Rishikesh is a sacred town on the banks of the Ganges. And the Ganges, as you probably know, is the most sacred of all rivers for Hindus.

Rishikesh was made famous by The Beatles, who traveled there in 1968 at the height of their fame to meet with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who introduced them, (and through them the world,) to transcendental meditation. While there they also wrote The White album.

Rishikesh also features prominently in Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda spent time there searching for a teacher. Latterly, the town has become synonymous in the west for being the place to learn yoga – principally the asanas, or postures.

I’ve been to Rishikesh twice before – one memorable time in the winter, when fog shrouded the Ganges and the place took on a magical ethereal air.

Driving in from the airport this morning, and coming into town, I was struck by the number of roadside signs advertising ashrams and yoga retreats and meditation classes. Jennifer and I checked into a hotel that made some of the grubbier albergues on the Camino look positively five star.

We then went for a walk to find an ashram which the TV dude yesterday had put us onto, regarded as one of the most respected and legitimate – and the oldest in the area – Parmarth Niketan.Mission. It’s a huge expanse of gardens and shrines and accommodation and halls, right on the banks of Mother Ganges. Here is a recent story in the NY Times about the place:

The head of the ashram is Pujya Swami Yogananda Ji – a man who’s revered as being a true spiritual leader. He’s been honoured throughout the world for his humanitarian achievements – not to mention his work in spreading yoga to the west.

We went to reception and I boldly asked to see Swamiji. That’s like arriving at the Vatican and asking to see the Pope. But a volunteer assistant came out, and politely asked me who I was and why did I want to see Swamiji. I told him about my film, and gave him a sketch of my background, and he went away – only to return not long later to say that Swamiji would see me, but only after the fire ceremony.

The fire ceremony is held every evening as the sun goes down over the Ganges. Hundreds of devotees, many in saffron robes, gather on concrete steps leading down to the holy river and begin to chant, accompanied by a group of musicians.

After about half an hour, with the steps packed with worshippers and sightseers, the Swami arrived. Everyone stood reverentially, and he sat in amongst them and led a song – with everyone singing along and swaying to the music.

It was hypnotic.

I didn’t understand the words but the music, and the atmosphere, had a powerful affect on me. It loosened things up inside. In my head and in my heart.

The swami himself exuded a majesty and power that was palpable. In any culture, in any situation, he would be regarded and revered as a holy man.

After the ceremony, the swami returned to the ashram, and I was told that I could meet him. We sat in a secluded area, him sitting ramrod straight with his legs folded in the lotus position, hidden under his robes – his eyes clear and sparkling and full of mirth and wisdom – his long curly locks of hair streaked with grey, his beard trailing down his chest.

He asked me about the film, and I told him how a voice had saved my life, and how I wanted to find out what that voice was, and where it came from. He asked some questions, and agreed to me interviewing him in a couple of days. I was thrilled. He’s a wise man, and a holy man, and he’ll contribute significantly to the film.

Afterwards Jennifer and I were invited to have dinner with one of the women who helps run the admin side of things – a vivacious American lass whose name is Sadhvi. She’s a psychology graduate who threw it all in eighteen years ago to join the ashram. She has a smile that could light up the entire ashram, plus she’s super smart and very articulate. She too has agreed to an interview.

She left and we then got talking to some Americans who’d also attended the ceremony. One of them had been shooting with a Canon 5D Mk II – and watching him shoot it quickly became obvious to me that he was a seasoned professional.

I remarked on this, and he laughed and said that yes, before moving to American he’d worked for twenty years for the Vatican.

What? 

For the past several weeks I’ve been trying to gain access to the Vatican – ideally to get an interview with the Pope, but even to get some formal Church view on intuition. We leave for Rome in less than two weeks to do this filming, and up till now we’ve not been able to get a definite decision on whether we have permission.

And now this bloke turns up sitting across a table from me, telling me that he worked for the Vatican for twenty years, and he can get me that access. Perhaps not the Pope – that takes time – but certainly someone else high up on the food chain.

Once again I was bowled over. When I need something on this film, it presents itself. I keep playing by the rules – that I will be led intuitively – and I keep on being led to the right people at the right time.

Today was extraordinary – meeting the Swami, and simply being on the banks of the Ganges in amongst the very moving ceremony. And then later sitting with Swamiji in the ashram, and feeling an overwhelming sense of calm and stillness.

Each day this film opens me up more and more.

Kathryn Schlesinger has been a regular on this blog for quite some time.

Her husband Michael, sometimes known as Rambler 1959, (after the amazing vintage car he drives) is also a follower of the blog.

I met them both on this past trip to the US, and they were incredibly generous and welcoming. For me, the highlight of our time with them was when they took me to The Wedge – a very famous surfing beach, mainly for bodyboarders, because of the unique nature of the wave.

I grew up as a surfer on the Gold Coast, in southern Queensland, (Burleigh was my haunt, as was Kirra and Currumbin) and I remember seeing amazing pictures and surfing movies of The Wedge. So it was wonderful to see it for real after all these years.

Thank you once again Michael and Kathryn for a glorious day.

Kathryn at that stage was in early preparations for a trip to Bali, where she does regular charity work. I asked her if she’d be interested in doing a guest blog – even though it’s off topic of the Camino – but irrespective I thought it might be interesting.

(My current Indian trip is way off topic!)

So here is her post –

Strange how one thing leads to the next!

My husband and I are doing the Camino Frances in Stages. Even after our first short stage, the Camino magic changed our lives forever! And because one thing leads to the next, we started following Camino blogs, keeping the memories alive and our knowledge of the Camino growing. That is how we first came to know and love Bill and some of you! We have since done a 2nd stage and are dreaming of our 3^rd.

Now, because one thing leads to the next, Bill invited me to share on his blog about another trip that changed our lives forever.

Six years ago Michael and I visited Bali for our 25^th anniversary. I was post recovery from breast cancer and wanted a special place to get away from it all, to relax and feel healthy. It was a perfect choice. It was exotic, tropical, exciting – chaos in some places, but peaceful in most and all culturally new!

I fell in love with the people that were kind, calm and helpful. I was inspired by how their spirituality was continually exhibited in their daily living.

Again one thing leads to the next and the following year I found myself searching the Internet for a “service” trip that my young adult, surfer sons could do together. I found an organization that fit their time and talents in Bali but schedules changed and the boys could no longer get the same time off.

However I was hooked on the idea now. Luckily, I was able to get my little sister to go with me and could arrange to have my 2 younger children arrive with my husband a week later to help us.

Our destination was a beautiful village in a simple and remote lush area of Bali (3 hours from the flashy tourists in the south) The scent of cloves filled the air. (Both clove and coffee are the primary crops and income of the area, along with the rice that grows in the beautiful terraces on the hills.) We brought art projects to make and songs to teach, a lot of toothbrushes and suitcases full of school supplies.

It was a soul touching experience, both busy and joyful. Before leaving we learned that many children were not able to attend school because they could not pay for the uniforms, the fees, books and supplies. We offered to help 4 kids for the next year.

And as I said, one thing leads to the next!

Since then many friends have joined our efforts and now we have 48 students receiving ongoing sponsorship so they can attend school. ($120 a year covers all the school expenses and provides each student with a filled backpack )

Since then, we have returned annually, bringing art, songs and teaching oral hygiene. We bring all sponsored students backpacks full of helpful items and give them a party where we take a new picture to give to the sponsor.

We have been able to do teacher trainings, purchase storybooks for 7 schools, built playground equipment and opened a new kindergarten.

I’ve had more time now to think about Dallas.

To recap: two days ago a very wealthy businessman – a lawyer who has amassed a fortune through following his astrological charts – read me my charts, based on my exact time and place of birth. He told that I will begin to acquire fame, wealth, and do wonderful things for mankind if I do certain things:

• I have to go to Dallas on November 23rd
• I have to take the free airport shuttle
• I have to stay for fifteen days in a cheap motel
• I must not carry any money
• I must do nothing, other than wait.
• I can’t leave Dallas for that 15 days.
• If after 15 days something good happens, then I should stay a further 30 days.
• If something good happens in that 30 days, then I should stay another 30 days.
• I should stay for eleven years.
• If I do all these things, I will have more wealth than I could ever imagine.
• I will become famous.
• I will be treated like a King.
• I will have “lands,” meaning many properties, and “conveyances,” meaning many cars.
• People will respect me and know me to be a good man.
• I will have a huge impact on humanity in a very beneficial way.
• My period in the cosmic rays is 16 years, commencing from 2012.
• I have 14 years left.
• There are two other places where I can do – Muscogee, and Panama. But Dallas is the number 1 place I must be.

Sitting in the room, as he told me these things, I was of course stunned and confused. And I have to say somewhat sceptical.

More money that I could ever imagine?
Treated like a King?
Lands and conveyances?

But thinking back, when his assistant came into the room and handed him a computer readout with the name of the place where I had to go (based on complex mathematics from the movement of the stars) – and Dr. Bhatt told me that it was Dallas, something immediately pinged inside me. And I knew instantly that there was no choice. I had to do this. I had to go, and do what he told me to do.

Will I become rich?
Will I become famous?
Will I be treated like a King?
Will I get bedbugs from this cheap motel?

A lot of people would scoff at Dr. Bhatt, and say that he’s a crackpot, and it’s all madness, and merely a curiosity.

Some would say: why not? You’ve got nothing to lose.

But that’s the wrong attitude. You can’t go into this with diffidence, saying: what the hell… what have I got to lose. It’s just fifteen days in Dallas. That’s the wrong way to approach this. You have to believe, you have to trust, and you have to know in your heart that this is divine guidance.

I don’t believe Dr. Bhatt is a crackpot, just as I don’t believe that waking up at 4:44am after that incredible dream was not a message that I had to go to India and start filming. Dr. Bhatt is a messenger. And I can either choose to listen to that message and act on it with full belief and intention, or I can choose to say: ah, what the hell. It’s only 15 days.

You either believe, trust and follow, or you don’t.
I believe, I trust, and I will follow.
To Dallas, on November 23rd, to a cheap motel.

Hopefully without bedbugs…

(photo courtesy of Steve McCurry)

Today Jennifer was left speechless.

As we exited the luxury high rise apartment of another hugely wealthy businessman, who had hosted us to a sumptuous breakfast of south Indian cuisine, she turned to me and said: There are very few times when I’m incapable of speech, but now is one of them.

What made her speechless?

Let me explain:

The man we had breakfast with is a very successful businessman. One of his many holdings is a luxury five star hotel complex on the beach at Juhu – prime real estate estimated to be worth in excess of US$5b.

He also owns tv stations and finance companies and sundry other investments.

He started with nothing and he told us this morning that he’s used his intuition to get to where he is now. When I showed him my sizzle reel for PGS, he was deeply affected. And immediately said he wanted to invest.

Tomorrow we’re to meet the head of his tv channel to further discuss – but in the meantime he’s lining up interviews for us with some real heavy hitters, including Bikram Chowdry (of Bikram Yoga fame) and possibly Deepak Chopra. These are to be done in Los Angeles.

He’s also connected us with one of the world’s great spiritual gurus, Baba Ram Dev, and some key people in Rishikesh, where we’ll be on Friday. Rishikesh is a sacred town on the Ganges.

I told him what the astrologer said – about how I must go to Dallas – and he said it’s true. He’s done the same thing, gone to a place which an astrologer has said he must go, and under the strangest of circumstances he’s accumulated wealth.

Jennifer and I left his apartment with him avowing his support for me, and for the film. And saying that he will accompany us on our further travels around the world too.

I wonder if that means he’s coming to Dallas?

In the afternoon we flew to Delhi, checked into a hotel in Connaught Place, and then went out to meet a researcher who will be doing some work for us on the next stages of the film. A very impressive young man.

We then had dinner with an old friend, the First Assistant Director on THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL and ZERO DARK THIRTY. He was 2nd Assistant Director on SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

We had a wonderful dinner in a very funky part of Delhi – an artists enclave in an old workers’ colony which has since been gentrified. He provided logistic help for this next stage of the production, and is lining up some key interviewees.

Here’s the thing: I didn’t line anything up before I left home. I just trusted that the right people would come along when I needed them. When the film needed them. I’m making this film by playing by the rules, and the rules are that I’m to be intuitively led.

I’m making this film by trusting that my PGS will guide me to the right people.

And that’s what’s happening.

I left Sydney with just one phone number. That was the number of Dr. Bhatt, who ended up doing my astrological charts, and telling me I had to go to Dallas on November 23rd.

Everything is aligning faster than I could have hoped.

It’s left Jennifer speechless.

Each day gets more and more bizarre.

Today I continued filming with my billionaire friend, who is also an accomplished astrologer. He has lived by his astrological charts – his mathematics, as he calls it – and he has based his business decisions around them too. His stars have led him to immeasurable wealth.

It’s taken him several weeks to do my charts – based on the exact time and location of my birth – and today he gave me the results.

Firstly, he told me in chilling detail what’s unfolded in the past twenty years of my life. Not personal things, things that he could have known from some other source, but broad-stroke shifts in my life that no-one other than my wife and close family would know. Seismic things.

He was unerringly accurate.

Then he told me what was in store for me.

He told me that I had to go to Dallas on the 23rd of November, and stay there for 15 days, and wonderful things would begin to unfold for me. I was to go without money, and stay in a cheap motel. My wife Jennifer could carry money, but I could not.

He said that his reading was that I was a “good soul” who wanted to bring goodness to the world, and in doing that I would quickly amass wealth. Enormous wealth, he said. I would accumulate considerable assets, but I would also be very charitable.

But only if I went to Dallas on November 23rd, without any money, and stayed for fifteen days. If after fifteen days good things started to happen, then I was to stay for a further thirty days. And a further thirty days. For up to eleven years.

He said there were three places on earth where the cosmic rays would shine on me beneficially – Dallas was the most propitious, but then there was a place called Muscogee in Georgia, and Panama. But Dallas was the number one spot.

He said that my period of beneficence started in 2012 – and I had sixteen years. So two years has already elapsed. He told me that if I didn’t want to go, then he would pay for me to go – he felt that strongly that this was the best thing for me.

So what do I do?
Is this man the emissary of my divine guidance?
What would you do?

Here’s what I’m going to do: as soon as he said Dallas, something pinged inside me. I knew immediately that even though I didn’t understand it, even though it made no sense at all, I had to go to Dallas and do exactly what he told me – arrive on November 23rd, get the free airport shuttle, stay in a cheap motel, and trust that the “cosmic rays” will shine down on me.

I have now been walking for a month, and expect to walk for about the same.

I am at Santo Domingo de la Calzada, easing into the Meseta, which I will always consider as being the physical heart of the Camino, and as the core of the Camino as I love it most.

As a most delightful surprise, the two Spanish Pilgrims that I met on my first day out of Monaco, at Saint-Gilles near Arles after my train journey, are here, and it is joyous to see them again after a month of hiking.

These two brave young men started from Rome, and BTW walked through Monaco, so that it is a strong Sign to meet them now again here at my own symbolic half way point. There is a sense of fullness to this meeting along the Way, and a sense that we are not here simply walking on our own random and disconnected pathways.

This day feels like a renewal, and as somewhere to both continue and to start again, and like the end of the first part of my current Francès.

The Meseta awaits, and I feel an oncoming change in the weather.

The Toad awaits too, alongside his lovely wife, and tonight’s surprise encounter with these old friends here can surely only bode well for Moratinos …

Today has been two separate days in fact – the first half was spent up at Santa Cruz at the Yoga Institute. The second half was spent on Chowpatty Beach in amongst the craziness of Ganpati.

Here are a few images for starters:

It was an early start to get to the Yoga Institute by 8:30am – because we knew the traffic coming back would be madness, with everyone descending on the south of Bombay for the Ganpati celebrations in the afternoon and into the night.

We filmed at the Institute until about 1pm – and I did a truly wonderful interview with the Institute’s director, a very wise and compassionate woman who spoke about intuition with conviction, passion and knowledge.

The Institute seems like it hasn’t changed all that much since it was established nearly 100 years ago. We also filmed in the library, which contains the original handwritten manuscripts of Yogananda. I sat there in the library and read these tiny scribblings and marvelled at how what he wrote about is still relevant today.

We then headed back down to our hotel – I downloaded and backed up all the footage, then Jennifer and I went to lunch. We were told of a small “veg” restaurant about half a mile up the road from where we were staying. It turned out to be amazing.

We had a simple meal of spinach and white cheese, dhal, a spicy cauliflower curry, and naan fresh from the wood fired stone oven. With drinks the whole meal cost $12 for the two of us – and it was truly delicious.

We then set off down towards the beach – walking about 4kms past the Banganga Tank, and all the while coming across Ganeshas being prepped to take down to the beach, with youths banging drums and everyone dancing – with loud firecrackers going off incessantly.

By the time we got to the beach there must have been close to a million people there – with another one to two million in the surrounding streets.

The Ganesh statues – some of them huge – were being transported to the beach on the backs of trucks. There they were lifted down then put on trollies to wheel them down the beach to the sea, where they were to be immersed.

I can only but try to describe the spectacle of it all – the energy and the mass of bodies and the majesty of these enormous states seemingly moving of their own accord through the seething throng down to the water’s edge.

As the light dropped the statues got bigger, and so too the crowds. Somehow the police managed to keep everyone moving and safe – and I would have to say that it goes down as perhaps the most tumultuous religious ceremony I’ve ever attended. Not that I actually attend that many…

So the day started in peace and tranquility, and ended in loud boisterous tumult.

That’s India for you.

Billionaires are strange people.

Extraordinary people.

And always fascinating.

I’m fortunate to know a few – I wouldn’t say I know them well enough to have them on my speed dial, but each time I meet with one I come away learning something new.

Last night Jennifer and I had dinner with one – our second dinner in two days with this fellow who has assets that are measured in billions. He’s a charming urbane and well educated man, who at his core is also deeply spiritual.

His name is Bimal, and he has his Doctorate in Business Management, on top of a law degree. He says that he’s never borrowed a rupee in his life – he has an aversion to spending money – it makes him shudder to even hand over 100 rupees in cash ($2) – so he always uses a credit card, that way he can’t actually see the physical money.

He must pay off his credit card within the allotted time because he says he’s stayed out of debt his entire life. If he doesn’t have the money to buy something, or to invest, he doesn’t do it. When he does invest it’s his money at stake, and so he’s very careful.

He and his two partners run 145 corporations, covering insurance, banking, finance, media and development. He says he doesn’t go into a business unless he’s certain that he can at least double his money within twelve months.

His finance companies lend to real estate developers at a minimum of 36% interest. If they default he takes their properties. His current project is online gaming. He has acquired the Intellectual Property Rights to a game that is hugely popular in India, that’s played in the streets. He is applying for a gaming license – he already has the software program constructed – and if he’s successful in getting the license and proceeding with his venture, then he will take 2.5% of every transaction, worth more than US$250 billion per year.

He lives in a $15m apartment with his wife and one son, aged twenty. They have water views from almost every window. The apartment, while comfortable and in one of the most prestigious blocks in Mumbai, is not what you’d call luxurious. There are no extravagant demonstrations of wealth.

He dedicates three full days to his family – Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday nights they all go to the movies together. His son will soon do a law degree in an Ivy League university in the United States. Then he’ll return and join his father in helping run the business.

Bimal mostly catches cabs around town. He walks out of his gated tower block and hails a cab off the street, to save money. When his driver takes him around town, it’s usually in a regular Toyota 4WD, however he has in his garage a Rolls Royce, a S-Class Mercedes and a 7 Series BMW.

He is a strong believer in Astrology, and does astrological charts for family and friends. He makes key business decisions based on astrology and his astral body, which is what he calls his Higher Self. This is where he gets his intuitive insights.

He meditates twice each day – always at the same time – and he believes in the pranayamic principle of alternate nostril breathing.

He is sharp, shrewd, charming, and has a short attention span. He’s fiercely intelligent, and his mind makes immediate leaps, as though his comprehension is so fast his thoughts can’t keep up with what he’s saying or doing.

For some reason he likes Jennifer and me.

Actually, he told me he likes me because unlike most people, I don’t ask him for anything. And it’s true, I don’t. All I want from him is the personal experience – and to gain a greater understanding of Indian culture.

He’s been enormously generous with his time, and we can’t leave his apartment without our bellies full of the most glorious Indian food, cooked by his trained chef.

I like Bimal. He is a wonderfully complex and delightful man. I would be terrified to do business with him. His wife Sonal and son Aadityja are both wonderful as well.

Jennifer and I both feel very privileged to have their friendship.

Sunday morning here in Bombay, and so Jennifer and I went for a walk.

Our plan was to walk about 4kms to a mosque called Haji Ali, which is on a rock about half a kilometre from shore. You get to it by walking out along a raised concrete pathway, which is usually full of vendors selling souvenirs, or beggars showing off their deformities.

When we set off it was hot and sweltering – luckily though we’d taken rain jackets because soon it began raining globs of water the size of golfballs. In between rain spells I stopped and took photos – details which took my eye.

We walked beside a long high wall, which had a canopy over it, and really interesting lights, which looked quite strange against the stripes of the canopy. I took a photo, and immediately a security guard jumped out of nowhere and told me I wasn’t allowed to take photos.

I explained that I was just taking a shot of the lamp – and he told me in no uncertain terms that I had to move on, and photos were not allowed.

he didn’t look the type to argue with – and anyhow I got my shot. But as I walked further on I passed a sign which read: US EMBASSY

Huh… you think they could spring for better goddamn lighting.

When the rain started again we ducked into a small sheltered area off the road, and suddenly found ourselves in a wonderland. It was like we’d walked into a hidden theme park.

The scrappy street outside had transmogrified into a cavern with walls of what looked to be carved stone elephants, with lantern lights which shifted colours constantly. We walked down a long tunnel towards a distant ethereal glow.

As we rounded a corner we were suddenly confronted with the largest elephant we’d ever seen – in fact it was an elephant god on a raised pedestal, bathed in a surreal light. The elephant was adorned with garlands, and several one thousand rupee notes were jammed into folds in its limbs and clothing.

What we had actually stumbled upon was a huge statue of the Hindu god Ganesha, which was being prepared for a massive celebration tomorrow. It’s called Ganpati, or Ganesh Chaturthi. Some simply call it the Immersion Day.

I’ve witnessed it before – several years ago – and it’s extraordinary.

It occurs all over India, but most commonly in the state of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital. It involves the construction of plaster-of-Paris statues of the elephant god, which are housed in elaborately decorated pavilions. These pavilions can be down side alleys, out the front of shops, on in amongst tower blocks.

For ten days prior to the immersion day, people come to the Ganesha and perform ritualistic ceremonies, leave offerings, and pray. Then on the day of the immersion, they will take the statue down to the water and immerse it – allowing the god to sink into the sea, or lake, or river.

The statues are sometimes carried on the shoulders of men, accompanied by bands of youths banging drums and blowing horns. Sometimes the bigger Ganeshas are taken on the backs of trucks, again surrounded by a huge cacophony of banging drums and cymbals and horns.

 In Bombay the action all comes to a spectacular climax at a beach called Chowpaty. Tomorrow there will be literally millions of people crowded there, to both watch the spectacle and to take part. Some of the statues will measure twenty metres high. They’ll be taken down to the shore and then pushed out into sea, where they will slowly sink.

Jennifer and I will be there, and I’ll post pictures afterwards.

We spent about half an hour in the pavilion, watching worshippers and in complete awe of the statue itself, so beautifully made. We then ventured outside, where it was still raining on and off – but decided to keep walking anyway.

We finally came to a large and very famous juice stall called the Haji Ali Juice Centre. There I ordered a freshly squeezed pineapple and pomegranate juice. It cost 150Rp, which is about US$2.50.

By the way, I never worry about getting stomach bugs in India. perhaps because I’ve been here so often now, my system is immune – but within reason I have no problem eating street food, or drinking juice from stands like this one. Mind you, if a place is dirty I avoid it – just like I would in Australia or the US.

We then made our way to the entrance to the mosque, but it was closed. The water was too high, because of storms, and seawater was crashing over the pathway. Not only that but water was flooding the lower levels of the mosque.

I persuaded a guard to take me part the way out, and here are some photos. The storm waters had abated somewhat by the time I took these shots.

We then headed back to the hotel, because I had an interview lined up with my billionaire friend, Bimal. He spoke passionately and fluently about how he uses intuition in his business decision making, and talked at length about astral bodies and astrological cosmic rays. It was a fascinating interview.

Then back again to the hotel, to download the footage, log it all, and prepare for tomorrow, which is going to be a massive day. We have an interview with the Director of the Yoga Institute in the morning, and in the evening the climax of Ganpati, and the immersion ceremony.

Today was fascinating – tomorrow promises to be amazing.