Love Everyone: Parvati Markus

I picked this book in one of the bookstores on the banks of the River Ganges in Rishikesh. I was quite surprised by the eclectic collection of books in this store. Bookstores, no matter where they are located - either in big urban cities or remote villages - seem to always be updated with the contemporary themes.

The book is a tribute to Neem Karoli Baba, a renowned Indian Guru from the 1960s, and chronicles, through personal stories, his profound impact on many spiritual seekers from the west.  A bunch of hipsters traveling to India in exploration of exotic spirituality, guided by the intensity of their energy. A common theme bound all of them. They were all seekers who were dealing with the emotional traumas in their own unique ways. It is somewhat ironic that I heard about Neem Karoli Baba only after starting my yoga practice and living outside India for many years. Having solo traveled in different parts of the world and having interacted with many seekers, the stories from the book came to life for me. For these people, it was the start of a life-long affair into Indian ways of dealing with life, spirit, emotions, and death. The devotion was so strong that they wholeheartedly surrendered to Baba's mystical powers. Many of them were able to channelize this deep devotion through their work. Their honesty and love guided them for the rest of their lives. Many structured their thoughts well, wrote well, sang well and photographed well and took this work to the West. Some of  these individuals - most notably Ram Das, Krishna Das and Larry Brilliant - gained international acclaim and emerged as the torchbearers of Neem Karoli Baba’s lineage in the West.

Every country has a unique personality which becomes the pull for the broader world. For India it has always been its spiritual magnetism. No other country provides the frameworks to answer life’s existential questions in such a deep and holistic way. Wanderers come here seeking an anchor, even though their innate temperament is to flow, a profound paradox. This craving to go deeper, good or bad, becomes a lifelong addiction. And once that intensity touches them there is no going back.