Best (Enlightening?) Spiritual Experience in India

GujaratiHere · Jan 6th, 2006, 05:56

Where are the best places to visit in India for a Enlightening / Spiritual Experience?

rangss · Jan 6th, 2006, 06:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopalk

I do not know if you would call this spiritual / enlightening, but this is an experience I had.

Once our family visited Kanchipuram to see the Kanchi Maha Swamigal (the one that passed away quite a few years ago, not the one in a controversy now!).

It was past noon and he had finished his puja and started giving darshan. It was not too crowded. I was a young boy of about 13. Since we had all had the darshan in the morning once my people were all sitting at a distance in the hall from where you could not see the swami's room. As I joined the queue and approached him, one of the assistants called me. "You should not apprach the swami wearing your banian (vest)", he said loudly.

Embarassed, shamed, I simply walked away a little hurt. Since I was 13 and it was the first time I was there to see him, I did not know the rules. I quickly made my way towards where my family was sitting and joined them, without telling them what had happened.

A couple of minutes later, two of the swami's assistants came into the hall.

"A boy had come to see the swami wearing his banian. Where is he?". I crouched down further behind a pillar, but could not escape their view.

"It is you, right? Swami is calling you".

I went along, as my curious family and a crowd of onlookers followed. This time I remembered to remove my vest.

"Don't mind them.", so saying he gave me a fruit as I prostrated in front of him.

That felt really nice. In fact I attribute a lot of of what I today to the blessings I received from this great personality.
-
Gopal

What you experienced is not spirituality or enlightenment, but pure love from a nice old man....something as precious as enlightenment.

cdrake · Jan 6th, 2006, 07:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirensongs

Wow, that's not going to be the short end of a conversation! You must elaborate sometime...please?

Guess that was a few years ago. HHDL says he was scheduled to have lunch with both Indira Gandhi and JK the day Indira was murdered.

For my own spiritual-human experiences...gee, where to start?
So many. If I get started I'll have enough to write about the rest of my life. Thank you India!

This was in Late '85 (must have been K's last visit to chennai) I was fairly young.. and K gave his first vasant vihar talk before he headed out to rishi valley and banares (the other schools) I was visiting , so I hardly knew the significance of these two dudes pronouncing on matters like world peace(the soviet union was still in one piece then) and rituals in hindu and buddhist practice. (HHDL is quoted to have said that he was afraid of K, because K knew such a lot ). They were sitting at the library at a narrow table and took questions (in english) from an audience seated on the floor. This dude called achyut patwardhan was the manager of the show. I shook hands with them both after their lecture/ Q&A. That trip(1985) I later found out , was the "build bridges before he died" trip for J Krishnamurthy. He visited the theosophical society(which he had never done for the past seventy years) Brought in people that were alienated from his foundation, met all manners of guru types that he railed against all his life (including HHDL ).

I was no more enlightened by K or DL, but it was a spiritual experience you felt on the inside.

MeCasa · Jan 6th, 2006, 07:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by GujaratiHere

Where are the best places to visit in India for a Enlightening / Spiritual Experience?

You don't need to go to India to have an enlightened experience, simply experience life, there's good and bad people everywhere

PeakXV · Jan 6th, 2006, 07:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeCasa

You don't need to go to India to have an enlightened experience, simply experience life, there's good and bad people everywhere

The problem is that in the West those enlightened experiences often go unnoticed or at least drastically muted for most by bad stress, trying to live up to other peoples expectations, and too much work - not enough play. It takes the mystic east to loosen those barriers and force one to come face to face with themself.

MeCasa · Jan 6th, 2006, 07:41

We both know enlightenment is in the heart

I guess you're right though, most people do feel the need to break from their surroundings as a way to open their heart and mind

If that's what it takes, then so be it

But if you do it that way, do you lose your enlightenment when you leave?

sudzindia · Jan 6th, 2006, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeCasa

We both know enlightenment is in the heart

I guess you're right though, most people do feel the need to break from their surroundings as a way to open their heart and mind

If that's what it takes, then so be it

But if you do it that way, do you lose your enlightenment when you leave?

Well at the deepest level, enlightenment is not even in your heart. It is what you ARE, what you already are. The Self is always realised. It is the unrealised state, which is a delusion.

MeCasa · Jan 6th, 2006, 08:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by sudzindia

Well at the deepest level, enlightenment is not even in your heart. It is what you ARE, what you already are. The Self is always realised. It is the unrealised state, which is a delusion.

It's as simple as a smile

sudzindia · Jan 6th, 2006, 09:42

The Self is simpler than a smile. It's is the origin of all including the smile!

MeCasa · Jan 6th, 2006, 09:48

The smile is but an inward expression of that understanding, a simple gauge to judge progress

Definetely a good sign

lotus blossom · Jan 6th, 2006, 10:08

yesterday i was chatting with a patient where i work. he said "enlightened people like us", in re to our conversation. for me, that felt like an odd thing to say, since i would concur with the line in the van morrison song that says "enlightenment, don't know what it is"...in other words, i have a long way to go before i'd start claiming such a thing.

Hyderabadi · Jan 6th, 2006, 10:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeakXV

The problem is that in the West those enlightened experiences often go unnoticed or at least drastically muted for most by bad stress, trying to live up to other peoples expectations, and too much work - not enough play. It takes the mystic east to loosen those barriers and force one to come face to face with themself.

Except for the part "trying to live up to other peoples expectations", I entirely agree, being an Indian and now living in the West.

I feel there's more living upto (other peoples ) expectations in being born as an Indian starting from being born itself..., you are expected to look like your grandfather/mother/father/mother,you are expected to grow up to be an Engineer or Doctor/IAS/IPS/ etc., you are expected to marry the girl/boy your family chooses, you are expected to concieve a child (preferably male) in the first year of your marriage, you are expected to live with your brother/sister amicably and if they are elder respect them no matter what, the list of expectations could go on.

Some of this may be breaking down/changing but that was and for most parts is the India we grew up in.

PeakXV · Jan 6th, 2006, 10:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hyderabadi

Except for the part "trying to live up to other peoples expectations", I entirely agree, being an Indian and now living in the West.

I feel there's more living upto (other peoples ) expectations in being born as an Indian starting from being born itself..., you are expected to look like your grandfather/mother/father/mother,you are expected to grow up to be an Engineer or Doctor/IAS/IPS/ etc., you are expected to marry the girl/boy your family chooses, you are expected to concieve a child (preferably male) in the first year of your marriage, you are expected to live with your brother/sister amicably and if they are elder respect them no matter what, the list of expectations could go on.

Some of this may be breaking down/changing but that was and for most parts is the India we grew up in.

Those are very valid points. I guess I was just focusing on the material aspect of the west. With Cars, houses, collegen,silicon implants, etc that create this false facade that often backfires due to personal limitations.

Maybe all cultures have that problem, just disguised differently!

MeCasa · Jan 6th, 2006, 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotus blossom

yesterday i was chatting with a patient where i work. he said "enlightened people like us", in re to our conversation. for me, that felt like an odd thing to say, since i would concur with the line in the van morrison song that says "enlightenment, don't know what it is"...in other words, i have a long way to go before i'd start claiming such a thing.

The InIfinity of Subjectiveness

Now how to be sure people don't get enlightened just because they thought they were suppossed to?

Nobody wants to be the only person who didn't touch enlightenment, so...............

Oh lord, I think I felt it

Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Drunk Daddy.

sirensongs · Jan 6th, 2006, 14:11

Well GujuratiHere, I think many many people have good experiences in

Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
Anywhere Mata Amritanandamayi is appearing
Tirupati
Dakshinswar Kali Temple and Sri Ramakrishna's Belur Math (not to be confused with Kalighat temple, its polar opposite) in Calcutta
Sri Aurobindo Ashram/Samadhi in Pondy
Bahai Temple, Delhi
Mt Abu, Rajasthan

I've been to all but the last 2, and certainly felt it(!).

and many many others. That's just a start.

Jan 6th, 2006, 05:56	#16
GujaratiHere Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Florida, USA Posts: 25	Best (Enlightening?) Spiritual Experience in India Where are the best places to visit in India for a Enlightening / Spiritual Experience?

Jan 6th, 2006, 10:08	#26
lotus blossom re-member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: revolving around the sun standing still Posts: 1,924	yesterday i was chatting with a patient where i work. he said "enlightened people like us", in re to our conversation. for me, that felt like an odd thing to say, since i would concur with the line in the van morrison song that says "enlightenment, don't know what it is"...in other words, i have a long way to go before i'd start claiming such a thing. __________________ Not all who wander are lost

Jan 6th, 2006, 14:11	#30
sirensongs Eeny meeny mango Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: All India Permit (somewhere between Delhi & Dharamsala) Posts: 1,213	"Spirichull" places Well GujuratiHere, I think many many people have good experiences in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu Anywhere Mata Amritanandamayi is appearing Tirupati Dakshinswar Kali Temple and Sri Ramakrishna's Belur Math (not to be confused with Kalighat temple, its polar opposite) in Calcutta Sri Aurobindo Ashram/Samadhi in Pondy Bahai Temple, Delhi Mt Abu, Rajasthan I've been to all but the last 2, and certainly felt it(!). and many many others. That's just a start. __________________ *"Why do people go to India to find themselves? India is where you go to lose* yourself."** Feringhee: The India Diaries

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Jan 6th, 2006, 07:41	#21
MeCasa Account Closed Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Texas/New York Posts: 959	We both know enlightenment is in the heart I guess you're right though, most people do feel the need to break from their surroundings as a way to open their heart and mind If that's what it takes, then so be it But if you do it that way, do you lose your enlightenment when you leave?

Jan 6th, 2006, 09:42	#24
sudzindia Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Malaysia Posts: 192	The Self is simpler than a smile. It's is the origin of all including the smile!

Jan 6th, 2006, 09:48	#25
MeCasa Account Closed Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Texas/New York Posts: 959	The smile is but an inward expression of that understanding, a simple gauge to judge progress Definetely a good sign