thanks-giving.

For the past two days Sam and I have been glued to the TV, watching the news of the hostage drama unfolding in south Bombay.  We have been so moved by the incredible suffering being experienced there- the hostages and their families, families mourning the loss of loved ones, and families that will learn of their losses in the coming hours.  But I must also remind myself of the suffering experienced by the hostage-takers and their families.  To dehumanize them is to perpetuate the isolation and ignorance that spawned their actions.  To advocate further violence against them does not fundamentally change what has occurred nor prevent similar activity in the future.  Violent retribution may provide a temporary release for our collective fear, vulnerability, powerlessness, insecurity, or sense of injustice.  But is does not relieve the true suffering.

So, what do we do?   

I say we because I do believe the solution lies in our collective efforts.  The world needs activists as well as scholars.  We need teachers and doctors, selfless service and financial commitment.  We need spiritual leaders who stand up and denounce terrorism and violence in its many forms.   

More than ever, we need compassion.

Yesterday Sam and I celebrated a non-traditional Thanksgiving with a quiet sushi dinner for two at a  local restaurant.  We needed a break from the constant news coverage, but sitting at  the dinner table we found we could think of nothing else.  We remembered everyone directly affected by the tragedy.  We speculated about a resolution to the stand-off.  We were grateful beyond words for the blessings in our own lives that are too numerous to count.  Our reflection certainly was a true Thanks-Giving.  

We also wondered aloud about our social responsibility.  What can we do to promote tolerance?  How can we work for social justice?  How can society be transformed?  Right now I have only questions, not answers.  I welcome your comments and suggestions.  How do you work for social justice?  What do you think needs to be changed?

 What is your vision for a better world?

holiday: gangtok, sikkim.

Gangtok, the capital of the state of Sikkim, is nestled in the Himalayas in northeast India.  

 

 

   The walkway approaching Buddhist monasteries is often lined with prayer wheels inscribed with the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum”.  Through the practices of meditation and chanting this mantra Buddhists identify with the Buddha of Compassion, gradually expanding their compassion to include all sentient beings.  Spinning the prayer wheels accumulates the same merit as chanting the mantra, sharing the intention that all beings become free from suffering.

 

 

 

 

Prayer wheels at monastery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            the mall at Gangtok

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

 

Gangtok at night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Every morning I awoke to see this woman performing her morning prayers on the terrace.

 

   

 

 

 

    

 

   We bounced along mountain roads, sometimes just inches from a 5000-foot drop.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Tsomgo (Changu) Lake, altitude 12,400 feet.

 

Yes, we rode on yaks.

holiday: chennai to chillika.

Mahabalipuram.

 

on the train from Chennai to Bhubaneshwar.

 

 

Sun Temple at Konark.  Reliefs of scenes from the Kama Sutra (“very sexy womens doing sexy acts”).

 

Temple is the shape of a chariot; wheels are also sun dials that are accurate to within a minute & a half.

 

on a boat at Chillika Lake, a large saltwater lake in the state of Orissa.

Irawaddy dolphin.

 

waves crashing at the bay of Bengal.

 

 

 

We drank fresh coconut water on the beach…

 

...and ate the MOST delicious shrimp cooked Bengali-style with mustard oil and masala.

 

On to to our next adventure!

the sun.

We finally finished uploading the photos from our trip– all 800 of them.  We’re still deciding which photos to keep and which ones are interesting enough to share.  I’m planning to post some in the next week, along with stories of our adventures.  In the mean time, take a look at sunrise and sunset scenes of the days in Darjeeling.

 

 

 

 

postcard from the himalayas.

The computer screen flickers awaiting my commands.  Voices from the street below distract me from the hastily scrawled notes in my journal.  The manager of the cyber cafe adds Hindi film music to soundtrack of my evening.  My muscles ache from thousands of steps up and down the hills of Sikkim, a state defined by the Himalayas in the northeast corner of India.  I’ve managed to steal a few moments from sightseeing to send a quick update on our travels.  When we return to Bombay next week, I’ll upload some of our photos but in the meantime I wanted to write a virtual postcard.

Our trip began in Chennai (Madras) where we visited Sam’s extended family.  Spending time with relatives was a highlight of our trip, as we were received with much love and enthusiasm!  We also celebrated with our cousin as he won the national championship in his division of car racing.

During the twenty-two hour train ride north, I stood in the doorway of the train compartment feeling the cool breeze rush past my face.  The contours of the lush landscape were visible as lightning flashed across the sky like bulbs on a Broadway marquee.     

The Sun Temple at Konark is carved with bas-reliefs of scenes from the Kama Sutra.  Our tour guide pointed out numerous scenes of “very sexy womens doing sexy acts” in the midnight dance.

We rode in a traditional fishing boat equipped with an outboard motor at Chillika Lake.  On a beach at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal we ate freshly-caught prawns (shrimp) cooked Bengali style with  mustard oil and masala.  Sandcrabs darted in and out of their lairs as we sipped fresh coconuts before returning to the boat.

No darshan ’til seven at the Kalighat Temple in Kolkata (Calcutta).  We walked shoeless through dirty gulleys marked with red paan spit, armed with prasad (sweets) to offer the goddess idol for the Durga Puja festival.  We pushed past the crowd of devotees with the intention of participating in one of the largest festivals in the state of West Bengal.  Upon reaching the gate, however, we were told we’d have to wait another hour to get in.  We left.

We have celebrated the last few mornings in Gangtok, Sikkim, with sunrise views of snow-covered Kanchengdzonga, the third highest mountain peak in the world.  The clouds begin to rise after the sun climbs higher, obscuring the peak for the rest of the day, so we woke early to marvel at its exquisite beauty.

Tomorrow we’re heading out to Darjeeling, the main tea producing region of India, where I intend to drink coffee shamelessly.  We’ll be back in Bombay next week, and I’ll post photos and more updates.  So check back in a few days!

love, mb