Pg 1, Tamilnadu Pg 2 Pg 3 Pg 4, Nadi Leaves Pg 5, Temples Kids_School Pg 6, Auro & Ramana Pg 7, Hosts/Final Day Pg 8, Photo Album
We head off in search of my Nadi Leaf. To Vaitheeswarankoil.
The next morning Karupaya cannot adjust to US time, i.e. 9:30a, means 9:30a, and we all laugh together about his sincere effort to counter the cultural momentum he is lived by. And at some level that is not about minutes, all is working out perfectly. We travel for some time. Without a map in front of me my memory is useless. Did we drive for an hour, or four? In any case we arrive at the Center of the Nadi Leaf tradition, Vaitheeswarankoil. Travelers on India's roads, can, I am sure, be mapped like currents in a venturi tube. As we approach each other, we cram autos, trucks, scooters, cows, foot travelers, and a goat now and then, at accelerating speeds all into the two narrow lanes of roadway, and then we spread apart again and speed slows down. Each time, my fight-flight reaction is proven unneeded. Somehow everyone survives and we proceed to, what for me was always, the next roadway crisis. But now we slow and turn off the road into a parking space in front of a small shop advertising Nadi Leaf readings. Ganesh looks at me for some nod to affirm his choice, and I do not provide it. No, this is not the place. I know this, in some way that is only known by the quiet certainty it arrives with. Without question, he returns to the roadway, and a few blocks away we turn into the shop front printed on the web page that has led me since I found it. http://www.srisivanadi.com/
Nadi Leaf readers operate at the level of astrologers as we know them. They provide a service, and get paid for this. They are not at the level of say Priests. In this location the leader. referred to as Guruji, is a Brahman Priest also, and that will provide some benefits later on. He is not present today. I am treated with special attention, I think because I am a tall Yankee, and as such a rather odd presence here. We are ushered into Guruji's clean, air conditioned, and very comfortable, small office. A man, probably a bit less than 40, who has trained for at least 10 years in providing this service begins my reading. Stacks of palm leaves are wrapped with string, book ended with strips of wood. These stacks are filed somewhere based on variations of thumb print designs. It can take up to 4 weeks to locate someone's Nadi Leaf. They find the stack pertaining to my thumb print within 45 minutes. Another roughly hour later we have paged thru 2 and a half bundles of leaves. There are identifiers on each leaf. "Your mother's name is Joyce." No. That leaf if put aside. "You have 2 children." No. That leaf is put aside. In that way we proceed until we arrive at my leaf.
My Nadi Leaf reader. Readers must train 10 years before providing this service. Leaves are stored in bundles, capped with thin boards, and wrapped in string.
The reading was recorded in writing by the young woman at the desk. Later this Tamil version will be translated and mailed to me in US.
Close up of my Nadi Leaf. Script is old Tamil, and in a kind of short hand. The original leaf was written in Sanskrit, and many of these Sanskrit originals still exist in a library in Chennai and/or Tanjour.
The written Tamil report is translated into English for me by this very competent woman, while it is also being recorded on an audio tape that I was presented with at the end of the reading.
Dr. Karupaya, Ambassador, and Ganesh, in courtyard of nearby upscale lodging available, for a modest fee, for Nadi leaf pilgrims. After a few moments of respite here we move on to the local temple.
The Nadi Leaf Reading
"Your mother's name is Gladys. Your father's name is Harry. Your wife's name is Mary. You have 4 children." The number and gender of children from each wife is reported. "You own your own business, in real estate. You will arrive on this date for your reading." I confirm this is me. Over the next 45 minutes, with an audio tape recording of same provided to me before leaving, I hear of my immediate past life and what mistakes from then I am remedying in this life time; I hear of the general success that will follow me the rest of my life, and the few serious financial and physical setbacks in store for me. I am also given the remedies to remove these afflictions from the future. I am told the hour and date and age of my death, and assured I will be conscious to offer my blessings to my assembled close friends and family before I depart. Major details of the 24 years now remaining for me are mentioned, and I am assured I will do much good for many in this life time. I am more detached than I would have thought on hearing that my books will be received well, and I will be invited many places to speak and advise. This is as I had always felt it would be anyway. I had wondered why this sense of my value had not been realized yet at age 60, and was ready to believe this was all dream and not really of this world. I am corrected, and now I will live confident that the song in my heart will be sung and shared for the benefit of many. This is good.
The following day I would tour the three temples as the reading directed, and to satisfy another prescription for well being, I contracted with Guruji, thru his assistant, to perform 96 days of offerings and mantras, culminating in Guruji sending me a copper, mantra-inscribed, amulet to wear around my neck, the rest of my life. This will protect me against negative energy?, words?, forces?, directed towards me. The reading noted that such forces had been impeding me. I was also directed to take 4 Ayurvedic medicines, over a 96 day period, to prevent the health crisis otherwise ahead of me. The search for the medicines was successful, and led me to yet another Ashram, this one in Chennai. But more of that later. The remaining prescription, to buy school uniforms for 60 disabled children, as well as a meal for them, was satisfied as easily as taking a breath. Yes...what wonder. But also, more of this later.
I have no more mental framework to make sense of what happened here than probably any reader of this story does. In this case framework must defer to experience. This happened to me. The palm leaves were undeniably very old. The presentation of the info was of the level of respect one would expect of a sacred experience. The reader, the scribe, the translator, all were unreservedly authentic and humbly serving a purpose they honored. There was no ego enhancing dance by anyone, and the setting did not speak of riches obtained thru a business with a healthy margin. All confirmed that this tradition of 2000 years was real, and although admitting of no comparison to anything else I experienced here or anywhere else, it was a natural part of the culture in which it has lived and served for ages. Now it was part of me.
Vaitheeswaran Temple
Following the reading, Ganesh harvested a few bananas from a local vender, and with hunger in abeyance we stopped by the local motel for bottled water, and then on to the Vaitheeswaran Temple http://www.hindubooks.org/temples/tamilnadu/vaitheeswarankoil/page8.htm. Here Karupaya regaled me with more history of the area, this temple, the symbolic meaning of the deities and their accoutrements. We sat, the lone temple visitors, just he, Ganesh and I, on the edge of the huge temple gatt, just as people had for at least 1500 years, enjoying the approach of dusk, and me answering a hundred questions about what life in US was like. And yes, Dr. Karupaya dreams of a post doc fellowship in Agriculture in the US. And yes, I will make contacts to learn what I can do to help this dream come true. Should I be successful, still the debt I owe this Guardian will not be balanced....such a wonder of details he was able to expose for me.
Vaitheeswaran Temple. Entrance arch. Gatt, also showing two more, larger arches.
Karupaya in veranda surrounding gatt. Detail of sculpture inside of temple grounds.
I have mentioned the well of information that Dr. Karupaya shared. What I have not, and must, mention, is the spirit of this beautiful being. He is a man perfect in modesty; artful in deference, sincere in respect, devotion, and concern. Had he not spoken I would have thought him an impeccable servant to anyone's need, always receding, yet a heartbeat ahead with his protective and furthering actions. But when the moment so invites, the expanse, power, and dexterity of his intellect, while not a badge he displays to the world, shows up with the force of Arjuna. What a wonder this man is.
Returning to Chidambaram. Tsunami, and Relatively Minor Problems For Us
On the ride back to Chidambaram we passed by the area hit hardest by the tsunami, and encountered two unusual road blocks.
From: http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/tsunami-in-india/earthquake/tamilnadu.html
Looking across the nearly unobstructed expanse of rice fields towards the source of the Tsunami, the Sea of Bengal. Note traditional palm leaf houses.
Farmers and fishermen dwell here, and they have created makeshift housing, awaiting new government built homes.
A herder, just off the road slowly being rebuilt.
The Palm Trees were stripped by the torrents of high water.
More sturdy government rebuilt homes for the displaced victims. Two years post Tsunami none of the homes are ready for occupancy.
The Tsunami Memorial, in a field, past the concrete tubes being used in new water management structures.
Of the occasional Indian Army roadblocks we were only waved over once. It was taking some time to get cleared, so I, posing as the innocent tourist, decided to motivate the officers to be exemplary by putting them on record. No one seemed to notice me, but we were soon released without further delay.
Further down the road, there really wasn't much I could do to move this fellow, all of half the elephants I saw on my trip.
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