A 4 year old girl round-housed me in the groin yesterday marking my last week at the School. Other than that little anecdote, I'm beginning to feel that my time spent here www.nirvanaschool.org is kind of private. Suffice it to say that it was one of the miracles of my (not so) young life and I am forever grateful to Vinu Masi and the children for allowing me to spend some time here.
Tomorrow, I bus to Bangalore for yet another LA yoga retreat -for symmetry. As difficult as this journey has been, the thousand acts of letting go it entailed, I am constantly being presented with material evidence of it's perfection.
Such that my India voyage began with a bunch of LA yogis, so it will also end, albeit totally unplanned. The space between seems like a lifetime. The space between WAS a small lifetime -mostly difficult, scary, arduous, even tedious and boring at times, yet also ecstatic, ridiculous, blissful and hysterically funny.
I didn't come here to "find myself", or find a guru, or to sit under a banyan tree. I came here to right some Accounts, so to speak, to balance out some credits and debits. Of course, the journey is ongoing, but I could leave here today feeling complete.
Lucky me though, I get to go see my teacher and friends in Bangalore first, then a bit of time in Pune to visit some old, new friends, and finally Bombay to LA baby. I keep saying this, but I'm the luckiest dude in the world. Om Namah Shivaya.
Gratitude Attitude,
yt
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Indian Love Letter
How do I reconcile my sometimes utter disgust with India, with the fact that I am having the greatest time of my life. . .???
I've had a fun time on this board ripping certain aspects of Indian life, and my rippings were always authentic, as in I was authentically disgusted. However, I'm kind of done with all that now. I mean there it is, I just can't trash a place that has in 11 weeks given me 11 years worth of love: unconditional, familial, brotherly, self, romantic, and any other kind of love I can think of.
I've been witness to many amazing people doing God's work here. Instead of going to Cancun 3x in a row like I did, I see college kids coming here and working at schools, hospitals or battered women's shelters. I see retirees coming here, going direct into the village and literally saving lives with their retirement savings. I see Indian small business owners working diligently through insane government corruption.
I see social entrepreneurs doing the seemingly possible, until you find that it's impossible (This sentence makes sense if you've been here). I see Indian women outworking everyone in the least functional clothing ever made -the sari. I see all kinds of Westerners, all over the place helping out, finding true enlightenment in the village, not in the ashram.
I hated India in November. In December it became tolerable. And January was the best start of a year I've ever had. It has never been easy, even now, but maybe that's the reconciliation. After leaving my job and just trying to make my life easy for a while, maybe I need a bit of challenge in my life to keep things interesting.
So, I can't believe I'm saying this but. . .
India, I love you.
Holy Sh-t.
-yt
I've had a fun time on this board ripping certain aspects of Indian life, and my rippings were always authentic, as in I was authentically disgusted. However, I'm kind of done with all that now. I mean there it is, I just can't trash a place that has in 11 weeks given me 11 years worth of love: unconditional, familial, brotherly, self, romantic, and any other kind of love I can think of.
I've been witness to many amazing people doing God's work here. Instead of going to Cancun 3x in a row like I did, I see college kids coming here and working at schools, hospitals or battered women's shelters. I see retirees coming here, going direct into the village and literally saving lives with their retirement savings. I see Indian small business owners working diligently through insane government corruption.
I see social entrepreneurs doing the seemingly possible, until you find that it's impossible (This sentence makes sense if you've been here). I see Indian women outworking everyone in the least functional clothing ever made -the sari. I see all kinds of Westerners, all over the place helping out, finding true enlightenment in the village, not in the ashram.
I hated India in November. In December it became tolerable. And January was the best start of a year I've ever had. It has never been easy, even now, but maybe that's the reconciliation. After leaving my job and just trying to make my life easy for a while, maybe I need a bit of challenge in my life to keep things interesting.
So, I can't believe I'm saying this but. . .
India, I love you.
Holy Sh-t.
-yt
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