Travelling through India for three months ॐ

[Davino]

On 7/10/2023 at 9:15 PM, Breakingthewall said:

I once went to Senegal alone on a old motorbike from Spain, in this case it seemed better, given the hardness of the trip, since I went with very little money and slept the entire trip in a bag in the field and when I got there I made friends with a guy who invited me to his house for a few weeks, and in exange I invited him to party some nights

Lol, my respects

1 hour ago, Breakingthewall said:

I got a small sailboat and went to several countries, that was really leaving the comfort zone and enter the hell zone.

So that explains your profile picture. This was an absurd but interesting insight ahhahaha

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Davino

[Breakingthewall]

2 hours ago, Davino said:

Lol, my respects

So that explains your profile picture. This was an absurd but interesting insight ahhahaha

 

?Yes, but I'm not sure of continue on those things. I don't know to what extent the motivations were egoic or for the beauty of the experience. Maybe it is more beautiful to do nothing. we will see. The gods will decide I guess 

but the profile photo is from the cover of a Jack Vance book, science fiction series b, I love him as if he were a relative that I love and because it shows that I'm going in one direction

Edited October 8, 2023 by Breakingthewall

[An young being]

9 hours ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

Hehe... yeah, his real name was Richard Alpert; he was a young psychology professor at Harvard in the early sixties but was famously fired (together with his good buddy and later LSD pope Timothy Leary) after performing psychedelic experiments with his students. And after a couple of years, he went on a first trip to India where he met his guru Neem Karoli Baba and became a kind of embassador for Indian spirituality in the US. I love the guy... you can listen to his talks on Youtube. I often put them on in the evening when I go to sleep!

Sounds like an interesting guy!

 

[An young being]

9 hours ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

 And he is thinking about sailing all the way from Europe to America in a couple of years, in his little nutshell. What a crazy motherf@%#er, lol!

 

There is a guy here who travels the whole world simply by hitchhiking and has buddies from all around the world. He travelled around 50000 kms that way!

[Guest Bazooka Jesus]

4 hours ago, An young being said:

There is a guy here who travels the whole world simply by hitchhiking and has buddies from all around the world. He travelled around 50000 kms that way!

Yeah, there's lots of crazy adventurers out there.

A couple of years ago I heard a guy give a public lecture about his trip from Munich (Germany) to Tibet... by foot, and without a single cent in his pocket. As wild and crazy as it sounds, that was one hell of an inspiring talk.

[Ajay0]

Too much is made of India's poverty over here.

As per Forbes, India was the richest nation in the world in the 16th century and became one of the poorest nations on earth under incompetent British administration, till they left.

The Indian ocean is the only ocean on earth named after a nation, due to the heavy commercial traffic and shipping that took place in the Indian ocean by the countries of the world seeking to trade with India. The north and southern american continents were discovered by Colombus and others seeking an alternative trade route to India.

At present India is the fastest growing economy on earth, minting billionaires and millionaires (in dollar terms), with each passing day.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/india-to-be-fastest-growing-economy-for-next-three-years-sp-global-ratings/articleshow/101276724.cms?from=mdr

It has also replaced the UK as the fifth largest economy on earth at the moment.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/india-uk-fifth-largest-economy-world

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Ajay0

[An young being]

2 minutes ago, Ajay0 said:

Too much is made of India's poverty over here.

I appreciate your nationalism, its true that India before the British era was very rich, and there is misconception that India is same as it was 50 years ago, but it's undeniable that there is extreme inequality in growth in the near past, the rich gets richer by 10 times, whereas the poor gets less poor by 2-3 times. This being a Spiritual forum, I believed it is necessary to point out the reality here, especially what is happening right now.

[Ajay0]

 

18 minutes ago, An young being said:

I appreciate your nationalism, its true that India before the British era was very rich, and there is misconception that India is same as it was 50 years ago, but it's undeniable that there is extreme inequality in growth in the near past, the rich gets richer by 10 times, whereas the poor gets less poor by 2-3 times. This being a Spiritual forum, I believed it is necessary to point out the reality here, especially what is happening right now.

 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/415-million-people-exited-poverty-in-india-in-15-years-un-report/articleshow/101678289.cms?from=mdr

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-registers-remarkable-reduction-in-poverty-415-million-people-out-of-poverty-level-in-just-15-years-un-11689055801549.html

A total of 415 million people moved out of poverty in India within just 15 years from 2005/2006 to 2019/2021, the UN said on Tuesday. With this data, the UN highlights the remarkable achievement by the world's most populous nation.

There are many cases of young entrepreneurs of poverty stricken families striking it rich as well through entrepreneurship, so it is not just the rich getting richer. 

https://yourstory.com/2023/05/rags-to-riches-inspiring-tales-of-indian-entrepreneurs

https://www.theceo.in/success-stories/rags-to-riches-stories-of-indian-entrepreneurs

 

[An young being]

26 minutes ago, Ajay0 said:

 

 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/415-million-people-exited-poverty-in-india-in-15-years-un-report/articleshow/101678289.cms?from=mdr

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-registers-remarkable-reduction-in-poverty-415-million-people-out-of-poverty-level-in-just-15-years-un-11689055801549.html

A total of 415 million people moved out of poverty in India within just 15 years from 2005/2006 to 2019/2021, the UN said on Tuesday. With this data, the UN highlights the remarkable achievement by the world's most populous nation.

There are many cases of young entrepreneurs of poverty stricken families striking it rich as well through entrepreneurship, so it is not just the rich getting richer. 

https://yourstory.com/2023/05/rags-to-riches-inspiring-tales-of-indian-entrepreneurs

https://www.theceo.in/success-stories/rags-to-riches-stories-of-indian-entrepreneurs

 

Okay

[caspex]

If you are hoping for a spiritual encounter or adventure then I believe you must increase the number of visits to spiritual places in India, which are mostly Hindu Religious sites. The spiritual people here, the most accomplished ones are also usually religious. You won't really find anyone like Leo here who are advanced in spirituality but not so religious. I think you'll only be able to contact truly spiritually advanced people through talking to people and actually going searching for them. Most Indians have never seen such people and are only heard about through connections. If you want a spiritual adventure you'll have to make your whole trip about that. Your average aghori out on the streets might not be as advanced you expect him to be, but he might know gurus who certainly are. If you want to witness more occultish stuff where people with siddhis might gather you should search up Tantric temples and such. There are a bunch of places where a lot of Tantrics gather to worship certain deities, but tourists usually don't care to visit. But it's also very easy to get something done to yourself through "Black Magic". It's dangerous digging around this stuff but this is one of the way how you'll have a spiritual adventure. You can also sniff out places famous for yogis and tapasvis(intense meditators). Certain forests are packed with tapasvis especially in the north. IMHO visit places like slums or popular tourist attractions, or even the modern parts of India is a waste of time unless it's for the expansion of personal sense of culture. I can't really recommend you places but it's possible to look for them online, and then going further from there by asking locals.

Being an Indian I think most places in India are overhyped while the real gems are left unseen. But I am used to this place so I am biased.

Edited October 9, 2023 by Swarnim

[Guest Bazooka Jesus]

@Swarnim Right, thanks for the advice.

Btw, since you mentioned the Aghori... how are they regarded in today's Indian society? They honestly sound like a pretty wild sect on paper and it seems like their practices and philosophy run more or less contrary to classic Hinduism, but on the other hand they seem to be a century-old established part of the religious landscape of (certain parts of) India. So I am wondering, what does your average Indian citizen think about them?

 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Bazooka Jesus

[caspex]

13 minutes ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

@Swarnim Right, thanks for the advice.

Btw, since you mentioned the Aghori... how are they regarded in Indian society? They honestly sound like a pretty wild sect on paper and it seems like their practices and philosophiy runs more or less contrary to classic Hinduism, but on the other hand they seem to be a century-old established part of the religious landscape of (certain parts of) India. So I am wondering, what does your average Indian citizen think about them?

Demonized but respected. Most view them as something scary but also show respect for the dedication they show towards spirituality. Although the more widespread reason for showing them respect is a fear of getting cursed by an Aghori, which I don't think is really justified. Facts like how Aghoris eating out of skulls, meditate on dead bodies for certain rituals and other taboo things are widespread because of there shocking nature. The depth and meaning of their practice remains widely unknown to the masses. People avoid them, but do not hate them. Many in Varanasi stay cautious when burning their dead, fearing that the body of their loved one might be stolen by an Aghori or Tantric for malicious use of either their body or their soul. Aside from the shocking nature of their practices, they are widely unknown to the masses. Most stories relating to Aghoris are told as a source of horror entertainment. Personally, I don't think Aghoris are something to be scared of, you can go talk to one sitting on the banks of Ganges if you want. Even though their appearance is so outrageously taboo, it still won't show through a simple conversation how many limits of human emotions and experiences they have transcended. A lot of their practices are also done at night. We don't really view them as contrary to Hinduism but a wild part of it.

I would speculate that for the locals of Benaras, there is much less demonization and more acceptance for them than the rest of India. I have only told you the view most other Indians hold.

Edited October 9, 2023 by Swarnim

[An young being]

1 hour ago, Swarnim said:

If you are hoping for a spiritual encounter or adventure then I believe you must increase the number of visits to spiritual places in India, which are mostly Hindu Religious sites. The spiritual people here, the most accomplished ones are also usually religious. You won't really find anyone like Leo here who are advanced in spirituality but not so religious. I think you'll only be able to contact truly spiritually advanced people through talking to people and actually going searching for them. Most Indians have never seen such people and are only heard about through connections. If you want a spiritual adventure you'll have to make your whole trip about that. Your average aghori out on the streets might not be as advanced you expect him to be, but he might know gurus who certainly are. If you want to witness more occultish stuff where people with siddhis might gather you should search up Tantric temples and such. There are a bunch of places where a lot of Tantrics gather to worship certain deities, but tourists usually don't care to visit. But it's also very easy to get something done to yourself through "Black Magic". It's dangerous digging around this stuff but this is one of the way how you'll have a spiritual adventure. You can also sniff out places famous for yogis and tapasvis(intense meditators). Certain forests are packed with tapasvis especially in the north. IMHO visit places like slums or popular tourist attractions, or even the modern parts of India is a waste of time unless it's for the expansion of personal sense of culture. I can't really recommend you places but it's possible to look for them online, and then going further from there by asking locals.

Being an Indian I think most places in India are overhyped while the real gems are left unseen. But I am used to this place so I am biased.

Sounds like a very good advice for those with spiritual curiosity! But don't forget to enjoy other experiences as well. Three months is really a good duration to have a taste of everything.

[An young being]

1 minute ago, Swarnim said:

Many in Varanasi stay cautious when burning their dead, fearing that the body of their loved one might be stolen by an Aghori or Tantric for malicious use of either their body or their soul. 

Many people have biased opinion that it is a malicious act because of their beliefs, but I believe it's their way to simply prove the body has no value when it is dead.

[An young being]

9 minutes ago, Swarnim said:

. A lot of their practices are also done at night. We don't really view them as contrary to Hinduism but a wild part of it..

I secretly think he has started planning to visit them at night after reading this. He he!

[caspex]

8 minutes ago, An young being said:

Many people have biased opinion that it is a malicious act because of their beliefs, but I believe it's their way to simply prove the body has no value when it is dead.

@An young being  In reality there are various rituals for certain tantric deities that require you to use a dead body. I forgot which one was it, but one of the Mahvidyas is worshiped this way for major spiritual progress. The Aghoris don't really mean anything bad by it actually but they could indeed use it for such rituals. The dead body does indeed have value in this regard. What I have heard is that a lot do things such as living in cremation grounds, eating out of the same skull as a bowl everyday, only wearing clothes taken from the dead, smearing yourself in ashes of the dead, because it's part of a sadhana for a deity. For this, Aghoris really aren't malicious and are actually misunderstood. They don't really care about worldly things or causing harm.

Edited October 9, 2023 by Swarnim

[An young being]

19 minutes ago, Swarnim said:

@An young being  In reality there are various rituals for certain tantric deities that require you to use a dead body. I forgot which one was it, but one of the Mahvidyas is worshiped this way for major spiritual progress. The Aghoris don't really mean anything bad by it actually but they could indeed use it for such rituals. The dead body does indeed have value in this regard. What I have heard is that a lot do things such as living in cremation grounds, eating out of the same skull as a bowl everyday, only wearing clothes taken from the dead, smearing yourself in ashes of the dead, because it's part of a sadhana for a deity. For this, Aghoris really aren't malicious and are actually misunderstood. They don't really care about worldly things or causing harm.

Hmm. I must confess that I have very limited knowledge about them, being a South Indian.

[Guest Bazooka Jesus]

21 hours ago, Swarnim said:

Demonized but respected. Most view them as something scary but also show respect for the dedication they show towards spirituality. Although the more widespread reason for showing them respect is a fear of getting cursed by an Aghori, which I don't think is really justified. Facts like how Aghoris eating out of skulls, meditate on dead bodies for certain rituals and other taboo things are widespread because of there shocking nature. The depth and meaning of their practice remains widely unknown to the masses. People avoid them, but do not hate them. Many in Varanasi stay cautious when burning their dead, fearing that the body of their loved one might be stolen by an Aghori or Tantric for malicious use of either their body or their soul. Aside from the shocking nature of their practices, they are widely unknown to the masses. Most stories relating to Aghoris are told as a source of horror entertainment. Personally, I don't think Aghoris are something to be scared of, you can go talk to one sitting on the banks of Ganges if you want. Even though their appearance is so outrageously taboo, it still won't show through a simple conversation how many limits of human emotions and experiences they have transcended. A lot of their practices are also done at night. We don't really view them as contrary to Hinduism but a wild part of it.

I would speculate that for the locals of Benaras, there is much less demonization and more acceptance for them than the rest of India. I have only told you the view most other Indians hold.

I see. Thanks for the clarifications!

What I really like about the Aghori philosophy (as I understand it) is their radical acceptance of everything and their willingness to recognize the divine even in its most reprehensible and 'blasphemous' manifestations. It is a fascinating approach to spirituality for sure... I'd love to get in touch with one of them and see for myself what they are like.

There is a Youtuber by the name of Dakota Of Earth who spent some time with the Aghori during one of his India journeys and released a couple of interesting videos about his encounters, like this one right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjiEB9DedTc&t=99s

Fascinating stuff!

[Guest Bazooka Jesus]

What a funny synchronicity... yesterday, this popped up in my feed:

@An young being

As a Tamil guy, do you know about palm leaf reading?

[Holymoly]

if your familiar with ram dass  

Kainchi Dham - Neem Karoli Baba Ashram.