Our first classroom lecture was on ‘ashram life’. Most of us had been here before, but it was interesting to actually hear about the history and purpose of these places. For many, ashrams are a way to escape the stresses of life. For others, we mainly take advantage of opportune moments to learn more yoga. Some come to the ashram to drop the roles they play on the outside. Everyone here is equal regardless of race, religion, economic, marital, family, or social status.
Normally, our awareness is externalized by stimuli of the senses such as food, drink, music, entertainment, & TV. These stimuli fulfill our desires, making us happy for a while… until the desires return. The main purpose of an ashram is to internalize awareness, giving people a chance to know themselves better and perhaps gain a glimpse into the divine nature that lies within us all. The luxury-less simplicity of ashram life urges its community to learn methods of controlling (rather than suppressing) desires, which are often the causes of stress. Through yogic practices (asanas, breathing, meditation, chanting mantras, & karma yoga), one can strengthen the mind. These practices help remove expectations and judgments that cause unhappiness, while potentially dissolving the ego after time. As for the nitty-gritty… I’ve only been to this one ashram, I’m sure there are broad ranges of differences with regards to luxury, simplicity, and privacy depending on location and price.
This ashram life is charming simplicity. For our month here, we are four girls to a room, sharing a modest bathroom that’s just outside. There’s a window by each bed, but no screen. Because of the abundance of bugs (ants, crickets, beetles, centipedes, among others unrecognizable) we close them in the evening. That didn’t stop the 4-inch, speedy centipede from finding its way into my roommate’s pants in the middle of the night. Laugh out loud- she wasn’t bitten. I have a ‘bug cup’ that we use nightly for the harmless evacuation of critters. Each bed has a mosquito net, but I don’t use mine- no problems so far.
There’s a ceiling fan that sometimes sounds like a helicopter when it’s on high speed. It’s not terribly hot, so it’s no big deal when the electricity goes out- which is multiple times per day and the majority of the night. (There’s a generator for the kitchen). After hearing a story of a snake being found in a toilet, I give 1000 thanks to my dad for the flashlight. With a light, midnight pees aren’t feared, and if the electricity is out… I can look up on the way out- to see so many unbelievable, dizzying layers of more stars than you could imagine.
Hot water for showers is available, but our tank is out of gas. We haven’t had trouble going without. Hand washing clothes is nice, but drying was a challenge during the first two weeks because of the almost daily bouts of rain (unusually late for this time of year). We have Internet access when we go to town (two days for my class). A few people have mobile phones but, for the rest of us, a phone call entails tracking down the guy with the phone at an hour that’s decent for whoever we’ll be calling. It’s nice not having a phone. There’s a small shop in which we can purchase books, basic hygienic necessities, and limited food (dried fruits, honey, rose jam, nuts, and delicious homemade sweets made with sugar, chickpea powder and ghee).
5:00 comes early for most, but I love it. We get a hot drink first thing in the morning. Nothing like un-caffeinated herbal tea, enjoyed in silence, to get your day going. Another joy is karma yoga. For two hours almost every day, we’re required to perform the act of “selfless service with no reward”. It’s actually nice. I might have to sweep & mop, clean the common toilets, or pull weeds. If I’m lucky, I get kitchen duty which involves chopping veggies, prepping herbs, or sifting through rice to remove stones and such. If I’m really lucky, I get to read essays written by former students. We’re also planning to give English lessons to one of the Indian volunteers here soon.
A month at this place is a trip. So many people in the neighborhood: a priest from Belgium, a yoga & tai-chi instructor from Thailand, a retail gal from Ukraine, a server from Portugal, a dancer from Colorado who installs eco-friendly counter tops, a grad student who sings & plays harmonium in a kirtan (Hindu devotionals) band, and an Egyptian with dreams of designing a line of sportswear for women.
Some mornings my legs feel too heavy to carry up the stairs. Some days I walk everywhere barefoot. Sometimes the food is the best I’ve ever tasted, sometimes I wish those carrots were raw. Sometimes I like hearing about it, whatever it is. Sometimes they talk too much and I really enjoy the silence. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been awesome. Life is good.
