Varanasi

Namaste!

Ah, Varanasi; where to begin? A good starting point seems to me to be the following, borrowed from Wikipedia, after Charlie reminded me of this wonderful quote (and I actually recommend that for a more in-depth understanding of this most marvelous of places you go ahead and read the Wikipedia article on Varanasi; plenty of excellent detail there):

In the 1898 book Following the Equator American writer Mark Twain wrote about his visit to Varanasi saying that "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."

He's right; this is a very ancient locus of Indian civilization, with layer upon layer both material and spiritual, all in evidence, all at once. Folks here like to claim that Varanasi (Benares and Kashi are two of its other names) is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world - though I gather there are other cities in the Middle East with similar claims. In any case, there is no doubt that Varanasi serves up an extremely rich diet of history, culture, religion -- and people, perhaps India's greatest wealth. Hindus come here at key times in their lives - birth, marriage, death - in expectations of great blessings and benefit that come when here, engaged in ritual, and connected to the River Ganges (and the two others which join it, one north - the Varuna - and one south - the Assi - which give the city its most common name).

With so much to take in, and attempt to process, Varanasi has always been the setting for profound experiences for our students, and this time has been no different. They have explored, investigated, wandered, talked, shopped for silk and musical instruments -- and learned a ton along the way, about both India but also and more importantly, about themselves. It is here that students first begin to understand, I think, what we mean when we say India is a mirror; that the travel here is as much inward as it is a matter of moving through the external context.

I feel like I'm rambling (as usual), and I should be more specific about our four days here. I don't think I can be. It's been a powerful time for all of us, and probably for each of us in different ways. It's been both exhausting (a few of the students have had typical bouts with minor illnesses; we've all done more walking in a few days, on the ghats, taking it in, than we've done in any other 4-day segment on this trip) and exhilarating (we've made new friends and renewed old friendships; seen weddings and funerals and all their attendant color and ceremony; discovered new tastes - and smells, not all of them pleasant; listened to morning ragas and blaring Hindi music) -- in short, sensory overload and a need to make sense of our own reactions have set it, just as these things always have here.

So I think all were happy (relieved?) to be heading off to Sarnath this morning, where the surrounding context is much calmer (site of Buddha's first sermon at Deer Park, as well as the setting for our next extended service project with our friend Dr. Jain), and the pace is a good deal slower. Ted and I will join them in Sarnath (just 20 km away) tomorrow; Shawn and Claire, along with Dr. Jain, are helping them settle in this afternoon. I look forward to my next report about how our time "up there" plays out; I know the college group, who has just returned from their time there, has been wildly enthusiastic about their service in the schools and their time with their homestay families.

And that will have to do for now - time for a meeting with our new Director of the Institute for Village Studies, Charlie, to compare notes, firm up plans for our remaining time here (I did realize this morning that at least for the high school group, we are today mathematically halfway through our trip. Still, one has to be careful about using mathematical/scientific calculation here, as time has a way of sometimes stretching, sometimes contracting beyond immediate comprehension in this part of the world).

The kids are all right. Really. They are doing well, and we are proud of them.

Blessings to all of you. May all beings be happy and may peace prevail on earth.

Peg