Buaa blessed us shortly before this photo. The area between the eyebrows, the sixth chakra known as the 'agna' meaning 'command', is the seat of concealed wisdom. It is the centre point wherein all experience is gathered in total concentration. According to the tantric cult, when during meditation the latent energy ('kundalini') rises from the base of the spine towards the head, this 'agna' is the probable outlet for this potent energy. The red 'kumkum' between the eyebrows is said to retain energy in the human body and control the various levels of concentration. It is also the central point of the base of the creation itself — symbolising auspiciousness and good fortune.
After a while we proceeded over to Shot's house:
The floors throughout the entire house are a beautiful marble. While still a great luxury, a large quantity of marble is produced in India, making it comparably less expensive than obtaining in the U.S. Several ancient temples were contructed entirely of marble. Courtyard inside Shot's house:
It was fascinating to see what lifestyles are like in India and how they differ from the U.S. For example, a lot of time is spent sitting around talking. When you go over to someone's house, you sit down, have a drink, and talk. There is not a lot of urgency to get to any specific activity. There is also a lot of focus spent around meals - it felt like we were eating all the time. I was constantly being offered food... I had to learn to say no when I really had enough.
I think I did quite well with the food. I'm not sure if it's a regional or religious thing, but Shot's family eat completely vegetarian (or 'veg' as they call it there). Many dishes looked similar to me, like a greenish or brownish sauce about the consistancy of spaghetti sauce, with various items in it (vegetables, yogurt based items, tofu, etc.). Most items were very spicy. According to Rajni, Shot's sister in law, Indian restaurants in the U.S. do not prepare dishes with the same level of spices as they are prepared traditionally in India (American palettes can't handle it). I tried most everything (fortunately, they steered me away from a few things they thought my stomache wouldn't like). A few times I choked a little and my face turned red. The spicy taste is a lot different than say, a mexican spicy taste.
Indian people are some of the most hospitable I have ever met. The level of hospitality that Shot, his family and friends showed me was incredible, even a bit overwhelming at times. In the Hindu religion, guests are to be treated 'like god'. All of Shot's friends that were meeting me for the first time went out of their way to show me around, drive me places, take me out, take me shopping, show me things of interest, explain foods and customs to me. During the two main wedding days Shot was quite busy so I spent a lot of time with his friends. I did not spend any money when I was there, except the one day I went sightseeing by myself ($30). Absolutely everything was taken care of; there was never even any opportunity to argue. They told me I am considered their brother now, and I have a standing invitation to stay with about 10 different people in India now, use their cars, drivers, homes, cooks. After thinking about it somewhat, I think it's a lesson I can apply to my own life, I would like to work on being more selfless, to give myself more freely without expecting anything in return. I would like to have the same affect on people that many people I met had on me.
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