Persistence

Rishikesh is a quiet town (apart from the temple loudspeakers, the firecrackers and the Israelis). Its a place of ashrams and yoga schools on the banks of the Ganges. Many Indian tourists come here, pilgrims, holiday-makers, as well as western tourists.

There’s a lot of holy men in orange robes. Many of these look like they are involved in running the ashrams. In a different costume they could be university professors, with their graying hair, salt and pepper stubble, and spectacles. These ones don’t ask you for money, at least not in the street.

Its tremendously hot again, Unbearable at mid-day, almost 40 degrees. Especially after the cool mountain air in Dharamsala. The best part of the day is from 6 to 8am, its the only time you can go for a walk. After that the sun scalds and the air feels like the rush of heat when you open an oven.

I can’t bring myself to spend much time in the ashrams. After spending 5 of the last 10 months in ashrams, I am ashramed out. I did visit the Divine Life Society founded by His Holiness Swami Sivananda. It has a peaceful but museum-like atmosphere – none of the dynamism I associate with Swami Sivananda. I realized that Swami Sivananda is as present in our satsangs in the yoga centre in Toronto as he is here, or anywhere else because we see him with our hearts. He’s not attached to any spot on the ground, no matter how much history might be associated with it.