We took a local bus to Chandigarh from Rishikesh on Thursday afternoon, about 6 hours. Arrived at 7 pm to catch the “Deluxe Bus” from Chandigarh to Kullu overnight. Not a sleeper bus – they don’t seem to exist in the north, but deluxe nonetheless with soft seats that recline and your own space in the two seats you purchase. It was not to be. The bus which originates in Delhi was full, so we had the choice of the local bus overnight, or hire a taxi for 2000 Rs or so (around $50). We (perhaps foolishly) opted for the local bus. It was crammed! We got into the bus and there was no place to put our backpacks. We were told to bring them to our seats! So they stayed on the floor in the aisle beside our seats. We didn’t actually get the seats we purchased (another story) so spent the night uncomfortably, with very little sleep. We arrived in Kullu Friday morning at 5:30 am and spent the day recuperating with our friends Jerome and Beth.
Then came Saturday. We attended Saturday Satsang with the "Guru of Kullu", Swami Shyam. Beth and Jerome had told us how excited everyone was to meet us, but we were totally unprepared for the reception we received. First of all there were three or four people I knew from 35 – 38 years ago! My old classmate in first year French at U of T – Catherine (now Kholyani) has been in Kullu for more than 20 years! It was wonderful to see her again. She in fact was one reason I went to Gabriola the first time, and Gabriola was the first place I heard about Swami Shyam and “Shyamspace”.
Well to say we were guests of honour does not nearly describe the experience. When Swami emerged the first thing he said was “Hello everyone, who is here visiting us today?” And Beth came up to the podium area and introduced Amy and me and expressed her excitement at having us there. Then Jerome came up to express his welcome, then another dozen people, all with various connections to us, either direct or very indirect came up to offer welcome. Then Amy was invited up, then I, offering flowers to Swamiji. It was overwhelming and very emotional for me. I could not imagine the energy that was being showered on Amy and me. There was so much joy and love and excitement, I can't remember ever experiencing a welcome like that.
And Swami spoke for about an hour, and it seemed that he reflected on our being here and the words we had spoken, and incorporated them into his Satsang. He laughed a lot, told stories and offered wisdom of the oneness of all. It is the same message we receive over and over and over – there is one message, and that is that the real self is not this body, mind, or personality. The real self is eternal, unborn, undying, forever blissful and always there and available to access in the stillness. Each teacher along the way expresses it differently, but the message is the same. We are one, there is only the one pure love, everything else is transitory, illusory, not totally real. And the more we can use the tools to tune into that one space, the more true happiness and peace we can experience.
Of course, I am not the kind of person who surrenders my will to another person, or who worships a human being, be it a realized being or not. Still, I truly appreciate being in the presence of these teachers who seem to experience that state of bliss all the time, and who help us to attain that space as well.
After Satsang, Swamiji invited several of us to tea, so we had another couple of hours of enjoyment and learning. By the end of that time, I felt blasted, light-headed, wobbly. I knew I had to go slowly, as my legs were a little like jelly. It was just so much energy all at once, I was overwhelmed! We went across the street (not far thankfully) and had some soup and other food which helped bring me back to earth. What a day!
Sunday was the festival of Holi. It is a big party, sort of like Hindu Purim (which by the way also starts today! Funny about that!). The Indian men get very drunk, cover each other with colourful powders and coloured water, and generally go crazy for the day. We were warned to stay indoors! And so we had our own little party and quiet time, which was much needed. In the evening we will celebrate Holi with Swami, play some music and as always, enjoy Satsang. It seems that whenever people get together here, it is an opportunity for Satsang, or “The Company of Truth”. And so the topic almost always gets around to the pure spirit of love that exists always and forever. Not a bad topic for discussion! I am really enjoying being in this space and continuing to experience the deepening of the practice of accessing the soul’s state of bliss. What could be better than that?
