Okay, so, where to begin?
Once upon a time, a long time ago, Ashram's sprang up all over the world and devotees flocked to them. And sometimes, also curious bystanders. I put myself in the second category.
I sort of knew what I was getting into, Karma Yoga, which is about seva, selfless service. Say that 3 times fast. It's way harder to practice it my friend, way harder.
Karma yoga, in brief as to what I understand, is perfection in action, and detachment to the result. No problem, I say. Wake me up at 4:30, make me clean, then throw in 8 hours of physical labour under extremely chaotic conditions and some duress and who wouldn't have a smile on their face?
Lots of people in orange, that's who.
I understand, from what I've heard (Ashram gossip, whoa!) that I was at an intense ashram, during an intense time (Yagja) and that, okay, that I do understand. It was the glazed look in someone's eye when I got sick, or someone else from Team Canada got sick, and all I heard was the word "purification". You say purification, I say puking. You say potato, I say, "please, no more subji or I'll die."
This may make it sound like I didn't enjoy myself, which would be unfair. I did have fun, I actually laughed alot, usually with all the members of team Canada, who looked just as confused, befuddled and disturbed as I did when someone in orange (this means you're among the top bananas. Or, as I came to think, you could just be bananas in the quaint old sense of the word: "you're loopy") anyways, when someone in orange yells at you, speaks with an angry tone or treats you like you're the Ashram idiot, your personal spiritual practice would be to not give them back the same attitude, harshness, and lack of respect they're doling out in spades. (This is tough love, spiritual style bootcamp. "Drop and give me 2 hours of meditation. I don't want to see the pulse of your heartbeat moving under your skin, do you hear me soldier?")
So, many days of hurry up and wait and then go!go!go! quickly! quickly! now! - it was chaos, and then some.
But, now I have you thinking, "I'm never going to an Ashram." I truly don't mean to put anyone off the experience. If you feel like working hard and finding out what you're made of, this is the trip for you.
Turns out, I'm mostly made of fluff, like what you see in cotton candy, with a bit of a spine.
Who knew?
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1 comment:
Eufemia darling this all sounds so interesting. Lots of material for your book, huh.
Prior to having a child I dreamed of going to India to my guru’s ashram. I was a true devotee. When seven months pregnant I decided to go to the ashram in the Catskills Mountains in New York instead of India. It was not quite so rustic nor were the people in orange so harsh but your story reminded of how any illness was given the nod of an auspicious gift and described as the shakti moving through us. Strange how once one is enlightened (lol) everything is redefined through the eye of a spiritual life. Simple illness now has significant meaning instead of "dam I wish I had not had that second helping of dahl".
Any problems with seva and/or the seva taskmasters were to be seen as spiritual opportunities to work on ourselves. Not that there is something wrong with this premise but in retrospect “the ego made me do it” does sound a bit like “the devil made me do it”.
We paid good money for the privilege of doing the work of the ashram. I got to rub shoulders with some celebrities who stayed closer to the guru in the high-end accommodations. I will forever be grateful to my guru for her teachings and yet do wonder if her and other teachers like her from India are not laughing all the way to the bank. I can honestly say I had amazing spiritual experiences as a result of following the teachings so do not feel ripped off. I guess spirituality has always been big business in a sense and spiritual seekers get what they seek. As they say “that which you are seeking is seeking you also”. Namaste, Eufemia I hope you find that which you are seeking my dear.
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