Dhamma Giri

Here I am in the bustling metropolis of Igatpuri-- *joke*-- really it’s like a one horse town or maybe one and half. I got into the center compound a couple days ago and just left to go to this nearby town and check some email now. It is a dusty, small, and likely rather poor town that just so happens to be extremely blessed by its proximity to such a powerful and pure place. I was on the three hour train trip from Bombay, people asking where I was off to and when saying "Igatpuri" (and learning where exactly the emphasis goes in this word) they smiled and said, "Ah, Dhammagiri, dhammagiri." Not knowing exactly where the stop was and Indian railways not having the luxury of announcements or even non-Hindi placards, my first glimpse was literally of the two golden gleaming pagoda tops of Giri and Tapovan. I grabbed my bags and headed out, taking an autorickshaw to the compound. I set my bags down and went into a private meditation hall for the 6 pm sit. Dhamma Giri is currently totally closed down due to the 45 day course going on now, so we were using one of the many alternate halls that exist.

The next day I awoke from the hard concrete "bed", a pleasant chill in the air, and after sitting and breakfast had a walk around to discover the lower grounds of Dhamma Tapovan, where I’ll be sitting. I took in the first view of the pagoda structure and cells and was in a state of total awe and reverence. What a place! Beautiful flowers and trees all around, but of course it’s the purity of the place that is so special. Walking through the ornate Burmese style gates with such phrases as "MAY YOU GROW IN DHAMMA" and snapping many photos, then doing a little Dhamma service before checking in my passport and valuables.

It feels somewhat like a self-containing mini Dhammic city. Leaving the dusty and noisy Igatpuri one finds an enormous "Myanmar Gate" that looks to be 40 feet tall or so, and is an _expression of gratitude to the country for preserving this technique. A Buddha Park is under construction, as is a monument honoring Ashoka. Then one winds up the forested road to the office area where hoards of Indians are working in all kinds of capacities, doing all kinds of things, from driving very vehicles, sifting rice and cooking food, administrative, VRI (Vipassana Research Institute) offices, etc. There is even an onsite bookstore with very well-priced Dhamma books! I am staying for now in a dorm with the Pali students, those here for an academic year to study Pali language. Meal times are set and segregated and enormous amounts of vegetarian food and super sweet chai is served. There are even security officers with a VIA (Vipassana International Academy) badge and wheel of Dhamma logo, and they join our daily sittings! See the Dhamma van to the left...

The setting is so peaceful. But also very strong and supportive as well, which increases as one approaches a pagoda. There are also a series of bungalows on the grounds where some ATs and old students have purchased flats, and a new Dhamma Tapovan II is currently under construction. I saw some AT friends from Japan that I hadn’t seen for some time and have some other friends arriving today. And many people here from around the world, it is really so inspiring to come to a place like this and see what it has become. It must be like a Catholic going to the Vatican or Muslim making the Haj, but of course this has the added bonus of mental purification J

Well, back to Igatpuri and the center now, through the wandering cows and goats in the street and hordes of smiling young children asking "and Sir may I ask what is your good name?"… Below, here is a photo of some of the laborers constructing a brick wall and making a gutter for the huge floods that come during the monsoon season....

For photos of Dhamma Giri/Dhamma Tapovan, click here!