The Language of the Soul |
Michael, Angela,
Aiden, John and I were staying at the Yog Niketan, a lovely and popular hotel
on the ghats of the Ganga in Rishikesh. Around 4 in the afternoon we took one
of those colourful boats that, packed with tourists, pilgrims, sadhus and
locals, courageously wills its way across the Ganga, navigating the current and
mild rapids to get to the other bank. It is a short 5-minute ride and, on the
opposite bank everyone scrambles out of the boat doing their best to avoid the
waiting passengers who are already pouring themselves into the boat. For a few minutes there’s dodging, helping,
struggling, smiling, panicking, and then, as always happens in India, it all
works perfectly.
It was late in
the afternoon and we were all headed for the sundown Arti at Parnarth Ashram.
The young boys dressed in freshly ironed golden clothes who whole-heartedly
(most of them), chant the evening chants accompanied by a tabla and cymbals. There are huge speakers that broadcast the
blessed event across the Ganga and it is quite a thrill to be part of this
excited group, sitting on the hard, lightly carpeted, cement steps of the ghats
as we are all swept up with the movement of this great river, the impressive
white statue of Shiva, meditating on a large platform above the river, and the
chanting. It is exhilarating to be a part of this group of 150 Eastern and
Western pilgrims that sing along nightly being part of the grand salutation to
the River, Shiva and something greater than themselves.
After
the chanting had ended and we had offered our prayers and puja offerings (small
paper bowls filled with colourful orange calendula flowers, red roses, some
burning camphor, and a small earthen bowl filled with ghee and a lit wick) into
the swiftly moving current of the Sacred River, we headed up the stairs of the
ghat to get our shoes. We retrieved them and looked around for a place to put
them on. We all rather simultaneously gravitated towards the steps that were in
front of a small temple off to the left. It was quiet there and away from the
throngs of people hurrying to get back across the Ram Jula Bridge. As we
approached the steps I saw him... a sight I will never forget and a feeling I
will never forget. He was a smallish man, maybe in his 40’s, dressed all in
white and he held a tiny earthen bowl, like the ones that are used in the puja
offerings. It was how he was standing
and what he was doing that absolutely captivated me. His body and aura were still...Only
his hands and his head moved. His hands were holding the bowl with the small
flame tenderly and intentionally and he was making the tiniest circles to the
deities that were inside of this small temple. His gaze was steady and quiet
and his eyes were soft and filled with a quiet love. He and the offering were
one. Occasionally he would bow his head, quietly and slowly. I immediately received all the blessings of
his heartfelt, quiet and sincere Arti. The blessing of this moment sped at
lightening speed into my soul! I quickly and quietly called to Michael and said
to him “Check this out”... Luckily Michael had his camera and captured the
images. But it made me wonder, what in the image can capture this moment? What
was it that stole my attention and held me spellbound, commanding my complete
attention? How did I register this quiet, sacred moment? For, SACRED, it was.
Perhaps the most sacred moment that I felt in India during this trip. And yet,
here, away from the other loud and exuberant Arti to the Ganga, was this
simple, quiet man doing the most beautiful Arti in his most humble way, totally
surrendered to his intention, totally oblivious to us or his surroundings,
being completely, quietly and at one in his most profound devotion.
I was so moved
by this beautiful experience that I wanted to write about it for the Cross and
Lotus Journal, mostly so that I would have
to find the words to write about something so invisible, so elusive. An exercise in writing about the language of
the soul. I’m not sure I have done it justice, but I offer it up as a humble
offering to you all and feel so incredibly blessed to have been there to
receive the blessings of this profound moment and so grateful that Michael had
his camera and could save the image.