Jan 2023 India blog day 1

Around 1 PM, tired of laying in bed and decided to figure out how to start feeding the body. This of course takes about 20 minutes to figure out what I need to bring (cash) what I should wear(jeans n button dwn short sleeve) and what I shouldn’t bring (passport). Finally a place is decided - a 17 minute walk from where I am staying to a local café called Kevins café.

So who do I see sitting in the front table but the green baba (Who later introduces himself as Winnie, as in Winnie the Pooh) from the YouTube video. With him is a young woman asking about happiness and a man with a french accent, all three of them in dialogue. Our eyes meet and we stare into each other for a few seconds and then I Namaskar then go in and order some oatmeal and a hot turmeric milk. 

I look to my right and there is a small book table which contains several volumes of an obscure western comic book (Preacher) that Paul used to let me borrow in high school. I let out a belly laugh.

After finishing my meal I ask if I can sit down with him and join his table, which, by this point, had a new member, Nathan. in great tradition of western seekers he is shirtless and wearing a somewhat torn local pant, skinny, with a large full beard and a head of hair with the swoop and sway that only the finest gel or wind can create. he’s all smiles and we introduce each other and begin to chat.

Nathan asks about my bracelets and I say one of them was given to me by my guru, which point he meaningfully looks into my eyes and tells me the guru is inside and that I don’t need a guru, yada yada yada. we go back-and-forth and he finally goes yeah you get it we get it, nothing can be gotten.

At some point the conversation leads to satsang and what it actually means. This leads to a deriding of those who call themselves the truth (sat) and then gather (sangha) a group around them, at which point Nathan points at a door behind me and says, “yeah like all of those fake gurus. “

I turned around already knowing what’s likely there and to no surprise find the largest poster is of Sharada Ma in the middle of the door. I point and say, “Oh, that’s my guru.“ He quickly says “oh I knew her when she was just an ordinary woman and used to hang out with her. She was mean.” I am probably smiling and giggling out loud because it’s such a funny thing to say. A few minutes later I ask him if he has any juicy details of her past at which point he admits that he actually only talked to her in passing and really didn’t know her that well. 😂😂😂

We continue to talk for another hour until people slowly wander away to continue their day. Apparently there’s a few parties happening tonight and people were looking for volunteers to help cook pizza, I almost volunteered but I feel like I need to take it easy these first few days and not jump in feet first until this body acclimates to the environment.

eventually I wander away to the main road, walking along in my blue crocs. Surrounding the mountain is a road where there are hundreds of sadhu’s who lives there. 

I am walking along looking for a clothing shop to buy some lighter pants at least. And walk past the green guru again and we exchange pleasantries (Ah, you again!) and greetings. I do not stop my stride. following the locals, I ignore the beautifully paved sidewalk and walk on the edge of the road, with the buses motorcycles and tuk-tuks beeping to let us know that they are close by.

I look up how to get back to the apartment by making a circle and quickly find myself back on the main road of the Arunachala hill. Passing the holy men and women who live on the sidewalk. some eyes are stuck on an object or an area in some sort of trance, some look at you and then quickly look away, and some put out their hands. I passed by one that looked at me, started to whisper something and put his hands together in namaskar. He repeated it several times as I walked past and it finally clicks he is saying, “Swami.” I stop, and namaskar back. 

Sadly no clothing shops are on the stretch of road that I passed by. So the question is wandering to town after dinner and brave the night time or leave it for another day?

The calluses on both of my feet remind me that those shoes rub me wrong and I need to find a better way of getting around here. Yet another thing that can be dealt with in a moment other than now.

in a notebook I have written down my current amount of money to do some budgeting and understand what food actually looks like. Thankfully my bedroom has an air conditioner, though I might be moving to a much nicer hotel across the street from Maji’s hall.

Sayonara.

💁😎🕉