woman and gold

Powercuts and learning C

zenbeast — Sun, 9 Sep 2007 17:41:00 GMT

Time to write again. The other day I was walking down the main road and a police jeep stopped beside a lonely Scooter parked on the side. Guy with machine gun jumped out and walked over to it. Seems that the scooter was parked in a no park zone cause the policeman bent over, unscrewed the cap from the thingy you use for putting air in the tire ( I am german, remember?:) and then he let the air out. They don't have anything here to tow away vehicles. Small town life. I am still in puttaparthi, Krishnas Birthday (new year) came and went, Ganesha day is coming on at the 15th I think and I have booked a 2 month course in learning to program in C. :) Its Fun - Teacher is half my age and I am actually learning this stuff - have always been interested in it (as a hobby of course) and I went to this place when it opened to buy a computer course for our watchman. :) All good. .... to be continued before tuesday. Namaste.

Enter the ashram

zenbeast — Wed, 8 Aug 2007 06:21:00 GMT

I lived in the ashram for the first month when I came. Later I got the flat in the house mum lives in. I go into the ashram everyday almost. I eat my dinner there and buy fruits and vegetables.
It is a place where there are no beggars or 'flying' traders. You have to cover your shoulders and your legs (plus normal clothing:). Alcohol, Smoking, Meat, Photography, Horn honking, Showing affection between men and women are not allowed inside the ashram walls. Men and women are separated in: living quarters, lining up, canteens, shopping center times and darshan. There are no yoga classes - you can have them outside - free of charge. There are lectures sometimes. In some places you have to take off your shoes. You can stay a maximum of 2 months within one year - you can live outside and visit the ashram anytime. The Gates close at 21:15 and open at 4:30. It is possible to stay here 2 months and not leave the premises - there is postoffice, bank, phones, stationary shop, Bookstall, Bakery, Fruit and veggie shop and a shopping center. The 'world', as much as possible, is shut out. There is a peaceful energy in the place. You can actually feel it. There are 3 Canteens - Western, North Indian and South Indian. The South Indian is the real thing. You pay with coupons that you purchase at a small counter outside of the canteen. I eat there and take a spoon with me or use my right hand. Darshan (sight of a holy being) is given 2 times a day. Indian Tourists do come and have a look inside but the main purpose is for devotees to get in touch with their inner self. Your not supposed to make friends and chat especially not with the opposite sex. You can do that outside in a cafe if you must. You are reminded (in written word) that the connection between the Guru and Devotee is personal - and that no other person can act as a medium if they claim to be able to. Accomodation costs 100 rupees a night - if you share in the dormitory you can cut that down to 25 rupees. Coupons for the South Indian Canteen cost 2 rupees - you need 3 for a proper meal. In the Western and North Indian Canteen you pay cash - approx - 20 rupees (North Indian) or 45 (Western) - depends on what you choose - Pasta is most expensive and best when the Italians are doing seva (selfless duty) in the kitchen :) 41 rupees is one dollar and 55 make an euro. You are encouraged to wear clean clothes - preferably white. There is a meditation tree, Gardens and temples.
- finish - no judgement in this text I hope :)
Sometimes there are people present that give 'Satsang' - you sit in the grass and listen to somebody who has realized that duality is an illusion - closest you can get to an AA meeting as a non-alcoholic.
My opinion: if you have never been to an ashram but you are attracted to 'experiencing' it - get the info from wherever, choose one and live there for a while - and no arguing with God during your stay! Namaste and Peace out. :)

Gallery: Robbies Pics

zenbeast — Wed, 8 Aug 2007 04:20:00 GMT

someone else made these

Beggars and Nestle

zenbeast — Sun, 5 Aug 2007 01:58:00 GMT

hey this is fun. Ok - I took a long time getting used to the beggars you see everywhere on the street. First time for me right? What happened was that I felt very uneasy in the beginning walking past them and I really did not know if I should give or not. :) And I did get kind of angry - they can be pushy if they can keep up with you walking. Having been here for over 6 months now the whole thing is much more relaxed for me but it was a process. Now this town is a spiritual pilgrimage place so you have a lot of western devotees flying in once or twice a year for a month or two. Heaps of walking money obviously. And they go for the ashram to have darshan twice a day. The way is lined moderately with beggars and I never really give to them now. In fact I only give to one old 'amma' who sits on the corner in the morning when I pass. She has got the most genuine wildest happy laugh and looks a hundred and 10 or so. Now the other thing I do is take the beggar kids roaming the streets for breakfast / dosa now and then. They are professionals really - so - working :) I watch them eat the food. The story is that the Guru says - don't give money. So business adopted of course ( I am not talking about real poor people here - they don't beg actually - at least here) and what happens is that they drag you into a restaurant, let you pay the meal and if you don't want to wait and go - they might skip the meal and take rupees instead. But the one that really disturbed me are the women with the babies in their one arm - walking up and down and asking for milk for the baby. A western Devotee, coming here for spiritual growth and full of compassion just has to heed that call :) So he/she walks along to a store the woman points out and buys the milk. And it is Nestle milk powder for babys. It is not cheap - 120 Rupees. So the devotee swallows maybe but buys the stuff, hands it over and goes happily. Not judging here - or saying he is a fool its all good really. Anyway. I know now that there are about 12 of these women. They meet on schedule in the morning and decide who walks where. Then they set off. The babys they carry get tranquilizers if they are too lively for the job. Some of them are way to big and old to be carried around. When the woman has the packet - she goes and sells it back to the shop half price - two way deal here. And that is what happens if you give out the order to give food - not money. :))) Now of course it is not like that with all of the beggars - what I am ranting about is that once I found that out it made it real difficult for me to stay nonjudgemental. Things like this harden my heart and make me react badly towards anyone coming up asking for help. So I had to learn to accept it and see it as part of the world (remember? woman and gold:) he he - just kidding) - In essence - I think India is a wonderful place to learn about oneself. To master all these behaviour patterns I brought with me and that are falling away now. Takes time - at least for me it does. But it is well worth it. So this is not advice about another scam going on but rather me being so caught up in my what is right and what is wrong jerry mentality. :) Great place to get rid of it. Now and the breakfast sessions with the kids are always a good laugh and great fun. :)

Oh - of course I did buy the milk once :) and I heeded my mums advice to open the packet and hand it then over. The woman (begging) was not amused. But it had a stale taste for me. It was like me lecturing her. And I have no idea who she is or what life she is leading - So I chose not to buy the stuff at all in the future. Peace.

became ill - will write now

zenbeast — Sat, 4 Aug 2007 12:27:00 GMT

have to start writing here somehow so why not now. the journal title I took from the gospel of Ramakrishna (beautiful reading of course) and it actually is - woman and gold (found the page to change it:). He means the life of householders by that or rather the deluded seeking of worldly things. Nothing against either of the two - just the way it is. And being deluded is ok I guess as long as one is not aware of it - then the seeking starts and the spiritual ego takes over which is even harder to cut to scale I learned, oh well - my ego is enjoying a medium sized flu or such at the moment, he he. So I am in India and not really travelling at the moment cause I am visiting my mum who is retired and moved here some years ago. Arrived last November and its my first trip to India. Loved it the minute I set foot on here and thank consciousness I am detached enough not to get phased by all the challenging ... 'ways,things,customs' that one can encounter in this incredible country. I learned my english as a teenager living in the UK for a while so it may sound funny or strange sometimes - Germans hey. I am in the middle of India, Andra Pradesh, small town and were not flooded. Just read that some 20 million people are affected by the monsoon this year and I don't know about it - here all is good and it rains nights mostly and moderately. I have not been anywhere really in the whole time except living a 'simple' life here and taking a day at a time. So that is what I can write about. My first go at journal or blogging as well. And I am a painter not a writer! :) So welcome whoever and wherever you are and Namaste. Torsten

Gallery: Indiapix

zenbeast — Fri, 3 Aug 2007 02:04:00 GMT

Nokia Made :)