I watched whilst he worked, but when he went for the welding I had a look round Lakshman Jula, which is what Rishikesh on one side of the river is called.
I couldn't see in the night, but the hills rise steeply and wooded on either side of the wide Ganga river. There are steps down to the water, Ghats, where people wash themselves, their clothes or their sins away in the holy waters. There are a lot of Saddhu's, or holy men, wandering round in saffron robes, dark and mysterious and grimy, many with elaborate daubs of paint on their faces.
The streets are rubbish strewn and overcrowded, with feral cows wandering round, dodging traffic and pedestrians. Like most India I have seen.
I made my way up to Highbank, where I am staying, two kilometres up a steep slope. The Lonely Planet describes it as 'A Leafy travellers enclave, clean and relaxed, where backpackers stay up late and enjoy deep conversations'. Rarely has this been more accurate.
As I was making my way to the restaurant in the late afternoon, I was hailed from a table full of people. I recognized a face, but couldn't place it immediately. And then it clicked, it was Ollie, who I had met in Delhi on my second day, just before I left for Shimla. He had come to India to do a meditation retreat in Dharmasala.
'Hi Ben, good to see you again!' It was good to see him too. I remembered his intelligent conversation, and lively enquiring conversation was good to be around. He was in his mid twenties, originally from Essex, and had worked in various call centres before deciding to leave for a more adventurous life abroad.
I pulled up a chair. 'This is Michelle, and Elsa', I shook hands with them, an American and Israeli from the sounds of their accents.
'Good to see you, how long have you been here?'
'A couple of days. After the six day course, I did another eight day one. Then I came here. But everyone on the course has pretty much come here already. They will be joining us a bit later'.
'How was it, how did it go?' I was really intrigued. I had heard a lot about the Tibetan meditation retreats in Dharamsala, the home in exile of the Dalai Lama, and the people that went on them, but that was third or fourth hand. I was really interested to find out about them from people who had actually been on them. 'Later, later, when the others get here. Tell us about your adventures first'.
So I told a few of the stories of the last month. Elsa, the olive skinned, dark curly haired Israeli girl, was leaving for Rajasthan the day after, so she wanted to know all about Rajesthan. 'Are there other Israeli's there?' She wanted to know. 'We always stick together and help each other out. You know if they find something cheaper somewhere else, they will come and sort it out for you. I don't like it when they get stoned though, it's not nice'. She was honest and funny and good company.
As it got darker, we were joined by more people. Denise, CJ and Liz who had been on the course, three Austrian guys, Hanis, Christoff and Christian, and a Basque bear of man called Aitour.
'Where you live in England. Brighton! Ah, famous place! I never been. I lived in London for two years, Elephant and Castle, but I never got down there'.
'So this is the Breakfast Club', Michelle, the slim and attractive American told me. 'We meet everyday for breakfast here. And in the evening'.
'How long have you been here?"
'Oh, maybe two weeks'.
'Two weeks!' I couldn't imagine being somewhere so long. 'What have you been doing!?'
'Oh, you know, having breakfast. Talking!'. She grinned at me. 'Its nice to settle in one place, and get to know every one well'.
I had to agree with her. I am on a very different kind of journey, but I know from past travels the pleasure that you can get from having a little community together. It felt good to be welcomed into a group of travellers, all with different stories but similar eperiences.
'So, tell me about the retreat then', I asked Ollie again.
'Well it started quite far out. The first day there was chanting and ceremonies. No one really understood what was happening and it was a bit weird.
'But it settled into a rhythm. We would get up about 6.30, and do come mindfulness meditation. Then some tea. Then teachings - the guy that took the course like it interactive, so there was a lot of questions and answers and discussion groups. Sometimes it would get a bit irritating as one person just asked question after question, but mostly it was good.
I enjoyed it. So much that I took a longer course. That one, we didn't speak, so I didn't find out about everyone until the end of the course when we did a ceremony together. Unfortunately I fell over and hurt my knee and had to go to hospital'.
'Bad Karma' I suggested jokingly. He laughed as well. 'But I got my leg seen to by four doctors and it only cost 10rupees!'.
'But how about the meditations? Did they work, do you feel different? Are you still meditating now?'
'I'm trying to build it into a daily practice', he nodded. 'Early in the mornings, when the mind is clear. Some of the teachings we did were really powerful - the one on death for instance affected a lot of people there!'
I nodded. When I was practising, this was always one of my favourite meditations.
'We ended with a tonglen meditation. You know, breathing in other peoples bad karma, and breathing out blessings as white light. It felt really good. I would like to do more'.
We were joined by another man. 'I remember those trousers', Ollie said. 'Sean. He was always buried in his books. Are you still thinking of ordaining?'
'How you remember everyone who was there', Elsa butted in. 'I cant remember anyone. let alone what they were wearing!'
'You were too busy with whats his name!' Someone said to hoots of laughter.
'Ach, you know, we were just good friends. We didn't like our discussion group, and then started hanging out together. When he stayed over, we were just sleeping'. There was more laughter from around the table.
'You are really thinking of ordaining?' Demise asked Sean. She was blond, with a pixie high cheekbones, and a lilt to her voice. I found out later she was Dutch.
'Yeah, you know, a bit more peaceful. A bit more time to meditate', Sean replied.
'But what about giving things up', she continued. 'The cigarettes, the sex, the beer?'
'You know I came to India to give up three things. Black coffee, cigarettes and alcohol. I haven't drunk for two months, but don't speak to me until I have had some coffee!'. There was more laughter round the table.
'But I am not sure it will be more peaceful. There are always things to do and people all around. There might not be more peace there'.
'People still have problems inside monasteries', Denise continued. 'The problems don't go away, you just repress them. Thats really dangerous. You can't get them out'.
'I know, I know', Sean carried on. 'I don't know. Maybe. I haven't decided yet'.
Denise spoke a lot of truth. In the small experience that I had had, Samsara, the realm of suffering exists everywhere, even in the most peaceful places, because it is in our minds. Sometimes mediation doesn't make the delusions, such as anger and attachment go away, it just pushes it down, so you can no longer control it.
The conversation moved onto different things. I discussed football with Aiytour, giggling yoga with Christoff, nursing with Hansi. Some of them were were going rafting the next day and invited me to come along. I was tempted, but decided to stay and rest.
I left around 10pm, pretty tired. It was more conversation with more people than I had had in weeks, and I was unused to it.
I had heard a lot of critical talk about the people who come to India to find a guru or spiritual enlightenment, but everyone round the table seemed well balanced, sane, and with a healthy dose of reality about their experiences.
There was just something here that they couldn't find back home. Where it seemed to be either glazed eyed born again fanaticism on one hand, whatever the sect or religion, and cynical dismissal of anything spiritual on the other. With an acceptance of a divine aspect to our lives without making it the be all and end all of our existence, these people seemed to have found a good middle way.
'I thought I would miss eating meat when I was there', Ollie said to me, 'however it was no problem. But I did really enjoy having a beer and steak when we finished'.
Somehow I knew he would do well.
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