Too Many Cows....
Trip Start
Oct 19, 2006
1
27
39
Trip End
Ongoing
Rishikesh, India
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
...and not enough burger joints. See how easy it is to offend a few hundred million people with one simple sentence? Actually, what I really wanted to say is that yesterday I was eating a grapefruit on the street and when I looked up from my work I noticed that the cows seemed more attentive than usual, and then they began approaching me. I expected this from the monkeys; in fact I made sure there were no monkeys around before I even considered purchasing a grapefruit. Those feisty creatures would not hesitate to jump you and steal your fruit; but I expected a little more from the cows. I suppose that even holy cows tire of eating garbage...
I am currently in Rishikesh, a quiet little berg on the banks of the Ganges where the Beatles met the Maharishi and wrote the "White Album" many years ago. The banks of the river are lined with temples and Ashrams emitting bells, chants and incense at sunrise and sunset everyday. This is the so called "yoga capitol of the world" and courses are on offer almost everywhere, many for free or by donation. I am currently more interested in enjoying the surrounding forested hillsides and sandy beaches on the banks of the clean and green river, reading books and enjoying the ubiquitous Italian and Israeli food. In other words, I am being a tourist for the time being.
I arrived in India in mid October and went straight to Manali, a nice little mountain town in the Himalaya populated by Tibetan refugees and tourists; both Indian and foreign. Here I once again faced a battle between my will and reality and once again reality won. I had put off dealing with ever worsening back problems and by the time I arrived in Manali, I was unable to walk. A woman staying in my guest house for the first couple of days said "I bet the hardest part is that you just got to India and probably want to go trekking in the mountains or see things and it must be very frustrating being stuck in bed!" and if I hadn't spent the better part of the past year practicing Vipassana, I probably would have agreed with her. Instead I was able to see the difference between physical suffering and psychological suffering and as soon as my mind began to wander and consider the worst case scenarios, the way things "should" be or "could" be or might turn out, I was able to bring it back to "what was" and accept it. I came to India to sit in a room and meditate anyway, so what was the big deal? Two weeks in bed thus passed quickly and happily even though I was alone in the guest house after the third day and saw virtually no one except the non conversant guy who brought me my meals.
I eventually booked a sleeper bus to Dharamsala and survived the ride but still spent my first five days there within a few blocks of my guest house. One day while reading in bed, a couple of monkeys screamed into my room and grabbed my garbage can. This was my first indication that these beasts could not be trusted. I did not have any significant run ins with cows however and when the time came I went further up the hill to a retreat center and sat a 10 day vipassana course in a chair. I stayed at the center for another five days and then volunteered to help out at the next 10 day course. By this time I was able to sit on a cushion all day.
It was interesting to see the changes in the students over the 10 day course. Even the happiest left happier and those with problems, known or unknown to them, seemed to have progressed significantly in such a short time and had a certain glow to them by the end. Vipassana seems to act like a psychological enema; it all comes out and you leave feeling clean and fresh. The more you do it, the more comes out; deep rooted complexes, and the more you practice on a daily basis the less new complexes are formed and thus you become and then remain purified. That's the way it seems to me anyway. You will just have to find out for yourself!
I have a month to kill before I head to Bodhgaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, to sit a 20 day course, followed shortly thereafter by a 2 month course in southern Nepal. That's why I am taking this opportunity to walk in the forested hills of Rishikesh and be a tourist instead of immersing myself in yoga practice. Perhaps I'll go buy another grapefruit today and share some with the beatific bovines wandering dreamily down the lanes? In any case, I will attempt to blog a bit more frequently if I come up with important thoughts to share or have run-ins with other beasts, holy or not. In the meantime, I will leave you with a riddle: Why did the man in the turban go to the doctor? Because he was Sikh!
Be well and keep in touch!
Comments
Hey there
Glad to see you standing again. Did you ever consider having a Swedish masseur (sic) walk up and down your back as a cure?
What a life!!!!!!!! Eating grapefruits and worrying about monkeys. Want to change places?
Anyway, try to stay healthy...eat well...so we won't worry about you.
Unc J.
Hello!
Hi Alan,
Terra & I are happy to hear you're doing well (back issues aside). Her belly is getting big-big-big! Roughly 9 weeks to go now. Still no name.
Take care, write when you can.
Love,
Scott & Terra