We have been in Benares for over a month now and life has continuously been interesting, time flying by. My Belgium friends Peet and Miek are also still here. We all planned to be long gone. But it seems this ancient town has put a magic spell on us……

Every day starts with watching the sunrise and practicing yoga in the early hours. Every free moment of the rest of the day is filled with studying the Baghvad Gita. An amazing book that inspired great people like Gandhi to make the best of time on earth, living a useful and fulfilling life by making use of personal qualities. It is practical wisdom, an inspiration for every action based on deep knowledge of the self and the world.

Every afternoon we take a little rowing boat to the other side of the holy Ganges. Our boatman Bappoo waits for us alongside Assi ghat*, the busy cremation place of Benares where piles of wood are burning dead bodies all day. We step carefully into the clean, small boat and silently Bappoo takes us to the other side. He says nothing but his eyes seem to know all. Maybe the river taught him many things words cannot conceive. On the other side of the river awaits for us a different world, far away from busy city life. First we walk over the river sand, feeling like Bedouins in the desert. Old clothes are scattered around, sometimes a dead body wrapped up in blankets. In the monsoon all this sand is part of the river. Now it is no mans land, used by the very poor to cultivate cucumbers, by the children to play football.

After a 20 minutes’ walk we arrive at a small brick house, surrounded by sand, trees and only the sound of birds singing. Here we have our Indian philosophy lessons, given by our gifted teacher Sanat. He devotes his life to gain and share knowledge, was able to recite the Sanskrit Baghvad Gita by heart at the age of 11, already then understanding it’s deep meaning. He is so driven by what he does, he can pass nights without sleep. Besides being both student and teacher, he is also a good businessman, his philosophy of life is not only based on higher truth but also on successfully living in the world. He is helping Mieke and Peter who have been trying to buy land in Benares for some time now. There eye fell on a beautiful spot by the river, wanted by many. The land is owned by five brothers and until now every deal has failed because of problems between them. Sanat got them together and being both convincing and charismatic in his negotiations, the land has never come so close to be sold.

After philosophy class we play a game of football with the young students, keeping mind and body in balance. Then we head back to Bappoo once again. While the sun slowly disappears behind the skyline of Benares, we slowly reach the other side of the river, where the busy ghats are waiting, the burning of the bodies still continuing, life and death being so close together.

We feel lucky to live a good life, every day interesting things happening that make you wonder, make you feel truly alive. Bappoo helps us out of the boat, we say goodbye by putting the hand on the heart and giving a respectful nod with the head to each other. Bahoud acha din he. Such a beautiful day.

* Ghats are steps leading into the river, being used for worship, bathing, washing clothes, etc.