Kriyaban

The journey on the "luxury Volvo" bus has been quite comfortable. The roads are in perfect condition and the journey has been direct, without stops. Here, the "luxury Volvo" is the high end, which would be a normal bus like those taken to go to the coast, only they are in better condition. Under these conditions, in Spain, we would think that ISIS is going to kidnap us. When I arrive at the bus station, prepare yourself again to be assaulted by rickshaws and to enter into the typical negotiation over the price. You never know how much they are pulling your leg, but at this point, I can confirm that they have indeed taken quite a bit. Fortunately, today I was informed of the following formula (to calculate the price of a rickshaw ride) that will make me free!!!!!

25 rupees (government taxes) + 10 rupees x Km

It deserves to be framed for the time and money it can save you!

I was curious to reach the Kriya Yoga ashram in Rishikesh for several reasons: on one hand, it is not from YSS and I wanted to know to what extent it is linked to the line of SRF and YSS gurus, and on the other hand, because the photos of the building are fantastic.

After a day here, I can attest that the building is very beautiful; it is a circular construction where all the rooms face a hallway that in turn wraps around the central chapel in the form of a vault, very spacious, comfortable and beautiful, with statues of the different gurus on the exterior perimeter.

Building of the Kriya Yoga ashram in Rishikesh

The daily donation, including three meals, is half that in Noida. It must be said that the food is not the same, but I am grateful for it.

Now that I have passed the phase of leaving my comfort zone, I have already noticed myself humming while unpacking and placing the toothbrush on the sink ledge, the master's photo on the desk, and the sleeping bag arranged to be occupied by a cheerful pilgrim.

At the reception, the master and the SRF gurus are present, as well as other gurus I do not know who appear together with them. I deduce that, since Lahiri and Yukteswar had multiple disciples, they come from there. Obviously, the meditations are nothing like; they start with an arati, do a hong-so, a yotimudra, nothing of Om, and I don't know the type of Kriya they do, but while I go about my business I hear them moving quite a bit.

At this point, I have already discovered that there are many ways to do Kriya Yoga and ours, that of Paramahansa Yogananda, is one of them. What strikes me the most is that when they finish the techniques they do not meditate, and if they do, it does not last more than 10 minutes. This is quite surprising for me; I vividly remember reading that paragraph from the master that said: “if after practicing any of the techniques you finish and get up, it's like after milking a cow you take the milk pail and throw it on the floor”. In my opinion, the final meditation is precisely what allows you to work the experience of communion with God after the preparation with the techniques, so there is something I am missing and need to find out. There are plenty of swamis here, so I have to pluck up the courage to ask, but at the same time be very prudent.

I can attest that the ashrams so far are austere and sober, but in them reigns cleanliness, order, calm, and good food.

I am convinced that most hotels do not meet these standards and are sure much more expensive. However, in a hotel it is not mandatory to attend the meditations or rituals, which here begin at 5:30 in the morning with an arati, and then continue with the meditation. I always stay alone in the room, and thanks to our exalted guru I am well trained in its practice.

I am quite surprised at how little interest I have in leaving the ashrams, I am doing zero tourism, but I think I understand why.

Having been in Nepal and Sri Lanka I am very familiar with the noise and chaos; let's say it doesn't catch me by surprise and moreover, here it is multiplied by three. The fact is that I am not at all motivated to exchange the placidity, tranquility, and order reigning in the ashrams for the adventure of going out to the street to become deaf or lame, depending on where the rickshaw hits you.

Today I have been in the conference room of the ashram attending a weekend course for teachers, where a swami from Kerala (looking impressively like Jesus Christ) has come to give an intensive about how to integrate spirituality in schools. My Indian-English was put to the test and I could attest that from the whole talk, I caught some "else" and some "if". For the rest, all were good intentions.

After a couple of days of withdrawal, I decide to jump into the ring and venture down to the Ganges to walk around the ashram neighborhood. Finally, I see myself walking on the famous bridge of Rishikesh that connects the two banks; so many times I had seen it on the internet and now walking on it by the grace of God.

In this area, I discover a place closed to heavy traffic and therefore very quiet; a long walk parallel to the river inhabited by sadhus offering spiritual guidance services, sacred cows walking at a leisurely pace, monkeys on the lookout, and ashrams of all kinds. An area that has nothing to do with the place where I am staying, with noise and no charm. Only the ashram of Kriya Yoga is really formidable. Well, in fact, what is formidable is the meditation chapel it has and the good vibes it hosts, as well as the group of swamis that circulate here and with whom you can always talk if you need and who also lead the meditation sessions.

Here, in this beautiful area, I discover a place that I love: a small, local shop where they make natural juices and that has a little terrace overlooking the Ganges, where you can sit on the floor and if you're lucky be alone and take the opportunity to meditate; it's priceless.

Little juice shop and terrace

Three consecutive days of rain force me to stay in cafes near the ashram. As the area is full of Western tourists, these places have the typical look of a Starbucks, so I spend the hours doing many things sitting with wifi and a always warm cappuccino to my right.

I think I might have been Indian in other lives; I discover that I sit at the table like them (with one hand to take the cutlery and the other hand on the calves). When I hear them talk, I feel that I understand them because it sounds like Spanish to me, this is very curious and I do not quite get used to it. Plus, like me, they have a "jungle" of dark black hair, except that I decided to cut my hair to zero because it's more comfortable, you know, I'm practical.

Regarding the meditations, I can tell that in Noida I became quite aware of the importance of the OM technique as a tool to tune in with God through "the word".

Although the master tells us that self-realization is to become aware of our unity with God, the OM technique is an exercise to train just that, therefore it is of vital importance its practice to increase the tuning with God and extract from it all the divine that our ignorance has snatched from us.

In Rishikesh, in just four days two very interesting things have happened: on the one hand, my effort to do the Kriyas seeking perfection has reached new limits that had never occurred before, and more after the conversation I had with one of the gurus of the ashram. In general, the ability to stay focused is also greater and I think it's due to the energy that inhabits the ashrams. I am also meditating before eating for a little while. In summary, it's as if I were on a silence retreat but with the cage door open and with access to fruit juices on the bank of the Ganges.

I would like to comment on something very significant about being here, in India, and that is that I think one can consider oneself integrated in the environment and even in the country when one day suddenly you discover that your armpit smells like curry; it was not enough to notice that your toothbrush started to turn slightly yellow, but now, in addition, you can dip bread under your armpit.

While I happily walk downhill to meet the second bridge that crosses the Ganges on the opposite bank, I discover a little shop with croissants in the window that are to die for. Obviously, that croissant was going to contribute to complete my excitement about crossing again “to the other side of the Ganges”; almost floating downhill, you know, dodging all kinds of motor vehicles and of course dodging cows, slow cows.

Because cows only know two types of movement: the “Rumba” type movement (uniform rectilinear motion with change of direction by collision) and the MIATYQCH type movement, “I am interested in something from you and I want to lick it”.

I leave behind a group of them, while I'm about to levitate upon discovering that my croissant is filled with Nutella. At that moment, something hits me from behind and when I turn around I only manage to dodge a pink tongue that arching manages to reach part of my croissant and, of course, completely disable it… what the fuck is this!!!!!

What can you do in front of someone who sits at the table without even introducing themselves and steals your most prized bite? And do not even think about slapping a cow in India, because even the monkeys come out to fine you. Anyway, with good humor I decide to share in the middle of the street what remains of my croissant and enjoy the face of ecstasy that “the little cow” puts on while it spills a bucket of saliva product of the elusive Nutella. This is India… Yeah…

In Rishikesh and in winter, while walking you can't help it, but when you come across someone like you, you look for a look of complicity, that look of: “hey dude I'm also around here, how cool is this, huh?”. Luckily, at the ashram, two days later I met a German woman about 65 years old who speaks Latin Spanish. Yes, I know, it sounds weird, very weird... her “boludo” does not sound “boludo”... but: “boludoRrrr”, but that does not diminish in the least how charming she is, and even more knowing that she is Libra: she has already stolen all my attention.

Well, the fact is that with her I always talk in Spanish and therefore I do not have so much the feeling that I am the last Spaniard inhabiting the planet. She came to Rishikesh because it seems that just as Turkey is famous for hair implants, Rishikesh is famous for all things dental, so she came here to get 6 of the most expensive implants all for less than 1000€, it seems amazing and she decided to stay in an ashram while they do the whole operation, in a Kriya Yoga ashram without having any idea who Babaji is. I don't know what she must think every time she crosses his image in the hallways, but the fact is she comes to the meditations and even after a talk with her about Yogananda she decided to buy the autobiography in English for 140 rupees, something like 2 euros. One day I will write a post about the prices and the food here, it's something that has no waste.

Just when I lack a day to leave for Delhi with the intention of taking a flight to Benares, I meet Carlos in the hall of the ashram, a guy from the Canary Islands who comes to spend a month. We start chatting and finally end up spending the afternoon walking by the Ganges, but without holding hands. The guy has a deep knowledge about religion, spirituality, and yoga, which allows him to have a very rich and convincing discourse on any of the three subjects; it's a pleasure to listen to him, he would be like a first division priest, you know.

Like holy water, Carlos appeared just a day after I had been asking God and the guru about how to love them more and in a deeper and more sincere way, and I say like holy water because without asking, in the middle of one of our conversations, Carlos asked me to read a paragraph from a book he was carrying that contained the exact answer to the question that just two days before I had posed to the higher authorities...

My meditation cushions just below our beloved guru, Sri Yukteswar

...as Van Gaal used to say in his press conferences, “no need to say anything more”...

By the way, never ever walk around Rishikesh with fruit in sight or in a bag, because you will have to deal with the monkeys. Here, as I had never seen elsewhere, they approach you and literally take it even if it means struggling with you if necessary.

Considering that you do not have to spend time cooking, buying food, working, etc... the day gives you a lot of time and is a good opportunity to meditate more than usual and even go out for a walk chanting mantras and observing your mind from tranquility and with fewer distractions, which is a most fruitful exercise.

Another very important aspect that I am beginning to become aware of is related to giving God his time to organize things for you; for those who always like to have things at the moment, this aspect is of vital importance.

I am debating about which butt cleaning system to implement once I get home, because what is clear, is that cleaning yourself with water is simply great! Here in India for now, I have seen two solutions implemented; one based on “I hold the hose and clean while waving” and the other “I turn on the tap, move the buttocks and wave with the hand”, both with their pros and cons but equally effective. I will wait to go down south to make a decision in this regard, as I trust that the systems will improve in imagination as I go down to warmer regions; it is known that in warmer regions people sharpen their wits more...

As a result of the great experience I had in Noida attending special meditations, I requested new dates in the ashram of Sadh Guru that would allow me to be in the ashram of Yogananda for the celebrations of his mahasamadhi and that of Yukteswar. This could mean that they deny me the stay in the ashram of Sadh Guru but I risked it prioritizing the ashram of Yogananda. Finally, they have confirmed the changes I requested and I will be able to do everything as I wanted; I am super happy. I also got a bit of work that I will do calmly, which is great because expenses in Barcelona are not on vacation...

Useful Information

Transport:

Bus journey from Delhi to Rishikesh. The recommended buses are known as “luxury Volvos”. The ticket can be purchased online or in some cases on the bus itself. I recommend that you please ask a devotee to buy it for you and then you pay them back later. Departure point in Delhi is the “Kashmiri Gate”. Approximate cost: 700 rupees. Rickshaw from the bus terminal in Rishikesh to the ashram: 100 rupees.

Alternative accommodations in Rishikesh:

Hotel Nirvana Palace

Vashista Guest House
Phone +91 89792 00363

Green View by One Hotels
Phone: 0135-2434948, Email: gmrishikesh1@onehotels.in

Kriya Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh:

Contact and reservations: kriyayoga.rishikesh1@gmail.com

Web: http://www.kriyayoga-shankarananda.com/

Recommended donation: 700 rupees/day, 3 meals included.

Places to visit:

In Haridwar: Ashram of Swami Keshabananda, direct disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya. There part of the ashes of Lahiri Mahasaya are found. Temple of Anandamayi Ma, where her body is located.

In the ashram neighborhood in Rishikesh near the back you can find a nice café, laundry, and a place to exchange money with an exchange rate so good that I am still trying to understand how much they earn with the service. In the same street, there are two supermarkets with all kinds of products and an Airtel booth for mobile recharges.

In the ashram neighborhood parallel to the Ganges on the opposite bank: a very cool shop for juices, “The Office” and a highly recommended restaurant, “The Little Buddha.”

Important:

If you haven't read the Considerations section yet, don't forget to do so. In this section, you will find very valuable information that can save you many headaches. In particular, there are details related to credit cards and mobile phone use that are essential.