Thoughts on travel, meditation, and hopefully some humor
I walked with some conviction toward the burning ghat of Manikarnika. My gait did not prevent me from sticking out clearly as a tourist. A slight pause was the cue needed for a boy to grab my attention. He told me about his family’s silks and how I could get them nearby. I tried to kindly refuse as I kept on my way.
I stared up at the ceiling fan, unable to fall asleep. One might have thought my surprise guest was keeping me up. My single room was also occupied by a white gecko, stationed along the wall by my bed, its blank color contrasting starkly with the hotel room’s red walls. He wasn’t my primary concern, nor was the heat. A much simpler problem was keeping me up: what time should I set my alarm to wake…
Being outmaneuvered by a chick humbled me. My task on the farm was relatively simple: keeping a group of cooped up chicks fed and hydrated. I had just discovered a secret, more difficult task: keeping them contained.
Each night, after the last sitting I make my way down the hill to fold the kitchen laundry.
Arms reaching out blindly for nourishment. Growing closer until they found each other. A tumultuous night together turned closeness into connection – they became inseparable.
The Taxi Driver
Carrying my mattress pad in hand, I opened the door to my room at the monastery. The essentials greeted me: an empty frame for my pad, a small desk, and another bed for my roommate. Except my bedframe wasn’t empty. Various bottles and knick-knacks were strewn across where my mattress was meant to go. And the other bed was fully occupied by an older man lying supine, typing away at a laptop on his…
If I find the right type of song, I have a habit of listening to it repeatedly while exercising. This often means our time together is short – a relationship that burns fast and bright. If it hits just the right way though, it will accompany me on playlists and at the gym for years.
A row of hands, holding offerings of food
This blog exists firstly to organize my thoughts and get them out of the head. That’s for me. For you, the intention is to share stories that can point to a way of living that is more conducive to contentment. Hopefully it will be entertaining too, although that remains to be seen.
Everyone has their own unique path in this life and I don’t expect yours to resemble mine. With that said, a natural question (that arises frequently) is what made me passionate about meditation and the teachings of the Buddha. So here’s a rough timeline if you are curious: