Before making the trip to the Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, I had seriously questioned my decision to do so. I had never been to Ujjain, and I did not know a single person there. I had no idea where I would stay or who I would meet. However, I held on to the words of my secretary, DeAnn, when she told me to follow my heart. My heart voted “yes,” and as I reflect back 40 years later, I understand that this trip was a moment of significant transformation in my life. It was more than just a trip, it became an internal pilgrimage.
My experiences in Ujjain allowed me to set aside the prejudices that had been formed through my Western education. I no longer felt superior to those who embraced age-old beliefs and traditions, and I discovered a new respect for those who, before arriving in Ujjain, I had considered illiterate and superstitious. The time spent at the Mela helped me understand that I had to return to “kindergarten” in order to learn. I was the student, not the teacher. A new sense of humility began to emerge.
As I look back, it is clear to me that, before making this trip, I had been afraid of returning to my roots and that such an experience would mean that I would get lost and possibly make dangerous mistakes. However, my encounter with the sorcerer, Mr. K, helped to dissolve that fear. I felt that a long-held weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
Throughout my stay in Ujjain, an uncanny thing had happened. Anything that I would think about would materialize almost immediately. Anyone I was hoping to meet would miraculously appear. If I had been hoping to go someplace, without realizing it, I soon would be there. The moment I felt hungry, someone would ask if they could bring me food. There were too many of these incidents to consider them as coincidences. It was as if I were “Alice in Wonderland,” experiencing a different dimension in which minds communicate without words. It was a feeling of mystery, as if someone were trying to educate me. It felt as natural as a breath of fresh air or sunshine.
All of this helped me understand the power of my thoughts, which led to an extreme sense of responsibility. I understood that my thoughts had to be focused and should not be wasted. Just as positive thoughts could materialize, negative thoughts could bring harm and had the power to carry me down a path that I did not wish to travel. Constant awareness of thoughts was critical.
Prior to my trip to Ujjain, I would have discarded all of these experiences and my subsequent reflections as “dangerous for human consumption.” But they turned out to be another piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
My pilgrimage to the Ujjain Kumbh Mela had opened a new door through which I could travel safely.
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