From Brahma to Buddha, Fall 2008

Natalie and Ari hanging prayer flags on trek

I really loved the trek. 9 days in the wilderness, constantly surrounded by unbelievable mountain views. The highest peak we summitted was 17,100 ft, covered in snow. And then we went "sledding" down, sliding down the mountain. We had ponies along with us, which of course, I loved. There's lots more to say about that, but I think everyone else had got it covered.

One of my favorite experience so far on the trip has been hanging out at the local Thanka center, which is the Tibetan style of painting. I stumbled upon it during our first day in Leh, but could only spend a little time. Since then, I have been back twice, both times for over two hours. My second time going in, the owner, Chokeyi, recognized me and said "Oh! The artist!" So I sat down and looked through piles and piles of breathtaking paintings. They come in 4 styles - a depiction of a single deity, a story of the Buddha's life, the wheel of life, and my personal favorite, the mandala. Chokeyi and her husband, Karma, have an immense wealth of knowledge and are so happy to share it all. Each piece takes months to make, and years of training. They spent the non-tourist season traveling around and collecting pieces from the best artists they know. Chokeyi would tell me about the different qualities of pieces, and then say, "Well, you're an artists, you can tell" (and I could). I drank many cups of chai with them as they taught me about what the things inside each piece meant, and the Buddhist religion. My favorite moment came yesterday, on my third visit. We have heard a lot about Buddhism from a very academic standpoint, which is fascinating, but Karma really gave me an idea of the philosophy behind it. He said that the idea of Buddhism is really to have a good heart, and to try and be a good person. Your mind helps to facilitate good deeds, but it starts in the heart. And by being a good person, that radiates outward and influences others in a really powerful way. When I left the center (after having made some great purchases, with a nice discount just because) Chokeyi asked for my email so they can show me when they make a website, told me to come back when I was in Leh, and gave me a big hug. And I felt such an amazing feeling, a powerful warmth of spirit. At dinner that night, the whole group sensed it. I didn't realize until the next morning that that was exactly what Karma was talking about. His warmth and kindness filled me with the same feeling, which I then passed on. Such a powerful idea, and I love that I learned it through just taking time to talk to people I encountered sort of randomly.

Tomorrow we go back to Delhi, and will visit the Nas foundation - an NGO for women's rights and sexual freedom (they are working to decriminalize homosexuality, which is still technically illegal in India) and hostel for HIV positive youth. And then, hopefully, a Bollywood film. I am so excited for both. Afterwards, an overnight train to Amritsar to visit the Golden Temple, the holiest site for Sikhs, with completely free room and board for anyone. And then to Dharamsala. Excitement.

Sorry family and friends for the copypaste.