Jundo's India Diary: A Month of Travels & Pilgrimage

[Enjaku]

Hi Jundo, nice to hear from you. Sounds like you're having a great trip. Look forward to hearing more.
I'm still laughing in my head at your comment about not being a big curry guy... I've got the image of you as the stereotypical 120 lbs yogi in the next zazenkai
Safe travels.
Gassho,
Alex
Sat

[Seishin]

Thanks for such a wonderful update. Guess things get put truly in perspective when you see these things first hand. I had many colleagues visit India when the company I used to work for, moved much of its IT development from Hongkong, never went myself but their stories, like your, made me appreciate how lucky some of are in the "west". We have so much but most of the time are so miserable. Go figure, guess I'll just sit some more.

[Taiyo]

Thank you for the update, Jundo. It sounds really interesting and intense. Thank you too for reminding us how lucky we are, although we seem to forget it every now and then. Looking forward to reading more about your experience.

Gassho,
Andoitz.

SatToday.

[Rich]

Safe travels. Am reading about the Bauls, a tribe of India. They sing and dance and celebrate life .

SAT today

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[Kyonin]

Hi Jundo!

Thank you for the update. Seems like a life changing experience!

Keep safe and enjoy the trip.

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

[Shugen]

Thank you for the update Jundo. Sounds like a a great trip.

Gassho,

Shugen


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[Eishuu]

Great to hear about your travels. Nice to hear how you are getting on.

Gassho
Lucy
Sat today

[Risho]

Amazing how much I take for granted. Stay safe and have fun Jundo!

Gassho

Risho
-sattoday

[Tai Shi]

Well Jundo, yes, I hope you are doing well; after seeing the pictures of the smog alert, I think you are wise in preparation with air masks--all be well with you Jundo.

Tai Shi
sat today
Gassho

[Seido]

Thank you for the update Jundo, it sounds like it has been a very interesting experience so far. I hope the next leg of your trip brings you much insight.

It saddens me to think of so many people living in such inhospitable conditions. It's interesting think how influential the cast system in India to the Buddha's enlightenment. To see so many who could literally do nothing to elevate their life conditions, the choice is clear, the escape from samsara comes from within.

Consumption and disregard for our interconnection has all but choked out the sky with black soot in place like India and China. I hope the Western world is able to wake up from the consumer lifestyle before it is too late.

Gassho,
Seido
SatToday

[Washin]

Thank you for the update, Jundo. Safe travels and enjoyable journey ahead!

Gassho
Washin
st

[Rich]

thanks for the updates. makes me appreciate America.

Sat today

[Jundo]

Hello from the Holy City of Pushkar ... a small and intimate place filled with mystic men, wandering cows, a few busloads of French tourists and a smattering of folks on the hippie trail. It is home to a sacred lake and one of India's few temples to Brahma ...

Jagatpita Brahma Mandir (Hindi: जगत्-पिता ब्रह्मा मंदिर) is a Hindu temple situated at Pushkar in the Indian state of Rajasthan, close to the sacred Pushkar Lake to which its legend has an indelible link. The temple is one of very few existing temples dedicated to the Hindu creator-god Brahma in India and remains the most prominent among them.

Although the present temple structure dates to the 14th century, the temple is believed to be 2000 years old. ... The word 'Pushkar' means lotus flower, which is said to be the seat of Brahma, one of the Hindu holy trinity, who is worshipped as the creator of this world. The legend has it that the demon Vajra Nabha [was killed when Brahma, in revenge of the demon having killed Brahma's children] struck him with his weapon, a lotus flower. Vajra Nabha died with the impact, and the petals of the lotus fell at three places. One of them is Pushkar, where it gave birth to a lake.

Though Brahma is considered to be the creator of the world, ... There are not many temples built for Brahma because his influence to the daily life is considered not a big as Vishnu (Preserver), Shiva (Destroyer) and Ganesh (Remover of Obstacles). Being the creator, whatever being created is already there, whereas other deities' need to be appeased so that any wishes or favours can be granted or fulfilled.

I stumbled upon a Yajna fire sacrifice performed by a black ash covered naked (not a stitch) bone necklaced Shiva worshipping Sadhu (not so friendly but tolerant of my presence), was then asked to scatter flower pedals on the sacred waters at sundown with local folks, then was invited by some fellows to sit under a tree in the dark, round a log fire and an altar to Vishnu, with another long beard orange robed holy man who boiled up some porridge and nuts (tasty) then offered me the local hashish that the holy men here practice with (respectfully declined with many gassho. If anything stopped me, besides that I am not big on drugs myself in my personal Practice (especially on my own with a group of strange stoned holy men in the dark under a tree near Deadly Lotus Lake), it is my hacking cough from the pollution around here).

Earlier in the day, I also had a chance to visit my second Jain temple in India since I came. The Jains are an interesting sect. In many ways, they are a very similar sect and historical rival to Buddhism, even having a founder who lived at the same time as Shakyamuni. The statuary is virtually identical. Can you tell the difference? This is not a Buddha statue, but a Jain figure of their founder:



What they were known for, besides some other differences in philosophy, is a rather more ascetic lifestyle than the "middle way" that the Buddha preached. For example, they were known for wearing masks so as not to even by accident kill an insect by inhaling one ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/jainism/ataglance/glance.shtml

and they also have groups of priests who wander naked, free of the indulgence of clothing, called the "sky clad" sect. This shows their freedom from attachment to possessions and to emotions such as shame.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/jainism/subdivisions/subdivisions.shtml

However, those fellows are not to be confused with the black ash naked Shiva worshipers, like the one I saw doing the fire ritual, who are truly a formidable bunch ...

The Aghori are ascetic Shaiva sadhus [Shiva worshipping holy men]. The Aghori are known to engage in post-mortem rituals. They often dwell in charnel grounds, have been witnessed smearing cremation ashes on their bodies, and have been known to use bones from human corpses for crafting kapalas (skullcups which Shiva and other Hindu deities are often iconically depicted holding or using) and jewelry. [Some are said to eat feces]. Because of their practices that are contradictory to orthodox Hinduism, they are generally opposed by other Hindus.

Many Aghori gurus command great reverence from rural populations as they are supposed to possess healing powers gained through their intensely eremitic rites and practices of renunciation ... the Aghoris maintain that all opposites are ultimately illusory. The purpose of embracing pollution and degradation through various customs is the realization of non-duality through transcending social taboos, attaining what is essentially an altered state of consciousness and perceiving the illusory nature of all conventional categories.

(Not my photo as, for understandable reasons, I did not ask the naked bone necklaced Shiva worshipper if he would mind a selfie with me! I simply assumed.)

I also briefly thought today to just maybe give this naked practice a go when I return to Tsukuba, and I like the principle of letting all hang out and social conventions abandoned, although I wonder if the local Japanese police would be very understanding? Maybe I will just practice at home until the postman comes to the door.

Here is to the Middle Way. Our sky is unclad whether clothed or unclothed. We bend time and space, and perceive the illusory nature of all things, without the help of a pipe.

Gassho, J

SatToday

PS - I also witnessed one of those wandering cows sample some of what was cooking in the kitchen at a restaurant (vegetarian, not even eggs available in this holy town) before the chef chased her off, then proceeded to serve the remainder of the food to the customers in the restaurant. I am not eating there tomorrow, being somewhat more careful and discriminating in food choices than the Aghori. And I thought that the only food with cow lips is American hot dogs!

[Jundo]

Oh, pretty sure that I found a shot of my porridge cooking hash smoking host and his Vishnu altar ... although it might have been his brother. It was rather dark except for the fire. In any case, definitely not to be confused with the black ash and bone necklaced Sadhu.

[Mp]

Wow again Jundo, what an amazing experience ... even running naked in the streets! LOL Such amazing culture and different paths ... very cool! =)

That is interesting about the Jain tradition ... the only difference I see on the Jain statue from Shakyamuni is the placement of the hands?

Gassho
Shingen

s@today