Left Delhi yesterday morning. It was a foggy day and many people were huddled in groups off the roads around spontaneous fires to stay warm. Here one does what one must do. It is a humbling reminder to me about standing in my moments with clarity through awareness and choice to take action. At home, when most of the survival needs are met, the mind has the luxury of drifting into the imagined future to plant what-if's or dwell in the past emotional dramas. So many moments are lost in this oscillation. The subtle inputs/gifts/learnings brought forth by our Higher Self often go unnoticed. Note to self to walk that edge of now as the observer so I can flow more smoothly from one now to the next.
Flew Jet India, in a rather classic turbo prop, up to the Rishikesh area. Enroute I caught my first glimpse of the Himalayas. At first sight, this spontaneous welling poured through and out of my heart...tears fell in a series of what must have been past life recognitions and stirrings. It was such a gift. The band of jagged white peaks seemed to sit on the sky and clouds. They appeared to be about the same altitude as the plane...we will be in the higher Himalayas in 5 days when we find ourselves in Kathmandu, Nepal. For now we, will settle for the foothills.
At the airport, there was a pronounced military presence, sub machine guns as I picked up my bag. There watchful eye monitored my bag adjustments with casual interest. Eye contact here felt very different to that of the many I had experienced with people in Delhi. This did not feel as if it was looking to see the God in me...a head nod brought no response....OK.....Into a small convoy of Ford SUVs we slinked our way over the less than well maintained road towards our day's final destination, Ananda, the spa in the hills overlooking the Ganges. The 45 minute was an adventure that brought back a late night wild ride Sonia and I had taken years before in Costa Rica. This time, instead of the 8 people in a Toyota mini van, we sat in groups of three in separate vehicles while Indian music played over the in car video of the History of Ananda. While outside, different moments of living whizzed by...
The countryside here has a distinct feel and look to it as the predominant foliage, at least in the lowlands, are these magnificent large leafed trees...yet to find the name..large river beds criss cross the road, waiting for the July monsoons to swell their banks and wash away the dust of the year. Two lane roads leave little room for maneuvering..and there are many slow vehicles around which we must navigate, or add extensive time to what is announced as a 45 min sojourn. Lots of small motorcycles. This is not Harley land, not even in the city. No greying Boomers in leather and headbands on a joy ride. Here it is the business of getting self from a to be...sometimes carrying passengers or family members. I have seen up to 5 on a motorbike, snuggled in a ball of flesh , scooting down the road pouring out a steady stream of white smoke from engines long on the tooth. One child snuggled between father and mother was particularly interesting...another with the daughter on the back riding side saddle while she attended to cell phone duties. This is a trusting land where riding the edge of life and death is as common as the next breath. One passes when there is just enough room. These newer Fords had some pep, so it was not uncommon for our red-turbanned driver to scoot out there when there was obviously another vehicle approaching. Trust...squared. Over and over we passed female walkers with a huge mass of green foliage bundled and balancing on their head. Theses walking trees went to the elevations to gather sustenance for the cattle. And it was on this ride that we see our first cattle in the streets. Delhi has all but been cleared of the cattle. Now it is a countryside phenomenon. These holy animals mingled with the folk, as impactful as the dogs we saw in the streets of Delhi. Fascinating.
Busy towns pop up like tumbleweeds around this turn and that one. Each is bustling, shops with little storefront presence in locations along the main streets...a cloth laid down and a mound of peanuts in front of a small fire...a series of classic color renditions of Krishna and Shiva and Kali, a tree limb with fruit still clinging...now for sale...rupees...only 10 rupees...please for my child...and every face behind this makeshift living has a story of wide dimension, no doubt, defined by the luck of the draw...it is a powerful travelogue of humanity that moves in and out of my life from right to left
Before I left while still at the Hacienda Hotel in LA a man told me that India was like the Wild West...I know what he means now. Just waiting for the soundtrack...not the tabla and the sitar and tamboura, but the distinct notes of a Clint Eastwood western
Along the way there are signs about the elephants...not a do not feed, but a watch out for falling trees. The driver informed us that 8 people had been killed in the last six months by the elephants living their lives, seeking the leaves at the top of a tree...felling it by pushing against it. We saw a small herd of three in the field as we turned into Rishikesh...passed by like a billboard...so quickly that I could not get the camera around. Dusty, road worn, they stood looking in different directions each, like a trendy band press photo. And as we wind our way in elevation the small, cute monkeys begin to appear. One here, one there, and then 4 and then a group of 7. On the ground by the side of the road. Like beggars they pose and wait for Providence. We turn the corner and they disappear into a pleasant memory.
The British influence peppers the land here. It is in the language and the architecture and the people...though less and less as time drifts beyond the old forms. But it is the language that reflects so much of the spirit of India. The Western world is filled with signs that define our behaviors and limit our freedoms, classic "don'ts" Here, they say "Be gentle on this curve", "Slow the car or you will fly"...reminders that in every moment we have a choice and consequences...I like that
We catch our first glimpse of Ananda high above us. This is a destination spa for India and the world, having restarted people for a long long time. And we are blessed to have 4 days here. It is a place frequented by the Beatles. The Maharishi had his digs in Rishikesh. So between there and their rest and rejuvenation time here, there were, as legend goes, 48 songs penned in these hills. " We were talking...about the space between us all", The long and winding road", "Day after day, alone on the hill, the man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still", "Still my guitar gently weeps"...wow
So, here we are: feels to me like the land at Big Sur, just between Esalen and Nepenthe restaurant. High up on the mountain looking off into a smokey abyss. Visibility is sketchy at best as there is no law regulating the burning of trash or foliage. Constant mildly burning eyes when down in that elevation. Up here there is just the haze. And yet, at a pull off, we see, far below us, a wide glistening silver swatch of the Ganges River. It lures one into its waters from this elevation. I can only imagine the power of her immediate presence. More to come in the days ahead on the Ganges.
I am writing this in the middle of the night...got up to pee and, remembering that I made no entry yet today, I sat down to put up something...1 hour later and here I am..starting to fade so i will wrap it up. I will tell you more about this place in the next few entries. But let's just say that the Universe gives us what we need most. It is our charge to grasp it and immerse oneself in the opportunity for expansion. Yesterday in Delhi as we were getting ready to head for the airport, Deborah asked me if I wanted a pack of Kleenex....what for? I asked...you never know, she said...Now Deborah, a world class shaman, has been to India multiple times. She always brings a stash of giveaways for the children: Curious George band-aids, packs of Kleenex, socks, useful stuff that you won't find here at the corner 7/11...because there aint no such thing! Anyway, the moment we get on the plane, I start to notice some nasal activity. It is obvious, in no time at all, that my body wisdom has initiated a cleanse...toxins no longer welcome are being sent from my own temple...those shamans!...I am laughing as I write this cause I can feel the movement of the past right out the door of my being. That is why one comes here. That which I have not had the awareness to release, is dispelled by the remarkable holy body wisdom...I am blessed that my system is working. Had a sea salt scrub earlier today, followed by a walk through a circle of stones in four separate sections, each of different water temp. One walks clockwise, very slowly, over the stones. The feet are reflexed to release the crystallizations of unexpressed energy in a periodically painful process. Dang...greater awareness of consistent daily cleanse from now on...note to self. Love that body, grasshopper!
I am blessed, I am tired, I am dripping my past all over the table..It is time to sleep. I send you blessings on this Christmas Eve day...no trees, no Christmas carols, no Santa Claus, no elves...just the cleansing of the past resistance to being fully who I am...I am my own greatest gift in this moment... into my own little lap I set my inner little boy, and, with a hearty ho ho ho....I look into his eyes and ask "have you been a good boy?" and, as I write this, tears well up from me...recognition that, no I have not...I have not tended my inner garden as much as I deserve...a new way of being, birthed out of spontaneous awareness...I am being guided to change some deep stuff...New Year's Day is just around the corner...and the Ganges is flowing into my everyday awareness...calling for me to toss the old detritus of so many uninformed choices, that, still, after all the inner work I have done, leach their patterns into my moments to diminish my Light and Love of Self. Well, apparently, India is saying no more...shri ram, jai ram, jai jai ram...I aint gonna carry that load no more, I aint gonna carry that load. There is only Love. It is me and it is you...
Flew Jet India, in a rather classic turbo prop, up to the Rishikesh area. Enroute I caught my first glimpse of the Himalayas. At first sight, this spontaneous welling poured through and out of my heart...tears fell in a series of what must have been past life recognitions and stirrings. It was such a gift. The band of jagged white peaks seemed to sit on the sky and clouds. They appeared to be about the same altitude as the plane...we will be in the higher Himalayas in 5 days when we find ourselves in Kathmandu, Nepal. For now we, will settle for the foothills.
At the airport, there was a pronounced military presence, sub machine guns as I picked up my bag. There watchful eye monitored my bag adjustments with casual interest. Eye contact here felt very different to that of the many I had experienced with people in Delhi. This did not feel as if it was looking to see the God in me...a head nod brought no response....OK.....Into a small convoy of Ford SUVs we slinked our way over the less than well maintained road towards our day's final destination, Ananda, the spa in the hills overlooking the Ganges. The 45 minute was an adventure that brought back a late night wild ride Sonia and I had taken years before in Costa Rica. This time, instead of the 8 people in a Toyota mini van, we sat in groups of three in separate vehicles while Indian music played over the in car video of the History of Ananda. While outside, different moments of living whizzed by...
The countryside here has a distinct feel and look to it as the predominant foliage, at least in the lowlands, are these magnificent large leafed trees...yet to find the name..large river beds criss cross the road, waiting for the July monsoons to swell their banks and wash away the dust of the year. Two lane roads leave little room for maneuvering..and there are many slow vehicles around which we must navigate, or add extensive time to what is announced as a 45 min sojourn. Lots of small motorcycles. This is not Harley land, not even in the city. No greying Boomers in leather and headbands on a joy ride. Here it is the business of getting self from a to be...sometimes carrying passengers or family members. I have seen up to 5 on a motorbike, snuggled in a ball of flesh , scooting down the road pouring out a steady stream of white smoke from engines long on the tooth. One child snuggled between father and mother was particularly interesting...another with the daughter on the back riding side saddle while she attended to cell phone duties. This is a trusting land where riding the edge of life and death is as common as the next breath. One passes when there is just enough room. These newer Fords had some pep, so it was not uncommon for our red-turbanned driver to scoot out there when there was obviously another vehicle approaching. Trust...squared. Over and over we passed female walkers with a huge mass of green foliage bundled and balancing on their head. Theses walking trees went to the elevations to gather sustenance for the cattle. And it was on this ride that we see our first cattle in the streets. Delhi has all but been cleared of the cattle. Now it is a countryside phenomenon. These holy animals mingled with the folk, as impactful as the dogs we saw in the streets of Delhi. Fascinating.
Busy towns pop up like tumbleweeds around this turn and that one. Each is bustling, shops with little storefront presence in locations along the main streets...a cloth laid down and a mound of peanuts in front of a small fire...a series of classic color renditions of Krishna and Shiva and Kali, a tree limb with fruit still clinging...now for sale...rupees...only 10 rupees...please for my child...and every face behind this makeshift living has a story of wide dimension, no doubt, defined by the luck of the draw...it is a powerful travelogue of humanity that moves in and out of my life from right to left
Before I left while still at the Hacienda Hotel in LA a man told me that India was like the Wild West...I know what he means now. Just waiting for the soundtrack...not the tabla and the sitar and tamboura, but the distinct notes of a Clint Eastwood western
Along the way there are signs about the elephants...not a do not feed, but a watch out for falling trees. The driver informed us that 8 people had been killed in the last six months by the elephants living their lives, seeking the leaves at the top of a tree...felling it by pushing against it. We saw a small herd of three in the field as we turned into Rishikesh...passed by like a billboard...so quickly that I could not get the camera around. Dusty, road worn, they stood looking in different directions each, like a trendy band press photo. And as we wind our way in elevation the small, cute monkeys begin to appear. One here, one there, and then 4 and then a group of 7. On the ground by the side of the road. Like beggars they pose and wait for Providence. We turn the corner and they disappear into a pleasant memory.
The British influence peppers the land here. It is in the language and the architecture and the people...though less and less as time drifts beyond the old forms. But it is the language that reflects so much of the spirit of India. The Western world is filled with signs that define our behaviors and limit our freedoms, classic "don'ts" Here, they say "Be gentle on this curve", "Slow the car or you will fly"...reminders that in every moment we have a choice and consequences...I like that
So, here we are: feels to me like the land at Big Sur, just between Esalen and Nepenthe restaurant. High up on the mountain looking off into a smokey abyss. Visibility is sketchy at best as there is no law regulating the burning of trash or foliage. Constant mildly burning eyes when down in that elevation. Up here there is just the haze. And yet, at a pull off, we see, far below us, a wide glistening silver swatch of the Ganges River. It lures one into its waters from this elevation. I can only imagine the power of her immediate presence. More to come in the days ahead on the Ganges.
I am writing this in the middle of the night...got up to pee and, remembering that I made no entry yet today, I sat down to put up something...1 hour later and here I am..starting to fade so i will wrap it up. I will tell you more about this place in the next few entries. But let's just say that the Universe gives us what we need most. It is our charge to grasp it and immerse oneself in the opportunity for expansion. Yesterday in Delhi as we were getting ready to head for the airport, Deborah asked me if I wanted a pack of Kleenex....what for? I asked...you never know, she said...Now Deborah, a world class shaman, has been to India multiple times. She always brings a stash of giveaways for the children: Curious George band-aids, packs of Kleenex, socks, useful stuff that you won't find here at the corner 7/11...because there aint no such thing! Anyway, the moment we get on the plane, I start to notice some nasal activity. It is obvious, in no time at all, that my body wisdom has initiated a cleanse...toxins no longer welcome are being sent from my own temple...those shamans!...I am laughing as I write this cause I can feel the movement of the past right out the door of my being. That is why one comes here. That which I have not had the awareness to release, is dispelled by the remarkable holy body wisdom...I am blessed that my system is working. Had a sea salt scrub earlier today, followed by a walk through a circle of stones in four separate sections, each of different water temp. One walks clockwise, very slowly, over the stones. The feet are reflexed to release the crystallizations of unexpressed energy in a periodically painful process. Dang...greater awareness of consistent daily cleanse from now on...note to self. Love that body, grasshopper!
I am blessed, I am tired, I am dripping my past all over the table..It is time to sleep. I send you blessings on this Christmas Eve day...no trees, no Christmas carols, no Santa Claus, no elves...just the cleansing of the past resistance to being fully who I am...I am my own greatest gift in this moment... into my own little lap I set my inner little boy, and, with a hearty ho ho ho....I look into his eyes and ask "have you been a good boy?" and, as I write this, tears well up from me...recognition that, no I have not...I have not tended my inner garden as much as I deserve...a new way of being, birthed out of spontaneous awareness...I am being guided to change some deep stuff...New Year's Day is just around the corner...and the Ganges is flowing into my everyday awareness...calling for me to toss the old detritus of so many uninformed choices, that, still, after all the inner work I have done, leach their patterns into my moments to diminish my Light and Love of Self. Well, apparently, India is saying no more...shri ram, jai ram, jai jai ram...I aint gonna carry that load no more, I aint gonna carry that load. There is only Love. It is me and it is you...
Well done my friend, I feel as though I was right there with you. Perfect time I was seeking a good Christmas read I think your musings will fill the bill.
ReplyDeleteZoe sends her love to you she thinks you are the best. ;-)
Safe travels love and blessings to all the weary travelers
Cindy MONTEN
Remember when I mailed you that quotation "Don't look back, you aren't going that way"..You are too hard on yourself with so much sensitivity..you are a wonderful person..a very strong man..and have the gift of unbelievable insight ..I honor you and your journey..your words feel like I am being cleansed as well through your experience..wow..god bless you and keep you safe..Connie Ainlay >>Kingman,AZ
ReplyDeleteThe clearer I become I know that washing away that which is within opens me more to fully experiencing the moment. Tears are a beautiful gift of the now. The body glistens from the cleansing flow. The sensitivity contributes mightily to who I am. I do not feel overwhelmed by it in any way. Rather, it is a vehicle upon which I can pay attention and notice what my Higher Self has in store for me. I am beginning to see that living fully is to embrace the full circumference of one's Being: past, present, intended future, and manifesting future. I rarely censor my writings. I choose to be free with the emotion that flows as it is a necessary and rich part of the sharing. I love how a word or a remembered moment can can initiate a deep feeling that bursts forth without hesitation. I happen to think that, when unencumbered, we are capable of such spontaneous release by design. Connie...I wish you a beautiful Christmas with al the joy your little girl deserves. Onward and inward. Mark Stanton Welch
ReplyDeleteBeautifully expressed as always..my Comment was as simple as "I did not want you to feel sad" I know that deep sensitivity is what makes you tick and what makes you such a superlative writer and songwriter..obviously the emotional expression of your words is what does captivate my imagination. Thank you for clarifying what you were trying to express in your observations..I am not always understanding of other peoples intent..I say LaisseZ les bontemps rouler" a cajun saying that I just learned that means "Let the good times roll"..always love your sensitive words..ENVISIONING YOU IN THE LIGHT ..CONNIE
ReplyDelete