The "I"s and "T"s have it

(Above: Locals celebrating the Hindu New Year, Holi, with colors.)

I’m beginning to think I’ve had many yogis in my life. “Dot your ‘i’s and cross your ‘t’s”, Mrs Johnson used to tell me in my second grade elementary classroom. What’s with these “i”s and “t”s requiring this extra effort anyway?

Flying from Varanasi to Bangalore via Delhi, it is unmistakably clear, Mrs. Johnson was on to something, the “I”s and “T”s do have it. By now you are asking what is “it”? “IT” is exactly IT, information technology. Banagalore is one of, if not the, hub of the India’s red hot Information Technology sector. From the cars in the airport parking lot to the less littered streets to the better maintained newly constructed buildings, a causal connection between jobs in the tech sector and a higher standard of living is abound.

But there is another IT at play in Bangalore as well, that of Interpersonal Transformation, as the city serves as home for at least three major ashrams. Less than a month ago, it was also the host city for the Human Values Conference, attended by heads of state, dignitaries and religious and spiritual leaders from around the world. Bangalore is a city on the rise with a quality of life surpassing that of even the country’s capital, New Delhi and former capital, Bombay.

Located in the southern state of Karnataka, our arrival in Bangalore was a mild culture shock. The food is spicier, the weather warmer and there is less chaos than experienced in other cities. Local men are seen strutting the streets in coats and ties, and air conditioned stores with designer labels contribute to the cityscape. Affluence is seen in Wi-Fi enabled Starbuck like coffee shops found on most streets, sometimes two to a street.

But Marc and I were not here for international espresso. In fact, prior to my arrival in India, Bangalore was not on my homemade itinerary. This was an unscheduled destination, at least to my conscious knowledge. After spending time with Roopa in Bombay and learning about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, attending his puja in Delhi, his satsanga in Rishikesh and bathing with him in the Ganges, the neon road signs were clear, I must go to Bangalore to take Sri Sri’s “Art of Living” course – part I.

While I had this desire, Marc, my friend from the states was meeting me after my Rishikesh education and my plans had changed since he and I had last spoke. Would he want to travel to Bangalore with me to pursue this 3 day course or did he have his own agenda? After all, the Art of Living course is offered around the world on every continent except Antarctica. I could take the course in San Francisco or even in Marin, but the ashram experience, always intriguing to me in the states, was here and so was I.

The night of Marc’s arrival in Delhi, I downloaded him on much of my experience for as long as he could keep his eyes open. He was immediately intrigued (or at least pretended to be) and on his first full day in India, we hired a car to take us to the Art of Living Information Center in southern Delhi. Marc had only two weeks in this, his second trip to India, so the concept of time took on that extra precious quality as it usually does when time constrains.

Finding the Information Center was like most things in India, a seemingly easy A to B route, but more like an A to Q to C to G to Z concept. Addresses are haphazard, often put in many different formats and having similarities in every manner except one slight subtle tweak, even challenging the lifelong residents. A thirty minute drive across Delhi and our driver, who spoke little English, pulled the white compact four door car in front of a home in a residential neighborhood. Was this the information center? Hard to believe, but again in India, thing are not always what they appear to be.

Confident and determined that we were supposed to find the information center, I approached the side of the home and walked through a door off of the driveway, a rare sight in and of itself in India. Marc was close behind muttering that this didn’t seem right. I agreed with him, but the address seemed to match. How could the website be wrong?

“Hello”, I called out into the home. A woman walking down a hallway brushing her teeth and obviously a bit startled, blurted out something beyond my comprehenson of Hindi, but my imagination tells me it had to do with the appearance of two strange men in her home. Immediately, I said “Art of Living Information”, removing unnecessary verbs. She called out to someone else in the house. I was unsure if she was telling her husband to “get the gun” or “call the police”, but I didn’t have to wonder long, as soon a boy of about 14 years of age came to the door. In clear English, he explained that the address I was looking for was in the “Green Park – Extension” and not “Green Park” where I was presently standing in his home.

Thankful not to be shot and happy to realize our error, we explained the confusion to our driver and set out for the “Extension” part of Green Park. A sense of accomplishment set in when we pulled up in front of a plain white unassuming building at the address provided by the Art of Living website. It was on the fringe of a residential neighborhood, but looked like it had more of a commercial purpose.

With an extra spring in my step, we walked into the “Information Center” which looked like it had been deserted for a decade. No one sat in the front office and it was about five minutes until we were recognized by some men sitting in other rooms off the main corridor. When we did finally meet with someone, I explained that we wanted to learn more about the ashram in Bangalore and the basic course. What I got was all I needed, a phone number to the ashram. With the mobile provided by Roopa, I phoned the number provided by the “Information Center”, a term I would now use more loosely.

Straining to hear through the thick Inglish (Indian English) accent over the phone, I understood enough to learn that there was a basic course offered at the ashram every Friday for $150 US, including room and board. The next course would be in one week. I conveyed this information to Marc who, after little consideration was clearly enthusiastic and game. The program for his stay in India was rapidly taking shape as old India (Varanasi), new India (Bangalore) and spiritual India (Art of Living) were put in the cue.

Tomorrow is Day 1 of the course I know little about. We plan on staying at the ashram Thursday through Sunday night. During the course, I will not make any web entries, but I will attempt to share as much as possible when I complete the course.

Roopa Update: First of all, thanks to all who have put Roopa in their prayers. I will convey the message that we are all pulling for her. She remains in amazing spirits despite her confirmed diagnosis with liver cancer. Her family has pulled even tighter together as she is the dynamic force within. When I last spoke with Shubi, she was optimistic following a doctor’s visit. A treatment regimen is being set by the oncologist today (Thursday). Roopa, who has been instrumental in my experience, education and well being here in India, exemplifies the true art of living. I look forward to visiting with her in person at the end of the month.

Witness and enjoy the art of your life this weekend and everyday thereafter. And remember Mrs. Johnson’s sage second grade advise, mind your “p”s and “q”s, I mean pay special attention to your “i”s and “t”s.


(Marc and I get "Holi"d from the crew at top.)