JESUS OF INDIA Chapter 19
The Naked Jain
The Naked JainAs Jesus traveled along the Ganges he witnessed a wide variety of religious beliefs. He experienced tremendous joy watching the religious ceremonies -- some done unobtrusively and others for public consumption. The variety continued to astound him. Over and over again he was refreshed by the tolerance shown to different customs and beliefs. He could see that to truly live, one must let live. After a particularly long day's travel, Jesus came across a white haired man sitting on a rock. The man was naked and carried only a bowl and a brush. He was so thin he looked like a skeleton thinking of returning to life. Parchment-like skin, long white hair, and a white beard that hung to his navel, added to the image of someone ancient, living, but ready for death. Jesus stopped. "What may I provide you with today?" he asked. "If you have any food, that would be appreciated. I have not eaten since yesterday." Jesus threw his donkey's rope around a rock and took some food from his woven cloth pouch. He took out a mango and a papaya, and a starchy substance, cooked yet hard, which traveled well. He placed these in the man's bowl and sat beside him while he ate. When he was through Jesus asked, "What is your practice?" For it was obvious that this man was on some kind of a spiritual quest. "I am a Jain. I gave up everything three years ago to travel naked, beg for food and meditate." "And what have you found?" asked Jesus. "I have found that I can starve, that I can be sore and bug- bitten, and remain bitter despite this practice. In three years I have not yet reconciled with death. Hours and hours of meditation do not bring easy results. Yet, something good has come of this. I have found that I can survive on very little." "What have you discovered from your meditation, anything?" "I have discovered that enlightenment is hard to come by and that I may not be able to do it." "What is enlightenment?" Jesus had his own ideas about this, but it was a matter of common discussion in India. So the question wasn't too personal or out of line. "Enlightenment is a state in which you no longer have any questions. None! A state in which there is no more searching. Where the seeker and the sought are united." "Have you ever reached this state?" "No, but I have met many who have." "Many?" "Yes many." "And do these people have what you desire?" "Yes." "Please, describe these enlightened ones to me." "Well, there is a look in their eyes that is unmistakable. If you see it, you will know they are in a place that is entirely different from others." "Go on." "It's as if they are looking far away, or very deep inside at some internal space, perhaps it is the same space that the universe sits in, but I myself do not know. When these enlightened souls look at you, they see right through you. And yet they are so present when they speak, it's as if they connect with the very core of your soul. Being around them, you hate to leave. You cant explain why, but there is this feeling of love and acceptance in their presence that keeps you there." "So why are you not with one of these men?" "Because another cannot give me enlightenment. I must do the work myself." "How true," said Jesus. "And you," asked the old man, "what are you doing, traveling down this river bank on a donkey?" "I am searching for the same experience as you. But I do not feel the need to give up my clothes, my donkey or the money which buys me food." "I do not judge you for that," said the white haired Jain. "Neither do I judge you," said Jesus. "Do you expect to find this state?" asked the naked man. "I am not sure one can find it. One can look, and there is satisfaction in looking, but the state of which you speak, I believe, just happens of its own accord. Like a fruit, it drops when it is ripe. So, I cannot say that I am searching, but I am ripening." "I like that. I like the way you put it. You have a way with words. You should be a teacher." "To teach is admirable, but to listen and to learn is also admirable." "So it is." The rest of the day passed and Jesus felt no desire to leave this naked, withered, white haired man. Jesus felt this man could save him years of search. So Jesus decided to spend some time with him. "What is your name?" asked Jesus. "Neti Behapho," said the man. "Well Neti, do you mind if I spend some time with you? Maybe we can ripen together?" "My vow is to be alone. But neither can I refuse you. So, if you follow where I go, we will be together." "Very well," said Jesus, "I will follow you." "You must stay alert," said the old man, "for when I leave, I will not call you." "I will remain alert. You will not catch me sleeping." And so a deal of sorts was struck. The man sat on the rock all day and mediated. Jesus did the same. Eventually, Jesus grew tired and lay down to sleep. The old man remained still, seated in a lotus position. Jesus slept until he heard some movement. Peeking through one open eye, Jesus saw the old man get up and start off down a path into the jungle. The sun was just coming up and Jesus followed. The man made no acknowledgment of Jesus' presence as he continued on the path. The man walked all day, stopping only to pick berries and fruit. Jesus followed suit and learned that there were many fruits and vegetables that could be eaten along the way. Sometimes they passed groups of women carrying firewood or water on their heads. The women looked at them, sometimes they giggled, smiled and turned their heads. But not always -- they were used to such sights, but Jesus could see that the old man's nakedness did touch some part of them. For two weeks the old man walked. Jesus stayed with him even though he had to give up his donkey along the way. When the old man stopped, they talked. Neti told Jesus that he was going to some caves, deep in the jungle, where only ascetics lived, meditating day and night. "This," said Neti, "is where you will find yourself." Jesus listened and did not choose to argue. He was open to whatever was there to be experienced. Over the next few days the ground grew more rocky and the vegetation less dense. Suddenly, they topped a ridge, and there, across a deep ravine, Jesus saw some thirty to fifty caves opening from the mountainside. There were smoking fires in front of many of them and the smell of simple food wafted up to where they stood. "This," said Neti, "is the Place of the Living Dead." "What does that mean?" asked Jesus. "It means that these people have been written off as dead by their families. They have renounced everything and come here to meditate until they die or reach nirvana. Only a few know this place. You must not tell another soul unless you feel they will respect this attitude. I feel you will, therefore I have brought you here. I did not invite you, but you have followed. You will have the peace here to find what you are looking for." Neti and Jesus strolled down the hill and into the camp. No one came rushing up to greet them. No one even smiled to acknowledged their presence. Except for a turned head here and there, Jesus wouldn't have known that these men even noticed him. "We must search for an empty cave," said Neti. Jesus followed Neti as he walked up and down the narrow paths, peeking into the mouths of the caves. Finally, Neti said, "I think we may use this one. Do you see that no fire has been lit here in a long time?" "Yes. I trust your judgment," said Jesus. Neti instructed Jesus to go get some straw and tie up one end so they could use it as a broom. Having done this, Jesus swept the small cave clean. The floor was stone, as were the walls, and it was cool inside out the heat. "You may now meditate in peace without disruption as many hours a day as you like," said Neti. With that, he sat down in a lotus position and closed his eyes. Jesus sat for awhile and then went out to wander around the camp. He saw numerous men, most of them naked, some with only loin cloths doing various small chores or meditating. There were nods of the head from a few, but other than a mumble, nothing was said. Jesus spent the next six months meditating and getting to know the men of the camp. What Jesus noticed was that these men were deadly serious. They truly had given up everything. Jesus was glad that he was here at a young age. That way, he hoped, "I will learn how to live my life before I am too old." Jesus was amazed and appalled at the same time by what he saw in the camp. He did not see many young men sitting in or around the caves. Most were over thirty-five. He thought, "It must take a man a few years to get dissatisfied with the life he has put together. Then, to escape, he comes here." But Jesus wanted to start his adult life from a point of deep internal reflection now. Most
of the men were thin to the point of looking death right in the
eye - living skeletons, with only a token coating of flesh. Many
of them meditated so many hours a day that they hardly recognized
anyone, even those they had been sitting next to for years. Very
few of them noticed Jesus as he walked around. So Jesus had ample
opportunity to look and listen. He found that he could approach most of these men and sit quietly in front of them as long as he liked. In doing this, Jesus was able to get a good look at their condition. In examining their facial expressions, he could get a feel for where they were emotionally. Jesus did not want to end up in this condition, still searching, when he was old. One day, Jesus asked Neti, "What are all the buzzards doing sitting on that ridge of the cliff, there above the caves?" Neti
explained, "When one of these men die, the body is taken up
to the ridge and left on a large flat rock. The buzzards clean the
body in a matter of hours. There's no mess, no stink, no fuss. It
saves time and effort for there are no burials here. It is assumed
by all who die here that they are not the body anyhow, so what
happens to it is of no consequence." "But what about the relatives?" asked Jesus. "Most relatives have long ago given up on the whereabouts of these men. Often, these men haven't spoken to anyone in years. Who's to know?" In time Jesus observed that this was true. He even helped carry several bodies up to the rock. One time Jesus stood close by and watched the buzzards as they picked a body clean. Although it was difficult, it brought detachment, which gave Jesus the capacity to see from a mental distance. It certainly gave him a perspective the average person wouldn't easily grasp. It also allowed him to understand the perspective of the great yogis. Neti and Jesus stayed, settled in their cave, and no one challenged their claim. Later, they learned that some months prior to their arrival, an ancient yogi who had been there for years, had died. Interestingly, the way the men lived here, once a body was gone, there was not much left to show that the man had ever existed. Jesus meditated several hours a day, but he did take breaks to wander, to eat and sleep. Some of these men never did. Jesus did not practice severe deprivation trying to prove that he was worthy of God. For some of these men did torture themselves. Some had atrophied limbs because they had not used them for years. One group had held their right arms raised above their heads for so many years that their limbs were totally atrophied. They pointed like sticks at the sky, stiff and useless from their shoulders. "Was this what God wants?" Jesus thought. One day, in wandering around the camp, Jesus wandered deep into a cave that seemed to have a number of inhabitants. This was unusual, as most of the men here lived alone. Jesus approached in order to see why these men were together. He had seen these men individually about the camp, so they did not stop him from approaching. Jesus found himself deep inside the cave where he stumbled into a room lit with candles and oil lamps. Several men, stooped over crude yet sturdy desks, were writing text. Jesus
approached respectfully, and standing next to one man, watched as
he wrote. After a while the man looked up quizzically. "What
are you writing?" Jesus asked. "I am writing the history of these men, how they live, what they do, what they experience, what they say." "How wonderful! It is so good that you do this. Are you assigned by the government or some authority to do this?" "No, I and these others here have taken this task upon ourselves. You see, we do not have the stamina to sit as they do, but we would like to record what we can of what they achieve for posterity's sake. What is discovered here may be of value to many long after they are gone. This method is how we come to have the Vedas. Someone took the time to write what the sages spoke." "I see," said Jesus. "For us, we value so much what these men say, that we write it down and study it. I guess we're the intellectuals. We call our work Jnana Yoga, for we use the thinking mind. Jnana means, `the path of knowledge or self inquiry.' We don't meditate by the hour, but use our thinking mind. But we can learn from these meditaters. We do not want to loose what they discover, for they would never write it down. Their words recorded here make faster progress for those of us who like to read. We just happen to like the intellectual challenge. Sitting is too boring. A number of the men who have lived here have reached enlightenment. We don't have the heart for constant sitting, but we are good observers and recorders." "You have texts of their experience and thought?" "Oh yes, many of them." "And what would one have to do to be able to read them?" "First you must be of service." "Is there anything I can do to be of service?" The old clerk thought for a moment, then said, "Yes, we will be needing more supplies soon, pens, ink and parchment. You could fetch them for us. There is a village two days from here where they can be bought. If you would make a trip for us to get them, we would gladly let you read the texts." "I will do so," said Jesus. And so it was that Jesus set out on his first trip away from camp in several weeks. He was glad to do so, for although he enjoyed meditation, he was young and craved experience. The clerks had given him funds, food and the name of a merchant in Topa. The only restriction Jesus was given was to be sure he did not talk about the whereabouts of the caves. "Only few know of our existence and we do not want crowds," said the clerk. Jesus agreed to this and set off for Topa. It was good to be away from the camp. Jesus enjoyed the jungle, the screech of monkeys, the songs of birds and the villagers he passed. After the second day, as he approached Topa. He began to see men and women gathering wood, fruit and wild greens. He was able to talk and speak with people that were open and friendly. He was given directions to the merchant, Bingwa's stall. Jesus found the stall and purchased his goods. But Jesus stayed in the village for several days. He watched the local festivals, the dances, the celebrations. The variety of these he found fascinating. He made friends with a number of families there and they fed him. But, as the supplies were needed by the cave clerks, Jesus left, returning the same way he had come. Having left in the morning, Jesus eventually became aware that a young woman was following him. Finally, he put down the large pack he was carrying and walked back to where he knew the girl was hiding. He found her, squatting behind a large tree. She was thin, wiry, and dark skinned. Her features were delicate. She was poorly dressed, and yet, still attractive. "What are you doing, woman, following me?" She didn't move for a long time, but cowered, staring up at him with large expressive dark eyes. Finally, she spoke. "I have no family in the village. My family drowned in a ferry boat accident and only I am left. We were traveling to a shrine which is not far from here. I am low caste, and no one will take me in. I have nowhere to go. The people of the village only tolerate me. No one wants to feed me or take care of me. I am alone and stranded. No man will even touch me. "At the village I saw you and asked about you. They say you have no one and that you are also alone. Since you have no one, I am following you. I heard that you did not say where you are going, but that it is not too far. Maybe I will fare better there?" "But you cannot follow me! Where I go there are no women!" "But then there must be need of one?" Jesus thought about this before answering. "I don't think so. I really wish you would go back." The woman just shook her head, passively. Jesus could see she wasn't returning to the village, so he took off back down the path, picked up his parcels and proceeded. Periodically he looked back and could see that the woman was still following him. She followed him all day, and as night fell, Jesus turned and motioned to her to catch up with him. She did. "You may come with me," he said. "But you will have to stay on the outskirts of the place I go to. I will come to you if I can get permission for you to stay." "Thank you kind Sir. May I call you by your name? I heard in Topa that you are called Jesus." "Yes, you may call me Jesus. What is your name?" "I am Pupal Murati." "Come Pupal, you may stay close to me tonight." Jesus made a fire and cleared some space for them to sleep. In the morning, Jesus woke early and they continued their journey to the caves. At the ridge above them, Jesus searched until he found a very shallow cave, but high above the others. This cave was not part of the camp. Jesus didn't think Pupal would be noticed here. He took his knife and with sticks and vines, made a gate for the mouth of the cave. "Pupal, you may stay here. I will go on alone to the caves below. I will bring you food. But you cannot come into the camp as they would throw me out." Jesus took the supplies he had purchased and walked back into the camp of caves and yogis. The self appointed clerks were glad to see the supplies, and for the first time, allowed Jesus to actually sit alone and read the texts. What a thrill it was to do so. And so, Jesus learned much in the East which he would later bring to back to Israel. He learned from the texts and he also learned from Pupal. End - chapter nineteen Jesus of IndiaCopyright © 1997, 1998,1999, 2000, 2006 by Maury Lee
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