Enlightening Pilgrimage of Indian Heritage

A Wish That Came Through

(From the Travelogues of Mathew D. Kunnappilly)

At Mayavati

Mayavati is the name given to the general area. The establishment is Advaita Ashrama, a branch of the Ramakrishna Math. The Ashrama is a small old two storied wooden building. The foundation is stone but everything else is wood. It has cement floor. There is only simple wooden furniture without cushions or seat covers. Two un-simple items were a telephone and a computer. (That I had seen) This building sits on a projection on the mountain, about 2/3 way up.

There is a smaller building, newer in look, in front of the Ashram about 100 feet away, where they have the bookstore. In between these two buildings there is a well-tendered flower garden. The Ashram gate is behind this smaller building. No roads beyond this gate, only footpaths. No vehicles, not even cycles are permitted inside the compound. The whole area and the atmosphere exhibits pure simplicity. It is situated in a deep forest of deodars, pines, oaks and other trees. The altitude is about 6,400 ft. above sea level. There is no human habitation nearby.

There is a small charitable hospital run by the Ashram serving the poor, free of all charges. This is about 5 minutes walk down.

The guesthouses are located further down, about another 5 minutes walk. There are two buildings. The main one is a newer concrete building with 12 rooms. All simply furnished and with attached bathrooms. The second building is the bungalow where Captain & Mrs. J.H. Sevier- Swami Vivekananda’s British disciples who started this Ashram- lived. I think, this building is mainly for groups and families. These five buildings comprise Mayavati. I do not think that they can accommodate more than 25 people at a time.

When we reached the Ashram at 2 PM most of the guests for that day were already there. There were about a dozen Monks, most of them young men in their twenties. I was told in the letter, from Tanakpur I may not reach Mayavati by lunchtime, therefore, I should have my lunch at a place of my choice. However a swami asked me if I had my lunch, if not, he will have something prepared for me. I thanked him and said that we had our lunch at Lohaghat.

Taking Subash with me was a last minute decision. Initially I requested reservation only for myself. Then everyone was concerned with my traveling alone. I cannot please everyone, but I cannot displease everyone either. My correspondences, last year and this year, were with Swami Mumukshananda, the President of Advaita Ashram, at Calcutta. I wrote to him and informed him that, in consideration of my age and family concerns I will have my 22-year-old nephew as my travel companion, and we will share the room and the food. Swamiji wrote back saying that would not be necessary, Subash is welcome, and he has made necessary changes.

There were a few older Monks. One in particular caught my attention. He is, I think, in his seventy’s. He is not more than 5’3" tall with slightly stooped shoulders. He wore the same simple saffron clothing like all other Monks. The only extra piece of clothing he had was an ordinary bath towel wrapped around his neck to ward off the Himalayan chill. He speaks very softly and acts extremely humble. Every one was paying their homage to him by touching his feet, and a few prostrated. I tried to touch his feet but he stopped me. I assumed that he might be the manger Swami. So, I handed him my papers. He pointed to another swami who is may be 30 or 32 years old. I gave him my papers and asked the name of the older Monk. " Swami Mumukshananda", he said. Then added, " I am the manager, Swami Anubhovananda" (everyone calls him Kartick Maharj-I do not know why) He took my papers and gave me the key to our room and told me the schedule. The breakfast is at 7.30. Lunch at 12 noon. Afternoon tea at 4.30. Supper at 8.30. After supper, there will be a 15-20 minutes reading (except on Sundays) to which all are welcome. One can spend the rest of the time, as he/she likes.

I wished to talk to Swami Mumukshananda but everyone else was fighting for his attention. I did not want to impose myself on him. So we went to our room.

That day I skipped the afternoon tea. It is only a 10 minutes walk (for me 20) but it is an up hill climb. I was tired. We went for supper. Inside the Ashram is so simple yet extremely clean and orderly. The Monks and the guests eat at the same time but the Monks eat at the adjoining room where they chant before eating. In the guest dining area no one prays loudly but none of us starts until the chanting over. Every one is served the same kind of food. No special food for Monks or guests.

Of course, all meals are pure vegetarian. Well prepared and very tasty. You can eat as much as you want. By the way, there is no charge for food or for the room. If you like, you can make donation. No one asks for it, but if you give, they will give you a receipt for it.

After supper, there was this reading. It was a book (in English) on Sarada Devi. All sits on the floor in lotus position. I have not sat that way in 40 some years. My hipbones did not flex, knee bones did not bend, and my anklebones were stiff. I was in agony. Swamiji must have noticed it. He told me that if I want I can sit on a chair and he will have one brought in for me. Under no circumstances I was going to sit on a chair while all others sat on the floor. I survived. Afterwards, the manager Swami and I talked for
a little while. I told him that I have read that book on Sarada Devi. He told me that I do not have to attend the reading even if I have not had read the book.

The next day when I went there for lunch, Swami Mumukshananda came up to me and said, " After lunch could you wait few minutes for me. I like to talk to you". " Of course, Swamiji", I replied.

After lunch I waited out side for Swamiji. A man with a file folder in his hand was waiting. In few minutes, Swamiji came out. He greeted the man with the file folder, then turned to me and said, " He is here with little editorial work for our magazine. Today is the dead line. Do you mind if I take care of this first?" " Not at all, Swamiji. You have lot of work to do. I have none. Take your time", I replied. They both went inside and I waited. I told Subash that he could go to the room.

I waited. That gave me time to reflect on what has just expired. Here is a man, much older than I am, the President of Advaita Ashram, a Sanskrit scholar, author of several books, translator of many works from Sanskrit to English, Editor of the magazine Prabuddha Bharata, (what else, I do not know), asking me if I (who am I?) would wait few minutes for him! It was humility in action.

I have heard and read about simplicity, humility, and simple living. They were all abstract ideas for me. Here they were tangible objects.

After fifteen or twenty minutes, Swamiji came out, smiling (He has a special smile. When he smiles his face glows as if some light is coming from inside on to his face) and asked if I have had a pleasant journey the day before. I said, I had. Then he said, " When I got your letter this time, I remembered your name. In the letter you wrote last year, there was something that touched me. (I do not remember what I wrote to him in 1999. I do not have a copy of it.) So, I remembered your name. We get tones of letters. We do not have enough space here to keep it. So we keep the letters for only one year. I do not remember the details. How many days were you going to stay last
year"?

"You had given me 7 nights. From November 13 to 20th", I said. "How many days this time?"he asked. I said "Three"."Never mind about that. You stay as long as you like." he said. I told him that three nights were enough for me this time because I had planed for other trips and have reservations at different places. Then we talked about other things. When I was about to take leave of him, he said," Thank you for the sweets you brought for us. It taste very good." I had taken few pounds of Kerala sweets- Calicut Halwa- for the monks. He was talking about that.

That night they served that sweet to everyone.

I did not attend the reading that night. I went to the room after supper. When others returned to the building, they came to my room and said, "Where were you? Swamiji asked ‘where is my friend’?"

We were leaving on the 19th morning after breakfast. I said goodbye to all the fellow guests and the monks I got to know there.

Swami Mumukshananda was there too. I had taken winter cloths with me. (I never used it but Subash did) One of it was a woolen muffler that had never been used. I presented that to Swamiji as a simple gift seeing the practical use, that he can use it to wrap around his neck. Swami said " You have given us enough" I said," This is just for you. When you use it, you may remember me". "No. I will remember you without a muffler" was his reply. I paid my homage to him in Indian style, by touching his feet. This time he did not stop me. May be he knew I was not faking love and respect.

Did I see the whole Himalayas? No. No one can. The ocean is vast and wide. No one can see it all. Yet, you appreciate it with a glimpse from its shore. So is the Himalayas. Did I come to see the mountains? If I wanted to see the mountains, I could have gone to Colorado, or the Alps, or the Andes. But Vedas were not written in the Colorado Mountains, Upanishads were not written on the European Alps, Puranas were not written on the South American Andes. They were all written in the caves of the Himalayas. It was in this Himalayas Mountains the sound of non-violence "Ma, Nishada…(Hunter, don’t…)"-history’s first known poem- echoed five thousand years ago, about the same time Cane had slain his brother Abel (Adam & Eve’s boys). For good or bad, for better or worst, knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly, consciously or unconsciously, implicitly or explicitly, fondly or in shame, this heritage was passed on to me from a generation of antiquity. I can make no such claim on any other heritage.

I am glad I came.

Now, I am leaving Mayavati and the Himalayas knowing that I may never again return. There is sadness with this parting; yet, there is satisfaction that words cannot adequately explain.

What did Mayavati and the Himalayas taught me? Not much, may be.

Was I impressed with Mayavati and the Himalayas? There is not much to impress our physical senses.

However, now I know the difference between simple living and simply living. Most of the time we are so busy with living while forgetting about life.

I do not know enough about all religions or all about one religion. However, this is my synthesis. God in His infinite wisdom endowed man with infinite imaginations. Through man’s imagination God manifest infinitely.

One thing I know for sure now. It is "I" who creates my own burdens, in my own ways.

God has nothing to do with it.

Our jeep was waiting to take us back to Lohaghat, and into civilization?

Next- A Frightening Incident