One of my Japanese friends, Yuri, whom I met at an Ashram in Coimbatore, happens to travel to India every year in search of “something.” Yuri’s enthusiasm and her adventurous streak are admirable. She usually stays for six months or until her visa expires and while she is here, she makes a point to visit several ashrams across the country. At some, she is comfortable, while at others she goes through hell on earth.
At one particular ashram in the southern part of India, she has had to clean floors, sleep without a fan, do the dishes and meditate at 4 AM. Of course, a visit to an ashram is incomplete without meditation and spiritual practice. Though we may not think much of the effort put in by seekers, since it is an ashram and not a five star resort, we cannot ignore the fact how uncomfortable their living conditions can get. All luxuries aside, the quest to find themselves (whatever that means), seems endless amongst many spiritual seekers like Yuri.
Each time we speak or meet, she seems restless. At the same time, there is immense appreciation for the simplest things – like a comfortable bed and fresh food. That’s what happens when one roughs it out.
One day while visiting me in Mumbai, she decided to venture into town. She crashed into a wedding on Marine Drive and managed to get her camera stolen. Highly disappointed, she called me and narrated the entire story. I felt bad for her, but then we just had to live with it. Letting go is a lesson we usually learn in spiritual school but it’s a difficult lesson to follow.
Being in a city also means dealing with life differently. Life in the city is not like that in an ashram. This might be the reason why all ashrams are located outside the city. I have come across several spiritually inclined tourists, who seem to manage really well while at the ashram, but as soon as they enter the city they literally lose their cool. Compassion goes out of the window and stress seems to become their new best friend.
My first and last visit to one of these much hyped destinations taught me quite a few lessons. I do not remember most of them, thanks to my bad memory and the one’s I do remember leave me confused. Though most learning’s do not last a lifetime and come with an expiry date, we tend to somehow feel smarter knowing what we know for the time being. We learn, we unlearn and then we learn again.
Humans tend to drift towards spirituality to find something mysterious. Single women from all parts of the world can be seen sitting at airports with a cup of tea reading Eat, Pray, Love, and exclaiming, “Oh, I am here to find myself.” Those who have lived here for years haven’t been able to reach that level of enlightenment or been able to find themselves. Now if only mysteries would unfold so easily, seekers would cease to search further.
Some seekers commit to spiritual schools full-time while others hop-on and off the spiritual bandwagon. Based on their experiences they choose their path. Who is to judge them? After all, it takes all kinds of people to make a beautiful world. Whether they find themselves or not, is irrelevant to the rest of humankind. As long as they find peace, contentment and inner well-being, it is enough.
As for Yuri, she continues her search for that “something.” She keeps traveling in her yoga gear with a bag pack and meditating (even if it is at the airport). At least, she has learned to let go of all inhibition. Though she seems detached from the present, her past still continues to stay with her. And as long as that happens, the search will continue.
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