Finally I have a little time to write a little update about this crazy life in Varanasi. Things are going on as usual, still taking classes riding my (still as yet nameless) bicycle around, constantly sweeping my white dusty floor, working on chanting pronunciation, agni (internal fire) building, samskara (psychological habitual ruts) burning, and trying to keep my eyes open to the wonder around me.
The last week has actually been lots of fun and very elevating. Saraswati (the goddess of knowledge and arts etc.) puja was last week, so there was lots of wild dancing going on (as in the previous video) and a lovely puja at my teacher Betina Baumer’s foundation (Abhinava Gupta Research Foundation-Samvidlaya). Loosely defined, a puja is a ritual that invokes and praises the energies of the said god or goddess and is a chance to offer our prayers to that particular manifestation of the Divine. The traditional Vedic or Tantric pujas offer a chance to sit in a beautiful and controlled environment that can help to re-infuse your daily life and more importantly your consciousness with the presence of Divine. I am not necessarily a huge fan of religion or ritual, but when you combine, flowers, fire, offerings of nature and powerful chanting into one event, it is hard not to love it. . These pujas are also lovely because even those who are not Hindu and those who may not understand the whole process are very invited to watch and participate as they feel. Often, they go on quite a while (2-12+ hours), so it also requires a certain amount of cultivation of discipline to sit and remain aware throughout the event.
As well as the Saraswati puja, my friends at the Ashram have done 3 lovely pujas this week, one to Ganapti (the god of new beginnings and remover of obstacles), a Lalita Sahasranamavali (three of us sat and chanted 1008 names of the goddess) and then last night, our teacher Mark requested that Jnan do a Kali puja in which all the students could participate. So last night above the Harischandra ghat (the cremation ground) we sat around the Kunda (fire pit) and chanted the 1008 names of Kali offering samgiri (a mix of herbs etc..) to the fire. To be sitting above the Ganga, watching the cremation fires burning offering fruits of nature to our own fire and chanting names of she who devours time is an experience that leaves a lasting impression. After the puja I felt such strong positive energy, then I went home, slept like a happy baby and today am feeling very refreshed and a little crisper in my awareness.
While I am really missing friends and family at home, I am slowly, slowly finding a strong sense of community with those who have come here from all over the world to study and practice. I think the benefit of any ritual (whether it is religious or that of a college frat or sorority) is that brings you into a space together where the differentiation becomes less prominent and it drops that anchor into your consciousness. Last night the 14 people attended were from: India, UK, Poland, Belarus, Russia, USA (East and West coast), Sweden, Spain, Belgium, and Germany.
Below (or above?) are a few pics of some of the pujas. After the Kali puja last night darling Babaji, was in full costume and ready for pictures, so I have included those too. He is such a sweety. That might sound strange, to you having never met him and seeing these crazy looking pictures. But, he is genuinely, a very sweet guy- a bit of a drama king, but what to do? He loves to have is picture taken with friends. I guess If I would go to the trouble to get so dressed up every day, I would want my picture taken too!
