NEPAL - HIMALAYAS

NEPAL - HIMALAYAS
Another nightmarish long uncomfortable journey brought me from India into Nepal (I think i am done with these long travels now), however driving through the countryside in the south of Nepal up to Pokhara was breath taking. Large sunny grassy meadows with trees, streams, i thought i could have been somewhere in Europe not Nepal. 19hrs later i arrived in Pokhara at 3am, almost a broken man, I managed to find somewhere to sleep. God knows how!

The next day i was meeting up with a mate, another couple and some other travelers knew who also had just arrived here. We were going to trekking, big time, in the Himalayas. Come on! We met at the Busy Bee pub and excitedly planned our trek to Annapurna Base Camp some 4100m high. Remember Ben Nevis is only bloody 1300m! It was to be a ten day trek, the longest I had ever done but the team and I were up for it. After two days of heavy rain in Pokhara we finally headed off with trekking permits & maps in hand and a box of snickers. We were prepared.

Annapurna Base Camp (ABC)

The six of us, me, Chris, James, Ben, Karnit and Poppy headed off, day one being an up hill climb (every day was!) up many steps, our spirits high. We didn’t have a porter with us just our day bags, we didn’t have a guide with us either but decided to ask the locals for directions and use our great map. However it was only our first afternoon that we nearly took a wrong direction if it wasn’t for a kind local helping us but honestly after day two that the trails are very well trodden and straight forward. We didn’t have any problems finding our way from then on but that's no to say the trek was easy. Very far from it as we soon found out.

The countryside was absolutely breathtaking so although i wasn't sitting in lotus position on a mat meditating, one just look at all the beauty, the vast green valleys & mountains, waterfalls either side and thick primary forest was enough to stop the minds endless chatter. However we all found it quite tough a part from James the Gazelle. Literally thousands of steps going up and down, the incline was too steep for a path! No kidding and one day when i looked at our map, in the bottom corner it stated that the level of our trek we chose was medium to strenuous. I couldn’t believe it, who chooses a trek in the Himalayas that is strenuous. Not me, that’s for Chizal. Dam Rizal! But hey I was on it. Howevere by the end of day two our dear friend from Greece, Poppy, found it all too much and decided not to continue on. We managed to find her a good guide that night to walk her back. She was struggling so all in all I think it was for the best.

Meanwhile along the way we found these deserted lovely little guest houses on route where we stayed. It was fantastic not having any other tourist around with us in the mountains. It was due to us leaving so soon after the rains had stopped. (On the way back the villages were mobbed). It got colder and colder the higher we trekked with no hot showers available but we didn’t care. Accommodation was simple and cheap but thank god for the blankets otherwise i would have frozen. Food was ok but expensive, however one understands porters need to bring it up here which i swear is no easy task so pay the price.

We were heading towards the white snow capped mountains and nothing could stop us, so we thought. James the gazelle set a breath taking pace while the rest of us were just enjoying the scenery whilst trying to keep up somewhat. We were very lucky with both the weather, it being sunny everyday and with clear starry nights and the tranquility (lack of tourists). I really felt that the pace of life here is slow aside from the fact there are on trekkers max 5-6 months of the year, the Himalayas are still a sleepy place on the global map. The remaining five of us were doing well; we had a good map and good information about how long it was between different villages, we had budgeted our money right so we decided to have a mid trek break and stop along the way. We stopped off at this incredible hot spring bath by the river where we spent the afternoon totally chilling and relaxing the muscles. OH MY GOD the hot water was bliss! We then bravely dipped into the ice cold river and then back into the hot springs, beautiful.

After that short but sweat break we headed on up. None of us had given much thought to altitude sickness, knowing that it affects everyone differently and we wont know what will happen until we reach ABC. Well arriving at MBC (Machhapuchhrie Base Camp) we were cold and tired but still felt fine. It's 3700m up, so quite high. Higher than most mountains in Europe. It was at MBC that i felt i was now entering the real Himalayas. All the views before were of lush green mountain ravines and valleys but now we were finally experiencing the snowy mountains. This is what i had been waiting for. We got ourselves sorted with beds then got cards out, ordered some hot drinks & food and shortly thereafter beaded down for the night in anticipation of the last push to ABC the next day. That night we didn’t wake up at dawn like most mornings to see the sunrise we had a lie and headed off around nine for the last two hour slow trek.

It was one of the most beautiful days trekking and i took my time, stopping to rest and take in the mountains. Once again i felt privileged to be here and experience this. The hard work made it all the worthwhile. I was sitting on the banks of this stream looking out across the valley to the famous Fishtail mountain, Machhapuchhrie peak at 8000m high. I was surrounded by snowy
mountains, finally! Sitting there just beholding the views. It’s so easy to be at peace here, to be one. (I hope the video below does a little justice to this awesome nature.) We all arrived safely at ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) some 4100m high, yet the peak of ABC sits above 8000m. Obviously we didn’t attempt to climb that, i would have said no to that honest, that would have been a tad too much!

Anyway, getting to ABC we get a room, did some little walks around base camp then later order some food and bring out the cards. While we're playing simple cards James starts taking ages to make decisions on what to play. Most unlike him, so i give him a hard time and start taking the piss. We all took the piss to be fair but then we soon realised the gazelle was starting to feel the affects of altitude sickness! Chris was next, then me. Brain not working to well, very hazy, slow and i hadn’t smoked any funny cigarettes. Honest. In fact all of us felt a little strange so we bedded down early again that night, but only after doing some serious star gazing, it didn’t affect our sleeping as it can do sometimes but we did all feel a bit wobbly. Its important to acclimatise that’s why we slept one night at MBC previously to get used to the lack of oxygen in the air. Clearly it wasn't enough.

Mission safely accomplished we all headed back to pokhara taking the following days nice and easy. It was yet again another memorable time, I would like to come back to Nepal and trek the Annapurna circuit which takes 19 days! But i will leave that adventure for another time.

SARANGKOT
My time might have been running out, meaning i would have bone home already if i had not got confirmation that i had a place on the annual Buddhist retreat course at Kopan monastery near Katmandu. So i decided to stay for this final month but the course started in three weeks so i chilled in Pokhara for a few days then headed off into the countryside and mountains again. I found a small guesthouse run by Moti and his lovely wife Maya and their four daughters. I decided to stay with the family and help out. where i could. We painted the guesthouse, made and painted four signs, created a new menu and some flyer's on my laptop, i explained the concept of balancing the accounts (monthly Income from assets vs. monthly costs incurred) and i really enjoyed helping out and being with the family. However it being a simple magnificent and peaceful location it was easy for me to reflect on the past year and a half and the years to come and what i really want to do with my precious life. Strange as it may sound to you, i loved my time with Moti, Maya and their four girls as much as i did trekking. Just being with myself, helping the family where i could. Wonderful.

TIBET in INDIA

TIBET in INDIA

I decided to write about Tibet and what has been going on their recently simply because I could not ignore it and I really wanted to share this information with you (ignorance is no a good excuse). It pained me so much when I spoke with and listened to the shopkeepers, nuns and other Tibetans I met in Mc Loed Ganj, telling me their accounts of how they got here in India, what they went through to get here and why they left Tibet. I voluntarily taught English to some Tibetan refugees in Mc Loed Ganj and heard more stories; I also visited the Tibetan museum here and learnt a lot, so this is what my knowledge is based upon.

In the late 1940's the government of Tibet informed the world of an immenent threat, namely the invasion of their country by China. Furthermore, the Tibetan government specifically called upon the UN, US, UK and India for help. Their calls were tragically ignored, i don't know why but China's timing was perfect. It was just after World War II and most countries were busy reconstructing themselves. Regardless, the perceived threat was real, their calls were ignored and what follows is my understanding of what happened next and is ongoing today!

You must understand that Tibet is a very old country. It has been an independent country for more than 2000 years with its own civil services, legal system, currency, army and police force. There are even archaeological findings tracing human settlements as far back as 8000 years ago. Today there are 6 million Tibetans dispersed among different countries. Commonly known as the "Roof of the World", lofty snow capped mountains, rocky ranges, large plateaus and forests make up the natural landscape. A country rich in natural resources, more than two-thirds the size of India (2500km long east-west), with five of Asia's greatest rivers originating here including the Mekong and Yangtze. Tibet is vast.

The relationship with China dates back a long time. In the 8th century Tibet occupied the ancient capital of Xian, other times China had influence over Tibet, both were for a time under foreign rule but Tibet was never ever a part of China. Until recently one of the first tasks announced by the newly-established People's Republic of China in 1949 was the 'liberation' of Tibet. Strange, they were already free! Soon after they invaded. On October 7th, 1950, China invaded Tibet with 40,000 soldiers under the pre-tense of 'economic liberation'. (What bullshit). Attempts made by the 6000 strong poorly equipped Tibetan army to resist the Chinese advance failed, whilst the Tibetan government tried to halt the invasion through diplomatic means. This also failed and in May 1951 Tibet was forced to sign a 17 point agreement which declared the 'peaceful liberation' and annexation of Tibet to China. How is this possible? How is this allowed by the international community?

To date China's efforts to control Tibet has entailed mass-scale physical destruction of some 6000 monasteries, temples and precious scriptures, worse still the systematic eradication of Tibetan culture and religion which is ongoing today. Chinese policies are aimed at erasing the Tibetan culture, religion and ultimately its identity. The exploitation of Tibet's natural resources, damming of rivers and the massive deforestation for timber are happening now. Parts of Tibet are also now used as nuclear test sites and dumping grounds for nuclear waste. Tibetan protesters are arrested, tortured in prison and held captive for a number of years before release. So far 1.2million Tibetans have been killed by the Chinese and day by day the Chinese are diluting the local population already having more Chinese in Tibet than Tibetans and one policeman for every 20 Tibetans.

During my voluntary teaching in Mc Loed Ganj, one Tibetan girl recounted to me in detail her personal and traumatic journey to India from her country. This girl is now 21, but she was a 19 year old student when she was arrested by the Chinese for protesting at their occupation of her country. She told me how they tortured her, handcuffing her hands behind her back, tying her to the ceiling and beating her. She told me she fell unconscious several times during these torture sessions. The girl seemed quite numb and expressionless. My heart just wanted to reach out to her and remove all this pain. She was held prisoner for three years. When finally released she returned to her village and family but didn't stay there long. She wanted to leave her country to try and find a better life, so she made the journey, like 100,000 Tibetans have tried to make, to Nepal, Bhutan or India. She headed for India via Nepal. It took her 18 days to get to Nepal; she sold her clothes for food along the way and was also robbed of her belongings while asleep. Once finally in Nepal she got a bus on to India and Mc Loed Ganj. She is now being supported and regaining her life with help from the Tibetan government in exile and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of Tibet.

Separately, a shopkeeper i became friends with told me about his persecution in Tibet by the Chinese and finally his decision to leave. He walked for 29 days, over mountain ranges, across rivers, before he got to Nepal and onto India. Although now a shopkeeper with wife and children, looking into his soul, reading his body language, he was a very sad and broken man. I can see him now when I write this. I can see them both. Despicable and sad.

What disturbs me most about all this is that it is going on in the 21st Century. I know this is not an isolated incident; hey we got America in Iraq. The thing is Tibet is a Buddhist country and has a culture of no harm, non-violence. If the world 'allows' China to walk in and take over a country, who is going to stop them doing it again or another country from doing it? The UN? (I must read up one day and find out what all these tax free income earners actually do at the UN for us with our money). It is absolutely criminal in this day and age, with the UN, the EU etc, that this is overlooked, allowed to happen. I'm disgusted by this.

Regarding the future of Tibet, Tibetans echo the wishes and tireless work of the Dalai Lama, to have a free independent democratically run Tibet again. The very minimum should be an autonomous zone of peace before the Tibetan identity is completely destroyed and Tibet as a nation disappears from this world. Today we are witnessing the genocide of the Tibetan culture and identity. However both India and Nepal have shown and offered great support to the Tibetans in helping them re-build and regain their country. Furthermore with the growing support by many Chinese for Tibet’s independence and continued international pressure we must get China out of Tibet. It’s our duty as fellow humans to support the Tibetan people and their fight for freedom, just as you and I enjoy and might sometimes take for granted.

That is why i shared this with you, so you could also be aware and speak and act accordingly.

If you would like to learn more visit http://www.thetibetmuseum.org/

Of course feel free to write me any comments you may have.

INDIA - Ladak

Ladak, India

Ladak was very special, unexpectedly so. The scenery, the motorbike trip, the company. Just beautiful!

Having spent a month in Mc Loed Ganj in the company of some lovely fellow travelers from the Buddhist course, it was time to move on, but this time not to study but to travel and explore a little hidden gem of India, the province of Jammu & Kashmir and the Himalayas. I took an excruciatingly long bus ride (20hrs) from Mc Loed Ganj to Manali through some of the most amazing mountain landscape I have ever seen. Having two rock slides along our journey, forcing us to sleep in the parked bus until the road was cleared the next morning doesn’t help. Then a second 20hr bus ride (shows how keen I was) from Manali to Leh over the second highest pass in the world (5300m). Leh, the regional capital town of Ladak is a mainly Buddhist part of India and yet in Leh there's a mix of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Leh and the region is only open about three months of the year to outsiders due to its high location and snow covered roads and passes, so managing to get there is quite special.

I met a fellow traveler, Laia from Spain, on the way up and I told her of my wish to rent a motorbike for a week or so and explore the Himalayan mountain range. Laia was taken by the idea and in Manali we were already discussing the practicalities of the road trip. How exciting. When I rent a motorbike, I always do so in two's (safety), now I had a partner in crime!

We arrived very late in Leh, slept and over the next few days managed to finally find a decent Royal Enfield bike with at least a KM gauge that works (for petrol & distances) breaks, lights and saddle bags. Perfect. We had a map and by now a rough idea of where we would venture first and then go from there.

Leaving Leh we headed for Lamayuru, apparently a few hours away. The roads started off ok. Ladak as a region has quite a military presence due to it being located so close to the border with Pakistan, and so with the military presence there are some good tarmac roads. However, in the blink of an eye the road suddenly changes to rocks and a complete full on dirt track made for Defender Land Rovers. This change can catch one off guard, certainly at speed!! It caught us of guard a few times. Laia and I braved the very poor roads and continued on following a beautiful green glacial river almost all the way to our destination, finally arriving some 5-6hrs later to what we thought was the end of the world. A small little mountain village, at the end of a terrible dirt track on top of a mountain in the middle of now where. We managed to find the only hostel in the village, arriving at dusk, a lovely little but very expensive hostel. We ate and just slept, feeling a little warn out but happy we made it safely to our first destination. It was cold that night as we found out but the stars were amazing. A vast clear dark sky depicting with ease the Milky Way and other solar systems. I could have stayed out for hours and star gazed but it was just too cold.

The next morning we visited the Lamayuru Gompa, the Tibetan Buddhist temple. A quiet peaceful temple that had been built 100's of years ago, I think I also read the highest built temple in India. The temple had such a calm energy I wanted to stay there for hours but later in the morning we headed off.

We followed the beautiful green river with huge mountains on either side for a few of hours before coming to the mountain village of Dah. I have to say it was one of the most scenic roads I have driven along, certainly in my top 10 (see pics). Well to be honest it took us ages to find the entrance of the hostel in Dah because there was nothing, no road just a couple of hidden steps Someone kindly showed us the way. Once there though it was just idyllic. A small farm located up high on a small flat plateau with a huge river to the right and vast mountains on either side. The farm was filled to the rafters with apricot, apple and pear trees, tomatoes, beans, corn, cabbages, rice, etc, etc. Butterflies, bees and insects flying around everywhere, birds singing, fresh water flowing down from the mountains, oh and a solar panel for light. They were in fact quite self sufficient but you need to be if you choose to live in the middle of now where. It didn't take us long to realize we had stumbled across a gem of a place and decided to stay a couple of days. It was so relaxing, reading & writing in the sun and our hosts were very kind. They cooked the best food Laia and I had had in India to date. Delicious vegetarian dishes with rice. Our host took me on a trip around the local village, where i saw lots of fruit & vegetable gardens and the huge vast mountain range behind. The place felt to me that it continued on just like many generations before not being particularly affected by the outside world. I like finding these kinds of places.Laia and i just chilled out under the big blue skies.

A couple of days later we headed over Khardung La, the highest and probably coldest motor able pass in the world at some 5602m high and onto the Nubra valley and the village of Hunder. It would be a grave understatement if i told you the road was ok, to be honest we were both a little scared at times with the road dropping a km down sometimes. Although we were sometimes tired we managed well and didn't come off the bike once. But if we had we would have needed two people just to pick it, it weighs an absolute ton. (Luckily we never had any bike trouble - i put that down to great driving hahaha).

Nubra valley is quite different from the other scenery we passed, with a vast green expanse of grass at the bottom of the valley with huge sand dunes. Weird. A beautifully clean river ran through the valley with mountains on all sides. When i sat there and just observed, i could here silence. Absolutely nothing. I don't experience that too often, it was great for meditating. We stumbled across this lovely organic retreat that had large tents with beds, well Laia was smitten, having never slept in a tent before, so what the heck, we decided to stay their a couple of nights.

We ventured out one day into the valley, walking and paddling in the water. Honestly, it felt like the end of the world again...i guess it’s just this region of India that feels more like Tibet or Nepal possibly, but certainly not like crazy India. It’s been left behind, to meander at its own pace, void of the madness of the rest of India. We both felt that the region of Ladak was well worth making the grueling 40hr+ journey to. A place in another time.

Unwillingly we headed back through the Nubra valley and over Khardung pass to Leh. This week Laia and I spent together was really special to me. Definitely a highlight of my travels. We were a team, a great team and really enjoyed each others company. We laughed so much and talked about all sorts. We became good friends during those 10 days. Laia was a courageous passenger, not being too scared, i managed the bike well and we got to all our places safely and in one piece. It’s an amazing feeling to be free; being on the bike only accentuates that feeling, which we fortunately all have. Freedom. Often taken for granted. Live in the now and appreciate your freedom friends, and if you like and can, travel. Its great food for the soul.

INDIA - Mc Loed Ganj

Mc Loed Ganj, India
I finally left Rishikesh but not before doing a 2 day level 1 course in Reiki. To be honest I knew and know very little about Reiki. I had had one treatment in Brussels by a friend Gaelle, one treatment by a nice girl I met in Indonesia, Kristin and both aroused my interests further so I decided to have a treatment in Rishikesh, which I did. After so me consideration I decided to take part in this entry level 1 course. From what I understand Reiki primarily focuses on the body (as opposed to mind) and involves the healing of a person through using the hands and the energies of the universe. I know, sounds a bit far out, bare with me. Reiki aims to replenish the energy centers with new clean energy from the universe but also heal parts of the body (knee, back etc) wherever needed with new energy. Furthermore, practitioners can feel where treatment is needed with some receiving visualizations during the treatment that they can later explain to you what they saw and then you may discuss what the imagery or visions might mean to you. It does sound a bit all in the air I know but as I mentioned before I just want to have an open mind, see what's out there and try a few new things. Who knows from there.

Energy & The Chakras
I will try and explain how the body and its energies work with Reiki. I should also perhaps first mention that modern science is now just understanding and acknowledge the presence of energy within the body and the functions of these energy centers. The body has three energy channels running through it located along the spinal cord from the bottom of our spine to the top of our head. The right side is female, vitality, the left side male, mental force. The middle channel is the spiritual force. Energy is constantly passing through 7 energy centers (Chakras) of which there are seven.
The first, Root chakra, located at the perineum between the anus and balls for the guys and on the posterior side of the cervix for women. It’s connected to the grounded energy of mother nature and our physical life. The second chakra located at the bottom of the spine is concerned with our survival instincts, our libido and creativity. The third located opposite the navel is self-esteem/confidence, personal power and ego. These three chakras are all related to the body. The fourth chakra, the heart chakra is the crossroads or intersection between the three chakras below and the three chakras above that are in turn related to the mind. The heart chakra, being an important chakra relates to all our deep emotions such as love, compassion, envy, jealously etc and also your motivations and (private) agendas. Its w here we keep our wounds deeply buried ...but you know that ha-ha! The fifth chakra located behind the throat is ambition, choice (& why you make those choices), will power, communication, assertiveness. The sixth chakra, often referred to as the Third Eye lies just between your eye brows by the pineal gland. It is the zone of intelligence and intellect. The seventh chakra is intuition and any relationship or connection you might have with god or the universe. Reiki aims at replenishing the body with clean new energy and also balancing the chakras. (Second pic is a photo taken of someone’s energy aura and chakras).

So I did the course, I did find it interesting and on a subtle level I did feel changes taking place within me when I received the treatment and also when I gave it to another student. I had different sensations in my hands when I gave the treatment in different areas. I will def do self-practice with it (I have the technique forever now, we can all do this) and any friend that asks me. I might do level 2. don’t know yet but I am glad I did it. http://www.reiki-for-holistic-health.com/index.html

Tushita Buddhist Retreat
After my reiki in Rishikesh I took an awful bone shattering night bus toMc Loed Ganj, sometimes traveling at 20km/hr on the bumpiest of roads. I had bruises on my arse, didn't sleep a wink and worst of all I couldn't get to my supply of valium because my bag was packed away. Oh well... I got intoMc Loed Ganj the next morning at 6am. Had some breakfast, felt like crap and made my way to this retreat. It was a 10 day introductory course to Buddhism. Tushita, this Buddhist retreat I later found out is a world famous for its teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and meditation (http://www.tushita.info/). People just flew in for the cours e on a month’s holiday. A very serenely quiet and beautiful place, located some 2000ft at the foot of the Himalayas with cheeky monkeys in its trees. We all had food and accommodation provided, there were about 45 of us of which 80% where Israelis with a couple of Brits, Kiwis, Aussies US & EU people. It turned out to be a fantastic group of people.

I was always interested to learn more about Buddhism, more so than Hinduism or any other religion, purely because I thought they had some interesting philosophical views to life and how to live ones life and their authority on meditation. So I checked in, again another 10 days of silence but I guess I was used to that now after the Vipassana. I found out the course is split evenly between the teachings of the Buddhism and the practicing of different meditation techniques, which I found actually worked out well. A good mix. A high level view of the main subjects was taught. These subjects included the mind and how it works, suffering, impermanence, karma, re-birth, death, ethics and emptiness. Some of the subjects I found less interesting whereas others such as ethics, the mind and concentration, attachment & impermanence very were insightful.

Basically Buddhism is concerned with the scientific study of the mind and how it works both on a conscious and unconscious level. This study started some 2500 years ago when Siddharta Gautama, a man born in Nepal studied this and later gained enlightenment. (Buddhism is based on his 84,000 teachings during the 40years he taught). He also taught a very truthful philosophy of how to live a decent, happy and rewarding life. It's not a religion and there's no god, they believe in the laws of physics and nature. Its more science based on how the mind, planet, universe all works.

Psychology to date as I understand still has little understanding of how the mind actually works and the concept of who is I. It is predominantly concerned with how we deal with emotions and not on how the mind works. Science today however is now beginning to understand that there is more than we see including more dimensions (superstring theory -video). The concept of emptiness and Quantum Physics is the same.

Buddhism believes that "the ultimate truth is that everything is empty of existing independently. Nothing exists by itself or in a vacuum. Everything is interconnected and exists in dependence upon parts, labels, names, causes & conditions and perceiving consciousness".

The essence of Buddha's teaching is that suffering exists (sickness, depression, ignorance, greed, hatred, loneliness, stress, not getting what one wants or losing what one cherishes), that all sufferings have a cause and that the causes can be removed by following the ethics he describes along with concentration (meditation) he taught that in time leads to wisdom and enlightenment (intuitive awareness of reality, free of suffering and negative qualities). Looking more deeply into suffering and the causes we are taught that they lie within ourselves and not outside. What that implies is it’s not the other persons fault, or the situation or the object, it’s actually our reaction to it that causes our suffering, knowing that all things are impermanent. Its not saying don’t enjoy external sensory pleasures but just beware there temporary in nature so the less psychologically attached you are to them the less pain you'll experience if/when they go away. Capri Diem is still my motto!

The mind is non-physical in nature and yet it is intrinsically connected to the body by subtle physical energies which also control our movement and vital functions. This relationship helps explain why physical sickness and discomfort can affect our state of mind and conversely how mental attitudes can give rise to and heal physical problems. As you know yourself the mind is full of very momentary thoughts (mind chatter) and emotions, rising and passing all the time and that is partly why meditation is used. To observe, quieten and control the mind. We practiced many types of meditation such as guided meditation (the teacher talks you through a subject e.g. forgiveness), single-minded concentration (vipassana) and visualizations. So we have to begin by observing and knowing our own individual nature so we can solve our problems. That’s the headline summary I took from the course.

I must say from a learning, growth and healing perspective it was the most insightful and rewarding thing I have done since my travels began some 15 months ago! I took so much away such as the ethics and how to live right.

The concept of attachment and us creating suffering by being too attached to things, people or situations knowing they will change because there are in fact impermanent like everything of the planet (nature, weather, jobs, relationships etc). Attachment being "I want you to make me happy" Love being "I want you to be happy". Craving is us always wanting and aversion being all the things we don’t like, or at least in our current reality believe we don’t like. Slowly I notice when and how my mind reacts to situations, things, people positively, neutral or negatively. If you believe Buddhism it’s said the cause of both harmony and disharmony lies within us not outside, so this is like an exploration of ones mind and body to understand the reality of ones self. If I take anything from this course its the Ethics & Concentration and just try to live more in the now and be present and aware (mindful). If there's any wisdom to come I am sure it will come of its own accord :-).

Below I have copied a poem, Zoe a lovely Scottish girl in our course wrote and read out to us. I hope you like. I have also copied a piece of text from the forgiveness meditation. Almost all the class was in tears including me:-(. I've also added a small intro to meditation.

There is a highly recommended book by a young English woman of 20yrs from east London that goes to Tibet, ....and stays there a long time and ...well, just buy it ($20) and see (I did). It might waken something in you. "Reflections on a Mountain Lake" by Tenzin Palmo. I now know of other good books if your interested, also recommended is How to Meditate by Kathleen McDonald.

Zoe's Poem
Caught in the midst of this fake reality. Shading over lines that aren't really there. Whens there's not even comfort in finding a hard place. Look for something soft but its already changed, gone. The power of wisdom has crept over like a mist, Searching for the path, unsure of it's way. Swiftly there's a glimpse, then it's lost, then it's found.Unsure of when i'll next get to sit down....Now is found.

Forgiveness meditation (text taken from the spoken guided meditation in class)
With all my heart I forgive you for whatever you may have done, intentionally or unintentionally by your actions, words or thoughts that has caused me pain. I forgive you... and I ask that you forgive me for whatever I have done intentionally or unintentionally to you by my actions, my words or my thoughts. I ask your forgiveness. May you be happy free and joyful. May we both open our hearts and minds to meet in love and understanding. As we grow in wholeness together.

How to calm the mind
Sit cross legged on the floor or bed, you can put a cushion under your knees for support and you should put a cushion under your bum and try and straighten your back. Ideally by pushing your pelvis a little forward to help straighten your back. I've found that when I do find the right comfortable position gravity just helps me and my back sits on its vertebrate ok, at least for 15-20mins.

When comfy close your eyes and just breathe normally through your nose with your mouth closed. You should just try and focus your mind on your breath that’s all. At first it will probably be difficult; it was for me at the Vipassana. It took me three days to get a bit of a grip on my mind so that when a thought did pop up I would be aware and bring my concentration back on to my breath. And each time a thought pops up bring your concentration back to your breath. Thoughts & sensations continually rise and pass, none remain. At a later stage you will have more and more silence in your mind, it feels good, the silence I mean. You'll always have the odd random thought but less. On the practical side this will give you much better concentration at work for example and help you work more efficiently. Just do this concentration meditation, this breathing for 5-10 or 15mins a day. Morning is best (same place, same time). ...and when a stressy sitch comes just be quiet for a few moments with your breath then act upon it and not react if poss... .

Meditation upon opening the heart
We are not talking about the physical heart here by the way, you must have guesses it’s the heart chakra, the heart energy centre. Again start with 5mins of just concentrating on breathing through your nose, and then take a deep breath into your upper chest, filling the whole cavity with air. When it’s full your breath will naturally pause for a second. At that point, take your attention inside to the middle of your chest, in the area of your heart. The wait a moment. As you do so, deeply ask to grow. Repeat this process. At first it might feel tight but later you might feel a subtle vibration and quiet sweetness - it will expand. Be aware of any relaxation and well being you feel too. It will feel deeper later because what you nurture grows (both happy and sad). This is the basic meditation for opening up your heart. I wonder if you'll see any changes in your life (or more importantly in your mental attitude and ability to concentrate).

INDIA - Rishikesh

INDIA

RISHIKESH
Arriving in Delhi was a culture shock after 6 months in Asia. My flight from KL to Delhi was fine, arrived in Delhi airport and got into an old Buick type cab called an Ambassador, driven by a man possessed that drove at the speed light to my hostel in the Tibetan quarter. He could not read, write, speak English or read any maps i had. Interesting I thought. Wow, India.

Neither the location nor the hostel were nice, dirty - litter everywhere, flies everywhere and it was so hot, 40C/90% humidity. I remember getting off the plan feeling like someone had placed an industrial strength supercharged hairdryer to my back. This was the first time i experienced hot wind like that - and i hadn't even had a Vindaloo curry yet. ...the monsoons hadn't arrived yet, not they would make things any cooler. A month late this year.

I realised very quickly that I was not going to stay in Delhi long and on that same first day I managed to find out how I could get an AC train ticket to Rishikesh in the north, bought the ticket, leaving the next day. Great. The train journey itself was fine but I arrived at 11pm having had to get a bus from the train station one onwards to Rishikesh. I found out on arrival that the ashram I wanted to stay was closed this month to foreigners due to the Shiva festival. Then some random guy came to my help and I managed to find a room and some food, settling in around midnight.

When i woke up the next day there were tens of 1000's of men in orange, religious tourists, all in Rishikesh for the annual Shiva festival. Oh my God. Full on. Busy busy busy. Well i finally managed to find a nice hostel on the banks of Rishikesh, away from some of the noise so then I could venture into the chaos as and when i liked.

I should tell you before i continue that my time in India was always going to be a spiritual journey of self discovery. I felt this and new this even before i started my journey over a year ago. It was just meant to be, that this time was for me, for me inside and not so much about visiting sites. Of course l'd experience India along the way no doubt, but my priority here is me.

Rishikesh being the world capital of Yoga, had many ashrams offering yoga and i managed to find a very nice ashram, Anand Prakash (www.anandprakashashram.com), where i stayed a week and did yoga twice a day. It was clean and comfortable with very nice people working and studying there. The food was tasty and the teachers very open and helpful, Whilst there i also managed to find a 10 day course in meditation. Vipassana Meditation, whatever that was. I had heard the course was very good but very tough. Well i booked myself in and thought very little of it thereafter. I was just enjoying my yoga and my new friends at the Ashram and a bit of chilledness and the last thing i wanted to do was worry about any difficulty regards meditation course.

Vipassana Meditation Ashram (http://www.dhamma.org/en/bycountry/eu/)
Well, i persuaded Joe an English girl (I met at the yoga ashram) on a months holiday in India to come with me to the meditation course in Dehra Dun, an hour away from Rishikesh. She said she wanted a deep course in meditation and i thought i had found just the ticket. It turns out i had. Blimey. We arrived, settled in and had our first introduction talk and a viewing of the programme. Oh My God. 10hours of meditation a day for 10 days, 24/7 silence (no speaking) and the usual No sex, drugs, alcohol, smoking, meat, reading, writing etc. Well l couldn't even speak to Joe after that point. We both just had a look of shock and horror on our faces and even that wasn't permitted by that time. Going back to my room, pre our first meditation that same evening, i just said to myself, take small steps. Just try and handle each moment of the day as it comes and not to think too far ahead. It helped a little but it was hard.

I got up at 4am the next day (same everyday) for my first 2hr session before breakfast. We were to simply focus our awareness upon our breath. The breath going in and out of our nostrils and each time my mind would wander off on a tangent, from one thought to another i would bring it back to my breath. I noticed actually that my mind usually thought of the past or the future, of pleasant experiences or not so pleasant experiences and rarely was in the NOW. I was to bring my mind back to focus on my breath. My mind didn't like this. To focus only on one single thing. My breath. It may sound simple from an intellectual perspective however doing it is something very different. (Try it at home for 10-15mins and see how you go).

We practised this task for the first three days, its all we did for 30 hours. Can you imagine. I was going insane and just wanted to leave, all the time. Thereafter we were to observe any sensations around the area of the nose, then later only the area between the bottom of the nostrils and the top part of the upper lip. The reason why were doing this was once we had the control of our mind (no more random wanderings) we would then focus the mind single mindedly on the body to feel any sensations that rose and passed away. I can hear you still asking, Why? OK, I will explain what i understand.

I have been taught that to learn how to live harmoniously you have to find the cause of disharmony. The cause(s) always lies within so this is like an exploration of ones mind and body to understand the reality of oneself. I know, you are thinking - Crystal Clear Luke. Thx.

The Technique
This meditation technique, its words and methodology have come directly from Siddhartha Gautama, AKA Buddha, the enlightened one. Buddha discovered (in 600BC) and then later taught that the cause of all human misery and suffering is created by our cravings and aversions, our likes and dislikes. When anger, hatred, delusion, fear, passion arise (often with regard to an external event), tension is created within, one starts tying knots inside. This process is continually repeated throughout our lives, thereafter one starts distributing this negativity to all they come in contact with. Misery is created from within.

The concentration of the mind is not the end goal, however by focusing the mind on the sensations of the body (itching, heat, tinglings, vibrations, pulsing, pain, tension), the sensations being the effects of external causes, I am taught to remain impartial to these sensations. By remaining completely aware, objective and equanomonus to these sensations, by not reacting (not itching or scratching) but by only observing, one notices that the sensations always rise and pass away. After much practise one is able to remain objective to all situations that take place externally. Meaning a difficult situation arises externally with someone and instead of re-acting, one centres/breaths and then with a more balanced (less emotional state) acts to the situation. So the theory is by practising the mediation daily, by living in the Now, by accepting and not reacting to or judging each moment in our lives one starts to live a more peaceful and happier life. Thereby free oneself from misery and suffering. The end goal is the purification of the mind, eradication of all mental defilement's, negatives within and thus attaining liberation from misery and suffering so that you can live peacefully, harmoniously and happily. (I really wonder how many of you this makes sense to. Please do write a comment of the blog or mail me).

I must be honest, i found the course very hard and it did not get any easier each day. Partly because i have never done any serious meditation before, i found it difficult to focus for such long periods of time (10hrs a day) and I didn't feel that connected to my mind or body either to be honest. I did feel some gross sensations but hardly any subtle sensations never mind about sweeping through the body (phase 3). I did at the end of the course speak with others who appear to have made real progress but i appreciate we are all unique individuals progressing on the path towards enlightenment and a higher consciousness at our own pace. So I don't feel disheartened. To the contrary. I was very please that I completed the full 10days and didn't give in although i thought about quiting many many times every single day. This is my first meditation course. I do plan to take some other meditation courses during my time in India and see what is out there and see what suits me.


I must say that something very strong inside me just told me this felt very right, meditation I mean, a natural thing to do in my progression and growth as a human being. I know now that my mind is very powerful, I also know that if directed by me (the self) it serves me better as opposed to my mind being the master and it leading me, which could be disastrous. I am now thinking about making meditation a part of my life. At least to see what practical effects and positive impacts it has on my life. At the experiential level to see what truth lies within through my own actual experiences with my body and mind. I realise I will have to work persistently and only through continued practise of meditation will I be successful and bare the fruits but my hope is that it will get easier as a I practise more. Time will tell.

I am now back in Rishikesh and am staying here for a few days. I met a lady that performs Reiki, i already had a treatment from her before my meditation course and have now decided to do my Level 1 in Reiki this weekend. Thereafter, I am heading north to Dharamsala where the Dalai Lama lives. I am taking a 10-day introductory course in Buddhism. More of out curiosity than anything. It will touch upon the key subjects that Buddha taught during his 40 years of teaching and also includes a daily yoga and meditation session. Of course I will tell you about both when i am done. I am not sure what i am doing after that, we shall what comes across my path.