India: First Impressions

I brought gifts of fruit and cookies and crackers with me to give to people in need. They circled me and collected the food with genuine smiles. They were surprisingly polite and thankful. It was unexpected, but a few more affluent people sometimes asked for, and appreciated, a cookie from me. I gave small gifts of money to a few elders who sat on the edges of the city sidewalks quietly, cups in hand. They may not have been well enough to stand.

A few times my open gifting actually allowed some amazing connections occur. I have seen enlightenment in the gnarled and ancient face of a woman in torn rags on the streets of the Varanasi. She radiated compassion and love. In the deep, shining eyes of a one legged man in Pushkar I felt the wisdom of a Buddha. Their gratitude, and spiritual awareness, was palpable.

I'll never forget an obviously well off Indian man, fluent in English, admonishing me to give the stale and moldy bread crusts that I had collected to the nearby beggars rather than the starving dogs that I was feeding on the street. Some food was of such poor quality that I saved it for the animals, giving better items to the people. The deplorable condition of the dogs and puppies in India tore at my heartstrings. They limped about in stark contrast to the ubiquitous plump, traffic-halting sacred cows, and the bands of raucous, marauding monkeys. The gentleman knew that people were actually starving on the streets of his country, and I suppose the plight of the animals lost all importance under these circumstances. They were so many unfamiliar contrasts to absorb and adjust to in India.

We found that entering any temple marked us for pursuit by “students” wanting to guide us for a fee, and we were often asked directly by the holy men of the establishment to give a donation before we were even inside the temples. We had to hold our ground to be left alone long enough to take in the wonders of the sites we visited. Just being on the unbelievably crowded streets could be draining, and we were seldom left alone for even a minute when we explored on our own.

Dan agreed to a healing ceremony by a well- dressed “priest” on the shores of Lake Pushkar, which proved very beautiful in itself, but culminated in a request for a donation for each and every member of our families that matched the large amount that we had given the priest initially. We cringed when a sadhu, or monk-like holy man, screamed at us for money in Varanasi when I had inadvertently taken a picture that included him on a busy street. We tucked our tails and left the area quickly. We would have gladly given him something, had he not been so intense and angry. A young lady in Pushkar grabbed my hand very strongly, and began painting henna on it without my permission. Her companion was aghast, and I was forced to pull my hand back forcefully from her. I was greatly overcharged for items at a shop where our guide had sent us in Amritsar. Even he was upset. The energy of our experiences was quite intrusive. We put up some serious boundaries.

By the time we reached the Golden Temple at Amritsar, we tended to ignore anyone who tried to speak to us on the streets. We soon realized that the Sikhs were very open, and had no agendas. They welcomed us at their temples, and in fact we felt so comfortable that we stayed at lodging on the grounds of the Golden Temple with many other Sikh pilgrims for two nights. Our lack of sleep due to constant, exuberant prayers and open revelry finally did convince us to find a quieter hotel. We ate in the communal dining areas. We were approached by every English speaking person in the Temple, very graciously. We must have looked quite unusual, for the stares that we received were long and open-mouthed. A smile from me always broke the ice, and hearts opened instantly.

INDIA, GENERATIONS OF FARMERS

Our guide in Pushkar saw that we needed some peace, yet did not really understand what “going for a drive” meant. He needed an actual destination, so he offered to take us to a local farm. We were immediately taken in by the extended family at the farm like we were family. The children had the most innocent smiles I have ever seen, and though they spoke no English, they communicated their interest in us and the nature of their joyful characters through their expressions and gestures. Two young boys in particular followed me around with wide and shy smiles as well as a great deal of curiosity.

I was astounded to find out that our guide did not even known this family! He knew of the nature and generosity of these farmers, and was bold enough to call on them unannounced and explain that an American couple wished to be introduced to them, and their way of life. They did so with open-hearted delight, giving us a lengthy tour of their land, animals and dwellings. They served us food and tea and even refused a gift from us for their time. After I gave the few cookies I had to the children, the elders tried to present me with a huge and formidable root vegetable. I respectfully declined as I had no kitchen for it. They understood and were not offended.

We then visited a small village, and every member of the town came out to greet us and stand for a picture with us. A gaily decorated camel strolled by pulling his cart and his cheerful driver. The experiences of this day grounded us and connected us to the people and the earth in a good way. They filled us with joy and assisted us in opening up more fully to our experiences in India. Outside the crowded city streets that overwhelmed us with sights and sounds and often uninvited energies, we relaxed and found our peace with this great country, and her beautiful people. Our time in India changed us, and put the abundance of our lives in a new perspective.