The kitchen
December 11, 2007
Once again, the ultimate mystery of India is the way that such unbelievably good food comes from such simple kitchens!
Lunch!
December 10, 2007
Lunch was dhal, rice, poori, and vegtables, with an apple and some water to drink. Every one of the sanyasi looked healthy even though some of them were obviously quite old.
Waiting patiently
December 9, 2007
I think there were about 35-40 sanyasi there waiting for us. It was an unusual experience because in a way they were there to do me a favor by allowing me to feed them! They are forgiven all social responsibilities and their only object in life is to complete their spiritual journey. They eat once a day and spend the rest of their time doing mantra japa and meditation. In all my time in Varanasi I only saw one or two on the street. Most of the time they are hidden away doing their practices, away from tourists and visitors. So it was a rare opportunity to be able to meet and interact with them.
Blessings
December 8, 2007
When we went into the area where the sanyasi were waiting, I was asked to take a flower dipped in liquid kumkum and placed a small dot on their forehead and then sprinkled a few flower petals on their head. It was a great (and unexpected) honor and it allowed me to experience each of them individually. The obvious question would be “what were they like?” I found them sincere, quiet, gentle, and genuine. It was one of the few experiences in life where the reality far exceeded the expectation. Their spirituality was understated and it was impossible not to want some of it just like a little boy who says “When I grow uo I want to be like that!”
Visiting Sanyasi
December 7, 2007
After the five day yagya, we arranged a visit to an ashram to provide a lunch for a group of sanyasi. The vedas always say that part of a yagya is to “feed brahmins” and so this was an important part of the program. When we arrived we waited for a while in the senior acharya’s office. The ashram was clearly old, but it was clean and obviously well maintained. 
Before we went to feed the sanyasi, we performed a guru puja to the lineage of acharyas responsible for the ashram over the years.
Dakshina
December 6, 2007
At the end of the 5 days of yagyas we gave each pundit a new dhoti and a little bit of extra money. There was a very nice feeling that we had all participated in something significant together. Both pundits and participants were all tired from very long days, but at the same time we all felt sorry that the yagya had come to a close.
Blessings
December 5, 2007
At the conclusion of the yagya the priests give you a blessing by placing a bit of dark red kumkum powder on your forehead and a fresh flower mala. After listening to these pundits chant the vedic mantras all day for hours and hours, you really do feel blessed by them! Part of the yagya experience is the experience of the mantra’s power and that the pundits are wonderful artists for being able to bring them to life.
Vasodhara
December 4, 2007
In a typical yagya each repetition of the mantra is accompanied by an offering of ghee and till seeds. During a Rudra/shiva yagya the tradition is to recite the final part of the Chamakam. This is one big long mantra which typically takes 15 minutes to recite. But that is too long for just one offering, so the tradition is to take a stalk from a banana palm and split it down the middle and then use it to pour a continuous stream of ghee into the fire. This is called a vasodhara. The challenge is that with all the ghee flowing into the fire it is hard to stand so close due to the heat, so bamboo supports are used to hold the vasodhara steady.
Final offering
December 3, 2007
At the end of the homam, the fire is built up to a grand flame as a coconut is offered into the blaze. The coconut is symbolic of the hard ego on the outside which once cracked gives way to the soft and sweet interior. So offering the coconut into the yagya fire is a nice symbolic act which for some reason is very joyous…look at all the smiles in the photo!
Wavering consciousness
December 2, 2007
I mentioned in an earlier post that the wheat in the sand beneath the water pots had sprouted because of all the rain. Each of the pots were used to “invoke” the presence of a different deity and they were carefully placed in specific locations in the yagya stala. At the beginning of each day pujas were done and fresh garlands, flowers, and water were offered. At the end of the day the light of burning camphor was offered along with a few flower petals and some water. In the vedic system a flame is often likened to the nature of consciousness; pure in its essence but often wavering.