Kashi: The city of Light

Kashi: It's Not a Place to Die, But a Place to Transcend

For the Hindus Kashi is the go to spiritual destination that could help one attain moksha or liberation. Such is the power of Kashi that even after ones passing if their ashes were to be taken to Kashi and scattered in the Ganges, they too would be granted liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

But what is Kashi, really? And is its power locked in a geographical location, or is it a map to an inner state of being? Is this place exclusively for a particular sect of people or is it accessible to one and all- regardless of religion, caste, creed, gender, nationality and belief systems...

The City of Light: More Than a Place on a Map

Let’s start with the name. Kashi translates to "the City of Light." It comes from ‘ka’ (light or action) and ‘she’ (to shine or be radiant). So, Kashi is, by definition, a luminous, radiant place.

Our ancestors instructed us to "go to Kashi." But was this a command for a physical pilgrimage, or a call for an internal one? Was it about traveling to a city of stone and water, or about finding that inner city of light—a place within us free from darkness, full of knowing, that leads to true liberation?

Think about what darkness represents. It’s often connected with death and ignorance. So, Kashi as a "city of light" becomes the antithesis of that. It’s not a place you go to die. It’s a place you go to transcend. It’s a portal from one state of living to another, more eternal one. That shift in perspective, from death to transcendence, is profoundly motivating.

The 10-Day Practice: Dying Before You Die

This isn't just ancient philosophy; it's a living practice. To this day, there is a place in Kashi—a kind of spiritual resort—where you can go to prepare for your death.

You check in for a 10-day program as if your time has come and you have just 10 days to live. You perform all the ritualistic formalities for your own passing, as if there were no one else to do it for you. You meditate. You pray. You prepare to die, participating actively in your own death.

This is the beauty of the process: not only are you are "dying before you die", but you are a witness to your own passing!

From the perspective of a devout Hindu, if you are fortunate and death does come during this time, you have achieved the ultimate goal with perfect closure. If it doesn't, you return to your life, content, having done all that needs to be done, and secure in the belief that you will reap the benefits of your actions when your time finally comes.

So, what is the true benefit of this radical exercise? Is it just a ritual, or something far deeper?

A Story from Kashi: The Brothers Reunited

The power of this process isn't theoretical. There are countless stories. One man, enrolled in the 10-day program, was overwhelmed on the fourth day with love for his brother, with whom he hadn't spoken in years over a petty, ego-driven argument.

He called his brother. He cried, apologized, and sought forgiveness. He offered help, reuniting their families. This man, who had split the family wealth and walked away, now ensured his brother's children would have a better life. By the eighth day, he had shed his mortal coil.

But in doing so, he didn't just achieve personal liberation. He died having transcended his limitations of ego, as he united a family, and created a legacy of connection. In giving up ego, he gained so much more!

How could he give up the ego that had kept him away from his family for so long?

Think about it. In the face of tragedy or great danger, our ego dissolves. We unite. We shed our differences and embrace those we might otherwise avoid. Why? Because the possibility of death, the "darkness," strips away the non-essential. The ego disappears. You see such shifts during wars, famines, natural calamities and in movies :) when people unite for a common cause... You get the point. In his case, it was the act of going through death that helped him transcend ego.

But what is this ego, really?

The vedic scriptures prod us to declare "Aham Brahmasmi"—"I am Brahman" (the ultimate, all-pervasive reality). Brahman is recognized as all powerful, pervasive and formless ( nirakara). It is understood that when we give a form to this formless energy field, when we limit its scope and limit it to a specific form - such that it becomes an illisionary disctinct field - "I" . So that which separates the Ego from the Brahman is the illusion of form, size, limitation because of the illusion of separation. So the moment we give a shape (akara) to the formless "I," we create ahamkara.

This ego isn't "bad"; it's restrictive. Its restrictive in its belief that it is different from the rest of the universe and this idea of separation is what makes an individual feel vulnerable. Out of this illusion of separation arise the stress of having to take care of oneself, fight for ones right, strive for ones survival, mine, thine, fair , unfair, life and death....

The Goats Safe Space: Think of a goat in a vast, open field. It has the freedom to roam and enjoy the entire pasture. But if the goat builds a small enclosure and says, "This is my safe space," it has suddenly restricted its own possibilities.

We do the same. In the name of "me" and "mine," we build walls around our formless, limitless Self. We spend our energy defending this imaginary boundary through self-preservation, when our true Self is indestructible, all-pervasive, and needs no defense.

The Ego therefore is a misplaced belief that you are limited. And it only thrives in darkness.

Kashi, the City of Light, shines a radiant awareness on this unnecessary construct. So does the contemplation of death. In that light, you realize the ego is a prison of your own making. In shedding it, you expand.

The Shift: From "For-Getting" to "For-Giving"

When the ego dissolves, something magical happens. You connect. The neighbor's suffering child becomes your child. A stranger in need becomes a form of you. You care, not just for yourself but for everyone. You transcend fear of everything from having to work for survival, fear of lose, struggling to survive and even death itself. This leads to a profound shift in our approach towards life.

We often misunderstand: Selflessnes. It isn't merely about not caring for the self or distributing goodies to everyone around. The shift in consciousness, the loss of boundaries makes the ego expand, transcending forms and limitations. Hence a spiritually evolved person who seems to be 'Selfless' is actually an individual who has become universally Selfish. The entire universe is his and he is in everyone. This expanded selfishness that is without boundaries is perceived as 'Selfless; by many of us who believe that self needs a boundary to exist. To many of us, not identifying with this boundary is an indication of loss of self.

In this space of exaggerated, expanded self, the individual starts to move from trying to acquire, to someone who starts to share. This is the shift that marks the progression of awareness. It is an elevation of the state of being and an evolution from an individual who tried to protect his small self to one who is busy enjoying the feeling of expansiveness as he starts nurturing - other selfs beyond his form...

Often, we confuse the profound state of "For-Giving" with the simple act of pardoning someone. But to pardon can still be an act of the ego. The true, radical meaning of For-Giving is found in letting go. It is the release of the grudge, the anger, the angst—not for the other person, but for your own liberation. A person who is truly "For-Giving" does not hold onto anything for themselves because they are no longer defined by the narrow boundaries of the Ego. Having transcended that ego, they operate from an eternal, expansive space where their default state is one of Giving, Sharing, Caring, Nurturing, and Loving. It is not something they do; it is what they are. For-Giving, is a state of constant expansion.

Contrast this with what most of us have to do for survival - the mode of For-getting, which is about getting for yourself—a state of contraction, of protecting the ego. Forgetting is not just about a memory that you are unable to retrive or not keen on retrieving, but it is about a struggle for survival.

"We were talking about Kashi, werent we? Why are we going on a tangent" you might ask.

Well. The tangent helps us understand the true nature of self and also to understand the significance of Kashi, Mecca, Jerusalem and other spiritual places. That these powerful spaces are ever accessible to all of us as they transcend space, time and distance.

Bringing Kashi to You: Creating Your Own City of Light:

You and I don't necessarily have to book a flight to Varanasi. Kashi is, ultimately, the city of light within. All it requires is the bright, illuminating awareness that asks, "Who am I really and what defines me?" and the persistence to stick with this line of inquiry so as to attain transcendence.

But just as knowing the value of silence is different from sitting through a 10-day Vipassana course, intellectual understanding isn't always enough. We can, as a community, create our own "Kashi zones." or " Kashi retreats". In the safe spaces of the retreats and community zones we can set aside time; a week to ten days—to meditate on death, to scrutinize our ego, to strip away the layers of boundaries that restrict our connection with the world. Each day can begin with Perhaps it begins with a single thought: 'If this were my last day, what weight of ego would I willingly set down?'". This practice can help us move beyond the he limitations of a small restricted self. The divisions of caste, religion, leanings, belief systems, nationality..... would no longer threaten our identity or bother us.

Moreover, with diligent practice—by doing our own 'Kashi exercise', we not only live more completely but become prepared to move gracefully into the next phase of existence. So, when your time does come and you are told you have only a few more days to live, you can make decisions not out of fear, but with the confidence of someone who knows they are eternal. You wouldn't struggle for one more day through painful, desperate measures. You could accept the eventuality with peace, because you have already dissolved the ego that death targets.