Spiritual Travel - a Meditation Vacation in Badrinath, India

Hundreds of years before the coming of the Avatar Christ Jesus, came the
incarnation of the Avatar Krishna. Called Kristha by some, he was said to have
embodied the consciousness of the Krist, the Christ consciousness of
universal love.  In scriptures about Krishna, it’s written that before passing
he told his friend and devotee Uddhava that forever after he would reside
in the holy place of Badrinath... 

Krishna gave Uddhava his sandals and told him to carry them there.  As the Krishna
Avatar “seed” was the seed from which Mahavatar Babaji was born, and taking
Krishna at his word, some would surmise he is present in Badrinath today,
in the form of Mahavatar Babaji. This is acknowledged in the devotion of Yogananda,
who would meditate to Babaji and Krishna as one being, often crying “Babaji/Krishna.”
It’s further supported by the many accounts of teachers who have had council
with Mahavatar Babaji in the region.

Babaji's mission is said to be the disemination of advanced meditation techniques
that all sincere seekers may have direct union with the infinite. That, and the teaching
of saints and avatars, and the service of all of life. He is the perfect teacher for an 
age where a great many are invited to realize the Divine within themselves through
the science of meditation.

It's no wonder Badrinath has become a supreme place of pilgrimage. According to
the Hindu scriptures, the life of a Hindu would not be complete without making a visit to
Badrinath. Other faiths hold the region very sacred as well, and ask the same of their
followers. Even outside of religious paradigms, people connecting to nature and the
Earth's elements quickly recognize what the rishis saw and expressed in the most
ancient of their sacred texts: this region is a glorious temple built by Nature for the
worship of the Supreme.

This information, coupled with a love of Babaji’s lineage of Teachers, sparked a
burning curiosity for Badrinath and its holy personage. Badrinath is not an easy place to
get to, however. It’s high in the Himilayas, only a few miles from the border with China. It
takes numerous permits and more than three long bumpy, bouncy days travel on mostly
rocky unpaved roads that are frequently covered from landslides. At its 10,000 foot
elevation, the temperatures are usually in the low teens or single digits at night—and that’s
during summer. In winter the whole place is closed and snowbound.  And yet really, if it
were close and easy; we’d all be there, and believe me, we’d never leave.

Approaching the region, one traverses the foothills of the Himalayas, steadily increasing
in altitude before crossing the final river confluence that lands you at its base. You have
another 2 to 3 hours to go, but you can tell right away you’ve landed someplace very
special. The lush forest grows thicker on the steep cliffs along the road, and the waters
of the Alakanada River, which is sourced from pristine Glaciers above Badrinath and
eventually becomes the Holy Ganges River, is now ever present with you, leading you
home. A childlike smile comes to your face. It can’t be explained, and at the same time,
needs no explanation.

There is an overwhelming desire to stop and sit on the road and just be with this place.
And surely some excuse was found to stop and do just that. Then onward and upward,
until you find yourself in the sparse town of Badrinath. Reminiscent of a poor mining town,
its roads and buildings look mostly temporary. As with most of India, everywhere things
are either under repair, or looking long over due for it. Despite the biting Himalaya
cold, an inner warmth immediately presented itself. Largely through some of the
people we met who seemed to have a saintly sparkle in their eyes.

During our days there, we were pulled quickly out into the mountains and their crystal
streams. The altitude makes walking in the region very slow, but in this magical place,
it doesn’t really seem to matter how quickly you get anywhere. Up in the hills, are many
monks who live in makeshift caves and tiny temples formed from rocks. They have
their practices: Hanuman, Krishna, Vishnu. They somehow lived in these dwellings,
renouncing a traditional life for one of prayer and communion with this holy place.
They are most peaceful. And breathing this air and walking this mountain, their
choice makes perfect sense. In fact it makes the most sense.

As soon as you leave behind the tiny
town for the mountain peaks, the
chorus of Divinity that inhabits the
place becomes even more apparent.
Many visiting saints have mentioned 
the presence of holy beings from
many different realms that have long
inhabited the region of Badrinath.

They are most certainly there.
Looking up in the sunlight at the
steep peaks, amidst the rushing
water, you’re never really sure what
you’re seeing. Only that it’s very
holy and very special. And somehow
it’s invited you there.

There in the streaks of sunlight,
and the pristine streams, the need 
to connect with the place, to meet it
at the very deep level it calls to you
from, can not seem to be addressed
with a simple prayer.  The pristine
water, the stones, the sunlight
beaming from the snowy peaks, the
mountain air, each, all, and 
everywhere becomes an expanding
embodiment of the Divine,and it
asks you to meet it deep within
yourself. And doing just that, one finds one's self in the most complete embrace
that may only be described as home. Not a home that I have ever known in any
dwelling I’ve ever been in. Every home and hug I’ve ever known seemed only
reflection or echo of this home, of this embrace. The longer it held me, the
more it was me. Even now.

After only a few days it was very hard to leave. I will say it was painful.
Tears even. One of many teachers who have had council with Babaji near
Badrinath is the blessed Guyan Swamiji, who spent years with Babaji in the
region before being sent into the world to carry the Kriya meditation teachings. 
Swamiji has spoken humbly and beautifully of his time in the presence of
Babaji and Mataji, but also of the great pain of leaving for his mission.  Having
had only a thimble of what he had drank, I find his exit unimaginable.

It is only through direct experience that God is truly known. Direct experience
is free to be profound beyond words. Words come about mostly in our
reconstruction of God’s presence. Most of the world’s scriptures amount to
one of the following: the hope of passing along some of the crumbs from
someone else’s direct experience of God; or with deeper insight, leaving a
trail for others to have a direct experience of their own. In this regard,
scriptures can be a bit like a travel log. Which is why it’s been impressed
upon me to pass along this account, despite some reluctance to do so.

And if a longing for India is awake within you, be edified by the words of
the sages: That which you are seeking is seeking you. Teachers through
the ages have been kind enough to remind us of this. And happily it’s true. 
If you are pulled to travel to some of these holy places, the feeling is
probably mutual, and it’s likely there’s something awaiting you in the exchange.

Pranams to the teacher within you.

If you are called to a spiritual vacation or meditation vacation in Tibet or India,
we may be able to help. We are able help to make travel to them manageable,
as it can often be complicated… travel in India has its challenges: permits
are required for some passages, the quality of one’s food and lodging can
vary drastically, and the roads to the Himalayas are often precarious and
frequently impassible. This makes even a 2 or 3 week itinerary tight when
visiting multiple locations.  Just one of the many reasons, it’s good to have
the right team getting you to your destination. And in particular getting you
a good value along the way.

Contact us if you’d like information or to take part in a sacred vacation or pilgrimage:
JC at meditation Los Angeles.

"In India the passenger is God, the driver is the priest, and the car is the temple."

–  Raj Kumar our expert driver