Why not
pick up your bags, passport and dreams, and run off to an ashram in India?
By Yuliya Ni
“Sometimes one day spent in other places gives more than ten years of
life at home.”
– Anatole France
A spiritual
journey to India is unlike any other trip you will ever take in your life. At
every juncture you will encounter distinct perspectives; every ashram, every
guru, holds unique wisdom.
“A spiritual
pilgrimage to India is not primarily about information,” according to travel
writers Anne Cushman and Jerry Jones. “It is about initiation.”
Ashrams are
places of spiritual retreat. They are not meant to be an escape from life, but
a respite from worldly pursuits. They offer spiritual seekers an unencumbered
place where they can spend time concentrating solely on the spiritual aspects
of life. There are plenty of ashrams all over the world, especially in India,
but it is necessary to find one that fits your needs.
Three years ago,
I went to the biggest ashram in India to explore new cultures, meet new people,
find myself and, though it may sound ridiculous, kill my ego.
Prasanthi Nilayam
in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh lies about 125 kilometers northeast of
Bangalore. It was the ashram of Śri Sathya Sai Baba, one of the most revered
spiritual leaders of the 20th century. For more than 50 years, he walked a path
seeking the highest ideals of truth, right conduct, peace, love, and
nonviolence. People from far-off places came to learn directly from Sathya Sai
Baba, who interacted with all his followers on a personal level, without any
intermediaries.
The ashram
complex consists of beautiful temples, a Kalpa vriksha (wish-fulfilling tree),
a meditation tree which is one of the most magical places there, and Darshan
Hall, where Sathya Sai Baba met his devotees.
It was not easy
to get to this ashram. After arriving in Delhi, I had to wait for a flight to
Bangalore, and from there take a taxi to Puttaparthi. Accommodations in the
ashram are free. Usually people stay in a dormitory, sometimes 20 people to a
room, but I was lucky to share a room just with two women.
In spite of a
strong desire to kill my ego, the room in which I was going to live petrified
me when I first entered it. It was small and dark, with dirty mattresses and a
little window. The man who showed us the room told us to beware of monkeys, as
they often steal things from the rooms, especially food.
After arriving, I
went to Darshan Hall for a ceremony that takes place twice every day. (Darshan
is a Sanskrit term that means “sight.”) The ceremony attracts up to 20,000
devotees, who gather for meditation with melodious mantras. For the first time,
it was pure torture to sit on the floor for three hours.
Though it was
three years ago, I can still vividly remember the colorful buildings in the
ashram, the thousands of flip-flops in front of Darshan Hall, the smell of
incense, monkeys all over the ashram, and traditional Indian food with tones of
curry and other spices. I spent my evenings drinking coconut milk in the
company of new people telling incredible stories of their lives. It was
impossible not to feel the strangeness of the moment, when everything is so
unusual. But at the same time, everything and everyone went in such a usual
manner that it was sometimes hard to remember I was in reality, and not a
dream.
My intention to
kill my ego was quite successful, as India changed me. I left behind my solely
materialistic ambitions; I was no longer interested in the standard values of
an average glamour girl. I ceased to consider material welfare as an ultimate
goal. I understood that life is not just about money and comfort, but about
finding yourself, listening to your heart and following your unique path.
 |
| Darshan ceremony |
Many people
return to the ashram every year. A few days can do wonders, but a few weeks –
even months – can really make a lasting difference in your life. It is unlikely
that you will come back from your trip the same.
Of course, the
experience is not for everyone; if you are a complete skeptic, it is probably
not the best idea to go to an ashram. Such places are rewarding for people who
are completely open-minded to everything around them, who can accept things
they do not understand, but feel, and realize that the deepest and most
important things in life are invisible.
For more about
Prasanthi Nilayam: http://www.sathyasai.org/ashrams/prashanthi.htm
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