For all the nonbelievers...

Spirituality is not found in a church or sacred place. It is found within yourself. My meditation and introspection has a new venue(and what a venue it is=).I need not look to the idols and houses of worship of external religious belief to achieve my goals. Spirituality is all around us, in every moment.

From one extreme...

Wow, what a difference. Last week I was knee deep in New Dehli, now I sit in the hammock strung up on the porch of my bungalow listening to the unbelievably green 85 degree water thats 30 feet from my door. It's quite a change. I'm still trying to adjust to sunny, laidback island life after so many dirty days struggling through grime and poverty. Makes Thailand seem very utopian. I think many people feel this way. These islands are among the most beautiful in the world and millions come every year to experience them. I now know why...

I Rastafari I

If only my pictures would post! slow speeds and some technical difficulties are keeping your dreaded friend out of the public eye. It's a shame, I'm sure my Bob Marley locks would generate a few posts in the comments section. Thailand is a trip. I could definitely see myself living here for a while. Maybe teach english. I was speaking to a monk about it and there are many opportunities to do this in and around Bangkok. The pay is good and I could also work with the monks to continue my service and further enhance the path I seek to take. met a traveler who lived ,in Bangkok for 2 and a 1/2 years with his girlfriend. They found teaching jobs in 3 days without any prior experience or degree. Everyone seems to be eager to learn. He later went on to be ordained as a Thai monk and lived in the monastary for 3 months. On another occasion i met a 60 year american teacher who hasnt lived in the US in over 15 years. she has traveled the world as a teacher and calls ,many places home, Kathmandu and Chiang Mai among them. Did I mention I now have Dreads, yes Dreads.I have to get some pics posted...
RASTAMAN LIVE UP, NATTY DREAD DONT GIVE UP-BOB MARLEY

Moving on Up

I feel like the Jeffersons. 3:30 in the morning I'm lounging in Bangkok after just finishing my 2nd plate of the best Pad Thai i've ever had. It's Clean, everyone's smiling and did I mention it's Clean Amazing, this is the shady part of town too. It's kinda the Bourbon street of Thailand.
Anyway, its 330 and im done.
namaste was India Ihavent figured how to say PEace in THai yet
so PEACE

A Worthy Adversary Becomes a Source of Inspiration and Great Learning

I have been reinvigorated by the words of Paulo Coehlo. He wrote" It has taken this long and arduous journey to find all that I sought was within me.Knowing this from the outset I still needed to experience the road of the common people." This is a road not traveled by many today. Our generation is so caught up in themselves and looking for external possesions to achieve happiness. It is not until you have given up most of the comforts we hold so dear that true contentment is found. most would rather try to buy or intellectualize these teachings rather than actually live it. To live it, is to see the beauty in all its hardship.True life lessons. It took a moment to step out of the situation to truly appreciate all that it has done for me. I have much thanks to offer India, for all its hidden agendas have great teachings within. As I set to embark on the next step of my pilgrimage I am open and aware to the great impact this trip has had on my life and the ones around me. Thank you again for all your support during this time.
Namaste

Back in the Trenches

One forgets the true severity that is Dehli until you are thrust back into it. The constant assault on the senses is overwhelming but even more worriesome is it doesnt affect you as much the 2nd time. The intolerable noise, atrocious smells, dirt, grime, hustlers screaming out at you from all directions and walking with you, touching, prying, trying to lure you in. Everyone has something to sell, just waiting to see a little spark of interest.Hotels, hash, cash, all have an angle. my 250 Rupee hotel here has a shower that you have to nearly sit on the toilet to use(for those of you who have not traveled to India there is no boundary between your shower and the rest of your bathroom, the toilet shower and sink all share the same floor, it takes some getting used to.) And is down the sketchiest alleyway you've ever seen. this whole area is scandalous. But, just one more night to endure India then its off to South east Asia=)
Seems its raining in Thailand too. no worries, i need to clean off anyway.
And if the archeology of this blog perplexes some,try to keep it less profane for the laypeople.(send me emails instead of posting comments)
Peace

AS READ IN THE HINDUSTAN TIMES TODAY

Over 3800 cases of JAPANESE ENCEPHILITUS have been reported in the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states in the last 8 weeks with over 820 deaths. In just the last 24 hours 69 new cases have been reported and 19 more have died.
Gulp, Cipro is suposed to kill everything, right:()
Maybe I'll just skip the burning bodies of Varanasi and Taj Mahal in Agra.
India was nice, you should visit sometime. I'm done! Booking a flight from Dharamsala to Dehli for thursday and hopefully get a flight out of Dehli to Bangkok ASAP.No four hour bus rides to 12 hour train rides through the rural areas which are most affected. Dehli is in Uttar Pradesh and i'm going to look like a Japanese subway rider with masks and more DEET on than a French, well you know. I'll probably hold up in one of Dehli's lovely accomadations awaiting my Bangkok flight, then its on to the nice, smiling faces of the Thai as I bask in the sun on their beautiful beaches and explore the thousands of monastaries up north. I always agreed with Theravada Buddhism more anyway.

7days Short of Enlightenment

3days of sitting in the lotus pose for 12 hours a day and I'm done. One can only STAND so much SITTING! I may have been able to endure more if I had not fallen so ill. It started with a sniffle, which turned into a sore throat, then fever and when my lungs started filling up with fluids and a fever ensued I knew it was over. Maybe if the tattered tarps stapled to the lumber scraps that made up the walls of our living quarters didnt have soo many holes, or the patched up mattresses werent covered in bloddstained sheets, or if the monsoon rains subsided long enough to let us dry off, or the 20degree nights werent so damn cold, or i didnt have to pour my hot water over me with a measuring cup out of a bucket, or maybe if only half of the other meditators were sick, or the army slop they were passing as meals contained a few vital nutrients I may have ben able to last another 7days. But trying to focus on your breath for 12 hours a day when it has to fight its way through your mucous filled nostrils will get to anyone.I wasnt the only one dreaming of 6dollar a night hotel rooms, with kingsize beds and hot showers. Good Tibetan soups and hot ginger teas. Knowing I made a good decision I awoke this morning still sick but to a sun-filled room and a hearty breakfast. Waking up at 9:30 instead of 4am was nice too:) I dont want to sound negative though.It was a good experience and my practice has prospered because of it. Sitting for 2 hours at a time in deep meditation has a profound effect. Not sure what it is,but its profound:)
Next on the agenda, when my fever breaks, is heading back thru Dehli to Agra which holds the Taj Mahal. I was warned not to spend more than a day there as the food is poison and u will get sick. From there its on to varanasi to watch the burning bodies float down the canals. After a few days of taking in the smells of the human BBQ its off to Bodhgaya. Bodhgaya is in the lovely state of Bihar, the most dangerous place in India. Thats quite a title to hold. My guide suggests hiring armed guards while travelling through this region and numerous travelers have backed that up. In addition to the crime and murder rate Bihar is currently experiencing an outbreak of Japanese Encephalitus which has already taken more than 900 people in the past few months(Our SARS epidemic only took 600).The guide states partial braindamage as a common result for those who do make it out alive from this mosquito transmitted disease. But alas, Bodhgaya is an important part in the buddhist pilgrimage as it is where the buddha gained enlightenment. If I make it out of Bodhgaya alive it's off to Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, where I'll hop a flight to the beautiful beaches of Thailand for a couple of weeks to wash off the filth that is India. As most of you know I was supposed to head to Kathmandu from Bodhgaya but There has been martial law declared and a curfew imposed. On some days they are not even allowing people out of their houses. So Thailand it is, if i make it that far;)
Hope all is well back home, I'll speak to everyone soon.

NAMASTE

Dalai Lama tours America and leaves some long haired hippie to run things in his absense

I wonder if the road to Rutgers would have been as enlightening ; ). Little known fact: it rains alot during monsoon season.I havent been this wet since
a.janet jackson performed at the superbowl
b.michael jackson taught me how to beat it or
c. tito jackson (what did tito jackson do again?).
Anyway, its wet out here.not much to do except drink chai and lounge at one of 100 cafe's round here. I think there's more computers here than in NY. quite a paradox considering most people cant feed themselves. speaking of food, what the hell am i eating? It's bright orange, gooey, fried and was wrapped in old newspaper.let me wait till that monk takes a bite first, ok looks good. never know when you're paying 10 rupees(20 cents) for a snack. course the best chai never costs more than 5rupees. Headline on the newspaper its wrapped in says "Jackson Beats it". wonder if that was the first or second time. Oh well, the monks seems content with it. I always say if its good enough for a monk, yeah i'm a little bored.
Starting my vipassana in 2 days and guess i'm a little anxious. 10 days of silence, no where to go but within. that's scary! there's alot of suppressed, repressed, unpressed, depressed, buried away, bright, orange.gooey, fried stuff in there.
Hey, it says june 15th on the newspaper my foods wrapped, (what month is it again?) Its the Times of New Dehli i'm sure its clean.
I just cant bring myself to pay 200 rupees for an umbrella when my hotel only costs 250 a night and dinner's round 70. probably why i'm not the only wet tourist.

OK, ITS BEEN A COUPLE OF DAYS

DISCLAIMER: FOR ALL THOSE THAT DO NOT ENJOY PROFANITY SKIP THIS ENTRY!(OR AT LEAST THE FIRST FEW LINES;)

HOLY SHIT! THIS FUCKING PLACE IS MAD. HOLYMEN BEING SPIT ON AS THEY SHIT IN THE ROAD NEXT TO COWS HOLDING UP TRAFFIC AS TOURISTS ARE HELD UP BY 3 YEAR OLD HOMELESS KIDS HOLDING 2 YEAR OLD SIBLINGS AS THEIR MOTHERS LIE HELPLESSLY ON THE STREET. STARED DOWN A CLIFF AT A BUS JUST LIKE THE ONE I WAS ON EXCEPT WE SOMEHOW WERE STILL ON THE ROAD. BUSDRIVERS LIKE PLAYING CHICKEN ROUND WINDING MOUNTAIN PASSES IN MONSOON RAINS. GOOD THING THAT HARI KRISHNA GAVE ME THOSE MALI BEADS TO PROTECT ME FROM DANGER. WATCHED A PASSENGER ON A BUS KICK A GUY ON MOTORCYCLE AS I INHALED DIESEL FUMES AND BLARING HORNS FROM MY AUTORICKSHAW. EVERYONES PISSED AND POOR AND LEERS AT YOU OR TRIES TO TAKE YOUR MONEY IN SOME WAY. PAID 1000 RUPEES FOR A SHOWER TO WASH AWAY THE GRIME OF DEHLI BEFORE GETTING ON A 12 HOUR TRAINRIDE TO TAKE A 3 HOUR BUS TO ANOTHER 1/2 HOUR BUS TO FIND DHARAMSALA, MY SHANGRI-LA. MONKS CASUALLY STROLL THE MOUNTAIN ROADS,BRINGING PEACE AND SERENITY IN THEIR CANDID SMILES. STARTING MY VOLUNTEER WORK TOMORROW TEACHING ENGLISH TO EX-POLITICAL PRISONERS WHO ESCAPED THE CHINESE CAMPS AND PRISONS OF TIBET. HEARING THEIR STORIES OF TORTURE AND IMPRISONMENT FOR BEING MONKS AND NUNS WHO PROTESTED THE CHINESE OCCUPATION OF THEIR LAND IS HEARTWRENCHING. I LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER BONDING WITH THEM AND HELPING IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE SCORED A GREAT ROOM WITH 2 WALLS OF WINDOWS AND A TERRACE OVERLOOKING THE VALLEY FOR 250 RUPEES PER NIGHT(BOUT 6 BUCKS). AND THE FOOD IS OUTRAGEOUS. AFTER SEEING DEHLI AND HEARING STORIES ABOUT THE REST OF THIS COUNTRY AS I TRAVELED THROUGH THE [PUNJAB AND HIMACHEL REGIONS I THINK I MIGHT JUST STAY AND HANG WITH THE MONKS FOR AWHILE. AT THIS POINT DEALING WITH THE DEPRAVITY AND POLLUTION THAT IS INDIA DOES NOT SEEM VERY APPEALING. MAYBE AT SOME POINT I'LL BE READY TO STROLL DOWN THE DIRTY WATERWAYS OF VARANASI WATCHING THEM BURN BODIES AND PUSH THEM DOWN THE RIVER OR ENDURE THE POLITICAL UNREST IN NEPAL BUT FOR NOW LOUNGING WITH THE MONKS(AND MEDITATING AT THE DALAI LAMAS TEMPLE WITH THEM EVERY MORNING)SEEMS LIKE A MUCH BETTER PLAN.

NAMASTE

COWS,900 MILLION IN POVERTY AND DID I MENTION COWS

labor day buzz

Leaving the homeland. packing up, saying goodbyes> the Dharma is before me.