfortunately, I cannot stay in this school ashram any longer.
But the wounds on my feet prevent me from going any
further.
Rishikesh sits opposite a Sai Baba sculpture.
He works at the doctor's and takes me there;
takes care of housing and school visits and everything.
After 8 days it is difficult for us to say goodbye.
......................................
Rishikesh brings me to this great man.
He not only shows a wonderful, noble appearance,
his thoughts and values are very precious.
Thank you Thorat Maharaj.
......................................
In the middle of Maharashtra.
Suddenly a church every day and Catholics in every village.
Here someone listens with dear patience to my suffering
about politics, pandemic and Deep State.
Understanding and warm.
......................................
......................................
The
monsoon season has begun.
The
night quarter in front of the small school is nice, but the canopy is very
narrow in case it's going to rain.
The
neighbor comes along. He opens a classroom - it's safer. He cares with a
binding distance.
The next morning we meditate in front of his Buddha sculpture. A Vipassana student.
......................................
Then heaven gives me another surprise: I am taken to an ashram of the
Hare Krishna movement.
In the guest house, the father takes me to a beautiful room with a soft
bed and a modern bathroom.
I can stay here for several days.
We're about the same age. His face is full of warmth and engaging depth.
......................................
Again someone pulls up next to me on their moped, asking questions and
asking for a selfie. As a thanks, he drives me to his friend's
"hotel" and invites me to lunch.
It's just friend's family at the restaurant right now. All exude
positivity and friendliness. Also the young girl and the grandparents: good and
sincere from the inside.
......................................
At a tea kiosk I once again ask for a mobile hotspot as my Vodafone SIM
card rarely works well in this region.
Unexpectedly, a young man asks if I wanted a "better" Airtel
SIM card. I'm happily perplexed because as a foreigner it's not easy to get
Indian SIM cards.
Moments later, the inconspicuous young fellow hands me a card that even
has credit on it for a few days. I marvel at his compassionate generosity.
......................................
On the way across the fields we meet a farmer's wife.
Most peasant women react with fear, even resentment, when they see a
stranger on their property.
This one has an alert, intelligent demeanor. She invites us to tea.
My host says that she meditates, even practices Vipassana.
Her nature touches me internally.
......................................
A boy along the way speaks English very well.
Very politely, he and his grandfather fulfill my wish for fruit
refreshment in their house nearby.
They want to do me more good. I stupidly talk about money and suddenly
the wise man hands me a Rs 2000 note.
But I feel well taken care of and I easily refuse the gift. Instead, the
mature man bestows a long, warm, fulfilling blessing.
......................................
He comes back on his motorcycle and asks if he can help me.
He invites to his self-designed KARMA Cafe:
Excellent coffee without water, only with buffalo milk.
His hands rest on my head for a long time with warm, creative energy.
He gives two most delicious mangoes for the further way.
......................................
A tea stall.
The young man looks a little tired.
He asks the usual questions.
But reacts differently to my usual answers.
Seriously, thoughtfully.
I feel honored by his mute way of reacting.
......................................
I'm lucky that a mobile food truck is already offering breakfast.
That guy over there is very young.
He serves me competently and pleasantly; he has a mature, kind face.
He serves more than I ordered - for free.
As I walk on, I feel that I want to see him again - and ask for his blessing.
When I turn around, he's just stopping behind me on his motorbike.
......................................
I
just wanted to ask the moped driver for directions.
It
becomes an invitation to lunch at his house.
His whole family treats me with respect.
......................................
I had spent the night in the village temple.
A few people gather at breakfast next door.
One follows me.
He still wants to help me somehow.
......................................
My phone seemed lost - very good.
Because suddenly these people showed up
and were ready to help. Which was no longer necessary.
But I got to know them as great therapists.
They made me feel like part of a family.
....................................................
Sunset. In a village I ask a woman
for water.
She doesn't understand anything
but is scared and yells at me.
A few steps further a temple.
Young people sit on the wall.
One speaks English and brings me
water.
And I can sleep in the temple too.
Later the priest and numerous
curious people come.
There are few Christians
in the new state of Karnataka.
But there is a
church.
In the twilight I
see a man, I wave to him.
It`s the priest and he offers me a place
to sleep in the sacristy.
There are precious
things on the wall, even gilded ones.
......................................
At first it looked
like
I could sleep on the
meadow behind the temple
- it's not possible.
Maybe in an ashram? -
Risky!
- Then he takes me to his
house. And explains Hinduism.
......................................
The evening with the
helpful Navas was planned differently.
In the end I am an
overnight guest in his parents' house.
The father radiates even
more friendly frankness than Navas himself.
..
Break at the roadside. A
foot hurts.
A young Muslim woman
comes with her little brother.
They hand me a snack -
with a nice greeting from their father.
A very peaceful aura.
......................................
Search for accommodation.
The first understands only
a little, but helps further.
The next speaks English
and manages the situation excellently,
his blessing lasts more
than 15 minutes.
The third is silent. He
executes and gives more than he should.
Again in the house of a Pentecostal pastor.
He speaks a mighty torrent
of prayers.
Never before at Bodhi
Zendo
I noticed a person who
enters
rooms, spaces as
consciously as Mark.
Deeply respectful to
everything and everyone.
In the begin this young man
left an intelligent, but
slightly superficial impression on me.
But not at all:
Already so committed,
disciplined and inwardly developed.
Finally: The first woman
who is willed to spend me
her blessing.
A warm, mature energy
streams out from her
hands.
His son Babu not only let
me
work free of charge for
this
BLOG in his
Institute,
but he also invites to
spend
the night in his
house.
The whole family
shows warm feelings
of being welcome.
It's already dark when I get to
his house.
Although he barely understands my
English,
he makes a polite bow and signals
to spend the night in his room.
His son joins and makes it
clear
that we have some essential things
in common.
Upon arriving at the Sriguru
Temple
Maghesh, a volunteer, met me.
He seldom left my side for 13
days.
He cared.
7 km in the south of
Palani:
An Art painter opens the
gate
of his property without
any questions.
He and his two sons are
taking care of homeless animals as well.
Wasan, a preacher of
a
christian community.
His wife allowed Adarsh
and me
to spend in there house
the
first night of this
pilgrimage.
A 20 year old guy
ran away from his family
in Kerala,
following his particular
convictions about realization.
We meet on the street in
front of an Osho meditation center.
....................................
After half an hour on a rainy
country road:
On the other side of the road,
four young motorcyclists
have found shelter from the rain.
They wave to me and signal
to put me under there.
The blessing
of this particular people
will continue to support me.
=
They themselves
shall be blessed.
I am inspired by his keen interest in people while understanding true essence of life. Putting oneself on the edge of life trying to understand how life evolves and manifests takes huge courage and conviction. My complements and best wishes to Ralf
ReplyDeleteRalf I just read through all of this and was deeply touched. Much love, Shenaz
ReplyDelete