Elephants, Monks and the eternal dance of Duality
Day 16 (Day 3 of the Wonder-Bike Adventure)– 5th May 2018
Six am and we are ready. It’s lovely to wake up fully
relaxed and looking forward to another definitely beautiful day, always knowing
it will give us only its very best.
We will be sleeping one more night here so for the first
time I get to travel unhindered by the backpack, which means I only have to
deal with my backside as it hasn’t yet fully adapted to so many hours of bike
riding. But today it will be different. We will be riding less and seeing more on foot.
We want to make an early start in order to get to Dubare
Elephant Camp for the elephant washing activity while it is still not so hot.
Temperatures have been over 40º C and though we have gotten
accustomed to the heat, it is still challenging to be outdoors at peak hours as
the moisture of daily heavy rain showers by night, mixed with high temperatures
makes us feel sticky and breathing requires more stillness.
Coorg is a beautiful region of coffee, tea plantations and tropical
rainforest. Cardomom and Pepper as well as other spices from this area are
also much appreciated.
Since it is still very early, we head into Madikeri and go
to the town’s park to see the spectacular view of the mountains. There are
still not many people, but since it is holiday time, there are a fair amount of
native toursits, even though it’s early in the morning. Everyone wants to get
their fair share of beauty while it’s still “fresh” – over 30º C, but fresh
when compared to later on in the day.
We breathe in the magnificence around us, thankful. And Love
whispers: Love always finds its way to
you when you open your heart to it.
With on open heart we make way for Dubare Elephant Camp
where we will be able to participate in the morning elephant bath in the river.
We get there at around 8 am, park the bike and walk up to
the place where there is supposed to be a boat that crosses to the other side.
When we get there, however, we realize it is too early and
on the other hand we will not be crossing by boat because the water level is
low, so we will be walking – stone stepping across. That will be fun!
Meanwhile we grab a bite for breakfast at the local restaurant
and taste something delicious I can’t name but I leave you a link here about
what people eat for breakfast in India :D
When the time comes, we cross over. We are amongst the very
first to arrive.
My first impression when I see the first elephant coming
down the hill is reverence for this majestic animal that exhudes wisdom with
each step.
Then I see the chains on its legs and it saddens me that
such a powerful specimen of Nature should be shackled like this.
The elephants come, one after the other and we get to touch
them as they are washed by their carers and I am torn between gratitude for
being in the presence of these amazing creatures, feeling them, honouring them
and sadness for their lost sense of freedom as they are kept captive in this
camp as a circus show, not being able to roam wherever and whenever they want,
not being able to hide from the multitudes of people that keep on arriving, now
a steady stream of visitors that grows and grows. Fortunately we came early!
I choose to take the beauty with me and accept the circumstances,
respecting the local people’s practices of creating such a camp to entertain
visitors. The positive side of this is that with forests dwindling, these
elephants get to eat and to be treated with care on a daily basis, though at
the expense of their freedom, which leaves me with mixed feelings, but as I said,
in acceptance.
Our next stop is Namdroling Monastery – which was established by His Holiness Pema Norbu
Rinpoche after he came to India from Tibet and painstakingly worked with a
handful of monks to create what is now known as The Golden Temple and
subsequently the whole complex. The Dalai Lama then consecrated this holy place
as "Namdroling Monastery." Today the monastery houses nearly 5000
monks and nuns - people from all over the world come to study Buddhism here. It
is a place clearly and entirely dedicated to the teachings of wisdom and
compassion of the Buddha.
It is around 11 am when we get there. The place is swarming
with people, possibly because it is a Saturday today, apart from holiday
season.
As we enter the Temples complex, the feeling of Peace – this
place’s permanent resident – can be felt even under the overlay of the crowd’s
buzz.
We enter each place in silence, though everyone is talking
loud. We behave as if there were no one there and absorb the moment fully, no
matter what. We eventually sit on the ground of the main Temple and just contemplate
the inner silence, as if a sacred ceremony were going on, instead of the
restless crowd of children and adults who are visiting this place as if it were
a zoo or some other similar attraction show. Each one to their own way, each
one to their own feeling. We compassionately stick to ours.
The moments spent in the Golden Temple, peacefully sitting
on the ground in deep inner bliss were amongst the most memorable of this
journey with Love whispering: Crystal
clarity is at the reach of each Breath, here and now, in the everlasting
Silence in your belly, where your Life Force, the Essence of Isness resides
within All, for All, with All. Breathe and stay in the Love that you Are.
We stay for as long as we feel like it, until our cup is
overflowing with the simple Essence of All that Is.
Beauty is the constant companion of our day.
We head for lunch at a restaurant on the other side of the
road, lead by Tibetan monks and eat two of the most spicy dishes to date. I
have come to enjoy spicy food by embracing it and even though each mouthful of
this combination of rice and mushrooms sets my tastebuds on fire, I move beyond
this until I can handle it and actually taste each ingredient in the dish.
I ask some young monks whether they speak English and whether
they would allow me to interview them for our Linda’s School Facebook page,
speaking about what it’s like to live at the Monastery, studying to follow the
Buddhas footsteps. They smile, laugh but no one feels their English is up to
the challenge so I have to pass this opportunity.
We cannot get on the bike right now because it is terribly
hot so we browse around the shops and end up getting some coffee, tea and
chocolate, which we sit outside savouring.
The heat has no intention of receding so we gather our guts
and decide to head back “home” to our Homestay near Madikeri. It is only about
35 km…
I have not told you yet but we often get confronted with
trucks and cars overtaking and heading right into us, to the extent that we
sometimes have to move out of the road. Such is the driving folly here.
Miraculously, we have seen no accidents yet. It is truly amazing how such a thing
might be possible. I am definitely thankful we are riding on a two-wheeled
vehicle that easily fits anywhere! And bikes are generally thought to be more
dangerous! No way. I vouch that it is the safest form of travel in India.
As it is still early we decide to visit a place called Raja's Tomb in Madikeri, before going home. The GPS takes us for a bit of a ride bu we eventually find it. It is a beautiful and peaceful place which we once again visit in silence, enjoying the views and the serenity.
There are three tombs built for the royal dynasty. The central tomb which is the largest among the three is of Kodava king Doddaveerarajendra and his wife Mahadeviamma. The right tomb built by Chikkaveerarajendra for his father Lingarajendra in 1820 A.D. The left tomb belongs to Veerarajendra’s guru Rudrappa built in 1834 A.D.
Enough for today.
We get home at around 4 pm, tired of the heat but grateful.
Always grateful.
Fashion Show of the Day :D
The house beside ours is getting ready for a party of some
sort and a bus load of people arrives at the end of the afternoon, right when we
were settling into the peaceful ambience of this place’s remote location
.
India – the constant contrast between enlightened silence
and chaotic noise. I suppose that's what makes us love it so much :)
As usual, we let it be. Acceptance is our permanent key. The
rain will eventually come and its natural sound will drown all else.
And so it is.
💙💚💛💜
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