Wow what a place. One week here and still getting blown away by it all. The sounds, sights (and smells!). Its a very crazy place, but it kind of grows on you.
Arrived at Delhi airport and was kidnapped by a crazed rickshaw driver. After a very hairy rider around South Delhi we eventually convinced him to take us to our hotel, but it was hard work (and it cost us). You have to learn quickly here. Haggle hard. Set a fixed price and then be firm. Very un-English.
People are very friendly. The beggars are difficult to deal with, it's so hard to know how to respond for the best. I set off a small riot today by giving out a bag of sweets to some kids in a local village, hundreds of kids just appeared out of nowhere and there weren't enough sweets to go around. I just had to drop the bag and run. You have to learn quickly here.
Had a great couple of days in Sarnath, the place of the Buddha's first teaching. We stayed at Dr Jain's Paying Guest House. Great food and hospitality. Met up with our local Order member Dh.Shantigosh on the small piece of land the FWBO/TBMSG has there. We had tea and biscuits and met some of the local mitras.
The FWBO/TBMSG site is very central to Sarnath and almost opposite the main stupa, which marks the spot of the Buddha's first sermon. Varanassi was a real hard experience. The worst pollution I have ever experienced, thick choking smog (a mixture of exhaust fumes and more exhaust fumes with a little burnt cow dung thrown in for good measure).
A boat trip on the Ganges was interrupted by torrential rain. It started with big hard blobs of rain - like marbles or small golf balls, then it just opened up. We sheltered with our boatman, some street hawkers and other passers by in a temple dedicated to a local river god, sited on the gats. We were the only tourists in sight, but we were treated with warm hospitality and hot chai (sweet milky tea).
I managed to upset the temple Brahmin with a mix up over a mis-placed camera and things turned a bit nasty for a moment, when I received a vitriolic telling off from our now less than hospitable "host". Our boatman/guide laughed off the incident (although I have to say it shook me up a fair bit). Theft can be a serious business in India (public beatings are not unheard of) and the possibility that someone sheltering in the temple was a thief had caused quite a lot of excitement and not a little mistrust.
We ended the evening being lead through the tiny back alleyways of Varanassi, in the pitch black (a powercut) by two street hawkers who we didn't know. At one point we ended up in a dead end. Paul, Padmadeepa and I looked at each other and couldn't help wondering if it was a set up or a mugging. Fortunately, we were just lost in the dark and eventually found our way to the silk shop they had been trying to steer us to. We managed to extricate ourselves from our very happy salesman eventually and tipped our hawkers to take us back to a cafe we knew from earlier so that we could arrange to meet up with our driver.
By now the storm had passed and the rainwater (with less savory stuff floating in it) was just below our knees as we waded our way down the streets. We survived our little adventure, wet, filthy, tired and very relieved.
Today is our last day in Bodhgaya, the most important Buddhist Pilgirmage site and the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment (the Vajrasanna). A wonderful place. So much atmosphere, packed with pilgrims from all over the world. A very moving experience.Outside of the main temple there is much to see here, so many temples representing Buddhist traditions from the world over, and places of significance from the Buddha's life, such as Gaya Head, where the Buddha delivered "the Fire Sutta". We were shown around by Dhammamitra Munish an excellent tour guide.
Puja under the Bodhi Tree at 6am this morning. Fantastic! So many people, so much noise.
Lots to say. The food is OK. We are all in good health and good spirits. Cash is bit hard to get hold of. Trying to get cash from ATM's is a joke. If you come here, bring travellers cheques (Dollars or pounds). Being in India is often a taxing and tiring experience. But worth it.
I offered Tsultrim's kata (white scarf) at the Bodhi tree.
Hope you are all well.
Love,
Jayasiddhi (mosquito bitten but fighting on).
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