The Mountain Logs Day 0

The Char Dham means “The Four Stations”. Why “The Four Stations” is because it is not just a reference to the four places in Geography. It is also a reference to the four stations of artha, kama, dharma and moksha. The four stations of a well lived life namely acquiring of prosperity or means, fulfillment of desires and passions, living a life of coherence with Nature, Nature out there and one’s own nature, and finally the station of transcendence where you get established in your own sense of being. 

On this pilgrimage, the four geographical stations of Gangotrti, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, the pilgrimage seeks to get insight into the truth of these four stations of life through a combination of physical and mental effort, emotional aliveness, openness to the spirit and surrender to Nature. 

It’s quite beautiful, profound, intense and transforming. It’s unique as a pilgrimage, as an experience and breathtaking in its conception. 

In the following Episodes, Dr. Bharat Thakur takes you along this pilgrimage over 10 days, sharing the daily logs and some insightful blogs that will have you want to experience the Yatra for yourself.  

Transcript

Rishikesh 

Day 0 - A Little About The Yatra 

It will be nice if we know a little about this journey.

The mountains have different kinds of intense points which can have a powerful effect on our beings. The Char Dham we are going to are four such powerful geographical locations.

In practically all ancient cultures, water has always been considered a conductor of transformative energies. The term ‘teerth yatra’ is used for a pilgrimage that takes you to a powerful water body.

A Yatra is a vehicle and that vehicle is nothing but the physical and the mental bodies. The Yatra becomes a personal journey through space and time. While you are traveling in the cars and walking, mentally you might be traveling through many zones, don’t feel stuck at any point, keep letting go of whatever experiences you might have, so that you can enjoy the grace.

The real power in each of the four spots we will be going to comes from many great souls having meditated and attained liberation there. All ancient temples are located at the very points where these babas took ‘samadhi’; their presence helps us in the journey.

Next comes the deity. A deity is an energy in a human form which may be a latent potential within you. The purpose of a Puja for a particular deity like Ganga or Yamuna is to help in awakening a powerful potential within you. All procedures of Puja are derived from ancient protocols called ‘agama’. They include mantra and use of herbs, flowers and so on. ‘Puja vidhi’ is not faith based. It is a science which is based on the intuitional aspects of our beings and it helps us connect with that latent potential within that the deity symbolizes.

Material life desires happiness and liberation. Four stations symbolized by the four dham. This is the journey of the entire evolution of man. The Char Dham Yatra can be seen as a process that strings them together allowing us to take home the seed of a more integrated way of life.

It is said that Lord Shiva had to drink the poison of the Churn in the ocean of consciousness which not only produced the nectar of immortality. ‘Amrita’ but also its equally powerful shadow counterpart, the ‘halahala’ the poison which if Shiva had not drank would have been fatal to our lives.

Lord Shiva represents our wisdom body, ‘immortality’ is the realization of our oneness and its shadow, the poison is the sense of duality or separation which causes all the pain in our lives. In chanting his name we invoke the quality of  awakening and the ability to handle the disturbances that come along. This process can be like walking through a scary forest. So here the guide is like a doctor who does not just treat with medicines but also with his healing touch.

Finally, let us remember to enjoy the freedom from the back home situation, enjoy the sounds of the Himalaya, stay immersed in the chanting and dip in the silence.

Lots of Love

Bharat Thakur