What started as an assignment for my Comparative Religions class, turned into a journey that may be lifelong. My first thought was to study, and attend a gathering, of the Buddhist religion. Because I live in the Verde Valley, I searched for a gathering of Buddhist there. Sedona overflows with diversity in religions. There are Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, Mormons, Jewish and on and on. I found a Stupa in Sedona and decided to go there. This is where my journey took a drastic change.
I was not sure what to expect when I got there, but as a drove to the location the road turned to red dirt and had been nearly washed out by this year’s monsoon season. There was an empty dirt area for me to park my car then I followed the empty path a few hundred yards until it opened into another clearing and in front of me was the Stupa. I stood in awe. There this monument to Buddha stood in the middle of a silent clearing with the beautiful red rocks in the back drop. When I got there it was empty, so I read the signs in front of the Stupa. As directed I walked around the Stupa clockwise three times giving my prayers to the heavens. After I finished reading the signs posted I learned that Stupas were monuments to honor Buddha and offer thanks and material offerings. There were gifts in front of the Stupa ranging from money to medals and jewelry. After I finished lifting my prayers I stood there for a while wondering where this journey was going to take me next. This peaceful place was not what I expected (to be honest I was looking for tourist snapping pictures and a gift shop selling mini Buddhas), but I loved every minute. I could in that moment see myself returning time and time again. I finished reading the literature posted on bulletin boards next to the Stupa and wrote down the address to the Vedic Cultural Center that sponsored the Stupa.
My next stop was the Vedic Cultural Center. Again not what I expected. I did not do know that I was going to end up at the Vedic Center so I did not have the chance to look up their website or get any information. I followed the directions given at the Stupa and was looking for a tall temple that looked like it belonged in India. Next to the Sedona Public Library, is an old house with no clear markings or road signs in front. This is the Sedona Center of Vedic Culture. I walked (cautiously) up to the front door and took note of the peaceful garden and birdbath in front, the several ohm symbols hanging in the windows and on the door, and the sign that asked me to remove my shoes. I removed my shoes, but no one answered the door. On the small white board I left my name and number with a note that just said “just looking for information”.
I half expected to never hear back, again I was surprised with not more than an hour later I got a call back. I was at work so whoever it was left a message, then followed it with a text. The message encouraged me to come back to the center that night (Wednesday) at 6:30 pm for a Santsang. The text message ended with the word “Namaste”. The word warmed my heart, I don’t know why but it seemed to convey more than just a common greeting, it seemed to say to me “you are welcome here”.
That night I returned to the center, along with more than twenty or thirty other gatherers. A man greeted everyone at the path with his hands clasped and a bow. “Namaste” he said over and over again, the greeting was returned. When I approached, I swear he knew who I was. He greeted me and said, “I am Dasarath and I am very glad you decided to join us. I hope that you find what you are looking for and I hope you find it here.” The Santsang began meditation inside the house. The gatherers sat on the floor and the musician sat on platform slightly elevated from the rest of the gatherers. I struggled to keep an open mind during the meditation and focus on the beautiful music that led the meditation. My thoughts kept wandering to the faith I was raised in and what they would think if they saw me sitting in a Vedic Center. I imagined my mother being disgusted and the other members of our church shaking their head and saying they would pray for my soul. In the midst of all of these thoughts I felt draw to this feeling of peace and contentment. Later, when I spoke with Dasarath he told me that it would take several meditations and Santsangs for me to be able to absorb the information and benefit from the meditations.
After the meditation Dasarath spoke to the group about Vedic culture and beliefs. That night he spoke about compassion and inner peace. He asked that everyone greet the world with thoughts of love and gratitude. My mind wandered as I watched the others in the room absorb his words. His message was brief, but seemed to be impactful to the gatherers in the room. Afterwords we enjoyed a vegetarian meal and while the rest of the gatherers watched a film, I spoke with Dasarath on a more personal level. My intention was to ask him about the Vedic belief system, but then our conversation turned to my own spiritual journey. He told me that the Vedic culture was a culmination of the Indian cultures and was a sort of precursor to Hinduism. They follow the teachings of Buddha and the principles of Hinduism.
This exploration was become so much more than a research assignment for me. This coming Friday Dasarath and I will me for lunch, to explore on a deeper level what really brought me there and what my heart is looking for. I could have gone to a Methodist Church or Lutheran Church, both would have been more closely in line with my baptized faith, but instead I ended up on the other side of the world (figuratively speaking) looking for self acceptance and peace.
