tibetans

thursday april 28, 8:45pm

writing this from delhi, the capital of india. flew here today from bagdogra (about 60km south of darjeeling) . . . bagdogra is a huge military place, i think it's a "just in case" base, where the indian army "ramps up" for potential northern border skirmishes w/chinese . . . the airport from which i flew is a combination military/commercial one, just one runway, and it's strange to have indian air force fighter planes taking off from the shared runaway . . . also having indian soldiers with uzi's standing guard everywhere is kind of weird . . . very heavy security too, everyone scanned and frisked twice, once in the airport, and then again on the tarmac before boarding plane.

so much to say, am going to focus on a couple of things, the mountain trek and tibetans.

the trek: unbelievable. took a jeep about two hours west to the indian/nepali border town of maneybhanjang, where trek began. i was trekking with a tibetan guide named gyabo (guy-bow), 25-years old, good spoken english, lots of fun . . .

don't really understand why at my age i elected to undertake the most physically demanding task of my life, but there it was . . . in high altitude, we walked almost straight up for over four hours. what began as a paved mountain road turned into a boulder/dirt one, and it just went straight up, switchback after switchback . . . legs ached, knees burned, lungs were bursting and although it was cool and foggy, i was drenched in sweat, really very very difficult. ahh, but the scenery. and the air. and the surreal realization of exactly what i was doing, where i was . . .

we stopped in a small village for tea, and then continued on (i.e., up), but in short course the fog intensified and the wind picked up and we decided to turn back to the village for shelter, because it was surely going to rain . . .

gyabo knew a tibetan family who lived in the village, a family of farmers, so we headed to their place . . . just as we got there the rain started big, accompanied by lightning and thunder (thunder in the himalyaya sounds different than i've ever heard thunder before, not so sharp, but very deep and very rolling, lasting for over a minute) . . . so, we stayed in shelter for most of the afternoon and at around 4:30p decided to "officially" stop trekking for the day and stay there.

well, the trek was fun, but staying in that little house with that family was the highlight of my time in india so far -- funny that the house was right on the indian/nepali border, with all but the prayer room being in nepal (the house was built over 120 years ago by nepalese farmers, the parents of this family found it deserted when they arrived in 1960 having fled the chinese oppression in tibet) . . . i learned how to milk cows, how to dance to tibetan music and spent the day in constant conversation with my hosts (dad, mom, two girls (13, 7) and a one-year old son) . . . the girls were learning english in school (i read some of their english books with them) and the parents spoke pretty good conversational english (and taught me some tibetan) . . . it was fun for them too, to have a big goofy american house guest . . . took lots of photos, and as the day (and evening) went on, huddled around the fire (it was cold out!) we all made good friends . . . in addition to the few homes and farm buildings (cow shed, etc) in the village (named "chitra") there's also a beautiful buddhist monastery perched on a hill peak, and we went to the 6pm puja (prayer service).

slept that night in a little hiking hut (no room in the house) and it was cold and wet and not very comfortable, i am kind of tall for the typical tibetan bed, and the next day, still rainy, gyabo and i carefully felt our way down the mountain on the wet rocks and ultimately made it back to darjeeling . . . gyabo then invited me to his home, where i met his father, brother, sister-in-law and tibetan mastiff puppy named simba and had a typical tibetan lunchmeal of tea, vegetables and noodles (tibetans put milk and salt in their tea).

many many images and memories . . .

i spent six days in the darjeeling (west bengal) area of the indian himalaya, and there's lots i'll never forget, but most moving to me were my first experiences with tibetan people . . . the folks who owned/ran the small hotel in which i stayed were tibetan, i ate at tibetan restaurants, chatted with tibetan shopkeepers and then there were my experiences on the trek and with gyabo's family . . . each day becoming more interested in these people, the story of their exile, the intensity of their connection with hh dalai lama, the chinese occupation of their homeland, their spirit, their culture, buddhism, etc. . . . so tomorrow i'm going back into the himalaya, to dharamsala, where the tibetan government in exile is "headquartered" and where i'm told the heart of exiled tibetans beats loudest and clearest . . . i'm sure my knowledge and understanding of "all things tibetan" will grow, and i may even change my mind about what i'm going to say next, but here goes . . .

tibetans: beautiful people. perfectly beautiful. men are ruggedly handsome, women exotically beautiful, children stunningly cute. to foreigners they really do seem to fit that "shangri-la" stereotype that gets projected onto them, the "gong-bashing, jedi-like monk" image . . . it seems as tho the idea of tibetans has the "dolphin effect" on people -- tibetans are cute and endangered, look at them and their funny ways . . . much has been made of the myth (and mystification) of tibet . . .

well, this image is a real problem for tibetans, and has much wider, more complex implications for the tibetan cause . . . it's only a part of what these people are all about, and not the main part . . . these are educated, rational, globally aware people . . . they are compassionate, family-oriented folks who, for the most part, seem to have a wisdom and worldliness that is hard (impossible??) to find in our own "sophisticated" western world . . . in chitra we talked about everything, schools, deaths of loved ones, violence, etc. and when i was asked about my family, hearing that i am divorced brought a very genuine and almost awkward sadness to these people, who value family so highly . . .

to a certain extent, this image problem is their own fault, there are tibetans "out there" who cultivate this "shangri-la" myth to their own advantage --religious centers, charity organizations, and others have gained the favor of westerners by presenting the image of tibetans being underpriviledged refugees . . . and the media is to be blamed for selecting only those images of traditional and religious tibetans that look so good in national geographic . . .

(maybe the romantic image of tibetans has also drawn many people into the cause, as in the case of many high-profile actors and musicians) but what i think happens is that people are, for whatever reason, first drawn to the religion (maybe they've read some of hhdl's quotes, etc), and then they learn about tibetans and their movement . . . and then, maybe, they dig into the culture and history and begin to get a sense of how remarkable many of these people really are . . . i think most westnerners are holding onto the "shangri-la stereotype" -- maybe one day they'll begin to realize they're only in love with the image they hold of tibetans, and not with tibetans themsleves . . .

but when one is lucky enough to meet and speak and listen and learn, we quickly discover that tibetans are worldly and generous, educated and wise, clever and playful, respectful and proud . . . they are peaceful and passionate, care deeply about their personal, family and cultural history, and truly live and act from their hearts . . .

under the most difficult of circumstances, these people are dedicated to teaching their children and others about their heritage . . . in fact they celebrate it, even as they're forced to adapt to different lifestyles in countries other than their own . . .

we westerers could learn many important "things" from these "underprivileged refugees" . . .

all good things, mark

me and my monkey

monday morn broke sunny and warm in darjeeling, where i am leaving as soon as i can get an plane ticket changed at the indian airlines office . . . have been here for four days, made some friends and really gotten to know the place . . . some images/experiences i'll carry with me to sikkim and beyond:

-- steamed tibetan vegetable dumplings (momo)
-- sun rays relflecting on the kangenjunga matiff in early morning
-- the happy nepalese kids, everywhere laughing, skipping, having fun. so carefree.
-- sharing the huff-and-puff with others at the top of the countless hills (not easy climbing at 8000 feet altitude)
-- darjeeling tea. first blush. light and tasty.
-- fog rolling in over the ridge
-- the cool air
-- attending buddhist prayer sunset service in the beautiful, hilltop dalai monastery, about 200 young monks, traditional ceremony (in tibetan, lots of percussion and horns and very intense rythmic chanting), the only "non monk" there, was invited in by lama (red hat) and given a "seat of honor" from which to observe . . . was given my first drink of yak butter tea, have heard one needs to acquire a taste for it, and it is true . . . unforgettable experience

:::::::::::::::::::

in a comment to last blog entry, louise asked "how are you doing with the right hand left hand practice? Is it as difficult as you anticipated or does it come quite naturally?" (what she's referring to is our discussion before i left about how i had read/heard that indians eat only with the right hand, leaving the left hand to be used for bathroom cleanup functions -- no toilet paper) . . .

well, i have to say i've been real fortunate with this . . . on the second day of my trip (in agra), while sitting in a little courtyard eating some nuts, i befriended a little grey tree monkey (i call him dostchota -- "little friend" in hindi) . . . anyway, my little dostchota has been my travelling companion, he's real cute (looks a lot like danny g. in nj), sleeps cozily in my small canvas knapsack, and we share meals (i hide him in my shirt pocket in restaurants) . . . in exchange for showing him india and keeping him well-fed, dostchota performs certain, er uh, sanitary functions for me . . . so louise, let's just say i haven't needed any toilet paper or "left-hand practice" . . . and wow, combo of soft fur and sharp little fingernails (again, just like danny) works . . . am next going to teach him to floss my teeth . . .

:::::::::::::::

last night shared dinner with a couple of peace corp volunteers who are teaching english in bangladesh . . . great kids (from washington state) this weeklong vacation in darjeeling is their first time out of bangladesh in nine months . . . was funny to hear their reaction to "city life" . . . also sharing the meal was a dentist from france who is doing two months of volunteer service at the tibetan refugee center here . . . the stories that went back-and-forth were wonderful (bangladesh described like this: "take all the people living in the u.s. east of the mississippi, put them into a state slightly smaller than wisconsin, and then flood 1/3 of that state for six months each year and you've got bangladesh) . . . also much much hardship there on just about every level . . . came away with deep appreciation that there are kids/people like this, and makes me imagine and hope my kids might one day have the calling (and nerve) to do similar work . . .

:::::::::::::

am heading up to sikkim later today, once a kingdom, now an indian state, the entire northern half is closed to tourists due to army activity (most of sikkim borders on tibet and there are hot feelings between the indians and chinese) . . . dalai lama is in sikkim today, am not sure of his itinerary but if i can get to see him will do so . . . sikkim is heavily tibetan buddhist . . . from what i understand, no internet, no phones in the small villages i'll be going to . . . i am flexible, may be in sikkim for a few days, will see.

::::::::::::

update, monday aft: back in darleeling after being turned away at sikkim border, permit issue . . . backup plan: have hired a guide and tomorrow am beginning three-day trek into nepal along border range . . . will go as high as 12,000 feet, after 5 days here (in altitude) think i'm ready for it . . . after trek fly to delhi and back to "hindu" india . . . see ya' all down the road . . . mark

bobble-head

saturday morning, 8:30am, darjeeling, drinking a hot cup of chai . . . last night's rainstorms have passed, leaving this "town on the side of the mountain" cool and fresh . . . kenchenjunga, earth's 3rd highest mountain and india's highest, standing majestically to the north, awe-inspiring, breathtaking, you name it, bright white snowy . . . sensual overload hard to avoid (so why bother?) . . . one more day here, then tomorrow north to tibetan-buddhist sikkim . . .

much to say, so many different experiences, insights, feelings and thoughts come in quick succession, i don't know how to connect them all, maybe one day when all this sinks in i'll be able to . . . so am going to break things into a couple of "sections" and go from there . . .

food:
stomach great, absolutely no problem . . . have been scratching morning itch for wake-up drink with chai (hot tea with milk and most delicious spices) . . . also enjoying tibetan food, similar to chinese except spiced differently . . . (not a gooey as american chinese food, don't think there's much corn starch used in food prep here :-)) . . . fresh, gigantic, crisp raw cashews easy to find and that's my snack food (very cheap) . . . is remarkable how, depending on where you go, the food is so prepared (spice-wise) so differently . . . being in a country of 750 million vegetarians, have been eating only vegetarian since arriving (and liking it).

himalaya:
unlike any mountains i have ever seen . . . lush and green at 8.000 feet of altitude, and then you're looking up at peaks that go 15,000 ft higher (!). . . scales of distance and height disorienting, create indescribable feelings of wonder and awe . . . ancient villages dot the landscape, rhododendron forests, crisp thin air, yaks, fog, majesty . . . darjeeling surounded by tea fields, peaceful . . . have only been in the himalayan "foothills" so far, tomorrow going to sikkim and somewhat higher . . . very aware of "altitude sickness" -- was a subject at dinner i shared last night with a group of travellers, many of whom have had it to some degree . . .

maybe my best accomplishment so far:
learning the full (i think) translation of the indian "head-wiggle" . . . perhaps the most expressive of indian gestures is the shaking of the head from side to side, it kind of means the same thing westerners mean by nodding "yes" but then more . . . (imagine the movement of one of those bobble-head doll things, combined with a slight version of the way the great clemente used to strech his neck before batting, all much subtler tho) . . . but the wiggle here doesn't only mean "i agree with you" or "yep, i'd like that" beacuse it's often used as a greeting, preceeding any conversation . . . and it's as a greeting that i most appreciate and enjoy what this shake of the head is all about, used most casually, gentle and disarming, it communicates "i'm a peaceful man, i don't mean any harm." (so i've tried to do myself, and it's not that easy because it needs to be very casual . . . but i've noticed that it does work, passing people in the streets, making eye contact, a little wiggle of the head produces big smiles -- or maybe they're just laughing at the dopey american trying to look indian . . . )

judgment:
it is very easy to react sentimentally and positively to all the wonderful things i've seen and experienced . . . this is not like any other place, it is india, and one comes here and falls in love many times over . . . the indians love you most of all and there's nothing strange in it, in fact it happens very easily, enabling them to live together, a billion of them, in reasonable peace . . . they're not perfect of course, they know how to lie and fight and cheat each other, all the things that we (westerners) do, but more (i'll bet) than any other people in the world, they know how to love each other . . . without love, india would be impossible. (so as a visitor, experiencing this, it's easy to form strong judgments, and those that come from the heart tend to be more romantic.)

on the other hand, you see the cruel poverty, and the filth, and the extreme overcrowding, and you're assaulted by all of it at once, and other judgments start to form, the ones that say "how could this place be like this?" "how can the government, any government, let this happen?" "why is it ok for so many to live such hard lives?" . . . and then you get sick from eating or drinking something that may be bacterially dangerous, or just spice-wise does not agree with you, or something else pushes you over the edge, and your judgment becomes, "this place is horrible, i'm under attck from beggars and touts, what am i doing here, i have no privacy, i'm sick, i hate it, and i've gotta get out now."

a fellow traveller told me the other day that the secret to travelling in india is to have a place to escape to, a hotel room, a quiet park, somewhere, because everyone, even the most experienced of india travellers, will frazzle and meltdown . . . this is good advice.

so for judgment, as the saying goes, "beauty (in this case, india) is in the eye of the beholder" . . . india has "everything" and it's all in extremes, and each vistor who experiences, observes and/or participates in its beautiful madness will form whatever judgments we do, and these judgments will be all all over the board, at the same time both loving and hating. but everything one feels and thinks will be valid and correct because for those taking aim at summarizing her, india is the ultimate moving target.

for me, i've come to learn that judging india is like holding a wad of jello in your hand . . . you can't squeeze 'cause if you do it'll run through your fingers and you'll be left with nothing real or tangible . . . obviously it's best not to judge, but if one must, do it gently.

gandi:
i have not seen or heard any mention of mahatma gandi since i have been here, and i get the sense that he's not revered by the indian people in the manner i thought he would be . . . onthe other hand, j. nehru (first prime minister after independence was gained in 1947) is clearly revered . . . am curious about this and will try to learn more, gandi remains such a giant in western psyche.

yesterday, today, tomorrow:
great change is happening in india . . . modern economic realities, science/technology/medicine, western influences and a large population that is dramatically (and increasingly) overeducated for the available employment opportunities are rapidly (and chaotically) transforming a country in which the fabric of a person's life was once (rightly or wrongly) predetemined by caste, gender, karmic influences, language, ancestry, religion (and sometimes which god within the religion is most identified with), family economics, geography, etc . . . this clash is a big subject, perhaps india's most compelling. i'll write more when/if i understand more.

travelling alone:
not so easy . . . feeling such strong emotions as a result of what i see and experience makes me want to share with those i love, and then the feelings of longing begin . . . i remember a quote i once heard that "love is the only real cure for loneliness" . . . on the other hand, it feels wonderfully free to be so far away and able to go wherever, or do whatever i want, whenever the urge strikes, in a place with the mind-blowing color and flavor of india. i greatly miss louise {{hug}} and all the kids, and friends, and wish my eyes could send these incredible images back to you, touching you all.

not sure of "internet connectedness" of sikkim, will comunicate more when able . . .

love to all, mark

i want my MTV?

hey all.

am in darjeeling, a himalayan "hill station" (british term) located in northern west bengal . . . this narrow little piece of india is tucked between nepal, bhutan, sikkim (the once forbidden-to-visit indian state) and bangladesh (formerly east bengal). trip here was a doozy (25 hours total) and is noteworthy because of its polar intensities (the excrutiating boredom of the train followed by the sheer terror of the 4-hour taxi ride up the pot-hole-strewn, switchback-filled, at times vertical mountain road in a driving rain storm by a young nepali who spoke no english and just smiled at me when i told him to slow down).

it is amazing to me that this (darjeeling) is india also, it's so different from where i've been up to now. nepalese/tibetan in flavor, heavily buddhist (no more hindu/muslim), cool climate, and mountains, very big mountains. where in the south the local languages were hindi and urbu, here bengalese, nepalese and tibetan are spoken. but i think the largest difference here is the pervasive western influence (call it culture, dahling) . . . for example, when in agra and varanasi i could only find internet "cafes" that were little more than dirt-floored at times tiny stores with one or two computers, here i'm writing from a large cafe that sells pastries, espresso and has dire straits playing in the background. feels a little like a funky american college town, lots of trekkers and backpackers, mostly european.

so i'm cutting my time here short (it is spectacular geographically and architecturally, and there are some things to see, including the headquarters of the himalayan moutaineering instiutute, who i'm told have a unique everest-related musuem (tenzig norgay, hillary's sherpa/partner, was a lifelong darjeeling resident). i'll also visit an ancient buddhist temple in which the original manuscript of the tibetan book of the dead is housed, and at some point i'll go over the ridge to a tea farm. (darjeeling is world-famous for its tea.) so i'll be here for two days instead of the six planned.

on friday i'm going north into sikkim, heading for its capital town gangtok . . . sikkim is cited as being the model for shangri-la in james hilton's "lost horizon" . . . all i really know about sikkim is that it is still not very touristed, the mountains are intimidatingly huge, the valleys are green and abound with wildflowers and orchids, the rivers are fast and, being closer to tibet, all things culturally are tibetan buddhist. (sikkim is also the burr in the fur of the current china-india relationship, india is concerned that china is planning to "tibetize" sikkim and there are heated border "discussions" going on.

i'll be there for a few days before flying to delhi (flying = 2 hours, trains = millions of hours) to begin my travels in the mountains west of here (the rishikesh and dharamsala areas).

ever since i read andy's (dorfmann) comment to the last blogpost, about his observations during his asian travels, well, let me just grab them . . . he wrote (snipped) "There is something about that part of the world that is so compelling, even amongst the squallor there is a peacefulness and connection to the earth and to each other that has been seemingly lost in western society. People there seem to be closer to some sort of reality that I have found difficult to articulate."

well, i think andy's right. and he's hit on a BIG topic . . .

i hesitate to even step into this one, but what the heck, it's my blog . . . what i believe it all comes down to is "heart" . . . the religions of india (and many surrounding countries) are "inward" religions, i.e., philosophically, these are religions around which their cultures are based. religion is not an aspect of the culture, but the way it is here is that everday life stems directly from the spiritual. these folks don't "apply" their religion to what is going on in their lives, rather they see their lives as spiritual incarnations . . . and how this manifests is not through the head but through the heart, everyday "being" from the heart.

(india is as intense and diverse as a country can be. there's more than one billion people, speaking more than 200 languages, in oppressive economic hardship, living together. and they do it peacefully and cooperatively. (yes, i know there are fanatics, but i'm talking about everyday life here) . . . it is amazing how, in the craziest of road conditions (there are no real rules here), blazing heat, and unairconditioned cars, the roads are shared by cars, trucks, busses, motor scooters, auto-rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, bicycles, cows, pigs, goats, water buffaloes, donkey/mules, and yes, even elephants. and everyone cooperates, even as they're brutally cutting each other off . . . americans would be screaming and cursing, out of their (thermostatically cooled) cars toting guns for the most minor of things that i saw, in much more aggressive form, occur on indian roads every minute. i know this might seem like a narrow point on on which to base the behavior of an entire nation, but it points to the flavor of how life is cooperatively lived here, and the flavor is one of grace that, i believe, stems directly from india's spiritual traditions.

so (coincidentally speaking of grace), while drinking my tea this morning i picked up a copy of a newsletter titled the "tibetan bulletin" . . . this issue contained the (english translated) text of the new "basic education policy for tibetans in exile" as put forth by the tibetan govt. (central tibetan administration) in dharamsala . . . some quotes:

"Education is to be recognized as a human quality that enables understanding of external objects and stimulates awakening, maturing and completing potentials of the inner consciousness.

"Education is about a unique inner quality in which the discriminative wisdom and mind-pacifying technique are conjoined into close partnership.

"Education is not to be regarded merely as a means of livelihood. Instead it is to be recognized as a means of achieving the temporary and long-term welfare of the self and others. Particularly, it is to be regarded as a vehicle of social service and welfare.

"The general purpose of education is to awaken and develop human qualities of wisdom, love and compassion and their dependent virtues of right view, conduct and creativity.

"In summary, education is to be recognized as a state of equal partnership between the sciences of: (i) external matter and inner mind, (ii) common secular learning and higher spiritual learning, and (iii) nature of being and valid cognitive mind.

the remarkable document (to me remarkable in how it takes buddhist principles and apples them to educational philosophy and practice) goes on to discuss the how-to's, including the system of education, subjects of study, syllabi, examinations, teachers, administration, etc. kindly, i've been given permission to bring this home with me, and and will copy/share it with anyone who is interested in learning more.

(andy, i think this might be part of the answer to articulating what you noticed, this "grace" that runs through the culture, the living in balance with each other, and isn't it neat how the tibetans figuring out how to develop it institutionally as part of the their childrens' education? can't wait to have this discussion w/you in person.)

ok, climbing down off the soapbox now . . . there's sunshine and cool mountain air out there, i'm going for a walk in 'dem 'dare hills . . . love to you all. mark

dawn's early light

tuesday aft. in varanasi, feels like 200 degrees out and the air/dust/dirt factor needle is pointing into the red zone (choking) . . . but, as the prideful locals like to say, "not to worry, it's a hot, dry dirty, unlike the heavy stuff in delhi" . . .

5:30am found me on a brightly painted blue/red little wooden skiff out on the river ganges (nice how in english it's called the "river ganges" and not the "ganges river", sounds more revered), watching the sun rise . . . the ganges is the "great mother of india" and varanasi is built on river's western shore (facing east), and the river is wide, so as the sun comes up the cityshore is illuminated in increasing (but soft) pastel light . . . timelessly special . . . varanasi, especially toward the river bank, is uniquely beautiful and very, very old (mark twain called it -- then named benares -- "older than history itself") . . . (thankfully, the professional gentrifiers haven't made it to india yet (there ain't no san antonio "river walk" here) . . . seriously, reverentially and respectfully, this place is the real deal . . .

many many people come to the river at dawn to bathe, swim and pray . . . there is an energy, very sacred and very humbling (humbling partially because i just don't understand enough, tho i guess if i did i'd be humbled in a different way) . . . i don't think the feelings that come over a person in this setting can really be described, it's fodder for poets and artists and those who are able to translate what the heart says, but i do know that i've never felt anything like it . . . all i can say is that, as you float there, in the sunrise light, on that river in this place in this country, you know you're in the presence of something that is very old and divine and mysteriously incomprehensible. and here's the thing, it has a familiarity to it . . . it's a feeling, a knowledge that isn't coming only from where you are or what you are seeing or experiencing, it's coming from inside you, from way down deep. and it overwhelms.

there are two main "burning ghats" on the river bank, and they were both in use this morning (a ghat is a concrete platform at the bottom of concrete steps, kind of like a dock).

for many hindus, when the time comes, varanasi is the place to come and drop the body. it is believed that if one dies here, and their remains are burned on a ghat on the ganges, the soul is finally free to move on, not destined to return for yet another go around on this mortal coil. so hindus come from all over india to sacred varanasi to die and be freed.

i remember hearing a tape years ago of a talk ram dass gave where he described being here, and seeing all the old people with little bags tied around their waists, containing rupees (i.e., their life savings) to pay for the wood on which their bodies would be burned when they finally passed . . . they are here, i've seen them too, and as he remarked, it's odd to be here, a visitor from the prosperous west, and see these people who have virtually nothing, peaceful and satisfied because, near the end of their lives, they are exactly where they want to be . . . and i wonder if, as they look at me, and we make eye contact, if they can sense the almost embarrassed puzzled envy that's part of what i am feeling . . .

this morning i learned a little about the funeral rites, and after going ashore walked the path in the old part of the city where vendors sell the wrappings, sandalwood, bamboo, etc. for the cremations . . . again, all this at 6:30am as the holy men are chanting prayers, prayer bells are ringing and things are waking up . . . (i did take photos but they do not include the buring ghats) . . .

(btw, it's amazing that the folks who bathe in the ganges do not get sick, i've been told they don't because they are not "presdisposed" to, but i do know that there is an unending supply of raw sewrage poured into the river, dead animals dumped in, and i recently read that the "e-coli index" in the ganges at varanasi is something like 5 million times that what is considered safe . . . oddly, i did see fish jumping in the water, and some big ones at that)

after a couple of hours at the river, i visited two very old and sacred hindu temples, the vishnu temple at benares hindu university and the dirga temple (also known as the monkey temple) in the center of town . . . both were "in session" as there were many people praying, burning inscense, paying respects, ringing bells, etc. . . . no matter that i was obviously a visitor, i was welcomed in each and given flowers, "dinged" on the forehead with colored paste and had my wrist wrapped in a cotton thread bracelet . . .

earlier this morning i spoke to my (and for many of you "our") friend jilleee (jill hertrick in raleigh, nc) on the phone, she's having an increasingly rough go of it healthwise and as i told her i would i kept her in my thoughts as i went to these temples . . . in the dirga temple i lit inscense at a representation of hanuman (the hindu "monkey" god that represents devotion and presence) in her name . . . to all of you, she needs help and strength, pls. keep her in your thoughts . . .

tonight i ride the rails for 16 hours north into the mountains, headed for darjeeling in west bengal . . . i get giddy thinking i'll be breathing mountain air and seeing the snow-capped himalaya tomorrow afternoon, kanchenjunga(sp?), the world's 3rd highest mountain (after everest and k2), lies just to the north of darjeeling . . . from my first five days in india there is so much to digest and reflect upon, i look forward to the time on the train to begin doing so (i think it's going to take a loooooong time) . . .

:::::::::::::::::::::::

this emailed from friend jeff weyand (in washington state):
. . . and of course, you are a fan of the two great buddhist sports: hockey, where people race around chasing a virtually invisible object, and baseball the definition of timelessness.
-- yep he's right, and i guess (nhl) hockey this year represents the essence of buddhist transitory reality . . . "first something, then nothing"

have a nasty cold . . . very chest congested, lots of coughng, am going to find a pharmacy and get some expectorant . . .

today is my daughter emily's birthday . . .

jeff: got your message about talking with "the godly powers that be" here about their giving some help with your fantasy baseball team . . . with all the people here doing the same for india in its cricket match with pakistan (they got their butts kicked badly) i'm not sure these gods are particularly sensitive to sports outcomes, but i will try to do something for you (will you cut me in on your winnings if it turns out well?)

pam: no, no music here, not yet . . . did not bring a cd player/headphones but at the last minuite did throw a couple of zero/kv/skb disks in my bag to give to whoever might enjoy them . . . as of now they are untouched . . .

more soon. love to all. louise, i miss your sweet smile.

sarnath and a cosmic zap(?)

Sarnath is a little "hamlet" about 10 minutes outside of varanasi that is one of the holiest of buddhist sites . . . it was here, after his enlightenment, that the buddha first publicly delivered his message of the middle way, in what is known as the "sermon in the deer park" . . . so this is the spot where buddhism was officially "born" . . . pretty auspicious.

(note: there are four "gotta go" locations for buddhist pilgrims, the place of the buddha's birth, where he gained enlightment, where he delivered his first message or sermon, and where he died.)

buddhist pilgrims (and persons of many other "ilks") come to sarnath from all over to soak in the atmosphere, see and pray/meditate at the bodhi tree that is growing there (reportedly grown from a piece of the roots from the tree underwhich buddha gained enlightenment), visit the extensive ashokan temple ruins that were excavated in the 1800's by the british, gaze and meditate upon and/or circumnavigate the great red stone stupa that still exists (reportedly on the very spot on which the sermon was delivered, the stupa has brickwork dating back to around 200 bc), and visit the good archeological museum.

away from the bustle of the city (varanasi) it is a beautiful and peaceful spot, and while it's very "where it's at" for buddhists and/or students of buddhist philosophy/history, you don't need to know or care about buddhism to feel the mojo . . .

after arrival in varanasi (about 60 mintues of sleep on the overnight 13-hour trip) and check-in at my hotel, i headed out to sarnath. i enjoy places like this, and (for whatever reason) believe strongly in talismans -- i do believe that stones, wood, crystals, etc. hold the energy of the times and places from which they come . . . those who have been to my house know of all the little "things" i have around: mahogany tree seedpods from louise's yard, redwood bark from n.cali, shells from various oceans/seas, a stadium seat from the forum in montreal (yep, the temple of hockey), a little stone i picked up while in the rocky mountains visiting jeff (my brother) last year, etc.

it was in this spirit that i brought with me three small stones from the energy vortex we have in yalaha, out in the field behind the bakery . . . the idea being that perhaps while in india, i could serve as a "conduit" of the energy we have in yalaha, not just in my interpersonal actions, but also in the physical sense. so i brought one of the yalaha stones with me to sarnath, just in case it felt right to leave one somewhere, and sure enough, as i (traditionally clockwise) circled the great stone stupa, i saw a spot where some stone had fallen away, and i remembered the little rock i brought . . . so, that spot is now plugged with a little yalaha stone, it fit in tightly, is not at all noticeable, and i think it will stay for awhile . . .

with imagination raging, i had this image of some "plug in socket" thing happening, some cosmic zap, with some ancient "sarnathic" energy (after all these years, finally) somehow being zoomed to yalaha . . . who knows, maybe today's bakery pastries will be extra specially tasty -- and no one will know why, heh heh . . . whatever, i just like the idea of this rock from our little community snuggly nestled inside this great commemorative ancient structure, honoring the place of the birth of the buddhist philosophy . . . maybe in some way there really is an energy connection, after all, who are we to say "yes" or "no" to that possibility? . . . i for one feel nice and deeply comfortable and even excited to believe there is . . .

:::::::::::::::

(pretty amazing that this area -- varanasi (the city of shiva)/sarnath -- is among the holiest of sites for two different religions (buddhist and hindu) . . . lots of "spirit" here . . . )

:::::::::::::::

thanks to you all for reading these ramblings and for posting comments and sending me email . . . travelling alone, especially in a place where one is constantly being challenged is tiring and can get lonely, i enjoy the connection i get by reading all your stuff.

hugs, mark

a mughul sunday morning

hey all.

is a little past 9 on sunday morning (saturday night back in states) and already the temperature here (agra) is over 90 (have learned how to quickly calculate celcius (sp?) to farenheit) . . . a hot and dusty town, full of hustle and bustle, roads are shared between small motorized vehicles (they call them auto-rickshaws), cars, water buffalo, cows, mules/donkeys, pigs, camels, and yes, even elephants . . . arrived here friday aft and am departing tonight on an overnight train for varanasi (formerly benares), perhaps the most holy of hindu towns and one of the places i've really wanted to visit . . .

trainride from delhi to agra was about 3-hours, and i spent it sharing a "compartment" with a family from bombay on holiday -- husband, wife and two boys . . . all spoke a little english (the wife did not speak to me at all) . . . the husband (deepak) and i spoke alot about the differences in our countries (he had been to usa five years ago) and we then got into talking about spiritual matters, education, the differences (and similarities) between people, etc. i then pulled outmy notebook to teach the boys how to play tic-tac-toe . . . well, they played dumb and then beat me repeatedly, seems they already knew how to play . . . and i was struck at small the world really is, a silly little game, hindi-speaking children from bombay, etc. we all laughed alot.

as i write this am in an internet "cafe" -- a dirt-floored little room off the main drag and there's lots of commotion coming from the room next door as about 20 young men are gathered watching the cricket match from delhi . . . pakistan and india are playing, this is the final game of the series and india is down 3-2 (after blowing a 2-0 lead) . . . this is big big stuff here, headlines in newspapers, etc . . . tried watching cricket on tv last night and cannot for the life of me understand the rules, scoring etc.

today's game is made even larger by the fact that pakistan president musharraf is attending the game, it is his first visit to india in four years and he has been meeting with prime minister singh over kashmir . . . (the newspapers refer to musharraf as the "little general" and of course singh is a"dr." so you can see the sentiment here . . . it boggles my mind that (and i assume pakistan is the same) a country with the poverty of india (and i have not yet been out to the "villages") can be involved in border disputes that carry with them the threat of increasing nuclear armament, but that, in a nutshell, is what i'm learning india is all about . . . almost ridiculous extremes of all types . . . hopefully they will reach what the hindustan times (english newspaper) call "CBM's" (confidence building measures) to soften the border issues that seem so explosive . . .

i spent yesterday morning the taj mahal, watched the sunrise turn the white marbe soft pink/orange/yellow, and was enrapture . . . yes, we all know it is a beautiful building, and the love story behind it is a timeless one . . . but what really got me was/is the geomtery of the place . . . incredible synchronicity of all elements not just with taj itself (taj is arabic for "crown") but with the gardens and all surrounding buildings . . . the geometry is truly mind-blowing . . . went there with haji, my guide here in agra, a lifelong resident who really knows his stuff . . . haji is muslim, and a devout one at that, and we spent much of yesterday talking about islam, with haji answering all my dumb questions . . . what an opportunity to learn!!

did some more sightseeing (agra was the center of the mughul empire in the 1500's-1600's) and much of the buildings are well preserved . . . later today, after lunch at sunil gupta's home (sunil is a man that dale colton in tampa introduced me to) i'll be going to futepuhr sigri, where the world's "best preserved ghosttown" exists . . . only this is this ghosttown was built by akbar the great in the 1500's and supposed to be magnificent . . .

was speaking to louise by telephone earlier today and tried to explain how intense this place is . . . the beauty is overwheming, the poverty crushing . . . i have seen people with leprocy, children with deformed feet hopping around on little poles, begging for rupees, dogs tearing apart dead cows along the side of the road, and then have experienced the taj mahal and the friendliness of these people, who are for the most part, eager to please, friendly and respectful.

the trick for me, and i am working on it, is to not just be an observer but a participant . . . this morning, eating breakfast in my hotel, i passed on the american meal, and the continental meal, and opted for the indian one, which was spiced potatoes, curds (yohurt), spicy pickles and bread . . . the waiters in the restaurant smiled, and encouraged me, and kept coming over to see how i enjoyed the meal . . . truth is, it was delicious (i passed on the pickles) . . . so what's a little diahrea in the grand scope of things, anyway . . . at least there's no blind mosquitos here (a yalaha joke) . . .

am missing baseball (but not steroid stories), and louise (alot), and that good old (zero etc) music, and all the kids of course . . . is funny how being so far away make one appreciate all (people etc) we have at home . . . and nervously anticipating tonight's 13-hour trainride north to varanasi . . . the indian railroad system ain't amtrak . . .

love to you all . . . mark

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

note: i received the following as email from dale colton, who (maybe a little techno-challenged :-)) was not able to post it as a "blog comment" . . . want to share it, so here it is . . .

Dear Mark,

You've got it... my heart smiled when I read your words....

" just go with the experience. You have to surrender."

If you have gotten that lessen within hours of your arrival... you will do very well in India.

We in the West ...live in a very materialistic atmosphere and we tend to use things instead of connecting with each other in order to feel better. We prefer TV and reading rather than talking ... relating to characters in movies and novels rather than each other ... we require an absurd abundance of distractions and things to fill the emptiness.

People do not have these kinds of false escapes in India... Instead, they relate to each other... care about their children, family members, friends and neighbors .

The antium " The guest is God"... is foremost in India. They cook for you, care for you and genuinely go all out to make you feel comfortable ... You are brought into their lives as a blessing... your friendship is considered a gift.

I am so happy you will be able to meet my friend Sunil and his family and see that India's real asset... is her people.

Love, Dale

early morning classroom

so what does one in do in delhi when a combination of jetlag/disorientation keeps him from sleeping past 5:30am . . . simple, shower and go out for a dawn walk . . .

all the things i read and heard about how the first day or two in india is going to be an assault, a culture shock . . . all true in spirit, but nowhere near the colorful, pungent intensity of what it really is like.

walking the streets here, the narrow, winding, streets, full of life, people sleeping everywhere, cows and horses, filth . . . i, being a well-fed american, instinctively felt like the foreigner i am, actually more like an alien . . . being so different i was turning heads, was under constant "attack" by the beggars, touts and rickshaw wallas . . . my early morning walk was intense and while interesting, not very comfortable . . . at least at first . . .

but then something clicked in, a kind of light went on, and i understood, instinctively, that what i was feeling was all my own stuff, brought with me from my comfortable home in yalaha, from my comfortable american culture, and i began to let it fall away . . . i began smiling at the people i made eye contact with, began "respectfully" saying no to those who asked for money, and tried to get into the space of being just another soul walking the streets of this intense city . . . and i saw smiles and connective glances coming back at me (it is noticeable and remarkable how the people i've seen and met here communicate with their eyes) . . .

and then an insight came that i will try to carry with me wherever i go here over the next month, and it is a simple one, but a large one, and it is this . . . in india (more than other places perhaps), you've got to relax completely. . . and just go with the experience. You have to surrender.

so, from early morning discomfort a lesson has emerged: leave the familiar culture and its judgments behind, be respectful, speak softly and go with the flow (as louise -- who i miss alot and talk outloud to constantly -- and i like to remind each other "row row row your boat, gently down the stream") . . . i've only been in this country for 11 hours and the learning has begun. there is still alot to learn.

namaste. mark

first night in delhi

hey all.

in delhi, it's almost 1am (fri morn) and i feel like i haven't slept in a week . . . am in a funky little internet cafe writing this . . . some notes:

1. air france has by far the best airline food i've ever eaten . . . 8 hour flight, constant feeding frenzy, free wine (yes, french of course) . . .

2. saw two sunsets and a sunrise out of airplane windows with just one hour on the ground in between . . .

3. delhi is totally polluted, a lethal combination of car/truck exhaust and something human . . . filth hangs in the air like a thick haze . . . eyes burn, throat hurts . . . very nasty.

4. after flying half-way around the world, the most dangerous part of trip was the final 22 kilometers, from airport to my hotel . . . they drive totally crazy here, super aggressive, use horns instead of brakes, no lanes, no rules and to top it off, they drive on left side of road . . .

5. blowing out of here tomorrow (actually today) on the 11:30 express train to agra . . . can only imagine what delhi central train station will be like . . . anticpate a bizarre bazaar . . .

6. by the way and kinda fun trivia, ghandi's picture is on all the (paper) money here, regardless of amount . . . current exchange rate is 43 rupees to the dollar, so its like play money . . .

7. people here seem very friendly and helpful. eager to please.

8. still haven't seen any cows in the streets but what the heck, have only been here for two hours . . . we'll see what tomorrow brings.

good night.

Going Tomorrow

Twenty-something hours of economy/coach jetflight begins tomorrow (april 13), knees hurt just thinking about it . . . all is set, will be staying in delhi for just 12 hours before i train out to agra for two days . . . then varanasi for a day or two, then north to the himalaya.

friend dale (in tampa) has connectd me with a friend of hers in agra who owns a travel service, so it looks as tho i will be well cared for during the "transition" days . . . checked weather in delhi (95 degrees), nutso that i'm leaving florida for someplace hotter and more humid, but that's how it is . . . i suspect the mountains will be a relief . . .

have added a few names to the list of recipients, so will send this along (while i can still correct bounce-backs) just to make sure all addys are valid . . .

on the eve of the trip the mood is surprisingly solemn, reflective and has that strange flavor one gets when knowing some very intense experiences are looming on the horizon, without really knowing what they are . . .

almost 9pm and still have to pack . . . damn.

mark

Getting Outta Here . . .

hi all.

soon i'm scheduled to leave on a trip to india . . . this is something i've always wanted to do, and am finally, before i get too old and frail, going to do it . . .

i'll be flying to delhi and am planning to then go north into the himalyan "foothills" where i expect to spend a couple of days in the dharamsala area (home of the exiled tibetan government) while i acclimate to the altitude, and them am either going further into the higher mountains (toward the edge of the tibetan plateau) into heavily tibetan buddhist ladakh, or will head east toward hill-station darjeeling . . . i hope to visit varanasi (formerly benares) if i do head east . . .

travelling alone and with no real itinerary, i plan to follow my intuition . . . my desire is to see the himalaya mountains in the light of early morning (and in full moonlight, april 24), to visit buddhist and hindu holy places, to meet extraordinary (and ordinary) people and to come back with experiences and insights to share with my children and friends . . .

i will carry to india two or three small stones from our vortex here in yalaha and will leave them where it feels right to do so, connecting the energy between here and there . . . also, if it feels right, i will bring back to yalaha a stone or something similar to complete the circle . . .

if all goes according to plan, i'll return home after a short stay in paris.

while in india i do expect to be able to send off emails and/or posts to this blog. private emails will be sent from an email account i've set up just for this trip, it is mwguv@yahoo.com -- the name may seem odd, it stems from a private joke louise and i share, so if you want to write while i'm away, mwguv@yahoo.com is the addy i'll be checking . . .

so that's it . . . i had this trip planned once before (two years ago) and opted to ditch at almost the last minute to attend a function at wils' school. now, with a week to go, i've gotten my shots and am beginning to learn a little hindi, so it looks like full speed ahead.

namaste. mark