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Haiku

Now the rains arrive.
Cool water drips on live wires–
power’s out again.

June 29th, 2009 Posted by admin | India | one comment

Today’s latest

Not a lot, and not enough: rain.

June 28th, 2009 Posted by admin | India | 2 comments

As our stay here in India continues, we’ve grown more and more used to the practice of “eating local“. I did a recent calculation, and realized that, except for commercial products like biscuits, cheese, butter, and oil, a good 85% of our groceries come from within a 25 kilometer radius of our house. Another 5% perhaps originates from as far away as Punjab. Chickens are free-range birds from a ranch several kilometers away. Sheep and goats are also local; often a member of a flock passing along the road is destined for the butcher’s shed.

Some things, like milk, are much closer. The cow our milk comes from lives just down the hill, within perhaps 50 meters of the house. Our produce, for the most part, comes from local farms. Our bhi-bhi, Chinta, explained that most farmers hereabouts don’t like the idea of chemically enhancing their produce “with injection”, and that many people are suspicious of commercially-grown produce from Punjab. After all, she asked us, if you don’t know who grew your food, how do you know it’s not full of chemicals? And so we have learned to ask while shopping at the subji wallah where the produce was grown. In Mandi, it’s not uncommon for a subji wallah to retort that the vegetables in his baskets came from his land, “just up there,” while pointing to a nearby hillside.

While it’s true that eating locally has been much healthier for us, and has given us the chance to support local people, this year has been a hard lesson in the other side of the equation. When you’re eating this locally, your food supplier’s problems are your problems, too.

Monsoon is late this year. Very late. Instead of the cooling rainstorms that make the summer rice crops possible, northwest India has had incredible heat waves, and day after day of brushfires up in the hills. Without water, the rice paddies are dry, allowing mice to overrun the fields and eat the crops. The supply of rice is already in trouble. Without water, other crops grow badly, or not at all. Healthy, unwilted vegetables are less common and more pricey. Without water, milk cows dry up and suddenly milk, yogurt, and paneer are a lot more expensive.

Two days ago Rewalsar experienced water rationing for the first time. “Water rationing” in India is very similar to the “rolling blackouts” California went through nine years ago. During water rationing they cut off the water supply at the source, except for the public pumps. Once that happens, whatever water you have, or can carry, is what you have until the water is turned on again. Our landlord came over to tell me his family was down to two buckets of water, and asked me to check our water tank. I discovered it was only half full, and not refilling from the water line. For the next day or so, Rewalsar was full of folks carrying bottles, buckets and jugs to the public handpumps for filling.

The “trickle down” effect of drought doesn’t stop there. The rivers are the dryest they’ve been in years, and even the level of the holy lake of Tso Pema is much lower than usual. This also means that water-powered electrical generation is having problems, leading to power outages, in addition to the water shortages and brush fires already happening.

To imagine the effect of all these shortages, just go to your local grocery store. Put the stuff you usually buy in your cart. For every item, multiply the total price by two. If you buy any imported stuff from another country, multiply the price by three. If any items require constant refrigeration–which assumes you have access to stable electricity–multiply the price by four.

Shopping just got a lot more complicated, didn’t it?

For projects like our Emergency Medical Fund, this situation is making medical assistance a complicated task. Helping someone isn’t as clear-cut as it used to be. When you’re assisting a diabetic, which do you sponsor first–food for a better diet that will keep her sugar levels manageable, or medicines that she will need more of, because she’s not getting enough of the right foods? With someone elderly, do you just give vitamins, or do you also donate a bunch of mustard greens because he hasn’t had them in a while?

Theoretically monsoon may arrive by the first week of July. But the damage of the drought will have already been accomplished.

June 25th, 2009 Posted by admin | India, Emergency Medical Fund | one comment

The picture of happiness

Ya know, happiness is a very subjective concept. For some folks it’s represented by piles of money, or gold, or food, or toys, or so on. For others happiness means simply having the time to do a couple things around the house. For one special person, it’s the ability to walk a few meters out an open door.

Behold:

When our readers first encountered Sonnam Yutron, she had been become bedridden by arthritis. She hadn’t seen the sun in four years. Her ability to see anything was dwindling, due to cataracts in both eyes. She could feel, and speak, and hear, and with those senses still functioning she could at least conduct her daily prayers.

So what happened?

Well, the Emergency Medical Fund happened, that’s what. The original idea, back in 2007, was simply to get Sonnam Yutron out in the sun again. (Eventually, we succeeded.) Joy originally posted the need for enough funds to provide this woman with a wheelchair, so she could at least get outdoors for the big teachings and celebrations. People responded. And responded. Soon we discovered that we had enough money to help not only Sonnam Yutron, but other people in Rewalsar who needed assistance getting proper health care.

After treatment for her arthritis began to show some results, the next project was to get Sonnam Yutron seeing again. She underwent cataract surgery in nearby Ner Chowk. Lena carefully set up medication instructions for Lobsang, Sonnam Yutron’s husband. He followed Lena’s notes, applying eyedrops and creams diligently to the eyes of the wife he loves.

For months I’d become used to visiting Sonnam Yutron as she sat in bed, praying over her malas, perhaps turning a prayer wheel or petting a cat. I’d also gotten used to the idea that she didn’t pay attention to much outside of perhaps a four foot radius, and that when I waved to her through the window, she was waving back at a friendly shape. One morning I was startled as she told me the flame under the chai pot was too high, and asked me to turn it down. Afterwards I gleefully called up to the house to give Lena the news.

By Losar this year, Sonnam Yutron put on her tchuba and apron like any other Tibetan housewife, and insisted on walking to the lama dances. The walk was one of only a few meters, but for those of us who knew her story, it was like watching that first step Armstrong took on the moon.

And now? Most days I see her putter around the house on a daily basis, or simply sit outside to greet friends and perhaps invite them in for a cup of tea, with a smile that’s literally priceless.

June 19th, 2009 Posted by admin | India, Emergency Medical Fund | one comment

Turning the Wheel, redux

A special announcement for SF/Bay Area readers who are interested in the Dharma, or Tibetan Buddhism:

Continuing Saturday morning, June 13th in San Anselmo and continuing at various locations around the SF Bay Area through mid-July, Venerable Wangdor Rimpoche will be teaching from the complete text of Kaden Sho Lap, translated as “Flight of the Garuda,” a Dzogchen heart text of the Nyingma lineage. Rimpoche traces the core text back to the words of Padmasambhava himself. He has agreed to do “Flight of the Garuda” in its entirety, including commentaries and transmission of the Direct View of Mind. He will be teaching this over the course of nine or ten sessions (final number depends upon suitable locations.)

To reiterate: you do not have to attend all sessions. Wangdor Rimpoche sincerely hopes that those of you who are in the Bay Area will try to attend as often as possible to receive the transmission and pointing out and hear this beautiful, poetic text for yourselves. As a Dzogchen Heart Text, Flight of the Garuda prepares the dedicated student of Dzogchen meditation to achieve full realization.

Here’s more info about the weekend teaching:

Please call or email for directions.
Phone: 415-454-5243
Alt Phone: 415-497-8890
Email: mountain@energyarts.com

Class times:
11 am to 1pm—First session (Saturday)
1pm to 4pm—Lunch/Unsupervised practice (Saturday)
4pm to 6pm—Second session (Saturday)
10am to 12 noon–Third session (Sunday)

Subtitles for the teaching this weekend will be:
Flight of the Garuda Songs #4 “Initiation into the Nature of Mind”; #5 “Cause of Delusion”; #6 “Recognition of the Nature of Mind”; and possibly #’s 7 and 8– “Mandala of Intrinsic Buddhahood” and “Method of Attaining Utter Certainty” if Rimpoche decides to go that far this weekend. How many songs he decides to give in a given session is decided at the time of the teaching.

The Garuda is a mythical bird renowned for its speed and martial prowess. The Flight of the Garuda is a Tibetan Buddhist text consisting of 23 poetic songs to help meditators attain Dzogchen (Great Perfection) realization—beyond the Karmic wheel of causation.

The aim is to cut through the root of the mind attached to the appearance of phenomena and experience the true nature of mind—the Primordial Awareness. The more experience you have in meditation, the more you will gain from this teaching, however even beginners will benefit from participating in a teaching from such an accomplished Dzogchen Master as Lama Wangdor. We are honored that he has agreed to teach this material.

When you arrive
1. Please do not park in driveway this space will be reserved for Rinpoche.
2. Use available street parking next to residence.

There will be some cushions at event but please bring your own cushions/mats if possible, to leave some available for those who do not have one.

For more info on the where and when of following sessions, you can read the event calendar.

After this weekend, these precious teachings will continue on July 4th, in Berkeley, CA, 10:30 AM at the Dondrup Ling Center.

June 12th, 2009 Posted by admin | Tibetan Buddhism | no comments

Turning the Wheel

A special announcement for SF/Bay Area readers who are interested in the Dharma, or Tibetan Buddhism:

Beginning Wednesday night, June 10 in Berkeley and continuing at various locations around the SF Bay Area through mid-July, Venerable Wangdor Rimpoche will be teaching from the complete text of Kaden Sho Lap, translated as “Flight of the Garuda,” a Dzogchen heart text of the Nyingma lineage. Rimpoche traces the core text back to the words of Padmasambhava himself. He has agreed to do “Flight of the Garuda” in its entirety, including commentaries and transmission of the Direct View of Mind. He will be teaching this over the course of nine or ten sessions (final number depends upon suitable locations.)

Attendance at all sessions IS NOT REQUIRED, but Wangdor Rimpoche sincerely hopes that those of you who are in the Bay Area will try to attend as often as possible to receive the transmission and pointing out and hear this beautiful, poetic text for yourselves. As a Dzogchen Heart Text, Flight of the Garuda prepares the dedicated student of Dzogchen meditation to achieve full realization.

The first session is 7:00 - 9:00 pm on June 10:

3044 Wheeler St. (@ Essex st.)
Berkeley, CA

Directions:
3 blocks from Ashby Bart and the intersection of Shattuck & Ashby. Entrance is up the steps on Wheeler st. We are on the second floor. Bring cushions to sit on. There is a limited number of chairs for those who really need them.

For more information, contact:
tomaasm@yahoo.com

For more info on the where and when of following sessions, you can read the event calendar.

June 9th, 2009 Posted by admin | Tibetan Buddhism | no comments

Couldn’t resist another double feature

Another double feature for your delectation:

and

June 9th, 2009 Posted by admin | General, Double Features | no comments

Well, I hadda say something.

It’s like this: I’m really the last person to condemn anybody for their sexual quirks. At some point, I’m pretty sure, I’ve worked with, befriended, messed around with, or otherwise socialized with at least one of every gender and sexual preference there is.

That I know of.

On this planet.

My point is, over the years I’ve learned to observe a lot, and not judge. Given an opportunity to frelk or yiff, or whatever, I’m usually game to try it at least once, like an unknown vegetable on the dinner plate. At other times, though, my reaction might be “Fine for other folks, but not for me.”

So, auto-erotic asphyxiation falls into this category. (You people who don’t understand why I’m writing about this topic, can catch up with the rest of us by clicking here.) I’ve been told there are ways of minimizing the risks. However, I’ve always considered it to be the sexual equivalent of running with scissors, or playing with handcuffs when you don’t know where the key is. It’s just too dangerous.

But by far, the biggest danger of this practice is that when people read your obituary, they go, “Umm…ew.”

June 9th, 2009 Posted by admin | General | no comments

An Apocryphal Shaggy Dog Story

While in town today, a friend told me this tale of a dog’s life.

In Dharamsala, the monks at one monastery were undergoing shedra. This is a seven year course of religious study, during which the monks not only have to memorize many of the precious texts, but be able to debate their various philosophical points.

Seven years ago, a dog began to attend classes at the shedra. It consistently attended all the lectures, sitting patiently and listening along with the monks. When the class of monks progressed along to their second year of shedra, the dog followed along. Like them, it went to the second year lectures, and no longer attended first year classes.

The dog also began to attend the group philosophical debates that make up a large part of the shedra experience. It’s required that a monk not only know his texts, but understand them, well enough to defend his view of them against other views. When the monks met for debate, the dog met with them. It would listen to others make their points, and occasionally bark out one of its own. At every debate it would go around to all the monks, carefully looking over each one as if checking attendance.

When the monks passed into their third year of shedra, the dog followed. And again for the fourth year. And the fifth. And the sixth, and finally, the seventh.

By now most monks in the shedra were of the opinion that the dog would eventually become a khenpo–either a philosophical master who could ordain other monks, or even the abbot of its own monastery. But, in the ordinary scheme of things, a dog can not become a khenpo.

Not without dying first, and being reborn as a human….

So it was that just last week, near the end of the dog’s seventh year of shedra, right before its graduation…a rabies epidemic swept through Dharamsala’s canine population. 15 people were bitten, and as I write this, are still undergoing treatment with a series of rabies vaccine shots. 25 dogs came down with rabies, and one of them was this dog. All 25 dogs were put down.

Elsewhere I’ve written about how karma and the cycle of death and rebirth involve all creatures here, not just the human ones. It’s stories like this that remind me how anyone can become something else, either lower down the food chain, or much higher, throught the expiation of karma.

Now I’m wondering: will that class of shedra students ever go looking for their classmate, among Dharamsala’s children? Might they find a child who can easily outwit his elders in debate….and is afraid of water?

May 2nd, 2009 Posted by admin | India, Tibetan Buddhism | one comment