Mori and Swami Abhishik

All day long I walk with flipflops. The nature is soooo beautiful. The river is clearly coming with its turquoise colour from the glaciers. Along the river beaches white and glittery sand and big stones, washed in the monsoon,  when the water level is so much higher. Green vegetation of all kind the mountains up. Tiny little villages every some 5 to 7 km. Just paradise.
And again. Coming from this paradise into a village like Mori. It’s just shocking again. In this village I can feel hardly a glimse of paradise. Nearly not imagable, that it is so close. It’s just surprising again and again. Just the second day staying here, I saw one restaurant, cafe by chance, which offers a tiny cute terrasse to the river side.
Again I end up in a temple, build by Swami Abhishek Giri. He is just 27 years old, rasta hair down to his knees with a superbig smile in his face to recieve me. He is a man with space inside, that I can feel. He has another guest, a man from the Uttarkhand government, helping with the local elections, happening these days. I look around. Swamis bed stand by a big fire place, where he does the rituals in the morning. In one corner I see a very grey mat, rolled together. Will that be my bed foundation? Again a dirty bed? Yes, it comes like that. My mat. On top I get another blanket, also smelling. On top of that a non smelling thin but warm blanket. And a bigger blanket to cover myself, again not smelling. I refuse to eat at night. Instead I feel comfy to just meditate at 8pm, sleep at 9pm. Television is running loud, Swami smokes Bidis and whatever…. I have ear plugs and a shawl to cover my eyes.
I sleep good, meditate early, and then, still during meditation he starts the Agni fire ritual. The whole room is in smoke. Eyes and nose is running and it takes hours, until they stop again.
Laundry – I do, but does it make sence to wash here? The next smoke attack will ruin all the washing effort. I pack the freshly washed clothes in a bag deep down in my backpack.
Swami Abhishek did build all the temple since he came here, when he was 20. His hair grows since then. The temple lays directly at the river side. Can’t be fit in better.
I flee from the smoke to one of the beaches which I saw the day before. Two times I fall to sleep. Relaxing time.
At the evening I decide, to leave the room before the next fire ritual in the early morning to continue my way. Whatever time that may be.

But it comes different. The fire ritual is very small this day. And the idea arises to write the blog. I stay.
During my writing he always interrupts me and tries a conversation, which turned out very interesting. Despite some communication proplems I understand, that he is able to stop all the work of his sences incl his breath and pulse, as discriped by the wise, which is the state of Nirvana to which all the yogis and seekers are aiming to. A state, where mind and body stops working. This state is a enlightment sign. Some years ago some doctors examined him while doing his praxis and proved it surprisingly right, checking pulse and breath which stopped for 5 or so minutes. Then after everything started to work again. Also in Vipassana the Buddha has discriped Nirvana as such, where all sences stop to work as the evidence of reaching the state of Nirvana.

I continue writing the blog. A afternoon break to catch some sun warms brings me an invitation to his home village more up in the mountains, just 7 km away from here. A friend of him will cook for lunch. I except.

Walking with Swami through Mori before heading of to his home village people pay respect to him. Lots of stops in different shops, an invitation for chai here and there… Lots of conversation. Car ride which follows has a lot of stops, too. The village lays further up in the mountains – and sure, a stop at the temple is on the way. Lunch is just so delicious. Potatoes with butter, vegetables and brown rice. The people here grow only brown rice and I learn, that it’s actually a extra sort.

On the way back we walk all way downwards through the forest. Earlier this day I saw a sign ‚Clean India‘. Because Abhishek said earlier, there is no help in this area from the government, I just wanted to check in there to connect him with a maybe clean up group. Finally we ended up in a official office and we discussed the issue. Seems, that people in Mori are not so much interested to improve there situation. An public toilet can’t be build because of not finding the right property. But there is a group further up in the valley, which collects already trash and the officials are on the way to buy a vehicle to transport trash and recyclable material towards recycle fabrics…. let’s hope… anyway, there is only one solution… to go for it!!!

Since 3 days no internet, so also from Annelie no further information where Uma is to find.