25-04-15 Hotel Amba, Uttarkashi, India
We are helpless mortals caught in the conflagration of himsa. The saying that life lives on life has a deeper meaning in it. Man cannot for a moment live without consciously or unconsciously committing outward himsa. The very fact of his living – eating, drinking, and moving about – necessarily involves some himsa, destruction of life, be it ever so minute. A votary of a himsa therefore remains true to his faith if the spring of all his actions is compassion, if he shuns to the best of his ability the destruction of the tiniest creature, tries to save it, and thus incessantly strives to be free from the deadly coil of himsa. He will be constantly growing in self-resistance and compassion, but he can never become entirely free from outward himsa.
– Gandhi
My own missing person notice – Last seen in Haridwar
As I embarked on a peaceful bus ride from Barkot to Uttarkashi, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the stunning scenery around every bend in the road. The brisk temperatures prompted me to keep the bus window closed for most of the ride, but I couldn’t help but imagine the breathtaking views that I was missing out on.
However, my tranquility was interrupted when I finally found internet and upon logging on for the first time in 10 days, the first thing I saw was a picture of myself on a train, posted by my sister, with a message that I had gone missing – last seen in Haridwar.
Family contacts the U.S. Embassy and begins search
My family immediately contacted the U.S. Embassy and began a search for me. My mother had also contacted the Embassy, who had begun to track me down. My last known whereabouts according to them was on a 11:00AM train from Haridwar to Amiritsar on the 18th. They correctly pinpointed my stop in Haridwar, but I had actually taken a bus to Rishikesh, not a train to Amiritsar (although I had originally planned to go to Amiritsar). I couldn’t help but think that had I waited just 2 more days, there would have been an escalated search party, and another week and my face would have been on a milk carton. Thankfully, the search party was called off as I was found safe and sound.
Search party called off – safe and sound
I couldn’t help but feel guilty for having put my family through unnecessary stress, and it was amazing to me how many fantasies could be created when one cannot be reached through modern communication channels. I decided to put all of that behind me and enjoy a nature walk across the bridge, sitting on the mountainside overlooking Uttarkashi beneath a warm sun with the soothing sounds of rushing water below.
In the march towards Truth, anger, selfishness, hatred, etc., naturally give way, for otherwise Truth would be impossible to attain. A man who is swayed by passions may have good enough intentions, may be truthful in word, but he will never find the Truth. A successful search for Truth means complete deliverance from the dual throngs such as love and hate, happiness and misery.
– Gandhi
Harrowing bus ride to Gangotri
The bus ride to Gangotri was harrowing, despite it being just a 100km bus ride to and from Gangotri. The incredibly narrow road beside game-ending cliffs made the trek quite daunting. I enjoyed the scenery of Gangotri, but again Hindu temples failed to connect with my spiritual curiosities. The gauntlet of knick-knack sellers prior to temple entry, “priests” being paid to do pujas, and the bathing ritual in the fresh mountain water all left me wondering how different this experience would be in the absence of money.
Hard labor smashing rocks into bits
One of the more common jobs around here involves men lining the roadway smashing rocks into smaller pieces with sledgehammers, surrounded by their heaps of “finished” rock bits. I also saw several children carrying massive grain bags on their backs, and I couldn’t help but notice that I have yet to see a two-wheel cart in India. These were sights that I never imagined seeing in the year 2015.
