Humility at Last!!!!

Oh boy, one of my greatest vices in life has been my stead-fast and unwavering resistance to any type of respected official, teacher, or elder. I spent most of my childhood beings kicked out of classrooms for disrespect, spending time in the principals office to only take that to the next level in collage and get thrown in jail a few times for the lack of respect for authority. Now, there is a difference between authority that does not deserve respect and those whom are looking out for yours and the communities best interest, I have tended to disrespect the good ones, and now, thinking in my mind that I have risen to spiritual greatness I got my big test, but this test has no pass or fail, it was life or death......

So, on a magnificent Rishikesh morning, one day before I was leaving Rishikesh in route for my journey to the south, I decided to take my bike for a spin to town to grab some things for the journey. One my way, an beautiful couple was hobbling along due to some knee problems and wished for a ride. Being the helping hand that I am, I grabbed them both up and headed for town. As soon as we pasted by the Police Station, I was motioned to pull over to the side of the road. Now, knowing the currupt nature of many police officials in the country, I was hesitant to pull over, but In the policeman's rage, I went over to the side of the road. Immediately I went into a place on non-compliance, trying to drive away as I did not want to deal with the foolish happenings and politics at that moment. But, the officer insisted I go inside and talk to the police. So, I mustered up a smile and headed inside and was met by a stern Indian Man whom started to accuse me of my mishaps. Immediately, I reacted and started to talk to them like they were bad men, bad-mouthing their sign that said "May I Help You" and then finally, completely in the character of my childhood and out of character of the Holy Man that I have fallen in love with, I lashed out with the pulling out 5000 RS (An amount I never carry) and, in a very loud voice, saying, "What is it you want, Baksheesh!!!!"

In the great nature of the calm Indian Man, it was almost a minute before I was met with the eyes of tyrany and rage, so one-pointed and aggressive that I immediately changed my tone into that of calm and serene, apologetic and sincere. I had realized what I had done, a little too late. I had deeply offended a whole entire culture with my words, and the silence of my heart was overpowered by the expression of my conditioning, which surfaced in that very moment!! One by one, I was kicked, pushed and knocked down by Police Officers. Just a few weeks back, my friend had told me a story of how one Police Official faked his death and my friend was beaten to an inch of his life, and would have lost his life, if someone had not come to his rescue from high up in the Enforcement.

So, while I am there, No words can calm the rage, no amount of apology can wipe the pain-filled rage of a culture wishing to show me, in any way, shape, or form, a sense of humility and respect that is deserved as I am a foriegner in their country. My mind was filled with fear, fear of death, fear of being locked up, stuck in the Indian Prison System and Washed away like many tourist have been when they have made similiar mistakes. The truth was that in this Police Station, I did not exist and could be wipped off the face of the planet at anytime, and he made me completely aware of that, many Times!!!! I was told that I would never see my country again, and I felt the reality of that existence and finally, I SURRENDERED To my Fate. If this was the way I was supposed to learn the lesson of Humility, I was ready to do the time. Who am I to think that I can talk to anyone like that?? Who am I to disrespect someone in their Home??? No matter what I believe. I realized my mistake and was willing to pay, and I would pay silently, in gratitude for the life I live and the lessons I receive, no matter how harsh they are. I prayed, I talked to great friend on the phone and told her to arrange for people to come find me if I go missing. I was blessed with the two people, whom, when you think about it, were the catylysts for getting me in the situation, as they stayed. The policemen repeatedly told me what a bad thing I had done and I loathed in that realization. Anything was possible at that moment, from Death to Inprisonment, to Self Realization to A Drawn Out Calming and realization of my true nature of LOVE..and...that is what happened. My words were of no use, but, the essence of what I truly believe shined through as the dust settled.

I had made 4 mistakes that day, No License, No Passport, I am not supposed to own a bike, and the Powerfully Disrespectful Words. Now, you know which comes in most important when we are dealing with human nature. Disrespect a man and throw all the rules out the window, now the battle has no barriers. Not having my passport gave me some time and time for dust to settle. As the Indian man whom was on the back of my bike settled them down, I was able to call the Manager of the Hotel that I stay at and talk with him. He came down and knew the police officer very well. they exchanged words and blessings and then he was able to talk with me. He again spoke with me about what I had done and how I needed to apologize deeply for my wrong doings, write a letter of apology and talk with the man. Basically, my fate was being decided in this One Man Hands, and, at any moment, he could turn against me and put me back into the cage of fear that he had me locked in in those moments, but, being that he was a very wise and heart centered man, we left in a 15 minute conversation of life and a promise to have tea in a future date!!!! WOW!!

I believe there are a few different factors that saved me on this day, a day I will remember for the rest of my life!! The first is faith in the process of the Divine. There was no single Saint or Guru to call on, but, merely a call to the collective consciousness of the whole to place me in the position of my highest growth. The second was Good People, for they function as the messengers of Divine Fate. Another was coming into a space of love and awareness of what I had done, almost instantly, where in the past I would have resisted until locked up and the key thrown away, as that is the extent of the Indian Prison System if you do not play your cards right. My life was drastically changed in those moments and could have been changed for a long time, if not for life. I believe I was spared the treachery of Jail due to the fact that I DO MY BEST to live in the heart and be an being of peace and sees nobody or anything as better or worse, or different, but, obviously, some place deep in the subconscious, I still carried that arrogant, self-riteous bastard child that like to lash out at the sign of authority. This happening shook me to the bone, and rid me on ounces of tears and I pray it was the final episode of that long-lost boyhood menace that doesn't like authority.

Hey, I may never like authority, but I can cultivate a way to commune with all human beings on a level of the heart, and when that becomes the only form of communication in these moments, then everyone involved comes into a space of LOVE, which, after some time, is where we arrived.

What a spinning wheel of color this life is and moments like these make you realize how fast things can change and how little control we really have. I had no control in the Police Station. My fate was in the hands of men and luckily, these men where men of heart, some people do not attract such people and spend long periods of their life trapped in the lesson. I am more grateful then I can even imagine and I will say the incantation and intention of "From this day forward, I will only let the words of wisdom leave my mouth, if I have nothing other then that to say, I will be better off saying nothing."
That was the request of the Great Teacher of that day, the man whom had my fate in his hands!!

Also on a side note, I realized that this Fear tactic that they used, was used for the greatest benefit of the whole. If fear in the world could be used ONLY as a means of our greatest growth, we would be a blessed species, but, it is used to hold us down. The Time is NOW for change!!

Thank you GOD, Universe, Divine, all saints and masters, Mother Earth and all her beings, I bow to your perfection!!!

A Near Death Experience - June 2nd, 2008

Who cares when I woke up this morning? The morning time, whether I get up, meditate, jerk-off or just sit around in bliss, it is my time for transitioning into the day. If the birds wake me up with their singing response and cheerful glee for the sunshine that sustains their life, then that is a complete blessing. Even if the devil mind plays intricate tricks inside my conceptual life leading me to ponder my existence, well that is bliss as well, because it is all a story. What is a story? A story is an impermanent evaluation of the experiental world in which there are contrived conclusion. In actualality, there are no conclusions and no absolutes, so, the mental chatter serves which purpose? NONE!! So, thus in turn, is all bliss and smiles. I scurried upstairs to Jai’s place and was met with an exuberant smile that was power packed with excitement and anticipation. Today, Jai would take me on the longer swim in the ganga. This swim, a more challenging swim that would keep us in the water for about 4 times the length of the other swims, was about an 35 minute hike up the road. On the way we stopped for a juice and then carried on our way. On this particular morning, I felt silence to be a major part of my experience. So, as Jai continued to pry conversation from me with great vigor, my responses went from short sentences to nods as we closed in on our destination.

When we arrived at the river, I quickly noticed that our entry point was at the foot of a rather swift moving rapid. Fearlessly I fixed my gaze on the flowing water analyzing my entry mathematically. After quickly preparing our bodies for the chilling Ganga water, Jai set off on his way. Right before he jumped into the river, he recommended that I come within 5 seconds of his departure. Not having any realization why, I chose to wait around 20 seconds as I mentally prepared for the initial swim out into the center of the rapid. Seeing that my 66 year old friend did this with such grace and ease gave me full confidence, but, nothing could prepare me for what happenened next.

With a strong sense of Gusto, I rapidly pushed out into the murky water, swimming adjacent to the oncoming current. I think it was after the 10th stroke when I realized that this may have been a bad decision on my part. For reasons I will never know, the brisk water somehow took over my senses, causing instant fatigue and sudden panic. My graceful and penetrating strokes were reduced to a poodle paddle and a worried mind. I was dumbfounded but aware that I have been all but excersised over the last few months, so my stamina was at an all time low. In my mind, panic began to consume me at the speed of the flowing water. Like an silent predator the heavy current pushed and pulled at my ankles, dunking me into the bumpy waters. The river was testing me, testing my strength, testing my stability and testing my fear of the inevietable, DEATH. My mind quicklyl resisted all the above and went into a state of relaxed panic where I knew something was completely wrong with the situation, but knew there was no way out. I looked to the river banks actually actualizing the probability of reaching them, even though I was traveling at more then 20KM per hour down river. My limbs lost more and more strength and the river accumulated an degree of heaviness that I can only desribe along the lines of…THE WORLD. Everything from associating myself as a statistic of Rishikesh to the thought of joining my mother in the great holy river and in the afterlife to the realization of the truth of those 4 people that lost their lives weeks ago, crossed my mind. It showed me my absolute truth and I cannot deny it. At this moment, I feared death, I paniced in my fury of raging waters and mentally, I completely lost my composure. But their was something deeper that the mind could not touch. This something deeper was a conditioned stillness and reserve on energy that helped me to maintain the composure not to scream from help and not to physically resist with such adversity that I would completely deplete all of my resources. This is when I realized that the practices have done their work on my system. There was a complete surrendering that happened on this journey, unlike anything I have ever experienced. For a brief second, long enough to give me an extra boost of energy to move me into the calmer waters, I surrendered to the universe, allowing for the greatest good in this situation. All inhabitions were dissolved, all EGO was dissolved, all material possessions and life long goals were dissolved. All that mattered in this moment was the moment. God willing, I will survive, but their was a great possibility that I could not and I was not in a state or posistion to be adverse to either possibly outcome. This happened to directly coinside with the distant screaming of my great friend Jai, insisting on me swimming away from the quickly approaching rocks and rapid. Somehow, in this surrendering, the river naturally carried me away from the danger, into the center and spit me out into the openness of much calmer waters. When Jai got within 15 feet of me I surrendered again into his help, crying for his assistance. He gracefully came toward me and allowed me another short boost of energy in the form of climbing on his shoulder, only for a split second. I would find out later that he was only seconds from grasping me into a rescue hold and carrying me to shore, but his intuition told him to let me work it out. With the grace of GOD, I managed to gain my composure in those non-forgiving waters. Jai quickly taught me a resting pose that would completely liberate me from the situation and as I laid on my back looking up at the sky, feeling the energy cells restore into my body like attaining a power pack in Dune, I chanted the words THANK YOU GOD over and over with complete devotion. I had survived an experience that would bring me closer to GOD then I have ever imagined. Death has a way of bringing us all to LIFE.

In my experience on this planet, there has never been a situation that has brought me more humility. In this moment, I was a slave to the universe, completely impermanent and unimportant to the whole. My life became smaller then it has ever been. My compassion for those unfortunate/fortunate souls that had their lives mysteriously taken by the river grew exponentially. There was no mystery in the power of nature. I have never in my life experienced something so fierce, so penetrating and so unforgiving. When we take it upon ourselves to test the lawas of nature, we must walk respectfully with a sense of ease and surrender. I mentally convinced myself that I would relax and surrender to the flow of the waters if it were to attempt to take me under, but it is only in the face of this situation that we can truthfully come to some sort of cuncllusion or not for that matter. The truth is that I reacted naturally, as any human being would in the face of this great loss of control. There is no right nor wrong in the situation, only the situation.

My Mom's Ceremony at the Mouth of the Ganges

how do you explain the bliss of going into the Himalayan Mountain Range. How do you capture in words what it is like to be surrounded by an endless sea of Peaks that dwarf anything that you have ever captured in your life. How do exemplify the spirit energy of an glacier that feeds the holiest river in India. How do you explain walking 20KM uphill to arrive in a valley set to the backdrop of The Himalayan Version of the Pyramids in Egypt. And last, how do you explain taking the ashes of your beloved Mother, on Mothers Day, and relinquishing them into all that has been mentioned. I really cannot, it is something you must experience and I must be a 10 times better writer to be able to capture it all. Right now, I am in pure bliss. I feel as if I have released a material weight and strengthened my relationship with the universe in essence. I feel like I have just been reborn, again. Every sense in body is alive with Love yet every muscle in my body aches. There is a sense of aliveness that I have not experienced in this lifetime. I feel as if nothing can phase me, yet there is no me. I could say elated, I could say uplifted, I could say energized, but the forementioned words do not even touch the surface on the experience of a lifetime. Why am I so blessed, is it to give hope and determination to those in the world? Is it too feed my own Ego and fall again? Is it to connected at the deepest level with the source of all existence? The universe continues to deliver this being into the infinite sea of blissful experiences that I wish only to share. I love everything, everyone and am so grateful to be chosen for this Colorful Life of Awareness, watching each and every process as if I am watching I, leaving no I, but only a story that is being painted each and every day. WOW!!!

I will start with the morning of the trek to Bhojbasa, 14 KM uphill from Gangotri. As always, post Vipassana, I arose at 530Am for Sadahna. I finished and felt it deep in my soul to leave no later than 9AM for the journey, so that means I must give Justin and Bonnie at least an hour and a half to wake up, get ready, fool around and eat as these are the things most important to them every morning. The lowest part of me wished to judge them for there place in life right now, but I remain centered, making sure they are moving in the direction of leaving. After sometime, Justin began to make the shift and Bonnie wasn’t sure whether she was going to take the journey or not. Most of me knew that if she did go, I would push ahead and not spend anytime with them, as this was an extremely important excursion on this journey, and honestly, I was looking forward to every single aspect of it. Justin even knew this fact as well and mentioned to Bonnie that He and I would make the trek without her and see her when we returned. Inside my being I became light with love when I pictured spending two days with one of my greatest friends in the aim of such a spirit guided ceremonial quest. Subconsciously, I pushed for it. I even mentioned a few things that would try and steer Bonnie away from the mission. Every great part of me would love to have her along for the journey, but I know, in the shape these two are in, they would not last 1KM without calling it quits, this would be the case.

Justin decided to pack a bag that weighed over 40 pounds due to the fact that he didn’t want to unpack just for the journey. 14KM uphill with 40 pounds on your back. If you were in top shape, this would be a challenge. Anyways, we carry on and it was only at the first set of stairs after the Temple where Bonnie wanted to return back to the room. At this point, patience wasn’t even part of my next step, it was pure determination to not let anything stand in my way of this magical Quest, I decided in my heart that I was going to carry on ahead of them. If they were to show in Bhojbasa, then we would have a lovely ceremony the next day, if not, so be it. When I arrived at the gate of entry, I waited for them to meet me at the gate and then handed over the permission. Justin and Bonnie had finally made the decision that they were not going to join on the mission and I agreed and mentioned that I was going to journey ahead anyhow. The next thing that happened was a beautiful part of the determination part of this quest. I had already journeyed 2KM uphill to arrive at the gate for them to tell me that I could not pass through the gate without my passport. I gently to advertently told them about my ceremony and about the importance of arriving today. They would not budge. Like a small child, aggravated with angst, thoughts of running through them, assaulting them and throwing a temper tantrum all came to mind, but the lightness of my being threw a mild tantrum in the air of packing my things, putting my head to the ground and rushing my way back to town in order to retrieve my passport. I didn’t even look Justin and Bonnie in the eyes as I passed, partly due to the fact that I was a little disappointed by them, but mostly because I was having a small fit. This fit turned to laughter after about 500 steps as I realized the little spoiled boy in me getting upset because he didn’t get his way. If was all part of the test from Mom, I believe.

So, nose to the grindstone I made my way back, had a much needed bowel movement, grabbed my passport and headed back for the gate. On the way I saw Justin and Bonnie and joyfully and lovingly wished them well, knowing that their placement on this journey was in perfect harmony with what I needed to learn, a little patience and surrender. Now there was a much greater purpose that involved my being and a large glacier surrounded by the Himalayan Mountains. Much love to them on their journeys.

When I arrived back to the gate it was 11:15AM and I was told it takes about six hours to reach the town of Bhojbasa, where I would have rest until the morning. The gate guards told me that I could reach in 4 hours because I was such a strong young man. Knowing my particular state of activeness, I realized it would be pushing it really hard to make it in this time, but, I definitely tried. The first 9KM I spent most of my time enjoying the scenery and the people making their journey back from the glacier. After about 5 minutes my headphones broke so I was put in the magical space to actually be with nature the entire time. Thank GOD!!! Not only was it important to completely take all this magic in, but it was also the safest thing to do as there was constantly rocks and debris coming from the enormous extracted hills lining the path. This mountains were incredible to say the least. They jetted straight up and down like they had been blasted upward in some great cosmic explosion millions of years ago. Their size was monsterous, sinking me into complete humility and disbelief really. When I finally got my first look at the peaks to come, I really started to move toward my destination. Something was pushing me, driving me to witness this full scale sensory overload of natural bliss with complete stillness. This would be the case.

The first 9 KM went by like a breeze and then the lack of physical excersice over the past month started to settle in. My breath became a little tired and then the blessing of the universe sent me a gift in the form of two human beings. If it were up to me, I would have pushed myself up the mountain into an oblivion of exhaustion, but in perfect time, a German woman and her daughter, whom I spoke with when I first came into Gangotri, met me on the path. For the remaining 5KM I spent time with the daughter talking about consciousness and the light of the world. At 16 she was steeped in knowledge and bliss. She had already gotten Yoga Teacher training and was asking me questions about living in a cave for some time. This gave me so much joy to experience the youth of our world living in such a way. We spent most of out time in silence, appreciating the land, and when we did talk, they were only words of wisdom as to preserve our much needed energy. Grateful as always.

The path really began to seen endless as we watched it carry on around the bend. Luckily the guide that accompanied the two women new that we were nearing our destination. So, Within about 1/2 kilometer from our destination I decided to jet ahead for a first look. Again, there are no words, just the pure raw emotion you get to come over into an vast valley at the bottom of the largest peak I have ever seen in my life. My breath was taken, my soul was at ease, so I just laid there in complete peace until my friends caught up. The solid white peaks jetted into the sky like diamonds into crystal clean water. The sight was humiliating in a way that can only be experienced by the experience itself. I felt a strength and presence in the mountains around that was like nothing I have ever experienced. Conceptually knowing that I now rested in the foothills of some of the highest peaks in the world and knowing that these foothills were higher then most of the mountains in America was mind blowing. In peace I rested and the consciouness of GOD and all the greatness of the universe. When the three of them arrived, I could tell they were happy to see the sight, but more importantly, they were happy to rest. We walked down to the Ashram in which we were going to stay and were met with an interesting fellow whom showed us where we would stay. At first I was going to stay in the Dormatory portion of the Ashram, so I made my space and prepared for a night of snoring. I actually have not met an Indian man that does not snore. It is great. Then, all the sudden the Baba, as I was told to call him, called me over and insisted me to bunk up with an Spanish Fellow. I agreed and contemplated on the previous statement that I was demanded to carry out in words. When I met the so-called Baba, I was why it was so important for me to call him by this name. He has an air of Ego about him that was hard to understand, looking at the surroundings. I accepted him for his natural state and gave him a warm embrace and a smile. He chose to just stare at my feet. Then he said, “sandals.” I said, “yes.” That was it. I took my room, and incredibly small area that was full of blankets, the only thing necessary for this evening. There was no exlectricity in the Ashram at all, so it would be an early night. I immediately took a nap and got up to meditate for some time. For 200 rupees the Ashram would provide you with room, dinner, breakfast and lunch. Dinner was a complete treat of full of love. In the below freezing temparature of night, we all sat in the floor, OUTSIDE, and took our meals. After some time, the incredible taste of the food overpowered the cold and then the food finished, that is when the real cold started to settle in. With awareness I decided it was time to go to the room and get under the multiple blankets that would keep my senses in order for the next 8 hours as the temperature was surely below freezing. Actually the proof of that cam eon the way back to the room when a few flakes of natures most intricate creation graced my skin.

Blissfully, I feel back asleep with ease. In this dungenous cavern of awkwardness, there was a presence of grace that blessed the room. From the sound of it, The Baba that lives in the Ashram is an extremely profound fellow. He spends his winters in the Ashram living underground with one of his devotees. His smile was radiant like the sun and he shines of diamonds. It was unfortunate that I did not take the time to meet him. In truth, I was turned off by the other Baba as a reflection and I was too cold for words. Coming from Rishikesh where the temperature is well in the 90’s, this below freezing really got to me. I was wearing most of the clothes that I compiled from Uttarkassi, which consisted of two pair of wool socks on sandals, yes, I only had sandals. Two pairs of wool gloves, one which I gave to one of the German ladies. For some reason they didn’t get the memo that it was going to be a little chilly at 4,100 meters above ground. They were not prepeared, so I helped them out. I also had wool undergarments, a jacket and a warm heart, UHHH. I wore most of it to bed, even with two huge blankets. Yes, it was freezong.

Phillip and I spent about an hour sharing stories and lives, it was quite amazing to find out what goes into putting together an expidition from another country. This embacy meets that embacy, there fare multiple layers of people involved, 25 to 30 porters for all the stuff and most importantly, the determination to climb to such an altitude. They had planned to reach a peak of 7700 meters by the end of their journey. I cannot wait until I hear from this man on that. They also have one of those super fancy video and still cameras to document the whole entire thing. WOW, I am so grateful to have been emmersed, even if it was only mentally, in this particular story. What a gift.

At about 1:30 AM I awoke to the rummaging of Phillip as he had the mid-night smoke binge coming on. Immediately what came to mind was, stars, lots of them. I quickly threw on my jacket as everything else was still in place as I slept and walked outside to what I believe was truth. The vast expansiveness of the sky opened up and was filled by tiny litte cosmic dots ranging in their frequency. The snow capped mountains were just visible under the star lite sky. The snow from the evening had melted away the haze of the day and what we were left with was, again, the Truth, Infinity. I sat and gazed into the open space for as long as my senses could handle, pondering deeper into the “I” and how little that really is and also, pondering on the magical experience that was yet to come in the morning. There was an excitement lingering deep in my being and the collective being of the essence of my mother. I quickly went to sleep like a child that was getting ready for Christmas. By 5:30AM I would awake.

Before I dropped myself deep into meditation, I decided to catch the morning images of the surrounding peaks. This was indeed the right choice. The sky was as the glass in the Louve Museum, actually the surrounding scenery was like a museum. I thought about the gifts of this life and reveled in that for some moments. The sun was lightly caressing the distant peaks and had fully set it sights on the magnificence that would lay directly ahead, toward the glacier. At this point, I have forgotten the name of the peak that filled the morning sky, but it was in the shape of an Egyptian pyramid and was completely mystifying in it’s presence. Images of climbing the giant snow-filled mountain structure came to mind, but the overwhelming cold and lack of oxygen quicly distinguished my fantasy. Maybe one day, with superior preparation, I can conquer such a great feat. This time, this trip was dedicated to a greater purpose, an honoring and an letting go.

After a protein filled breakfast in which I was denied thirds, greedy little boy, we put ourselves together and headed out. Phillip, n preparation for his 10 hour journey back up to base camp the next day, decided that he would join me on the walk. Without hesitation I agreed. I know this should be something that I should carry out sacredely in the space of solitude, but really, what does that mean. I felt very strongly about him joining me on the way and he was the most respectful being you could ever hope for on the mission. Also, having him present added a lightness to the whole situation of letting go, which I feel was completely guided by my mother.

Just after the sun first touched the earth of our marked path, we headed on our way. The journey to Gaumukh is right around 4KM although, looking toward the glacier, you would think it was only a KM or so away. Phillipe and I slowly and steadily made out way toward the grand structure of natures gift with lightness and love. The funny thing is the ceremony was just briefly crossing my mind. I felt there was really no need to plan or to make things blown out of proportion, I simply just want to let go of my Mother’s ashes at the mouth of the holiest river in the World. That in itself provides all the spirit and intensity possible, I just have to perform the action.

When we finally arrived and stood under the glacier, there was an energy and vibration unlike anything I have experienced. The glacier, in it’s emmense form, towered high into the clear blue sky and sparked an intense sensation of unknowing inside of me. As the stones fell from the sky and the giant chunk of ice rumbled and cracked, there was a feeling inside similar to what you feel when you are outside in the middle of a lightning storm. It is a small chance that you can get struck, but there is always the possibility and people are always talking about it. There was nothing that was going to stop me from sitting right underneath this massive symbol of sacred love. It truly felt as if all the deities of the past and all the Guru’s of the present were in attendance for the offering. Not even that they were especially there for this day, but more likely that they are their all the time. Just the spiritual devotion and energy that is put into this holy space is enough to make you shout out loud in the name of GOD, whatever you choose to be GOD.

At first, I spent a few moments getting over my fear of the falling rocks and the stories of falling glaciers, then, I went to the bathroom, very sacred, then I began and bliss overcame me like wet blanket in the desert heat. There was no other emotion, no attachment anxiety, no long – winded rememberence party, although I had been consciously bringing in joyful thoughts from our time together the whole trip up. The whole thing just felt really…..wholesome and right. I remember for a second a thought of keeping some of the ashes coming up in my mind. Actually the thought of spreading them in different sacred places all over the world came, but then again, that would not be letting go. In this manner, the physical form of my beleoved gets to float through the valleys and down the spirit filled avenues of the worlds most devoted country, some may say. After the long trek through half of India meeting along the way, other spirits that have been let go into this holy space, she can float free in the infinity of the oceans. There was no regret, no worry, only a complete sense of bliss in the honoring of an particular being on this great planet. I know she basked in the glory of the whole offering and is sharing this same bliss with me, day in and day out. What a gift!!!

The ceremony only lasted a few minutes and, by the grace of GOD, was video taped in a near professional fashion by the great Phillipe who joined us on the day. Thank GOD for that. This will be cherished and honored by so many people in the days to come. WOW. The ceremony was complete after I was told to leave the urn in the Shiva Temple overlooking the great Source of the Mother Ganga. Knowing Indian Culture and their respect for sacred objects, I am sure that in 60 yeas I could come back and witness the same urn, touched only by the grace of natural seasons, still remaining. I look forward to the day.


One last little piece of information. Not one outsider came even near the Glacier during the ceremony. It took place completely undisturbed and in the peace of pure natural harmony. I love this universe!!!

After we finished, we headed back to the Ashram and had a light lunch and then I felt drawn to getting myself back down the mountain. I said a very short goodbye to the greatest blessing of the day, Phillipe and wished him well on his journey into the stars. I do pray that I will hear from him about his remearkable journey. He did mention that he does not use the internet so much in his life. Well, again, the universe has it all worked out. I will hear from him if that is the flow of the conscious wave. If not, he played one of the most crucial roles in my life that anyone has played up to this day. I am infinitely thankful for this man being dropped into the plane of my existence, and what a sincere and loving man he was. Amazing!!

I began to quickly descend down the mountain, stopping when I was drawn into stopping, which was a few times. The bliss that was radiating from my being was attracting passerbyers, so I ended up in a few conversations and I ended up blessed with my new favorite hat. This kind and loving man gave it too me as a gift after I told him the story of what had just happened in my life. I felt loving and honored to share this story with whom ever I felt would like to hear it. There was no pretention or ego behind the story, I just felt like sharing as it touched my heart so deeply and launched me into a unwavering state of pure bliss. Further down the mountain I was met by the man that introduced us to our hotel the first night. What a blessing this man is. We exchanged love and went on our way. Although there were many things to speak of on the descent down the mountain in the light of natural beauty and lanscape, I just want to touch on one specific thing that I did witness that left me a little shocked, grateful and with a strong sense of humility.

Nearing the end of my mission down the hill, which actually took half the time, I noticed a bunch of Nepali and Indian Boys carrying large bags on their backs up this mountain. The first intuition I had was that they are part of another expidition, so, when the actual hikers came, I asked How long and where is the expedition. After getting no answer from a few of the people, as they spoke no English, I finally got one man to tell me that they were going on a 5 day TREK. A 5 DAY TREK!!! There was at least 25 porters with these people. The blessing is that they are all going to make rent for the year off the trip, but I was fascinated by the amount of stuff they were traveling with. I don’t know what you would possibly need for 5 days besides some food, a tent and love the the mountains. You could easily sport the same clothes. Who knows, no need for me to pass judgment. Here goes the best part though. Looking into the eyes of these young men, you could see the all out struggle that was going on their existence at this time. Carrying 60 to 100 Pounds of shit on a flat road for 14 KM would be a great feat. These boys were in for an 80 KM journey that would be mostly uphill at heights of over 4000 Meters, thus limiting your oxygen. Even in this most difficult of situations, almost each and every single one of these boys took it upon himself to lift his head and greet me with an whole – hearted namaste. Most people when I come from great you half heartedly on a daily basis, but in the heat of adversity, they might rather punch you then say hello. These boys were gentle, calm and unwavering. This situation deeply touched my soul and gave me a sense of humility that I have never experienced. These boys are superior in my eyes, true seva warriors, doing gods great work too keep their loved once healthy, happy and alive. Thank you GOD for this realization moment.

OK, so finally I reach Gangotri. On the way, I thought countless times about a hot bath, being that I hadn’t taken one in a couple of days and was ready to completely saturate my body in warmth. I arrived back to the same hotel to find that they had many rooms available for the evening. They gave me a room on the 1st floor and offered me an hot bath. OH BOY. Here comes even more bliss, what do I do. Then, as I went to get my bags out of the storage room, I found a little piece of paradise.

The room that my bags were located in was completely surrounded by windows, set out on a tiny little cliff overlooking the Ganga River. I instantly requested for a change for two reasons. The first was the complete 360 beauty of the space, but the second was that the room was warm, almost hot!!! Being that the room is surrounded by windows, the sun shines in the whole day, giving the space the chance to ignite in warmth. It was so warm that I was not in dire need of a warm bath anymore. I probably could have just taken a cold bath and been just fine. But, of course I indulged a little bit in the warmth of both, as I had toughed some pretty cold parts the last couple of days.

I immediately got myself extremely comfortable, meditated for some time, ate some of the best Kishari that I have had, lit up some candles and insense and watched the whole copy of the Temple Bar DVD. I glorified in the great creation that My mother had brought into thid world. I was blissed for everything in life, all the gifts, all the growth, all the learning, all the sharing, all the caring, all the experiences, all the loving souls and most of all, for being happy in my own skin. It takes a lot to get to that point in the intense conditioning of society back home, but I have torn the layers of that way of thinking to bits and have added the story of gently and compassionately loving myself for all that I am and when I am acting in a way that is not along the lines of my greatest growth and evolution, I easily accept and notice the action for what it is, being unnatached and commit myself to doing the best I can the next time, thus continually loving myself. It is a profound practice. We should all have this peace as it is our nature and the only way to live in pure harmony with the universe. We shall always be in bliss!!

My Experience of Vipassana

Vipassana is what I can now call the Mothership of Techniques that I have encountered to this day. I truly cannot describe the amount of pure bliss that has been a part of my daily existence since I finished the 10-Dayjourney. There doesn’t seem to be much that effects me and my mind has reached a place of focus and ease unlike I would have ever imagined in a life time. The stir of emotions that would haunt my every step has transformed into a all pervading state of bliss. A deep rooted smile graces my entire face as I walk through the crowded streets and deal with the dramas of Human existence. I can whole heartedly say that I am a changed man and am so grateful for the experience of a lifetime. Now, every experience seems to be the experience of a lifetime. Grateful beyond soul.

There were countless amounts of particular happenings that took place while I was on the course opening my heart and mind to a completely new dimension of my existence. From the first day when we entered silence I could already feel the preparation beginning to take place. I am finally ready for this journey and it has been two years in the making. Over the first three days, if you are a normal human being, one will experience a great deal of resistance and disdain for the preparation techniques. I mean 10 hours of watching your breath can make even the practiced Yogi stir on the inside. I did begin to experience very quickly the arising of a whole new depth of focus and sustained energy. I believe it was from the 2nd night on that I began to have sleepless nights. By the third night I started to worry and even took it to the point of actually meeting with the teacher. Gratefully, the teacher could not understand a word that I was saying, so I was just forced to be present with my situation. Day in and day out the technique unfolds in the course like a blossoming flower. You first begin to prepare your mind with focus, narrowing your awareness down to the smallest portion above your upper lip and then comes the most masterful technique that I have experienced so far on my journey.

I must say that I feel that everything that I have experienced in the spiritual world of Sadahna was all preparation for the gift I was about to receive on the 4th day of the Vipassana Course. This is not a comparison by any means, but I must share my thoughts and feelings on this topic. Inside the Art of Living courses I find that I am being taught an incredible amount of life skills that can help me interact with the world around. For a high price I have been able to completely shift my life and state of consciousness. The Art of Living provided me the training wheels in the area of looking within and without to find the learning necessary about my life on this path. I began to find myself, over the past few weeks, looking a little bit deeper into the mindset of the whole experience, the Dogma behind it, the Guru himself and the amount of money that is insisted upon you for enlightnenment. I am in complete gratitude for Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and this incredible organization of devotees and am sure that I will spend many different parts of my life in and out of coordination with that particular path, but something deeper believes that this is not it. I believe it is a path of purity and a path that is alive and functioning and will be for eternity, but in the systematic approach that AOL has chosen, it is limiting their ability to maintain liberated people inside the organization. There is so much attachment to the Master, attachment to the organization and attachment to the Sadahna, which is important but develops a few aspects of the mind that I feel were dealt with on the Vipassana course. Those two things are Aversion and Craving. I know that these were two things that I have been having a hard time letting go of over the past few years, even with my Sadahna, and now I have found a full fledge answer.

On the fourth day of the course I literally watched the training wheels break off of my practice and I began to the ride the bike of spiritual freedom like I never had before, flowing in the endless breeze of liberation. Through the pain that would rise in my body, through the cravings I would have for food, women and sensory stimulation, through the reactive aversions to various external entities like Palm-sized spiders, sleepless nights, an extremely small meditation cell, being stared at by Indian Men and misquitos biting my toes while in meditation, I, for the first time in my life, was able to remain completely still emotionally and actually during the whole entire process. I chose to take myself as deep as possible on this particular journey because I intuitively new something special was going to arise in the processing of all this. I felt the pain of my existence and all its suffering directing itself to certain places on my body and then after some time, dissolving into bliss. There was no attachment to these things anymore, no attachment to the bliss, it all just was arising and passing away and I wished to only smile though each and every avenue. By the 7th day the technique had completely become a part of my being as the energy and focus moved through my body effortlessly and all I had to do was be a spectator in the watching of the movement. The greater part was that on the 8th day, the difficulty arose in the technique once again, but there was no chance to become averse to the situation because it was what it was. Also on the later days of the course, the spiders, after joining me in my room, while I was going to the bathroom and in my meditation cell, just became another great species on this dynamic earth and I was able to communicate with them clearly without fear or reaction (well not completely, but close). Every single thing in the world became a sight of mere presence. From the trees that shaded us during the hot days, to the birds that entertained us with their ethereal voices, to the working ants that slaved for the masses of ants to enjoy a fitting meal, to the grace of the flowing female students, to the rose buds in which just one sniff could lead you into complete stillness, to the moon smiling at us every morning at 4AM, to the thoughts of production and creation that would echo in my mind, to my roommate, to my cell, to the food that went into my system, to the 10 hours of sitting, to the sensations of my body and to each and every breath that I took on this journey to the inside, it all became Divine. There was no craving for the finer things and no aversion to the pain and less attractive parts of the process. It all sparked complete bliss and I am so grateful that I had been versed well enough on this path to be able to integrate the technique as deep as I did. Thank the Lord. What a blessing.

Each evening we were blessed with a discourse by Goenka, the head teacher of this particular practice of Vipassana. Vipassana was established by the great Buddah and has been interpreted in various different forms since his body left the earth 2500 years ago. This was supposed to be the purest form o fthe technique and I believe it. Goenka is a man with virtually no EGO. Coming from a business background he has completely offered the technique to be used by all religions around the globe. He doesn’t strive to be anyones Guru or master, he only wished to inspire the greatness inside. He really wants us to go within and find the answers to the questions without, not by spending time listening to the words of a master or Guru. At this point on my path, I resonate highly with a teaching of this sort, because I am finding people to be so stuck in the path of the Guru, being held down by pure liberation due to the fact that they are so limited by the self-derived separation of One master to another. I have visited quite a few Ashrams now only to find various amounts of people being overly attached to the master or the path in which this particular way suggests. I find this a incredibly harsh reality of the spiritual world, it is almost like an enormous spiritual Ego and although many wonderful things are coming out of each and every organization, the paths are becoming just that, an organization, and people are being held down due to their own lack of experience. I am not sure what feed this particular way of thinking because each and every master truly wishes for the liberation of the disciple. It is one of those indescribable things that only comes when people are afraid of really being free, so they cling to this or that particular way and claim it to be superior when they have never given anything else a fair trial. I must say that I am grateful to always give everything the benefit of the doubt. There is so much goodness in the world and I know it is not limited to one path. I must admit that I did feel a little tinge of fear crawl up in my system when I knew that I would not be practicing the AOL practices for some time, but that fear was filled with love. I now know that even if I go this way or that way, do this practice or that practice, honor this master or that, it is all one Master, the Divine Master of life through the avenue of different personalities. Well, it just so happens that I respect and honor all personalities, so I can not limit myself to one belief. Some will resonate deep inside of me while others will pass me by like a breeze, but with an open heart I will devote myself holistically to the offering that comes from beneath the layers of humanity. The truth lies in the heart of all practice and my arms are spread wide open ready to receive, and if all practices are as they say they are, I can come and go like a season and will always be accepted in the flow. Divinity is no separation. WOW.

One of the first things that was mentioned was that Buddah studied practice after practice all over India before arriving underneath that tree to discover the key to humanity lies in our very being. By observing the sensations that arise and pass in our bodies, we can become liberated from the cravings and aversions that cause the sufferings in our lives. It is so simple, so scientific and completely spirit FULL. With a calm and concentrated mind that is not attached to the senses, one can be in complete harmony with the universe, sensitive to the things around them, but attached to no particular thing. I find it to be completely brilliant and right where my heart lies at this particular time. I know this practice could probably be viewed as militant due to the 10 hours of meditation, the silence and the limiting of food intake, but the beauty in all of this is that it allows you to really go deep into the stillness. There is no need to push or pull or be averse to anything after you can become still inthese conditions. It is very similar to being in jail and the greatest thing is the fact that they have taken this practice into the jails in India and have completely revolutionized the prison system, dropping the numbers of repeat offenders in half. When there is a technique that can change even the most hardened criminals into all-loving, all seeing beings, just by going inside for a few days, you know something is right. What a gift.

Another aspect to the practice that needs attention is the fact that it is completely run on a donation basis. As in the path of the Art of Living in which they charge ludicrous amounts of money because they believe that you will not take it seriously unless you pay a big price, this school comes from the intention that if you pay a certain amount of money then you will be barred from the experience by expectation and desire to get your moneys worth. I can’t tell you how many people I know that have taken an AOL course and have been barred from the teaching because they had a lacking teacher or they were attached to the financial outcome the entire time. It is simply true that money will create a whole process of things in your mind that you supposedly have the right to experience because you paid so much. I know in my life that the things I offer will be solely based on donation. I could not have it any other way. People should always have the opportunity to experience something no matter what. You know the most successful Yoga studio in Santa Monica is fully based on donation. It goes to show what true intention can bring. What a gift.

I will close in saying that, although I am not fully liberated as of yet I know that this course was the biggest step that I have taken toward that point in all my life. I am in a deep state of love and gratitude for each and every moment that I am alive. My diet is back to normal, my waking time is before the sunrise, my joy is complete, my adversity is extremely limited as one can see in the following days after the course and I just feel that I have done something completely pure in my life that will echo for the lifetimes too come. During the course everything was Divine and even though we were confined to a small space, we were challenged with all the challenges that were destined to be part of our greatest growth. Each and every evening there would be a discourse that would give us just a little further insight into the questions and comtemplations we had about the practice. To say the least, it was FULL. Full of grace, full of love, full of spirit, and full of the best intentions. I know that this is something that can truly change the suffering of the world. Like most paths, they all have their little intricacies of humanism that can be left aside for a lower consciouness, but they all echo into humanity the truth that lies in the core of our being. Vipassana takes you directly there, with no material makeup to distract you from the source. Vipassana goes straight to the source, you, I, us, Divine is where the truth lies, not in the ears, nose, skin, or eyes, it is deeper in the unconscious mind. The shift is here. So grateful!!

Envisioning of Rishikesh

About 30 KM before I actually arrived in this golden mecca of spiritual wisdom, I started to think the town was laid out in open space. My vision for the setting of this place went something like this. A huge and powerful gushing river twisting out of large mountains with the Himalayas as a back drop to the whole scenery. For the most part, my vision was right on. My first glimpse of the Ganga (The Holiest River in India) came just before Haridrar. Just the glimpse and feeling of the energetic power drew me in. The river had a different color then any of the rivers that I had seen up to this point. It was a crystal green and was actually flowing with vigor through the valley I was traveling thorugh. The mountains began to form in the backdrop of Haridrar thus preparing my senses for the realization of my vision for my new magical home.

First Train Experience - March 15th, 2008

I never imagined that I would sleep so sound on a moving vehicle. I slept like a man whom had been neglecting rest for days. My rest was deep, my love was wide and when I woke, I could do nothing but smile as the multi layered landscape painted the horizon full spectral colors of Grace. The genlemen in my bunk did not speak English at all and they gave me the window to sit next to during the day. I moved from eating Nutmello and bananas to indulging in Chia and Indian snacks, to sleeping, to watching the world turn, to listening to music, to meditating, to reading (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance), to playing guitar and all back around again. I must say that it was a joyous experience to be on this train. I was grateful and really am looking forward to an new journey in the North. I have no idea what that journey is going to be, but I do know that it is going to be new.

The train was full of Chai Wallahs, the literally come by every 2 or 3 minutes, it’s a blast and worth the experience alone I tell ya. A smile was stuck to my face as I reflected on the first 5 months of my journey and I watched the middle of India pass by at an extremely fast pace. The landscape was much like that of the middle of America. There was only a few differences. One being the amount of women out working in the fields, and two being the joy on peoples faces as they watched the passing train. These things you don’t much see back home, but I do believe in change.

In a blanket of grace, I went to sleep at around 10PM that night.

Scorpion Encounter

At around 10PM, my evening changed. A circumstance arose that shot me back to childhood fears and anxieties so deep that I found myself panting for air and watching my every movement in the fear of another encounter with…………..A Scorpion.

A great friend and I used to shatter at the sight of these viscious creatures when we were children. We would spend nights in fearful bliss as we teased and provoked each other pointing out false sightings until it was just not funny anymore. The truth of the matter is it sparked the deepest of all fears in my being. After all the people in the guesthouse turned in for the evening, I sat in bed for hours on end, half screaming and half surrendering to the thought of a scorpion filled sleep. I recognized the power of the mind one more time right before I went to sleep. I briefly work up and saw a giant size Scorpion slowly climbing on the mosquito toward me. I screamed like a small child and grabbed my light to find that the large insect was only a figment of my imagination, but I wasn’t yet convinced of that. Then I felt something touch my back, the scream increased. I reverted back to an infant and felt myself give up on life………GOODBYE, been a nice Ride. Grateful for everything. heheeheheheh!!

Feb. 11th, 2008 The Forest Ceremony, Lunch in the Rice Fields and Songs for the Children

Finally, after some painstaking weed wacking and tinges of frustration coming to the surface, I took Ramesh back to the front and was on my way. For one, I needed time to let all of this sink in and piece together the project description, but, along with that, I had a meeting with Prakada???, the man from the Sani Danam evening. He wished to take me to his village and I, without hesitation, agreed. Prakad??? Has those gentle loving eyes and light spirit that find you sinking deep in trust for his nature. He is one of those guys that just loves to do things for those that are different or, in need. Not that I am either one of those characteristics, but you get the point. He, much like myself, loves to take the traveler under his wing and show them something special about his natural surroundings. And that he did. He drove to the Theertha Hotel and, after a moment of comtemplation on my part, took me into the village on his cycle. So much of my being always wants to be in control of my time, when I should go, and have the freedom to leave at anytime. But, on this occasion, as I sat and stared at LOVE, she said, go ahead, surrender to the moment. I am so grateful I did. What we would experience over the next 3 hours was priceless, timeless and profound on so many levels. I cannot thank the Divine enough for walking me on this path of cultural diversity. What a gift.

On the journey to his village we, in the faint distance, heard the sound of some drums aggressively being played. After a moment, Prakada???? Stopped the bike and asked if I wanted to see a little ceremony. Again, without hesitation, I agreed. On the journey back toward the sound, he told me that today was a special Hindu Holiday and there would be a massive celebration in the area this evening. After a few moments the drumming abruptly stopped. I was…..we nothing really…just going with the flow.

We arrived to a rather simple Temple located in the middle of what one could call a thin layer bamboo forest. The scene was quite enchanting. There were a few swamys preparing for something and a few others preparing for other things. I met a few of the people working on the activities and was told that the drumming would start again in another few moments. So, I patiently waited under the 3000 year old tree. A little bit of an exxageration but really, this tree had all the makings of a grandfather. Huge in spirit, wilted in form and masterful in wisdom. This tree seemed to tell the whole story of the temple just by looking at it. I sat under the massive structure of natural beauty in complete awe. Thank you God for your creations. 10 minutes later, that familiar sound of distant pounding came into the field of my perception. Quickly I started rolling video. For the next 5 minutes the large group of devotees would inch their way over to the temple entarance performing various rituals and dances along the way. Mystified, I sat and honored the devotion. When they finally reached the Temple, a few of the me began to drum along and met them in the celebration. It was more then a sight to see, it was an experience to remember for lifetimes. The young children in the line gazed upon my presence like I was the 50 limbed mutant leper from Ziadre, a planet 6 solar systems away. I have gotten used to this familiar site. I really do think that some of these children are seeing a so called “white man” for the first time in their life. With that said, I can understand their confusion. The greatest part is they always top their endless stares off with a gentle, loving smile. This immediately sends my heart into a deeply still space of gratitude. How much of a blessing would it be to receive that same love from our children back home? I do realize that some of them behave like this, but in India, all children approach you with the eyes and smile of innocence and unconditional love. One of the many gifts I wish to share with everyone back home.

After some time, we decided to head to the village for some food and connection. Now this village was not like any village I had seen in India, it was an plantation of sorts. The road leading in took us to a point in which we were surrounded on either side by vast amounts of open space which were naturally filled by rice fields. The land in which Prakasan Owned was rich with green rice patties and backed up by a small hill of coconut trees which kept the home cool year round. We parked the bike a couple 1000 meters before the house and had a walk down the dirt road. On one side, we were blessed with the site and vibration of countless lotus flowers and on the other side, our senses were filled with the hearts of hard-working field laborers, knee deep in the mud. I exchanged smiles with a few and walked gracefully down the road, admiring the natural beauty of the surreal setting. When we reached the house, we were greeted by extremely small young children scampering about. One in which was his daughter and the other, his brothers children. I reflected on the fact that every single member of his family is living in the same vicinity. He pointed his father’s house, his brothers house and his many cousins. OH the joy and bonding that must give an family. I admired the flow.

As I sat on the porch, I realized that the house faced perfectly East and he nodded his head in agreement. Prakasan is a man whom knows the knowledge of the anchient scriptures and is living his life to the fullest along the lines of the great knowledge. He wakes everyday to a chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, he performs regular pujas, he is faithful to his wive, he rarely drinks and uses nothing but Ayruvedic Medicine. His health of mind and body glow in his gestures although he, like every other man in Kerala, eats way too fast. At one point during the meal, he actually asked me to speed up my eating. I smiled and we spoke on the matter. He tried to convince me that eating lunch fast was good for you, but, looking at his belly, I held firm in my conclusion. I guess it is just one thing that they have trouble controlling. Honestly, I have never seen people eat faster then the ones I see in India. It is a remarkable site.

The full flavored, taste bud exploding, South Indian Feast ended and we headed off. There was one strange thing I noticed when I was present at the space and that was that the wife never came to greet me, only the grandma. He said it was a cultural thing, I was weary but I let it go.

We got back on the bike and headed back into town, but first, one last stop, my favorite stop, his first school. When we pulled up to the toy like school, I first noticed the beautiful teacher glance outside at us and light up with a smile. I quickly hopped off the bike and when I peered around the corner, 75 little smiling faces lit up like a Christmas Tree. The lethargy that persisted was immediately erased as I personally asked each and every one of them there name, in their local language. When I turned on my video camera, they fought for on screen space like fans in the front row of a sold out rock show. There hearts were wide open and there excitement was palpable. I could not stop smiling. Then, an interesting turn took place when I went over to the 1st Standard children and found them all silent and organized, ready for my arrival. I guess that shows you the power of good teaching. On one side you have complete uncontrollable bliss, on the other, mature and subtle organization. The world needs both and I am sure they will teach each other down the road.

When I left the 1st Standard, after writing I LOVE YOU on the chalkboard, I came back to find the 3rd and 4th in an uproar. They wished for a rhyme and, with a slight but subtle hesitation, I delivered. As I was channeling through words of love, the students repeated every single line back to me. I must tell you, these were the most remarkable young children I have ever met in my life. I was astounded. Then, I went to the office to sign the book and say goodbye and they pocketed me in their as if to never let me go. Their enthusiasm was mind-blowing, their energy was beyond uplifting. In the office we sang at the top of our lungs Jia Guru and as I was leaving we all jumped up and down for a few minutes. I was told they had never seen an American person in their life. What an honor. I promised the children I would come back on the return and we somehow slid out the door. Even then, the children all came outside to say goodbye one last time. We got them all to line up and took the final video of the day. My GOD!!!! Never in my life have I experienced such pure unconditional LOVE. My EGO wanted to think of me as a Saint, but my heart quietly realized that I had just been the part of an incredible exchange of what it is like to experience the purity of love. Those children did not have one inkling to judge me in any particular way, they just wanted to be a part of this magical day. SO GRATEFUL!!!!!!!

The crazy thing is the day did not stop there. For some reason, today I was in that space of sharing with the public. So, the next journey I would partake in is a quick journey to the Internet Café which was full, so I quickly took the comp home and headed for the beach. On the way a rather large man stopped dead right in front of my bike stalling the motor. Next thing I know there are 30 people surrounding me. One, happened to be a small child who spoke a few words of English and hopped on the back of my bike and headed to the beach with me. When I got to the sand, I quickly threw off my clothes and got down to my shorts and jumped in the water. It had been a few months since the last time, so It was a must. Afterward, I wished to meditate for a while but was surrounded by eager young children. I actually took it upon myself to tell them to leave and they did. Within a few moments I playfully and subtlely called them all back feeling their intentions for the interaction were pure. We spent time laughing, throwing a ball, teaching each other our respective languages and smiling heavily. The young girls were very flirtacious and the young men were as well, in their own way. We spent over an hour sharing space and enjoying one anothers company until it was finally time to depart. With smiles and detachement, we parted ways with the probably possibility of never seeing one another again. Another beautiful trait of the Indian culture. The ability to let go, instantly.

I arrived back to the hotel, had two more rounds of my favorite ice cream and packed my things. What a gift of a day. I slept in a smile that echoed in my soul.

40,000 Person Concert in Kerala

On the way home, about 12 steps from the Hotel Entrance, my hand was gently grabbed by a man whom, in broken English, informed me of a very popular singer that was to be performing just 1KM down the beach road directly in front of me. Without hesitation I agreed and Ben, being a tired state, decided to stay in and rest. So for the next 20 minutes during the walk I was met by Keralite after Keralite in a state of astonishment for my presence in this venture. We were passed by vehicle after vehicle stacked full of Indian men in pursuit of the nights dream. When we arrived, much to my amazement, being we were located in a tiny little village town, my every sense was over – stimulated by the 40,000 plus Keralites that were present for the evenings program. An ear to ear smile graced my face as I held hands and greeted man after man whom could not believe I was part of this venture. The artist was a man by the name of SANI DANAM, whom I was told has an very large Keralan TV program and is a National Celebrity in the Music World of India. How could I be so blessed to embark upon such a journey, God only knows. I spent some time doing what I do best in India, waiting, this time for the music to begin. It was past 1030PM at this time and the music had not yet began. For some time I played with the locals in conversation and in spirit and then met my security guard/guide for the evening Prikasan. This fine gentleman that works in Baharin, in the Middle East, was the leading role in my journey for the evening. He tried to convince me that the area can become dangerous after a while due to drugs and alcohol, but I assured him of my fearless nature and the protective nature of all those around me. He told me of the convergence of Muslim, Hindu and Christian peoples for Sani’s offerings and I was pleased. Pleased for the convergence and pleased to find out that I was not completely surrounded by Muslims as I was told of the massive amounts of people throughout the community.

That leads me to a quick note. For this course, Bela had convinced a few Muslim Folks to join the course over the next few days. After some time another Muslim Gentleman walked in and said we were Non-Believers and diverted the loving couples attention away from joining the course. This narrow-minded thinking is exactly what the Art of Living Wishes to abolish all over the world. It is our job to really make an inpact on the people and assure them that AOL is not an organized religion, although you may encounter people involved in the practice that may treat it like one. This brief synopsis is just one thought that entered my mind as I walked around and informed people of my reasons for staying and my path in life. So when my great friend Prikasan informed me of the diversity of Religious Belief, I became more at ease.

The smile never left my face for the entire evening. My Ego tried to creep in and label me as Star and, on the other side, an outcast, but I remained calm and subtle. I greeted everyone who took an interest in my physical form and I bowed to those who did not. I only had a few tipping moments in this crowd of 40,000 locals. One man took it upon himself to Yell at me telling me to GO!!! And another just freaked out when he saw me and started kissing me all over. His red mouth and unfocused eyes suggested a man that had consumed a shit ton of something. I was quickly rescued by my security and rushed away from the mess. I enjoyed the pushing, I enjoyed the music, I enjoyed the companionship and I just all out enjoyed the whole entire experience. After about 2 hours though, my senses had had enough. I needed water and I really needed a bed, so I left, came home and fell asleep in a blanket of Grace. Divine, I surrunder to your guidance. What an epic journey!!!!

Some Useful Information About The Environment

Did you know that the wild sparrow will eat 2000 mosquitos a day. With each and every ONE that is killed with either global warming or human killings, 2000 misquitos are able to roam the earth. That means in a week, 14000 Mosquitos will be kept alive. Also, did you know that a frog will eat 1 and 1/2 times it’s body weight in pests every day. Did you know the Grandfather tree gets it’s essential nutrients from? Let me briefly tell you. The wild bear comes to the river to catch a few fish to eat for it’s daily catch. Being that the wild bear is afraid of it’s cousin, a much larger Grizzly Bear, the wild bear will take it’s catch to the bottom of a grandfather tree to feast on it’s catch away from the larger predator. Leaving the bones of the Salmon caught from the river under the tree, the global fresh air production tank is able to sustain it’s life through this ecological phenomenon.

NGO SUMMIT WRAP-UP and PERFORMANCE

My Great Friend was given the job of escorting the VIP’s to their destinations in the Ashram. It was a perfect job due to the fact that she had never seen the Ashram before and had no clue where anything was. She took the job willingly and spent most of the days working harder to find work then actually working. The Ego driven people that she was working for would her her in various places for no reason and tell her to do things and take care of things that they could have easily taken care of on their own. I watched as she surrendered to the whole process. Honestly, she handled the nonsense of the Ashram hierarchy with such grace and ease that I was completely shocked. Maggie has been known to be highly reactive and instead she silently took the blows until the very last day, when she had had enough. She walked straight up to the woman running her part of the Seva, handed her the badge and said, I am finished with this work, you can do it yourself. With joy in my heart, I reveled in her growth and honored her for taking a stance. There was no reason for her to take any abuse from these people as she willingly gave her time to HELP. Some people just do not know how to deal with people, that is probably why they are still in the Ashram. I believe people are put in these alternate realities to learn how to deal with the realities of life. By no means do I see the life in the Ashram as real life. It is more like a fabricated version of reality in which certain hardships and real life situations are skewed so that the person in the situation can have a trial run on how to deal with a real-life situation. Then, when the actual situation comes to them in life, they will be prepared for the real world. It is like a mock world training ground for those in serious need. It serves it’s purpose completely for most, for others, they end up stuck in a factitous reality in which they try to convince everyone from the outside world that the only reality in life is in the Ashram. I actually remember a time when I was almost convinced of that, not having seen any part of India yet. If I would have been talked into this facticous reality, I would have never had the opportunity to explore the depth and sanctity of this great land and more importantly, I would have not been able to think for myself!!!

So, most of the duties that were assigned to me were taken away completely when I arrived back to the Ashram. I took them as they came and did my best to be available for whatever was needed. Mainly, I just became a calm and serene voice for people to bounce their anger off of. I had 2 performances on the 31st. One was during the day in the lunch room and the other, the big performance that we had been planning for, would take place that evening.

The first night’s performances were completely blessed. There was a man that did live painting to the sounds of classical Indian Music. The woman’s voice echoed into our souls and cried out for our hearts. She was as beautiful in form as in her ethereal voice. Entranced, I took a seat as close as possible lunged myself into her spirit. MMMMM.

That evening, I would rest up for the big day tomorrow. Sushma and the crazy crew had a quick rehearsal but were stopped short as our privacy was destroyed by the exiting of the Guru. Each night you can witness hundreds of people waiting outside the gate for Guruji to exit his temporary quarters. It is quite a site to see. It is devotion like you can never imagine. A few times I have gone over for my own touch of his pure essence and a few other times I have played my guitar close enough for him to hear it. Every time was a wonderfully emotion filled experience. It is like the experience you get when you come into close contact with a rock star. Your heart builds with vigor and anticipation only because of our mental concept that this person is greater then we are. When Ego drops, touching a rock-star or Guru is the same as touching the perfect buds of a blossoming flower. When the ego drops, everything becomes Divine and there is no seperation. Much much harder to experience then to talk about.

The next morning I woke up and was immediately in preparation for the day. Knowing that a friend of mine was in the space of illness I knew that I was going to have to be the soul provider of energy flow for my first performance which was taking place at 12:30PM. I dressed im my best as I was going to be the entertainment for the lunch hour for the conference. Being that 99.9 percent of the attendees were Indian, I dressed in a Kurta and cleaned up for the affair. The lunch performance one particular experience that has been a reflection of my time here in India. Again, I was faced with the opportunity to remain in the backdrop of things and create a space for the audience. For 2 hours, this is exactly what we did. Groups of people filed in through the doors to the right and were astonished by the two Foreign Fellows guiding their lunch hour with pure, honest English tunes that they could not understand. In my natural way, I made up vast amounts of lyrics on the spot pertaining to the conference itself and I made sure that I spoke on how grateful I was to see India making a change in their ways. The crowd was one that mirrored the crowd at my last Corporate Job. They listened respectfully with no reaction or inkling of joy. They sat 4 or 5 tables away from the sound system, leaving an uncomfortable space in front of the stage that ended up being filled by a few of my close friends fromt the Ashram. Finally, toward the end of the blessed offering, Ale and I opened up the floodgates and I began to beatbox and Ale began to play his mouth like a drum. Within a few moments, we were surrounded by curious Indians whom wondered simply, what the hell was that. We finished in challenging them in a sing along, but were only mildly honored in this matter. Afterward, we were rewarded with one of the most succulant offerings of Indian Food I have had in all my stay in India. There were close to 10 dishes strewn about in which we had unlimited amounts of. My belly became full to the point of bursting before I would put down the plate. It was a emotion stabalizer as the evenings event was lurking in the shadows, lightly prepared and socially unacceptable, in this culture. Sushma, Tarik and I did have a chance to run through the sequence one last time before the performance.

Not only was our performance of modern dance and music going to shake up the audience beyond their confort zones of movement, we chose to perform at the back edge of the Ampitheater under the large, enchanting tree. Another great reason was to take the focus off of the master for a short period of time so that the performance could be enjoyed without the constant distraction of his captivating presence. Our mission to accomplish this woud be quite tricky. When Guruji was done speaking, we had to completely lure the crowds attention to the back of the ampitheater, away from the master. Now, if you have ever been to an Ashram before in you life, you know that pulling any attention away from the master requires a great a mount of force and charisma. On this night, Sushma’s pure Feminine Power took my breath away. When the time came for the offering of grace, the crowd maintained their focus directly on the Guru and only about 10 percent of them had turned to face the back of the Theater. Almost instantly, I heard a voice come on the microphone that had such deep power and gusto, that is completely resonated into the bones of my body. The voice was confident, the voice was luscious, the voice was subtley demanding, the voice was Sushma’s. She took it upon herself to caress the crowd into a space in which she honored Guruji in the same breath as luring the attention away from him. From his seat, it was almost impossible to see the back of the Theater, so we actually requested that he come from the bottom of the theater to the top, this action fell short as he ended up exiting well before the middle portion of the performance and just before our offering. In my mind, all day and night I had anticipated singing this spacious song of pure consciousness directly to the ears of this Divine master. When he left, I found myself dumbfounded in rejection and I immediately became a slave to my EGO. How could he leave when someone is offering something to him like this? How could he have the nerve to let us down like this?? No Master would ever leave in the middle of a performance. Well, this master would, and, I am sure that he did for all the right reasons. For the next 10 minutes leading into my solo performance, I played the role of the backdrop completely consumed by my own thwarting desires. Half of the crowd had left and my self confidence had fallen by the waistside. I had let a circumstance destroy my centeredness and there was no stopping at that point. Finally, when my cue came to enter the stage and perform the song, I gracefully walked out into the crowd. Instantly, I heard the feeble sounds of gentle murmuring and snickering that sunk deep into my state of consciousness. As I sounded my first chords and began to open my voice to the sky, the light snickering became full bellied laughing. I felt like a child in the 5th grade performing Amazing Grace to the student Body and this performance was my first ever. I began the song and maintained a sence of presence due to my long career in public performances, but internally, I was weakened and those who knew me best, could read my fear like a billboard ad. When I moved from the D chord to the G, the world fell out from underneath my seat. 2000 plus witness a guitar that was completely out of tune!! So now the mind is really going. I had to completely rearrange the song so that it would not include any notes from the low E string. Not only was I in a state now, but I was also linked together with Sushma and Tarik as they performed a dance piece over the music. I stared at them, finding any way to connect in my state of pure disconnect. They saved my life. They moved with complete purity to the fumbled version of the song that I displayed. Somehow, I survived this prolific EGO meltdown.

I held onto the emotions of the mixup for about an hour after the show, trying to prove myself to everyone and let them know that my guitar had gone out of tune. To think back at this point, it was one of the magical moments in which we all must go through as performers in this life. We take ourselves so GOD DAMN SERIOUSLY and we must not. I know that in my own performance, I would have sang about my misfortune, but in this ride, I had to live through this and perform the song in as much purity as I could maintain, because, this was not my performance, this was a collective art piece. If I would have gone on with my banter, they would have been thrown into oblivion and dismay, this time, I could not think about myself, I had to go with the group. The funniest part is, nobody really knew of my struggle, nobody knew of my pain and most people thought it was amazing!! I guess that is the power of seasoned performers. Even when the cards are drawn and we have seen our defeat from the beginning of the hand, we can still maintain that face that drives the others to surrender to our hand. The whole experience shaped my days, for days!!

Afterward, I buried the emotion in more fried food then was tolorable and went to bed ill. What an evening!!!

January 15th, 2008 - A Full Day!!!

Wow, what an interesting day to say the least. Today was one of those days when you are bombarded with information and blessings and you are so graced with the presence of each moment that you forget that you are alive (In the material sense). I awoke at 6AM to a brisk chill that sunk into my bones. I tried to arise and do a yoga set and was far to cold so I crawled back under the sheets for warmth. 2 and a half hours later I awoke for morning Sadahna. I did a quick but thurough set as I wished to get out and about at a decent time this morning to see some of this town that everyone raves about. First stop was to get my racks welded. After a more than complete 1 hour job of fixing the racks and 70RS later, I was a free roaming man again. The welder had added to reinforcements so that my racks would be going no place. I was grateful.

Next, I just made it for Pongal and Idly at my favorite little local Indian Hotel. I blessed my body with the nourishment and then spent over an hour on skype with my dear friend and soon to be traveling partner Justin. We spoke on our similar struggle with sex intimate relations in our life and how we are dedicated to the path and to harness the awareness and balance in this unbelievably challenging area. He sensed by lack of focus over the past couple weeks and knew that I was in a bit of flux over my recent situation. We shared and shared and shared until it was time to share no more, then we got off the phone, no attachement and no fear.

My relationship with Justin might be one of the most healthy that I have ever experienced in life. We are completely devoted to each other as friends though we know the ever changing state of the world, so we are detached at the same time. Justin could tell me he is going to meet me some where, or call at some time, or any number of things that we humans hold onto as truth, and then not follow through with any of the above. The greatest part about our relations is that we both understand the present moment so well that when he doesn’t show, we instantly realize the highest truth and we move on, without penetrating why’s and how comes. It is quite nice to tell you the truth.

After my netting I scurried by the Hotel quickly to drop off the laptop, grab a few things and get on the road. After around 30 minutes of driving aimlessly, I arrived at a destination in which I actually was looking to reach, The Tribal Research Center. When I pulled up the place was a ghost town and there was a note informing me to come up into the museum as that is where the night guard was located. When I finally reached the top of the hill where the museum grounds were, I noticed there were only a few people inside. I instantly spoke to the guard and he informed me that today was a holiday and the museum was closed. Out of the kindness of his heart, we opened the museum door and, in an Indian sort of way, forced entry into the museum, just for a few eager travelers, now including myself.

The guard informed me of the news and told me to have a look around and join the man from Belgium if I would be so kind. After the Belgium Man’s eyes crossed with mine, I realized that I would not be joining on his journey, he wanted to be left alone, which was OK with me as I felt the same. It is quite comical what I find in the Western Traveler. Everyone, including myself, really does not want to be labeled as a traveler, so I think that when we see each other, we almost cringe at the fact of seeing another one of us. At times, it can be quite comforting to see a familiar face and to see someone that does not stare at you like you just came from Mars. Anyways.

I looked around the museum taking in some of the writings about the different tribes, ingesting some of the pictures from the tribes people and, at many times, standing in disbelief as I learned of the way of their lives. The tribe that I took the most liking to was the advanced civilization of the Toda Tribe. Making their homes in complete coordination with the universe, using the half moon shape with respects to infinity, these were of people of Divine Order. They were vegiterian by intuition and held ceremony after ceremony to bless and honor the land. It was these people that helped the British Expoditionists survive when they found themselves with no food and out of energy on their quest. It was the Toda that took them in, nourished them and got them back out on their journey, only to be rudefully boasted upon and overrun my World Modernism. Today, I would really see the effects of what the English has done to this sacred land in which used to be the homes to countless tribes and indigenous peoples.

Also today, as I found out while talking with the incredibly sincere watch guard, it is Pongal, the Tamil New Year. This was the reason for the museum not keeping it’s regular visiting schedule, but this man was nicae enough to open it for a few interested travelers. The man was so helpful, answering all of the questions we asked and then offering the knowledge that he was willing to share. He informed us of the happenings of the Tamil New Year. First, communities of people would make large amounts of Pongal, an Indian sweet and yummie Yum Yum, not to be confused with the morning delieght that I partake in on a regular basis. With this Pongal, on the first day they would offer it to God and all the deities. After this ceremony, they would offer the Pongal to the neighbors and workers and have an all out celebration. On the second day, the Pongal would be offered to the cattle and livestock. The wonderful animals would be massaged and even painted in respects to the offering in which they bring to the farm daily. On the third day, the Pongal would be offered to the land in which we are all sustained. The celebrations and Holiday will go on for a full five days, actually the next 5 days of my travels and I would definitely see the effect. I really had wondered all day why the streets were so crowded and why it seemed like people were in a joyful celebrated state all day during the middle of the week. This was my answer. For the rest of the day, when I would acknowledge another Indian family or fellow, I would kindly say “Happy Pongal.” This got an great response. Love Love love and gratitude for the knowledge.

After we all walked down from the museum, the Belgium man realized that I was going to town and I offered him a ride. Actually, I was heading for the Botanical Gardens and he was doing the same. So we traveled on. After a few minutes of breaking the ice, I realized that this was a man after my own soul. A man whom has traveled the last 10 years of his life. A man that sees the depth and destruction of the world and sees what we really need to do to be able to change into the new demension. He opened my eyes to the real distruction that was going on all around me. As I was taking appreciation for the neatly combed hills I did not even realize the despicable deforestation that was taking place to make this town look like a doll house town. The English had supposedly come in and ripped the place apart, all so they could really have their morning tea. Tea plantations lined the outer lining of the town, and, while they are pleasing to the eye, they require a whole lot of forest to be destroyed for their making. I started to get a little agitated as I looked around at the perfect, stepping stone hedges of the hillsides and finely stroked manicure of the surrounding scenery. I realized that I am in the middle of a completely deforested modernistic hedonism. I wanted to throw up all over the side of the town as I watch tourist after tourist take in their new found glory in the man made botanical gardens that rest right on top of an anchient Toda Tribe village. Looking around at the people I am realizing that they are becoming brainwashed just as much as any where else in the country and that the young Indian Man is a spitting image of the 90’s playboy vibe that used to float around the young generation when I was growing up. The tight pants, bell bottomed with the flashy butterfly collar and the stylish, Steve Madden shoes. I thought to myself, “what the hell is happening here?” Is the Western World of outer stimulation taking over cultures all over the globe? The disturbing yet true result is YES. I am staying in the light of hope, but my god India, wake up to what is real, your Master.

In only 100 years OOTY has gone from a luschiously expansive forest of green to a finely combed monotony of manmade precision. Spotted in various areas around the English Made establishment are small hints of what the tribal life could have been like some time ago. We even had the blessing of speaking with a Toda man when we walked into the village. He was gentle and sweet and full of sincerity. HE also asked for a donation to the temple after his brief discussion with us. I found it odd but was corrected by Gene when he held that great place of compassion and made me awake to the fact that there is not much left for them to do. Most of the natural resources that sustained the tribes people have vanished in a thick, tea plantation and tourist mess. What a shame!!!!!

We actually had a chance to meet a Toda man that was living at the village at the top of the Botanical Gardens and this was a beautiful yet sad sight to see. He was living there with 22 other families and now that all of the nearby land had been cultivated and made into tourist attractions and tea gardens, he was forced to ask us for money to keep the cummuniy going. In the past, they would have just gotten everything they needed from Mother Earth. Now they are forced to get there goods from the local markets and from the dealers in town. Such a disgrace!!

Anyways, after our excursion we left in hoped of climbing to the highest peak of the town in order to see the sun set. Much to our dismay, they closed the road before sun set. HUH!! Does that make sense. Close the highest peak at the most beautiful time of the day. They probably open after sun rise as well. What can you do. We lived with our dismay and traveled down a dirt road and got lost in conversation and disbelief and arrived upon a rock formation that once looked like a massive waterfall. We climbed to the top and enjoyed the sunset in our own way. We were more engaged in the conversation though so we sort of missed it. I was really enjoying sharing space with this man.

After the climb back down, we enjoyed a Thali together and he talked a bunch about his travels all over the world. He spoke on how the Shamen culture in South America is dying out because they are not willing to teach anyone else but their liniege about the knowledge. Supposedly, there is thousands of years of medicinal healing knowledge they could be shared with the planet, and it is being held in, once again, because of the modernization of the world. All of the new blood and youth in the Shamen world are more interested in going out and partying in the big cities then staying in the forest and being handed some of the most sacred knowledge on earth. Again, what a shame!! Another big part of the shame is now that more and more people from the western culture are taking the step to go within, things like this are happeing more and more. Is it a lack of trust? Is it for the fact that indegineous cultures don’t believe we can handle the knowledge? Or, is it just a simple case of pure ignorance and Ego on their part that they feel like they have to power to withhold the knowledge from the world. The story was shocking as many things were on this day.

Then, Gene went on to tell me that he lived in the middle of a jungle for a couple of years. He took it upon himself to go into the self and to learn the knowledge through the pure intent of his natural environment. He lived so far from civilization that event the locals and the Shamens thought that he was absolutely crazy. He told me of close encounters with Anacondas and other various species from the depths of the jungle and how he became one with all species. I was mystified! What an offering this man’s life was. Our time together was short, but I learned more on this day then I had in a very long time. And….There is more!

When I got home I decided to watch TV for a while, as that is something I have not done the entire time that I was in India. So, luckily, I have the National Geographic Channel. Blessing. For the next 4 hours I watched back to back to back to back episodes of terror and destruction in many levels.

The first being related to people that kill in their sleep. Basically, it was about Sleep Walking Killers. People were claiming that they were asleep when they commited these incredible acts, and, the crazy part, is they are getting away with it. In amazement I watched the stories a story of one young man whom actually drove 20KM, killed his parents in law and then drove 20KM back and claimed he had no recollection of the instance. Another man got drunk with his father in law and in the morning found him beaten and lifeless in the driveway of the house. Another man killed his wife with gloves on, hid the evidence and then went back and drowned her in the pool. OK, now I understand that sleepwalking is real and people can perform many things in the act of sleeping. Also being that I have had some really messed up dreams in my life, I could see that if people could act out their dreams, this could happen. But, what was beyond comprehension was the 20KM drive, the drunk killing, because you don’t even reach a deep enough state of sleep in that state and the covering of the evidence. All are possible, none are believable. Two of the three walked and one is in for life. HUH is all I can say.

The next episode was about how Suicide Bombers are creating a whole new audience by using the internet to sell Muslims on this unfathomable idea. There was one instance in Europe where a random French man was involved in one of these God Forsaken Acts. Scary world we live in. I will try not to think on this one too much, but, what God who loves all of the universe would ever tell anyone to kill for justice. Sounds like these people spend too much time in their own mind created prayer and not enough time in meditation listening to the pray of the universe. Everyone has their place I guess, but it Is hard to grasp many times.

The third episode was about a soldier whom was shot down in the middle of a no fly zone in, I forgot the place, and was a wanted man by the rebels for 6 days. He survived on minimal food, water and tons of fear until he was rescued by troops from home. A remarkable story!!

The last story, was of a man that traveled with a group of people to an island outside the coast of Australia. When the man didn’t show up for the meeting with the group later in the day, the group left to stay on schedule and left him a note. The story went on and they found the mans bones in various places spread out over a large radius in the middle of the jungle. They touched on the various species of highly dangerous spiders, my favorite, and snakes that could have done the job. The final result they contrived was that he was done away with by Dingos, wildly viscsous hunting dogs from the island. The conclusion I came up with was that he was bit by one of these spiders, died after a few hours and then the dogs got a hold of the dead carcass. I could not see one or even a pack of these dogs taking down a large human. Also, near the bones, was one of the holes that the most deadly spider in the world lives in. Anyways, it was a largely sad story and I shouldn’t be talking about it so much, but this was my night and learned a ton on this day.

My conclusion for the day. THE WORLD IS MAD!!! Who didn’t know?