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What Path?

By Benny Bleiman

At first glance, Vishwas was your typical German: a pallid, wiry, frame; a shaved head; a permanently furrowed brow; and he carried himself like he had a Euro clenched between his butt-cheeks. But there were some things about Vishwas that weren’t so typical: he hadn’t been back to Germany in eight years; he renounced his homeland and Christian upbringing; he could bend himself like a pretzel using various yoga breathing and stretching techniques; and he proclaimed to be a Hindu. Vishwas told me himself that I, the average Westerner, am so preoccupied with material gain and selfish grasping to impermanent things that I fail completely to see the infinite beauty and all-encompassing love of the One. Ok, seemed reasonable at first. But, oh yeah, there’s one more thing, Vishwas ingested a gram or two of MDMA (ecstasy) every single day.

“No wonder he’s enlightened,” commented Mikkel, my Norwegian friend.

To me, Vishwas is a typical example of something gone terribly wrong in India: Westerners claiming to have discovered the path of spiritual fulfillment, in one way or another, who simply don’t get it. As far as I could see, they all seem to be way off path. In fact, some even seemed to be headed backwards. I can’t imagine any true saint encouraging her disciples to just take ecstasy every day.

I recall the rabid commitment to yoga of an Austrian girl I met, who stayed out partying in Goa until four every morning, woke up at six-thirty to do her yoga, then went back to sleep until late afternoon. “I worship the god, Ganesh,” she told me. I noticed the stylish, Elephant logo on her blouse with matching purse and realized (to my horror) that she wasn’t joking.

I also note the “Meditation Pass” Mikkel received for a mere 1000 rupees (the same as many Indians’ monthly salaries) at the Osho Ashram in Poona. Mikkel, holding many of the same opinions as I, described that particular Ashram wonderfully:

“It is the most disgusting place in the world. Like Club Med for rich, Western, losers who think they’re going to get enlightened in two weeks and then fly home. They act like it’s a commune and you don’t need money, but broccoli cost 250 rupees in the cafeteria, for God’s sake….broccoli!”

Sarcastically, he added “Hey but at least now I have this pass, this means that I can meditate anywhere I want to in the whole world. And it doesn’t expire until January, 2006.”

My problem, unfortunately, is that after six-plus months traveling around the Indian subcontinent, I have no idea what or where the path to spiritual enlightenment is. In fact, I am less clear on how to obtain spiritual fulfillment after returning from India than I was when I went. All I do know for sure is that I certainly didn’t meet any Westerner who seemed to have a better idea than I, and until I do, I won’t be taking on a Hindu name.

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	Free Ezine of Travel Adventures Send this Page to a Friend Flag Of India What Path? By Benny Bleiman At first glance, Vishwas was your typical German: a pallid, wiry, frame; a shaved head; a permanently furrowed brow; and he carried himself like he had a Euro clenched between his butt-cheeks. But there were some things about Vishwas that weren’t so typical: he hadn’t been back to Germany in eight years; he renounced his homeland and Christian upbringing; he could bend himself like a pretzel using various yoga breathing and stretching techniques; and he proclaimed to be a Hindu. Vishwas told me himself that I, the average Westerner, am so preoccupied with material gain and selfish grasping to impermanent things that I fail completely to see the infinite beauty and all-encompassing love of the One. Ok, seemed reasonable at first. But, oh yeah, there’s one more thing, Vishwas ingested a gram or two of MDMA (ecstasy) every single day. “No wonder he’s enlightened,” commented Mikkel, my Norwegian friend. To me, Vishwas is a typical example of something gone terribly wrong in India: Westerners claiming to have discovered the path of spiritual fulfillment, in one way or another, who simply don’t get it. As far as I could see, they all seem to be way off path. In fact, some even seemed to be headed backwards. I can’t imagine any true saint encouraging her disciples to just take ecstasy every day. I recall the rabid commitment to yoga of an Austrian girl I met, who stayed out partying in Goa until four every morning, woke up at six-thirty to do her yoga, then went back to sleep until late afternoon. “I worship the god, Ganesh,” she told me. I noticed the stylish, Elephant logo on her blouse with matching purse and realized (to my horror) that she wasn’t joking. I also note the “Meditation Pass” Mikkel received for a mere 1000 rupees (the same as many Indians’ monthly salaries) at the Osho Ashram in Poona. Mikkel, holding many of the same opinions as I, described that particular Ashram wonderfully: “It is the most disgusting place in the world. Like Club Med for rich, Western, losers who think they’re going to get enlightened in two weeks and then fly home. They act like it’s a commune and you don’t need money, but broccoli cost 250 rupees in the cafeteria, for God’s sake….broccoli!” Sarcastically, he added “Hey but at least now I have this pass, this means that I can meditate anywhere I want to in the whole world. And it doesn’t expire until January, 2006.” My problem, unfortunately, is that after six-plus months traveling around the Indian subcontinent, I have no idea what or where the path to spiritual enlightenment is. In fact, I am less clear on how to obtain spiritual fulfillment after returning from India than I was when I went. All I do know for sure is that I certainly didn’t meet any Westerner who seemed to have a better idea than I, and until I do, I won’t be taking on a Hindu name. Real Travel Adventures Web Magazine Thanks for visiting us! Add to Bookmarks Click Here to Earn Money By Surfing Home Previous Page If any links don't work PLEASE NOTIFY US. © 2004 Bonita Productions Inc.