India blog 4

Thanks for all your messages: they make me happy J

A week has passed already... I haven't written anything down since last week, so that means I'm having a good time and I spend it well. As you kind of know what my days are like, it would be annoying writing my daily routine down again, so I just assume you remember ;)

Last Friday I had another Sanskrit class and I really love it. We're not learning the meaning of the words yet: just how to write the letters and how to make and pronounce the words. The teacher is really funny: he makes a lot of jokes and we never know if he's serious or not, but when he starts laughing you know he's not. When explaining something he always starts with the word 'look' and then you know he's serious. During class we have to try to write or translate some words and then we have to show him one by one. Since there are about 30 people in class (sitting on the floor in a little room), it takkes sometime before he checked everything. If you make a mistake, you have to do it again and show it again as well. So when you're ready you start talking to your neighbour, but that's not really appreciated. "You should not be tallking, you should be silent and focus. If you focus, you do not make mistake". (imagine the Indian accent). I so love the class that I finished my homework for the next week that same day. There was one little challenge in the homework: writing down something we hadn't learn yet.. Luckily Chiku, one of the daughters here, knows Sanskrit really well, so I asked her to help... and so now I know and I learned..

On Saturday we had a nice breakfast at Dagmars place and afterwards we went for a walk to the lake again, but the gate was closed! Later we found out that the lake is closed from 14-16 hrs, which was too bad, but at least we had a nice walk forth and back (in the sun, which was really hot, but a good exercise). Paul made us dinner and we did some yoga asanas for practice. Then they wanted to go to another Kirtan and I did join them, but we didn't stay.. I don't know but those Kirtans here are not my cup of tea....

Sunday morning, we had the conference and Sharath answered some questions. Remarkebly there's always some question about food. A lady asked if it was okay to eat chicken... Sharath's answer:' why eat chicken if you can also eat your daughter or son - it's also flesh, it's also life. If you eat your daughter or son, it's more tasty'. Seriously!! He obviously laughed after he said this. He also said that eating egg is not okay either: an egg will be life one day so who are we to take away that life.
It is important though to drink milk: the cow is holy in India and thus milk is special here. You want to go to the organic stores though... Or, as Sharath said:'you should buy your own cow'.
He told us this story about a man that wanted to live a simple life, with lots of yoga and meditation so he went to live in the forest in a small hut close to the river. After washing his clothes every week, he placed them on a rock next to his house, to dry. Rats ate the clothes (they eat anything) and so he had to find a solution for that. So he got himself a cat. The cat needed milk, so he got himself a cow. The cow needed someone to take care of her and, as the man didn't have time to do that, since he had too do all his yoga practise, he got married, so that his wife could take care of the cow... now... that was the end of the simple life ;)
Message: be happy with what you have and if you looking for a solution for a problem, this solution might bring you even more problems. This world is all about consumption and we want more and more and it's not making us more happy inside... So think about what you really need and what is really important in life...

In the afternoon, we had a coocking class at my place and that was really nice! How I love love love Indian cooking!!! I bet children would love it too: first of all you can eat with your hand - that is, the right hand: don't ever touch your food with your left hand (that's the one you use in the toilet..) Second: there's always a dip! A curry, a gravy (not in the sense of gravy the way we know it, but just liquid with veggie's, dhal, etc), a chutney (coconut is still my favorite), so there is always something to dip. And then there is the dosa, idly, paratha, chapatti or naan: the dippers! They're tasty, healthy (especially the waterdosa, the idly and the chapatti) and fun to eat: they look like pancakes :)

Monday we did have practice, but I didn't go! I know, bad bad girl.. but Edwin was invided by his buddhist monk friend, Tymchos, to come and visit the monestry (Bylakoppe) because there was going to be a monk dance that day - just before the Tibeten new year - and that's a special event. Edwin invited Paul and me to come with and so we did. First I did my practice at home (5.30 am) and I met Edwin and Paul at 8am at the coconut stand. We took a riksha to the central bus stand and from there the bus to the monestry, which was about a 2 hr drive.. in a Indian bus.. packed... no ac (air conditioning).. lots of bumbs in the road... and the drivers here just love to use their horn.... well, you get used to it I guess :)

When we arrrived at the busstand, we took a riksha to the monestry and Tymchos awaited us an invited us to his room (16 square meters) that he shares with his 2 students. He is 38 years old and came to this monestry to study philosophy at the age of thirteen. After 20 years of studying from 5am-10pm nearly every day, he finished and he was allowed to go and learn English, so that he could teach other people. He went to Mysore and that is where he met Edwin in october last year. His English was still not really good, but this man has got an amazing sweet smile and an all loving energy. I feel very blessed to have met him.

We checked out the dance and we also we able to see the monks do their puja (praying). Furthermore we were allowed to see the rooms of the Daila Lama - a special room (lving room, bedroom and bathroom) for him where he stays when he visits - and the Panca Lama - the Panca Lama was captured by the Chinese government some time ago, when he was 6 years old and nobody knows where he is or if he's still alive...

At the end of an amazing lunch, we were warned by a monk that the India authorities just arrived and that we had to hide, because we didn't have a permit to be there - to get a permit you have to get it in Mumbai (Or some other big city) 3 month in advance.. Which is ridiculous obviously. Anyway, the hiding out was the room of the monk and we just sat there, talked about buddhism and life and it was really nice.

We went home around 5 pm and the busride back was quite exhausting. After a refreshing icecream and a walk back to Gokulam, Paul and I went for a Masala Dosa and a chai tea here in town. After that I went home, because the next day...

So Dagmar had this crazy plan to go and see the sunrise at Chamundi Hill. So She, Paul and me, climed on her scooter the next morning at 5.20 am to go for a ride. As we arrived at the steps, it was 6.15 am already, so we had to climb these 1000 steps in less than 30 minutes. So we kind of ran up - good exercise early morning - and were in time to watch the sun rise. There was quite a lot of fog, but it was still nice to see.
After a chai, we walked back down and, as Paul was going for a walk back, Dagmar and I went for a ride on the scooter together and had breakfast in Gokulam.
In the late morning, we went to Jayashree, who is a kind of famous lady (for yogi's) and she teaches chanting as her brother in law teaches philosphy. I bought her chanting cd and together with Dagmar, I bought her Bhagavad Gita cd as well: I'll definitely go there again, it was a nice place and both she and him are very inspiring. She's also coming to the Netherlands, this summer I think, to teach.

After a nap at home, we went for dinner at 6th main, which was awesome and after a chai, I went back home. No it's getting late, but I really wanted to finish this blog.. Hope you enjoyed and please leave a message :) xx