One thing I said to myself when returning to India is that I am NOT going to, definitely NOT and most certainly NOT going to, Kolkatta.

Right.

So how did I change my mind and end up in Kolkatta? It had to be for one good reason and one reason only. That was, to visit with Dipa Ma's only daughter Dipa.
Let it be known I am prone to changing my mind as well as not going any where unless I have a good purpose. Sure, it's nice to bum around and be a bit of a wanderer but after a while that makes me a litle nervous. So going to Kolkatta was not to see another dirty Indian city. Besides which I had been a little scared off by the city when I heard that one yogini was fondled by men in the streets! This memory was revisited when the woman at the airport check-in counter looked at me with curiosity when I said I was going to Kolkatta.

“Oh, Dum-Dum city,” she said "Kolkatta's other name."

My interest lay not in being a tourist or a well-wisher but in geniunely visitng someone who knew Dipa Ma intimately. Who would be closer than a relative? My only purpose was then to meet Dipa; an unknown woman to many people today but the only daughter of Dipa Ma, a Buddhist nun and Burnese woman.

Dipa Ma herself was a very rare and special woman as she was understood to have entered several stages of enlightenment. But perhaps even more important was that she studied and practised meditation at a time when women were not recognized for doing so and to some degree frowned upon. She also developed incredible insight and knowledge after enduring many hardships that included the death of her husband dying, a child and a severe illness.

Today in the United States there are several well-known meditation teachers who had the special privilege of studying under Dipa Ma. She was a true and authentic teacher who was not seeking fame, fortune or popularity. When she died in the late 90’s there were about 400 students who came to Kolkatta to pay their respects. Some of her more prominent students are Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Like the Buddha, she believed that if you did not reach one of stage of enlightenment you had wasted your human birth. And since obtaining a human birth is extremely precious one should not squander it, as it is understood.

Getting to Dipa, however, was a bit of a jigsaw puzzle because I first had to figure out where she lived, if she was available and how to get there. I first contacted one of Dipa Ma's first students Sharon Salzberg. She suggested I write to the director of the Insight Meditation Center who suggested I contact one of the teachers who suggested I write to her grand-son.

(God, I thought, will I ever get there?)

Back and forth with e-mails and finally to Rishi, her grandson, I received firm directions on how to get there as well as a warm welcome that Dipa would be so happy to meet me.

Wonderful! This was reassuring news, because my travel partner felt I might be seen as a noisy tourist. I might be a curious Joe, but I am definitely not noisy.

Getting to India involved first getting to Delhi, a 17 hour flight. I rested at the Maidens hotel for about 6 hours and headed out the next evening for a 17 hour train to Kolkatta. (As an aside, the Maidens Hotel is an old colonial-style hotel that was established in 1903. I have stayed there regularly since 2000 and it remains one of my favourite heritage hotels in India. With high ceilings, white columns and even a few friendly faces that remember me, it is always a treat.)

One thing I never seem to be too practical about is the length of time it takes to get from A to B in India. I imagine it is doable but the reality is something else. Because spending the entire day travelling leaves you spending the next day resting. At any rate, by the time this entire Indian trip is over I will have gone from one end of India to the other and sideways.

I wonder, how many kilometers is that?

Anyway, notwithstanding the fact that Kolkatta is another dirty, ridiculously overcrowded and congested city, it is the city of lovers, poets, mystics and great saints. I could dream about these facts on the train ride there. Many important persons have spent a great deal of time in Kolkatta such as Mother Theresa, Swami Vivekananda and his Master Ramakrishna. The latter, a great saint and self-realized man, spent 16 years at the Dakshineswar temple in Kolkatta.

In this temple, which we had a chance to visit are 13 inner cells dedicated to Lord Shiva and an inner one to Kali (the black goddess). The temple is situated near the Ganges where Ramakrishna experienced many spiritual visions in uniting all religions. Unlike many other temples throughout India, this is the places where non-Hindus many also enter the inner sanctum.





On the way to Kolkatta was in the first class coach train. The level or quality of first class is entirely questionable but okay it was better than the cattle car. First we received a wilted rose, a paper wash cloth, small juice and a snack before dinner at 8 p.m. Dinner was not so bad and consisted of rice, sambar and samosa. Breakfast was, however, horrible. It was 4 fresh fries (literally), 2 vegetable cutlets (they looked like they were dead), mouldy toast (and that was after I had taken a bite) and instant coffee. Talk about spoiling the diet regime of healthy living. My companion seemed pretty good with that. I tossed them aside.

Kolkatta Train Station


Upon arrival in Kolkatta and generally being harassed by every richshaw driver available we drove 3 hours to the right and left to take a look at 3 different hotels. According to the Internet they were ‘lovely.’ In reality, they were shitty. Nothing but run down and completely in the middle of nowhere. We ended up driving all the way back to the left and right and settled in on a very nice resort. Our first choice anyway!

Spa Towels


After my wonderful train breakfast (read above if you skipped to here) and the miscellaneous drive out to no-where it was a pleasure to be greeted with flowers, towels and massage treatments. That evening I nervously called Dipa. She was soft and tender hearted as she wondered if we would stay for lunch.

"Lunch? Wow, we would love it."

On the following as we drove out to see see Dipa it rained and rained. Because of this we were about an hour late. When I called Dipa to tell her she seemed to think we were NOT coming.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO", I said on the mobile. I thought this will be terrible if she just disappears on us.

When we finally arrived Dipa had waited the entire time outside for us in the rain at the subway station near to her apartment. Apart from the rain, however, we were also up against at few other obstacles...

Too many animals


Dipa still resides in the same home that her mother Dipa Ma was living and past away in. I found this so beautiful as we sat in the very room that she greeted many foreigners in, meditated and eventually passed away in. Many Western students have written about how the room was very small but had an incredible feeling of lightness and space. It was but so much more.

Inside of Dipa's home


Yes, a small room, simply decorated but with a big, big heart. It had an extremely good feeling of comfort, ease and peace. Several meaningful pictures of family, monks, teachers and the Buddha also brought life to this simple, quiet room.

There is probably so much more that I could share about my visit with Dipa. However, I think the only important part worth mentioning is how exceptionally kind she was. She offered her bed to me to rest, served lunch and talked about her mother in a gentle way. At one point she started to weep and said,

“I lost a gem in my mother, my only friend.”

In that moment I felt deeply for her as I tried to understand her loss as best as I could, which really was not much more than a stranger. These are such personal matters that I do not think anyone can rightfully say they understand. And frankly, I can't believe it could be any other way.



After I met Dipa it felt so very right that I had made these steps toward her. She is a small woman, but a strong one. When our visit came to an end she walked us back to the taxi where the driver was waiting for us. Even in spite of the busy traffic with cars, taxis, cows, bicycles and of course the goats, Dipa stood out like a light. She waved good-bye and said gently, “I will miss you.”

With Dipa and apartment pics



I still see her standing there. We parted but as I took a few steps away, I looked back. She was looking back too and waved again. I waved again and tried to memorize that fleeting moment of good-bye in my heart.