Voices of Non-Hindus
DELHI
“Ganga Being Worshiped Is Beautiful”
T
HERE IS A STRONG FEELING about this Kumbh
that it is a peaceful religious occasion and that politics should be kept out
of it. There is no tension about Ram Mandir, which was present in the previous
Melas.
Pilgrims
I
have been overawed by the pilgrims, especially the kalpavasis, who are living
here. They tolerate conditions which are not good, and yet they are full of
praise for the government for looking after them. Their patience and peacefulness
is an example to all of us, as is that of the people now flooding into the
Kumbh Mela, 95 percent of whom come on foot, mostly from the rural areas. I
fear that in the future, as India urbanizes, the Kumbh will become less
peaceful and more full of tension brought by the way of life of the urban
people, who are impatient and demanding their rights.
The Media
People
expect too much from the media. We are trying to get the spiritual message of
the Kumbh, because otherwise we cannot explain why the people are coming here.
It is such an unusual spectacle, which is what attracts the media—the naga
sadhus and the huge variety of Hinduism on show. Those people who want to know
more about the spiritual side of it should read magazines like HINDUISM TODAY. You cannot expect
in-depth spirituality from a daily newspaper, much less from a television show.
His Christian Viewpoint
I
have an unusual view for a Christian: I welcome every other religion. As a
Christian, I have my own ways on rituals and things like that. I did not think
it necessary for me to have a bath in Sangam.
I
am not that devout a Christian. I wish I were more devout. When I first came to
India as an adult, I was a very orthodox Christian. I believed that there was
only one way to God and that was through Christianity. Then I was deeply
influenced by India’s openmindedness, and I no longer regard Christianity as
the one and only way to God.
Ganga Arati
I
did participate in the Ganga Arati. I was standing there and was asked to come
to the front. I was reluctant, as I felt I had no business to be at the front.
I have been a witness of it in the past, too, sitting in the back—even when I
am in church I like to sit in the back. But I was called forward, and suddenly
the arati light was put in my hands to offer to Ganga. It was a great honor for
me, one I will never forget, because it was in such beautiful surroundings on
the banks of Sangam. I could see all the bright lights twinkling, of this huge
great tented city. I think this concept, Ganga is your mother and Ganga is
being worshiped, is a beautiful concept.
(Mark
Tully was born in Calcutta, British India, in 1935, raised in UK and returned
to India in 1965 as a correspondent for the BBC)
LOS ANGELES
“Primal and Powerful Event”
I’VE BEEN HERE NOW FOR THREE WEEKS, BUT ONLY OVER THE
LAST TWO OR THREE days, as we get closer to February 10, is the enormity of it
becoming manifest. Suddenly there are huge crowds of people walking the streets
with their bags on their heads, so many that you can’t even drive a car on the
road. I’ve never seen anything with this power anywhere in the world, and I’ve
been to many places for many big events. You hear repeatedly how enormous it
all is, but there’s no imagining it until you see it.
Honestly,
my feelings
about
the Kumbh run the gamut. First, I see the very poor people who are devoted and
God fearing, who come here for that spirituality and purification. They come
because of their fundamental beliefs, and they come in huge numbers. Then I see
the very rich, who come to give thanks for what they have. Then there are the
sadhus, who come to be with a lot of people like themselves, in an event that’s
very primal and powerful.
The Sadhus
Most
powerful for me has been the time I’ve spent with the sadhus, listening to them
talk about their general beliefs, their religion, philosophy of life and the
way their lives have been conducted. It has reinforced in me the feelings I had
about my own life and how I conduct myself. I’ve learned about people who are
willing to completely dedicate their life to their beliefs and their
philosophies. They are people with vast knowledge and great sensitivity. A lot
of the √sadhus I’ve met are simple country people, but just as dedicated and
committed as the very big and evolved sadhus. It’s impossible not to respect
them.
Photographing the Nagas
To
a foreigner, the nagas seem like a very fine concept. Many of them are
warriors, as has been explained to me. All of them, to me, seem very
aggressive. I was suspicious because they do not allow you to take a picture of
them without paying money. This is an impossible environment for me to
photograph in. It’s a commercial relationship. I’m not being myself, and they
are not being themselves. When I’ve gone to a village in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha
or Madhya Pradesh, I sit with people for three or four days, go to their house,
have tea with them. When I finally take a picture, there is a relationship, and
the picture reflects that relationship. Here, when I give money, what do I get
in return? Am I getting a person who’s posing because he’s been paid to pose,
or do I get the essence of the person? That’s the dilemma for me as a
photographer.
(Fredric
Roberts, 70, is a professional photographer who spent six weeks at the Kumbh)
Quotes and Quips
When
you demand nothing of the world, nor of God, when you want nothing, seek
nothing, expect nothing, then the Supreme State will come to you uninvited and
unexpected. Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981), Indian teacher and philosopher
The real meaning of
the scriptures can only be known in the silence of the mind.
Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Kerala’s “hugging saint”
You
are God. God sees through your eyes, hears through your ears, speaks through
your mouth. Satguru Siva Yogaswami (1872-1964), Sri Lankan mystic
A
person who has realized the principle of nonviolence has God-given strength for
his weapon, and the world has not yet known anything that can match it. Mahatma
Gandhi (1869-1948)
The
touch of an infinite mystery passes over the trivial and the familiar, making
it break out into ineffable music. The trees, the stars, and the blue hills
ache with a meaning which can never be uttered in words. Rabindranath Tagore
(1861-1941), mystic poet
No
individual can ultimately fail. The Divinity which descends into humanity is
bound to regain its original state. Nilakanta Sri Ram (1889-1973), Freemason and theosophist
When
you are offended at any man’s fault, turn to yourself and study your own
failings. Then you will forget your anger. Epictetus (55-135 CE), Greek sage and philosopher
By our
stumbling, the world is perfected. Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950), Indian freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi and poet
All
love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only
law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore love for
love’s sake, because it is the only law of life, just as you breathe to live.
Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)
The
benevolent expect no return for their dutiful giving. How can the world ever
repay the rain cloud? Tirukural
211
All
fear of distress, grief, avarice, delusion and bewilderment exist only as long
as one does not take refuge in the satguru. All wanderings in the ocean of
births, called samsara, fraught with grief and impurity, last as long as one
has no devotion to a holy Sivaguru. As the boon-giving guru gives the mantra in
contentment and beatitude, try to please him with devotion, wealth, your very
life. Kularvnava Tantra
You,
Siva, are the earth, You are the sky, and You are the seven seas; You are the
goal, You are the letters, and You are the meter; You are the eye, You are the
pupil of the eye, You are the image that dances in the eye, the affable! Bestow
Your grace so that I may approach Your sacred feet! Sivavakkiyar (10th
century), Tamil poet
Give
yourself up to the wave, and you will be absorbed by the current; having dived
into the sea, you do not return anymore. Anandamayi Ma (1896-1982), Bengali mystic
When
diksha is given to a competent disciple, the guru enters into his soul,
establishes himself as the disciple’s inner Self and by means of his power,
removes all the impurities that limit the essential nature of the disciple’s
Self. Sarvajnananottara Agama
ive
morality before you talk of it. Practice meditation before you preach it. Taste
goodness before you recommend it. Gain bliss before you offer it to others.
Swami Chinmayananda (1916-1993), founder
of Chinmaya mission
Whatever
world the man of purified mind desires, whatever desires he wishes to fulfill,
all these he attains. Therefore, let whoever is desirous of prosperity worship
the man of Self Realization. The man of Self Realization knows the supreme
Brahman upon which the universe is based and shines radiantly. Atharva Veda, Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.10
Youth
is not a time of life—it is a state of mind. It is not a matter of ripe cheeks,
red lips and supple knees. It is a temper of the will, a quality of the
imagination, a vigor of the emotions. It is freshness of the deep springs of
life. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only
by deserting their ideals. Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm
wrinkles the soul. Swami
Bua Ji Maharaj (1889-2010), centenarian yogi
It’s
indescribable. That should be clear. Neti, neti. We’re not trying to describe
it. Other experiences in meditation we describe. We say, “Okay let’s go from a
moon-like glow inner light into a slightly more intense one.” But when it comes
to the Self there’s no description except that awareness is missing. Satguru
Bodhinatha Veylanswami, publisher
of Hinduism Today
Just
as the memory of each detail of your yesterday has flowed through you, so does
intellectual knowing eventually flow through the life of the person who
contains it, as a thing of only temporary value. Satguru Sivaya
Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001),
Om Tat Sat
(My humble salutations to Sadguru Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
ji, Satguru Bodhianatha Velayanswami ji, Hinduism
Today for the collection)
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