Traveling around The world

The guru sent me to visit the main temple of Shiva with a guide: Tejpal. Until a recent time, the temple was open only to Hindu-born Hindu. It has now been decided that know one has exclusive access to God and the temple is open to all.

The son of a man who built the Taj Mahjal went on a mission to convert India to Islam and one of its strategies was to break down large Hindu temples and built mosques in place, just like the Christians in Rome did with pagan temples.

Half of the Shiva temple is a mosque and a half remains virtually unused. The temple of Shiva is one of the oldest and most important in India and was recently threatened with bombing. I was tried 8 times and went 3-metal detector. I was constantly watched by groups of armed men. None out of control and somehow, like everything else in Varanasi, all worked together in a mad frenzy elegant movement, like cells that flow into a stream of blood.

I was struck awe into silence. My guide asked "Are you ok?." "Yes, I'm happy." He smiles, "You feel something special-santa. We all feel here."

My throat forces spontaneously and with emotion recognition of something subtle saint who is bleeding every step of 3000 years of stone that mother and children with reverence touch, because every inch of this place is holy ground. I shuffle along without shoes in the column of ants through the dirty water, the floor strewn with flowers and little deep dark tunnel congested ... Until finally I chose the place. I think it's a lingam. I do not know. I cannot see through the tears and the ancient well, and its content is covered with garlands and wreaths and garlands and yogurt and honey and water and I do not know what.

There is only a moment to kneel and touch the water as crowds of devotees clamor behind waiting to embrace the energy to the center, where the lord of change and renewal is highly likely to meet the demand of your heart.

I can barely remember the rest. When I got that red dot on my head? As I received my shoes and back camera? I know that we left them out for sure where we purchased, garlands and offerings and gifts to take to the guru as a token of our pilgrimage.

There were other temples, shops and rides in a rickshaw, to buy eggs, sugar bags with ants crawling around inside artful dodge the police as the guide loaded the auto rickshaw. And we laughed. And the guide shook my hand for a moment and smiled sympathetically.

That same day, a staff member at the ashram told me sad that she had noticed changes in Vanares over the past 10 years. She told me her concern that this incredible mystery on earth would slip away. He said that for the McDonald's opened and was so successful that they took in enough money in one week to open a second and have planned for more information. McDonalds Vanares? Which could be compared to? I cannot think.

Everywhere I look here, life is incomprehensibly complex and diversified. Beholder Beautiful see what you want to see: systems Badly broken, beautiful beggars brave, dark eyes god-wise madman, and God

At Seva Ashram is the thing. Respect is the path. Obedience is voluntary.

Talks for us the importance of Guru Seva. He explains that some people in Seva need to complete themselves, to fill a void inside. He explains that Sadana (spiritual practice is what fills us and when we are full and that there is an overflow when directed at others and occupations penalty is Seva.

"But," he says, "Anywhere is good to start."