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Journey
through
Timeless
India
by
Nancy
Freeman Patchen
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CONTENTS
Volume
One: Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka
I. Traditions in South India
1.
Arrival in an Ancient Land: My
arrival in Madras (Chennai) and trip down the Coromandal Coast to
Pondicherry.
2. Living in Ganesha's
Shadow: I take up residence beside the Ganesha Temple in Pondy
and explore the lore of the temple reality.
3. Renewing Old Acquaintances:
I attend a lecture series with Swami Chinmayananda, which includes
insights into Vedanta, Hinduism, caste and swamis.
4. Sacred Mountain at the
Center of the Earth: I visit Arunachala,
the home of Ramana Maharshi, and learn of the traditions of this
sage and environs, including Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.
5. The Sage of Many Facets:
I gather information about Sri Aurobindo, his European disciple,
The Mother, included are insights into his favorite text, Savitri,
who defied Lord Death.
6. NataRaja: The Dancing
Deity: I journey to Chidambaram where I visit one of India's
most ornate and sacred temples.
7. Encounters with Tradition:
I take a pause to enjoy the garden city of Bangalore and discover
many interesting realities, including a reader of palm leaves.
8. Settling into my Rural
Home: My peaceful home in the country has realities I was not
expecting.
9. The Swami Says:
I learn about Nature Cure and the challenges of living in an ashram.
10. Dancing in the Mountains:
I escape from the heat to one of the hill stations in the Blue Mountains
where I find out about country folk, kings and tribals.
11. Spiritual Pursuits? As life
in the ashram degenerates, the time arrives for me to make some
personal assessments.
12. Life in the Garden City: The
joys of a literate life, including an understanding of the many
faces of the Hindu god Subramanya.
II.
Separate Realities
13.
Settling into Another Reality: I travel
to Hampi and find a Jain ashram for spiritual practices.
14. Exploring the Ruins of Past Glory:
I travel back in time as I stroll through the empty halls of temples
of the Vijayanagar empire.
15. An Ancient Kingdom: I encounter
several interesting locals, including the heir to the kingdom.
16. Material for a New Mindset:
The ashram has special celebrations for Guru Poornima.
17. The Peaceable Kingdom : I
travel to B.R. Hills where I find an idyllic setting with wonderful
forests and a wise sage, Swami Nirmalananda.
18. Clouds over Paradise: As the
cold winds of the monsoon storms set in, I have time for discussions
with the Swami on various phenomena such as the nagas and
agoras.
19. Contradictions and Inconsistencies:
A young Swami arrives at the ashram who gives me plenty of information
about the life of the Brahmans.
20. People of the Sacred Tree:
I investigate the lore of the local tribals.
21. So Many Stories:
I meet interesting people on my return to Bangalore who share their
hardships.
22. Touring
South Indian Temples: I survey the many temples
in south India, including Madurai.
23.
Exploring the Coromandal Coast:
I visit Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram, the Christian Cathedral at Vailankanni
and a temple that honors the planet, Saturn.
III.
Children of Light
24. Sages
of South India: I visit Vadalur, the home of Swami Ramalingam,
then arrive in Kumbakonam to search for the Punjabi sage, Ram Sadhu.
25. This Is the Life: I have conversations
with the Sadhu and explore the various areas around the ashram.
26.
Life of the River: The Kauveri River
has its own unique realities while supporting a multitude of people
and animals.
27. Gifts for the Heart: I enjoy
Christmas day in the tropics. My conversations with the Sadhu and
connection to nature continue.
28. The Sadhu: I continue to enjoy
ashram life. Sri Guruswami gives me some biographical on Ram Sadhu's
life from Panjab, Mesopotamia, and renunciation.
29. The Brahman and the Ramayana:
My discussions with Shiva RamaKrishna on the Ramayana, Emerson
and Gandhi.
30. Punya
Exhausted: I get a good lesson in the realities of ashram
life.
31. War and Peace: I enjoy the
holy atmosphere of Father Bede's "Forest of Peace" ashram
during the Gulf War.
32. Gifts from Bharat:
I reminisce over India, Life and my many experiences during
this past year.
Volume
Two: Andhra
Pradesh and Rajasthan
I.
Peaceful Retreats
33.
The Quest Continues: I continue on my
journey by traveling north to the central plains to Andhra Pradesh,
a state with a varied terrain and much history.
34. One Woman's Legacy: I visit a rural
ashram created by Swamini Sharadapriyananda and join in the
many spiritual, cultural and service activities.
35. Bountiful Nature: While continuing
to enjoy the sights, dilemmas and people of rural India, I visit
a bird sanctuary on India's largest lake.
36. Exploring the Past: I visit the
small town of Rajamundry on the banks of the sacred Godavari River.
There I encounter many unique phenomena, including a Rajasthani
prince.
37. The Forest Primeval: I travel north
to Maredumalli where I find a pristine forests with birds, animals,
and indigenous tribals.
38. The Longest Day: In order to explore
the Godavari, I finally take a launch up the river to Badrachalam,
a holy place for Lord Rama, but not for me.
39. Time Floats: A skin rash forces
me to fast, reminisce and remain silent in a retreat at Swami Omkar's
ashram, in the middle of cashew and mango orchards.
40. Garden of Trees Birds Stars: Tropical
birds and creatures—and a rat are my faithful companions in
this wonderful paradise.
II.
Andhra: Beach and Forests
41.
Kingdom by the Sea : I visit the hermitage
of Mataji Souris in Bimili Beach. My days are filled with the peace
of this saintly woman whose Guru was Ramana Maharshi.
42. The Sisters : I stay in a convent
with the Nirmala Sisters, a group of Christian nuns.
43. Unique Encounters : I travel to
Chintapalle, deeper in the mountains where I encounter a primeval
forest, wonderful people, and Indian politics and history.
44. Pondicherry
Tamaasha : I return to Pondy
to enjoy old friends and familiar places.
45. All Is Not Well in Paradise: A ten
day stay at the Puttaparti reveals more than one would care to know
about India's famous miracle man.
III.
Rajasthan: Desert and Mountains
46. Mt.
Abu: I visit Mt. Abu to escape the heat. Here
I find another of India's great saints, Vimala Thakkar.
47.
Land of Kings: To avoid heavy rains,
I travel over to Pushkar where I encounter a little paradise full
of temples, lakes, flowers and colorful people.
48. India's Switzerland : I visit a
feudal village in the heart of Rajasthan where I encounter many
new realities, including Jain Sadwis and a snake-bite curing
ceremony.
IV. Gandhi's Indian Legacy and other Realities
49.
Changing Times at Sevagram: I visit
Mahatma Gandhi's service ashram and meet several of his students.
50. Gandhi's Economic Strategy: I meet
Gandhi's daughter-in-law and other worker in his village plan.
51. A Second Look at Non-Violence: When
I am told that Gandhi considered himself a failure at non-violence,
I look into the historical reality.
52. A Unique Kind of Trip: I participate
in a unique meditation retreat.
53. An Expression of Love: I learn a
lot about many Indian realities while helping with meditation retreats.
54. The Final Curtain: I recount my
many experiences and enjoy a last encounter with India's bountiful
nature.
After
Thoughts: A farewell from the author
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