This is an ANL 'redub' taken from the lengthy letter
produced at the time. It is being broken into dated entries here and some
piccies being added. This was a definite
highlight in the two years! Did you miss
the start - go back four days. This post
a little 'supersized' in order to complete the set and on Tuesday's
Me-now-views there will be a further display of piccies. Thanks for sharing this special visit with
me!!
13/11/2012
After
morning vedanta class, we had no other schedule today in celebration of Diwali.
The day was cooler and a tad overcast but very pleasant nevertheless. I spent a
goodly part of the morning outside for a change, hanging with my li’l bros and
bird watching. Late morning I began sorting the photos already taken on the
visit .
Now
everyone has climbed the big hill to Ganapati Mandir for puja and dancing. I
sent my camera with Sunone. Meanwhile, I have lit the 6 little deepas I brought
with me, set the incense going and have a peek out the curtains every so often to see
if I can glimpse some of the show of fireworks from the town. They’ve been
banging and flashing for 3 hours already. Have caught sight of a couple of
pretty rockets, but they are mostly ground-based crackers and things, so only
really seeing sky-flash – am glad not to be too near though, with all the
noise. As the show has picked up, the loud speaker broadcast singing of bhajans
has dropped away. Anyway, today really has been a holiday and am feeling very
relaxed.
14/11/2012
…………….thinking,
thinking…………
How is it
that we even contemplate the possibility of eternity and immortality? Something
must have triggered such concepts - and it is not that we have a cosmos that
SEEMS ageless, because it has been established that said cosmos has a use-by
date! There is a knower of the knowledge and it is that we have to connect
with.
As humans
we are able to note and record the births and deaths of our children and
ancestors. To do that we ourselves have to be present… but at this level we
also have to accept our own birth and death - - - as bodies. What is it in us
that is aware of it all? As jiva we certainly cannot know our own birth and
death - but atma has ensured that the memories retained in mind from previous
births reveal themselves to us throughout this birth itself - albeit that we
also don't recognise them as such, for they will come out in the form of
desires, talents, hatreds, etc. (vasanas resulting in prarabdha). Those who
have no insight regarding previous births will still say that this is the only
existence there is; but ancient wisdom and experience of countless others from
each successive generation has proven otherwise.
This I
suppose only highlights the fact of differing rungs on the spiritual ladder
and, with some, leads to elitism and secretiveness of "the
Knowledge". Vedanta doesn't do that, it just sits and waits for seekers to
find it. When we are ready, it is there.
From this
you will see that we are going into some very deep areas with Advaita Makaranda
– this is the gristly stuff I have been waiting for! Not that there haven’t
been lots of contemplative moments in previous readings, but we have reached a
point in the course and our understanding whereby our brains have been
‘elasticised’ and are capable of expanding even further – like one of those
snakes swallowing an antelope.
Just when
you think you’ve thunk your greatest thought, you’re taught to see the thought
behind the thinking…
17/11/2012
Okay, I
swear the dew drops this morning were actually ice crystals. It was officially
“parky” last night and even the two blankets were feeling thin. It was equally
cold on morning of the 15th, but it didn’t stop a number of our more
adventurous spirits from climbing the local ‘peak’, led by Samvid-ji.
Now we
are on the downward run of our three weeks. All are starting to sigh deeply and
look
longingly at the hills and fields – At
Diwali, some local ladies came to get clean water for food preparations. How
elegantly they flowed, like the fluid they carried.
On Diwali
night a few of the group went into Kolwan to visit three of the nearby temples
(tiny places compared to ours of course, but holy places none-the-less). In the
process they met several of the locals, as well as viewing the mud construction
work of some of the children. The local custom is to create Siva-ji’s fort and
all the creatures that surround it. This is quite a prosperous little place and
many of the cottages wore satellite dishes. (As do many of the shanties next to
Sandeepany I should tell you.)
Many of
these people also keep dogs as pets. You may recall from our first visit here
back in January I had snapped a very regal looking fellow with big collar and
bell? I mentioned Moti the Mutt (gardener’s dog) earlier. Kalpana also found a
lovely black Labrador waiting for its master outside one temple and one family
had a treasured calf, no doubt with a view to milk supply in the not too
distant future!
19/11/2012
Oops, got
interrupted the other day and never got back. Allowed myself an hour yesterday
of birding (Sunday) but then had to closet myself as was nominated to write up
the entire summary of Vakya Vrtti – took me until this arvo to complete it. In
between keeping up with Ad.Mak.
Had a bit
of crack-up yesterday at lunch when Samvid-ji approached and said “amma you’re
looking so well, it is good to see… you should phone Acarya-ji and tell him we
need to stay here!” (indicating his own desire to remain at Vibhooti). Just one
problem, I said. No telephone. But I appreciated the sentiment.
The atmosphere
is redolent with a sense of
‘clinging’ which is of course totally un-vedantic.
Release that attachment people! You may get a sense of the stress-freeing
effect of the place from this piccie of Kraziegal and myself sitting on the
verandah of Yashoda. Even though the study has been intense, it has not left
its lines upon our brows. Those of us who have cameras are going crazy,
snapping anything and everything for the memory box.
I have
decided that will send this tomorrow (20th) from the WiFi facility down the
hill – I just like the idea of it being “postmarked” from Vibhooti. What to
say, I’m romantic that way. That means this will be the final entry of the
‘Kolwan diary’.
Hope I
haven’t bored the sox of yez all. It’s hard not to be excessively enthusiastic
when surrounded by the awesome.
With love
and blessings
From
Gurudev’s Footprints,
Yamini.
Here ends the revisit to a wonderful experience. On Tuesday, check out some more images from this incredibly beautiful place. Hari Om!
I have enjoyed re-reading this again, sounds a perfect place. And am looking forward to seeing the images later in the week.
ReplyDeleteHilary xx
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteLady Vicki and Mum - yes it is close to perfection I would say! Drop by tomorrow also as I will be giving a guest spot to Foxy-dog from Kolwan, just to close the loop on the week of reruns. Wags, YAM-aunt xx
Enjoyed the re read. And yes vibhooti is so lovely. Looking forward to my visit here in sep, and to see th finished ganapati mandir, which was under construction when we visited. Hugs
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteIt's a place to remember what breathing really is!! &*>
I love the bird in the photo, Yam. Is it unidentified to the world at large, or just to me?
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy reading your comments. Lady Vicki is so pretty. One of my close friends had a miniature dachshund, short-haired, thank goodness, because she liked nothing better than to wait for a chance to raid my friend's chicken run. She could eat an entire chicken, then sleep for three days while digesting it. I'm sure Lady Vicki doesn't do such things, but dachshunds were originally bred as hunting dogs because they could get into (and, apparently, out of) burrows made by whatever the critters were that were hunted (I hope not badgers, too too fierce).
But hunting is probably even more abhorrent to you than it is to me, which is pretty bad.
Always wonderful to hear from you, even when I'm late getting to it. (Have been away again, which you may have read, traveling with husband and dog.)
Luv, K
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteHey Kay - ooops ought to have labelled - all a bit groggy with the fever... It's a Purple-rumped Sunbird, male of the species. About 6 inches from bill to tail tips and the prettiest of songs. Honey-eater hummingbird style.
I believe Vicki eyes down the neighbours cat - but think that's as far as it gets! Do visit her over at "Think before you say yes" - it's on the blog roll over there!! YAM xx