Blog Full - Maurice Leavitt | Personal Essays, Travel Writing & Reflections

14 Oct 2018

Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple aka The Golden Temple

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Love, Personal Growth, Spiritual | 1

I couldn’t get to this piece of writing before I left due to time constraints and wanted to write about it before I wrote about my vipassana experience…

What I did on my last day in Varanasi was talked about as being something I should be doing as one of the first things (sorry Matthew :-). I did not hire a guide and relied on my mobile phone and the generosity of gathering information from others with various degrees of success. It is definitely a story worth telling.

The story of Kashi Vishwanath Temple or the Golden temple goes back centuries in the Hindu faith. It is one of the most famous temples in India dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities of the Hindu Shaivism tradition (in addition to Vishnu and Brahma. Shiva is known as “the destroyer and the transformer” who creates, protects and transforms the universe. His counterpart Shakti, the goddess, is said to be the energy and the creative power behind of each. I don’t want to digress too much and get into the stories of all the gods/goddesses that the Hindus worship because there are LOTS of them and I do love the stories.

During previous excursions into the streets of Varanasi I noticed there are hundreds if not thousands of people lined up in the streets, not just one line but several lines. Most of the people carried flowers, milk, coconut, sandalwood and other things in their hands waiting for hours to get into somewhere. I knew they were devotional objects being offered to one of the gods/goddesses at one of the temples but I wasn’t sure which one. It was time to find out.

Come to find out it was the Golden Temple which was now run by the government after terrorist attempts in the past. The temple has been destroyed many times over and over based on the country being taken over by different religions/politics and this iteration of the temple has been there for over 200 years. The current temple was built in 1776 by Ahalya Bai of Indore; the 800kg of gold plating on the tower and dome was supplied by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore 50 years later.

There are several gates to enter into and only one of them will allow tourists with passports bypassing all the other lines with so many people waiting for hours to get in. You cannot bring anything in with you and are patted down upon entry to be sure nothing is in your pockets. It took a while to find the appropriate gate after being misdirected a couple times and finding a locker to put our stuff into. Persistence pays off.

Once in, it all hit me like a ton of bricks. Devotion. BIG devotion. Thousands of people every day making their way to this temple to offer gifts to Shiva and the Shiva Lingam. One by one, all day long people come to say their prayers and offer homage to this god. There is a place online where you can view the live darshan. The gate I had entered was not the one where the thousands of people come to give their offerings and yet I had a chance to sit in the temple and watch. I was overwhelmed with the vibrations in the place. For centuries people have been coming to this temple here in Varanasi and pray and be devoted to Shiva and I can feel it. SO I sat there inside the temple for about an hour until my emotions subsided so I could see the other temples in the same police secured area.

Do you find it a little strange? People worshiping a rock that represents a deity? I can really appreciate the devotion that is demonstrated. Something I ponder is in regard to faith. Having faith in something is a good thing. When does faith become blind? Are we having faith out of a craving for a wish to be fulfilled or our own fear which is not from our own wisdom and not something experienced for oneself?

Now it’s off to a 10-day vipassana meditation course… 10 days of noble silence…

1 Oct 2018

Holy Cow! The Cow is Sacred?

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Cooking Advice, Personal Growth, Sabbatical | 0

Rohit (the dairy farmer) was talking to me about the cows he raises and the cows that are in the streets in India. This man has a passion for what he does and is very progressive in his practices, even in the USA!

Millions of Hindus revere and worship cows. Hinduism is a religion that raises the status of Mother to the level of Goddess. Therefore, the cow is considered a sacred animal, as it provides us life sustaining milk. The cow is seen as a maternal figure, a care taker of her people. The cow is a symbol of the divine bounty of earth.

The streets here in Varanasi are filled with cows and bulls. The do not move very much and when they do they are very sluggish. Is that a normal way of being for an animal? Not really? For the untrained eye the behavior of these animals in the streets seem pretty normal. For the trained person (Rohit) it is another story.

When something happens to a cow, like a health issue or they stop producing milk, it is illegal to slaughter them. Most Hindu’s do not eat meat because of the history of the sacredness of the animal. So they let them go into the streets where they eat all kinds of things they should not be eating… plastics. These plastics wind up in their stomachs and are indigestible and accumulate over time unable to be eliminated from the animal. Eventually the animal will die without surgery and post-surgical treatment.

If the cow is such a sacred animal, then why do the Indian people allow things like this to happen? It’s a good question to ponder. It’s a similar question about the treatment of agricultural farm animals in the USA. If animals aren’t happy being tied up or kept in pens, then why do we do it? For our own personal gain?

We have lost our values around the ethical treatment of animals in farming and agriculture. All you have to do is google “smithfield pork drone video” or “ethical treatment of dairy cows”. I realize there are farmers like Rohit that have a passion for the animals, plants and the earth. Seeing Rohit love his cows has been an eye opener for me to stop eating meat altogether based on these values/ethics that our culture seems not to adhere to.

Isn’t it time to do something more about this issue on a bigger scale?

1 Oct 2018

Dinner at the Dairy Farm

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Cooking Advice, Personal Growth, Relationship | 0

Last night was a special night. I was invited to Reeta’s sons (Rohit) home for dinner last night. Rohit runs a dairy farm a few doors down and I was interested in how things were run knowing they would be very different from the USA, just not sure how different they were going to be. After getting a tour and lessons about the treatment of the cows on the farm vs the ones in the streets, how he milks the cows, packaging the milk, cream separator, a-1 vs a-2 milk… we took a ride to pick up a few things in Lanka at the market (Panipuri, Paan, yogurt and a few things to make bread and pizza crust) before dinner). What has become really clear to me is that I am no longer the teacher that I have been over these years at the college… I am now the student. My listening skills are coming in very handy.

Rohit is a man with few words until he knows someone is interested and will listen to what he has to say. As I slowly discovered, Rohit really knows what he is doing and has much wisdom. His dairy farm is progressive for India and might I say for the rest of the world as well. He has 10 or 12 cows that roam free on his land and are never tied up. He interacts with the animals all the time and know who he is. The cows knew there was a stranger there (me) and were a little weirded out by a new person. He believes that by giving the animals what they want and keeping them happy they will produce more milk. He clarified that by telling me he bought a cow from someone in the village that only produced 16kg of milk a day and after the cow came to his farm it produces 32kg of milk a day. He will only produce a-2 milk. In the USA almost all of the milk produced is a-1 milk. Here’s the explanation of the difference. His milking procedures are sanitary as are his packaging even though there is no refrigeration. Within two hours of milking all of his milk is sold and he has a waiting list for people who want to buy it because it is such high quality. Yes, it costs a little bit more and a lot of people are mostly concerned with the bottom line of price and not of the quality or flavor. Similarly, in the USA where people want to eat quantities of food even though it may not have the best flavors or nutrition content because they think it has the best value.

WOW… I’m getting an education about dairy. It’s very different here than in the USA due to the lack of government intervention. There are farmers who put chemicals in their milk to prevent bacteria from growing that are not very good for humans that go unnoticed because there are no regulations. Knowing your producer here in India is EXTREMELY important (I’d say imperative) and getting educated in their individual practices.

Another Rohit wisdom tidbit…

Being Happy….
Not only is it important to treat the animals well so they are happy and will produce more for us. It’s just as important for us to do the things that make us happy. For instance, I met a man this week who runs a clothing shop. He took some time to explain to me some of his morning rituals in his tradition. He is a happy man who loves his life, his family, his tradition and his business. I knew I needed to buy some clothing for an upcoming vipassana retreat so I went with him back to his shop. I was happy to pay the money to him that I negotiated. I could have haggled with him a little more maybe to pay less money but I was happy to support him by giving him my money even if it was a little bit more. This concept goes a long way. Like giving to a beggar on the street and maybe finding them at the liquor store buying alcohol after they told you they didn’t drink. You give from your heart because it makes you happy and not for the reasons of the outcome.

After I had my mind blown by getting a tour of the dairy farm I went with Rohit on his motorbike into Lanka to buy a few things for dinner. Rohit spoke to me the entire time we were on the bike and I listened carefully. He told me the 4 things that Banaras (Varanasi) is known for… Thugs/Cheaters, Paan, (shit I can’t remember). We traveled down some of the small alleyways on the motorbike to someone’s home who makes and sells some of the best Panipuri (Recipe here). It wasn’t a storefront, there were no signs and no way anyone off the street would have known this place existed. Most all of the market places I was taken to were like this. It might have been the two families knowing each other or just word of mouth. On the way home Rohit asked if I have had paan yet? I had not, and he stopped and got one for both of us. I was a bit skeptical because I was told to be careful about what I eat here. This family has been taking such great care of me and I didn’t want to be rude so I put it in my mouth and chewed it. I was told that sometimes they put tobacco and other drugs in it and I trusted Rohit this was the real thing. Oh was it delicious. After picking up some fresh sweetened yogurt we came back home for dinner.

We all sat on the floor while Rohit put the final touches on the potato filling that his wife made using tamarind flavored water, cumin, chilis, black salt for the Golgappa. This is one of those dishes that hits the sensory palate and keeps you coming back for more. The potato is somewhat sweet, the tamarind is sour, lime juice is tart, the salt, the crunchiness of the Panipuri. I had to stop myself from eating because my mind said eat eat eat even though I probably had eaten enough.

I’ve been here in Varanasi/Banaras for almost 12 days already and have eaten some amazing foods. One of my favorites is Biryani. I just love all the flavors and spices in this food and I’m looking forward to more as I travel further to the north after my noble silence/vipassana retreat. I’ll be in radio silence for a little while.

I’ve been climbing my way through the sky
Searching for answers that I’ll never find
Losing my breath as I fall
Learning to fly, letting go of it all
Learning to fly, letting go of it all

I’m gonna live
Like tomorrow never comes
There’s no end in sight
Tonight we black out the sun
Better hold on tight
Before you know it’s gone
And live like tomorrow never comes

I’ve been trying to open my eyes
Take it all in as the world passes by
Getting lost in the twists and the turn
Finding these questions inside me still burn
Finding these questions inside me still burn

I’m gonna live
Like tomorrow never comes
There’s no end in sight
Tonight we black out the sun
Better hold on tight
Before you know it’s gone
And live like tomorrow never comes

I keep looking for some kind of sign
Trying to hold on in this race against time
I can’t say where the next bend might be
That is the beauty in life’s mystery
That is the beauty in life’s mystery

I’m gonna live
Like tomorrow never comes
There’s no end in sight
Tonight we black out the sun
Better hold on tight
Before you know it’s gone
And live like tomorrow never comes

There’s no end in sight
For tonight we black out the sun

30 Sep 2018

Foods of Varanasi…

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Cooking Advice, Relationship, Sabbatical | 0

I’ve been wanting to write about my experience with the food since I have gotten here and there’s been so much more on my mind other than the food. India has 28 states and in each state they have their own dialect of Hindi that is not universally spoken. The same goes with the foods of the different regions. The local foods are different and the influences of the different countries (French, British, Portugese, etc.) that have occupied parts of India have left their influences as well. When I researched Indian cooking years ago I was confused about it and now I have a better understanding as to why. Varanasi is not really considered part of northern India. I have a couple more days here before I head to my noble silence 10 day meditation retreat (Vipassana). Where I’m heading next has yet to be determined… it could be Rishikesh or Lucknow or Delhi or Patna… I’ll see after Vipassana.

I booked a room at an Air B&B at the southern end of Varanasi off the beaten path from the town. I did not want to stay in the craziness of the city right here. When I was looking at places to stay I ask the host if they were willing to cook with me and show me cultural cuisine in the area. What happened was a complete blessing. The family I am staying with has been so gracious and generous to me. The woman running the place is named Reeta. She has been taking exquisite care of me while I’m here. She has been cooking nearly every meal and some with me. Washing my clothes and cleaning. I’ve never experienced such care in my life. It makes me weepy just writing this because of how much I feel cared for here. I will be sad to leave.

I am getting home cooked food nearly every day. I wish I could remember all the names of the dishes that I’ve tried so far. Most everything has turmeric in it. Not all have the common Indian spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, chili, mustard seed, fenugreek, etc.), some are plain and simple with just turmeric. Most everything has onions, ginger and garlic. Roti/Chapati

Reeta has been so generous with me and it seems like treating guests this well is part of the culture here. I asked to be taken to the market so I could get food for the household. I was taken to the butcher, the produce and the dry goods places. These places/stores are where the family have been doing business with for generations. The way of family and relationships here is part of the culture. Back home in the USA there isn’t so much emphasis on the relationships of doing business. And I see that changing in the years I’ve been in Maine. See my previous writing about this here.

At the butcher, there was a goat meat on the table covered with a cloth with flies all over it and it was slaughtered a couple hours before and the owner didn’t think that was fresh enough for them, so they slaughtered another goat right away. There is no refrigeration or any means of sanitation, etc. I knew the meat was extremely fresh and would be cooked thoroughly so I felt ok about it. People in America would be mortified seeing the slaughtering of the animals let alone the conditions I was part of. This is naturally part of how things work around here.

I also wanted to get spices, rice and ingredients for dal at another market. People drink Chai here every day. I like my Chai flavorful and wanted to make sure the spices were here for that. There is also a basmati rice that are just pieces of the rice grain and not the full rice grain. It is less expensive, and people use that as well. I don’t think I’ve seen that in the USA before.

The fruits and vegetables are absolutely fabulous. Everything is very fresh. The family that owned the produce shop also they have been buying from for generations. The fresh fruits and vegetables are all the same at all of the markets here… pomegranates, pineapple, apples, eggplant, bitter gourd, beets, and others. I bought all the things that I wanted to and then some. We came home with a lot of food and Reeta was a bit upset with me for paying for things. I said that’s how I like to give back.

I have so much to write about… like being invited to go to a friend of the families for dinner to make litti and choka. And someone coming to the house to make peetha. Making Roti/Chapati is done multiple times a day and the recipe for the dough is really easy to make. Reetsa’s husband Gappu likes to cook the meat curries and I’ve ad goat curry and chicken curry. There is lots of hand work in making these items, not my cup of tea to do and people here are really patient and good at it. I showed Reeta how I make my basmati rice pilaf… rinsing and soaking and using less water than they do, and she seems to like it a little better because the rice isn’t so mushy soft. I gave a cooking lesson to Reeta’s son Raunaq on how to make tomato sauce for pasta and still have to show him béchamel and Reeta’s son wants to learn how to make pizza dough. I’m just not sure about the wheat flour here… I think it’s whole wheat and not the same kind of flour we are used to in the usa.

It takes two hands to clap. One hand washes the other.

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