Reflections on taking my first steps in Jaisalmer: there really are so many… cows here. Calling it “bull city” would probably work. Cattle are worshipped in India through Hindu tradition, making them sacred animals in this land. Cattle are Shiva's mount and are therefore revered. Krishna, another highly revered figure in India, is considered the 8th incarnation of the God Vishnu (Hindus believe Shakyamuni Buddha is the 9th incarnation), originally is also depicted as a cowherd. Therefore, beef is usually absent from local people's ‘culinary menu.’ They cannot eat a being they regard as sacred and respect like a god. Although cows are revered throughout India and roam freely in many places, I had never seen—and did not later see in any other city along the trip—as many cows in the streets as in Jaisalmer. Cows are everywhere, not just in fields. Walking the streets, you see them traveling in groups, even lining up one behind another, orderly and neatly, joining the traffic. They walk on streets and pavements as a matter of course, and even in the middle of the road like cars or motorbikes. They cross roads like pedestrians and pass through intersections, relaxed, unhurried, and calm… Vehicles naturally avoid them, without an impatient horn or negative reaction. It is like a ‘city of human & bull,’ all living and sharing the same area without separation, competition, expulsion, or ignorance. Everyone coexists harmoniously beneath one sky, sharing the same air, naturally and gently, just as it is.
Along the concrete roads, cows walked slowly and mindfully. Yellow buildings, golden sunlight, and a deep blue sky with white clouds filled the scene—so comfortable, pleasant, and peaceful… I walked mindfully with the cows, continually contemplating, observing, and meditating on them. You could call it… “cow meditation,” with a warm heart and a smile. Then my heart rejoiced, and a stream of thought arose in consciousness: people say India is dirty, Indians are unpleasant, and Indian culture has many backward customs and social problems. But look and feel: in a place where people can live harmoniously with seemingly slow creatures—elsewhere people might see them as “stupid” and want to bully and dominate them—where humans and animals coexist gently and naturally like this, how could it be entirely bad? If you can truly respect and love an animal, you can truly respect and love a human being. Undeniably, India has much to improve (as does every country), but many people, influenced by misleading media, have accumulated too many inaccurate prejudices about it. Similarly, relying solely on Western media could make you deeply prejudiced against Muslims and equate Islam with terrorism, though these are 2 different things. Personally, I have had many beautiful experiences with lovely Muslim friends, among the kindest and most likable people I have ever met. India is the same: undeniably, it has many shortcomings, but my experiences here connected me with a warm wellspring and a source of warmth for my heart. And here, Jaisalmer would become the place where I made the most friends on the entire trip. Although I chose to travel quietly for the experience, arriving and departing silently, leaving no traces, and not focusing on making friends, some strange energy seemed to bring me many lovely, approachable friends in this golden city… Perhaps that is the affinity each person experiences on their own journey.
