Adjusting

traveling home from another land

there is so much to adjust to

then you throw in love, lust,

expenses, and cultural disappointments

It all is a great big recipe for heart ache and tears

loneliness and loss

But at the same time

I feel so rich with adventure and inspiration

It is all such a hard knot to untangle

to figure out which end ties to what

and where is my place

in this great big beautiful

mess

-Abby

here and there

Thursday nite here
Thursday morn there
hours behind. worlds apart.
falling in love so far from home is not an easy conversation to relay across such
time barriers.
it is not an easy conversation.
But I do my best to stay afloat
to remain calm through this and stay in my truth
honoring this love for what it is.
knowing that they too will see this love clearly as it comes into focus.
as there becomes here
and here is no longer so far from there.

As a Tree

Our lives so deeply rooted in the west

embracing what is true

growing up

experiencing new sights

reaching out to new ideas

enduring the seasons of life

growing tall and strong

grounded by the roots of true friendship

and the support from the seeds of past generations

We become comfortable with who we are

in all of the layers of our bark

to our core

Only then can we grow with another

to form a relationship with deep roots

based on love

with similar ideals to plant and watch new seeds grow

know that I will always be by your side

when the leaves blow from your branches

or when the snow is too heavy to bear

to talk and laugh as trees do

in the whispers of the wind

........Abby

the essence

People travel to escape
to explore
to expand.
economies grow
communities change
money flows
exchanges from hand to hand
the world connects here
and i see...
we are all of the same essence.

----Molly

Ancient words

"If I could make prophecies
and knew every secret
and had true realization
and full belief
So that i could move mountains,
but missed out on love...
I would be nothing.
And if i gave all my belongings
to the poor
and had my body burned up,
but missed out on love
there would be no use for me.
----Corinthian 13, 2 und 3

free to feel what it is

my heart softens

i feel the earth completely

each pulsation in harmony with the natural rhythm.

Love grounds my heart, body, mind.

allowing blood to move into the brain

circulating

integrating

evolving.

Last night words came from the depths of my heart.

thoughts i have not allowed myslef to manifest for a long time.

thoughts that i have not allowed myself to ever truly feel.

out of fear of heart ache.

Last night my heart spoke clearly.

I am in love.

In love.

These sensations so profound.

this situation so complicated.

But---somehow i find myself calm.

really living in the present moment and recognizing

life as it is right now. letting go of all preconcieved notions of what love is

supposed to be.

FREE now to truly feel what it IS!

To be as I AM.

To be the architect of myself.

---Molly

rise

How you rise
is how your eyes
and mind
meet the day.

So, take your time, make life your practice
so bliss is felt in each and every moment.

----Molly

the mind

Recognize and honor the expansiveness of the mind.

The dalai lama speaks

his presence alone, endearing.
his smile softening, even the most disturbed mind.
his speech enlightening--understanding beyond languages.
The translation was difficult to understand, but it nourished me like the mountain spring water--cooling and calming the mind.
Intellectually explaining this ancent Buddhist wisdom is important, but you must be careful to not get lost in translation, lost in anylization, lost in thought, or trying to understand.
For, you must practice the technique. This wisdom is truly experiential.
The message penetrated deep within me:
once again..."OUr suffering comes from our attachment to lifes pleasures, to these sensations. So, practice mediation to understand how detach from such sensations, and you will be free to experience life as it is, in all of your power and lifes power.
------Molly

The

The clouds bow down

as his holiness the Dalai Lama arrives, returns to Mcleod Ganj.
The sun's warm rays feel like his message of compassion.
Such rays of clarity illuminate the mountain side, the peaks, the green valleys below.
Today the Dalai lama will begin a teaching here at his home away from home.
After weeks of rain, the elements respond to such positive energy, and shine light onto the people, as to open and prepare their minds for such a sacred teaching.
---Molly

seen you before

"I have seen you before..."

"OH yes many times before."

softening smiles release the inquisitive eye

with the exchange of words.

know you know.

now you know.

now in now.

----Molly

awaken to presence

08-04-08

"Once we realize that the

nature of our existence is beyond thought and emotions,

that it is incredibly vast and interconnected

with all other beings,

then the sense of isolation, seperation, fear, and hopes fall away."---Tenzin Palmo(English woman whom became a tibetan buddhist nun)

AH, yes.

what a relief. to read these words, as if my own heart was reciting them loud and clear.

This mystic, simple truth.

this light feeling.

I can now float without the heaviness of the ego.

-----Molly

settling the wings

08-01-08
A new chapter begins.
abby flows southward, down the mountain, through the city, across the ocean, and back into the heartland of the rocky mountains.
I steady my flow.
I settle my wings.
I let my roots sink, as to nourish, reflect, and grow.
Here in Mcleod Ganj.
where the tibetan community in exile resides.
awaiting the day, they can return home.
as i make this my home.
I listen to a innate need to stay here,
to learn and practice yoga and the ancient science of ayurveda.
life science.
further this artform of living.
ah, the art of living!
a perfect medium.
a medium that's color spectrum comes from LOVE.
And this too, grounds me here.
this potential of love.
so i settle these wings,
to stay and explore love.
and learn to make life the practice.

-----Molly

departing words

I say goodbye to India

Today I travel south to Dheli

watching this crazy, colorful, dynamic world pass by

almost as quickly as these past two months

a teary eye

a heavy bag

a full heart

an inspired mind

although I depart with empty pockets

I leave rich with lifes adventures

and so I go to yet another beautiful place

Pire Melenge (until next time)

abby

"Of the gladest moments in human life, methinks, is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of civilization, man feels once more happy."

(Sir Richard Burton)

God of Small Things

"In those early amorphous years when memory had only just begun, when life was full of begginnings and no ends, and everything was forever." (Arundnati Roy)

........abby

Manali

Before we sit to meditate we sit in this tea house. We fill our glasses with whiskey our bellies with mok moks, and our day with adventure. When our feet leave the ground and the world falls away we find ourselves above the birds and then singing on the back of a motorbike. Whatching the world roll by like the rain on a ravens wing.
.......abby

Time

The time clicks and ticks away, the closing of another day. Turning a page to a new chapter, another adventure awaits. An adventure of the mind. Where we sit and open our minds so that we can live by the ticking of our hearts. Every moment in this crazy beautiful world is so precious, full of wonder and never long enough. I find myself always out of time trying to breath in every second before the clock reaches its final hour and another day has passed away. Excitement fills my dreams and I awake ready for lifes adventures to fill me once again and for the clock to start over.

.......abby

the mind

REMEMBER TO REMEMBER THAT YOU REMEMBER.

--molly

Smile

in every face there is a smile
may my smile ingite love
be a smile serving to evoke
others to reveal this softness.
universal, the smile. the mouth. the lips. the teeth.
for every smile has undoubtedly been a frown,
kissed by tears
or turned round and kissed by love.
So, this evening 7-26-08
as the dhamma rings in my heart so clear,
i dedicate this smile to the truth
in you
.
---Molly

blank page.

July 25th, dhamma Sikkha, Dharmkot, Himachal India

Blank Page
start afresh
anew
cleansing, calming, and fortifying
like tea tree, lavender, and rosewood
aroma therapy
focusing below the nose.
.......................................
Ah, vipassana
brings the mind back to the speed of the body
Slowly, slowly release into the grace of the breathe.
its soft touch, asks the mind to soften
allowing the body to realign
re-open.
With this effortless effort
feel life as it is
aware of sensations as they are in this moment
rising
passing
away
this constant truth
this biochemical truth
discover the universal truth
so simple it seems crazy.
"Have i totally lost it?"
Ah my friend, indeed you have finally relaxed into it...you have found it."
REtraining the mind
to stop trying so hard
always searching. worrying.
simply breathe
come home
recognize this presence as powerful...
and trust as life unfolds with grace before you.
Dhamma.
the law of nature.
Discover the ultimate guru...
and you don't even have to go to india!
right there, in the mirror.
thy self.
of course, you must train this monkey to get to the essence of the self.
to discover pure consciousness.
every prophet made this discovery, but each had a different story, language, culture.
each truth.
tributaries of this great truth.
With this technique
vipassana....
learn the art of living.
then, maintain this ever so gracefully and effortlessly.
with patience and compassion
remain equionomous throughout each situation.
and inspre happiness with in...
which will reverberate for days to come.

--- MOlly

Monsoon

looking to the soaring eagles
we took flight
catching wind and soaring above the green rows of corn, the lush steep himalayn faces.
Before the rain falls, we fly high.
Now, listening to rain drops fall, we await the motorcycle ride through this valley of the gods.
So, we await pondering this rugged place, manali.
a place for the free spirited, rebels, and adventurous.
A place where the road side stores are dominated by the "one piece old skool ski suites and boots" rental booths.
Shop number 2006? or maybe number 865?
Each one we cruise by I look back and laugh, " So this is where all the classic one piece suites end up? Heaven...? Maybe?
---Molly

guru

so many faces
weathered with stories
softened with a smile
a greeting
a genuine hello
namaste
tashi delek
asalaam malekum
juley
namaste
we are faced with laughing eyes
realizing you can smile with your eyes
and create an everlasting truth
a smiling gaze, directed by the well guided mind.
a heartfelt embrace
slow, respectful, loving
establishing relationships
free the self of attachment
and just allowing life to be free
flowing, gracefully going
moving forward,
"slowly, slowly"
now absorbing lifes lessons
embedded in everyday interactions.

----Molly

In manali we fly

In manali we fly,
above the trees, rocks, and rivers...
gliding along side the mountains face
graced with water falls.
water falling.
we experience the sky.
this joy that birds partake in every day.
today we fly.
tomarrow we look up and smile.
"surely, I will return one day as a bird of prey."
-----Molly

The flow

Kashmir to Ladakh
to Central himachal pradesh
Srinagar on to leh down to manali
24 hour bus experience
on the edge of life and death
winding up and down Rohtang Pass.
ah, now perched here in Vashisht
Above the village flows the river
shaping the valley
as the flow shapes ones life
this place reminds us of home.
dynamic valleys green and abundant with lifes joy.
Shanti Shanti
perched like hawks we observe and watch
listen to the rivers grace.
above us we meditate with the waterfalls.
We hike and breathe.
we sit and converse.
we experience this life as it is right now
feeling it like meditation
connecting and reconnecting
we meet people from across this great planet.
and laugh about the human condition,
softening our smiles as we learn to understand this global community.
----Molly

bustling humans

back to leh, we return to the bustling bustle
still birdsong catches my mind, and settles my spirit.
I now picture those magically green villages,
and feel as if I have been shown the past,
insight for the present
how simple and lovely life is, once was, and will be again.
Now here in the busy city center, I see these same people, pushed--hurried into the existence catapulted by capital.
driven by valued paper.
so many indigenous people, people of the land, farmers...
are pushed out of this life that seems to make the most sense.
Sensical. nonsensical the way humans do as they do.
pushing away the ways we are inherently yearning to return to?
"Why?" I ask.
Bigger profits, yet diminishing characters?
This is truly the tragedy of our time.
and it takes a mighty spirit to recognize this, reject this, and infuse life with depth.
to take life at a slower pace
and return to the natural rhythm.
Oh, humans. bustling humans.
slow down.

----Molly

Shade

To provide shade for heated humans,
to catch the cool breeze with ease,
to be that tree...
a dream for me.
---Molly

paradise?

gazeing upon moonscapes
we learn to escape our expectations of idyllic beauty.
paradise?
Listening to the wind as it guides the rain clouds
above us.
Barren moonscape, like the mind
will flourish into green paradise
with positive thought as the rainshower
evoking aroma, evoking grace
with just a drop of water, nurture, and patience.

---Molly

July 6th, an auspicious birth day.

Soften.
Sink.
Sincerity.
Clouds keep us cool.
mind reflecting the environment.
magically green valleys
Today, the first rain drops fell with the softness
of compassionate tears.

happy birthday to the dalai lama,
Molly

high altitude moonscape

Faced with barren moonscape and exhausted in the mid day heat
we make our way...
minds heavy with doubt.
i do my best to stay afloat...
Left foot infront of right
inhale
exhale
upwards towards the saddle. going up to go down.
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
this mala mantra softens my face
slowing the mind race
clams and clarifies
keeping you there in the presence of grace.
om mani padme hum
I focus on my breathe, and bring my awareness to my feet
engaging the energy beneath my step
I feel the earth. each rock. each grain of sand
a walk this barren moonscape
barren desert
the heat aggrevates me
lips dehydrated
sigh...i go inside and de-attach from these thoughts.
i then invite the breathe to cool me
ah, exhale.
each step with the land, with those whom walked before me.
I gaze up, blue sky framed by clouds.
crossing over now, gazing up
only to look down.

---molly

acclimatization

Monasteries melding into the moonscape

above us we sense and feel the compassion, wisdom, and connectedness reverberate.

White Gompas above us as we sleep

dreaming of the past melding into the present,

as the Buddha's words echo,

"Leave the past behind; abandon all thoughts of the future,

and let go of the present. You are ready then to cross to the other shore."

Our clear eyes are blessed with prayer flags everywhere---

yellow, green, red, white, blue...

consistently softening our smiles

The delicate breezes carry the prayers out of the fabric and into everyones hearts

as it simaltaneously cools our sun kissed skin.

High altitude eases our minds

connects our beings

to our temples

Snow covered Mountain Peaks.

Rigo--these rugged peaks

encircling

towering above us

reminding us of our nature.

of our essence.

Inspiring us to stand tall

with integrity, power, and awe inspiring love.

We gaze up and look inward as we sit, read, reflect, and teach one another of lifes lessons.

We arrive

home.

----Molly

Strike.stand up for the land.

Strike

close your store

close your doors

stay at home

pray.

then take to the streets

stand up for this sacred kashmiri valley

Amarnath.

Stand up for your land.

stand up for you people

stand up for your way.

Let capital not waver your passion for freedom.

May these unique people remain united

binded by their faith and their love for kashmir.

May this prove to be the antedote to this epidemic of

greedy devouring companies

driven by capital

blinded by progress

May this passion for freedom in turn wipe their eyes clean of greed

and inspire them to see the amarnath valley as a sacred place

more valuable without development.

more valuable under the ownership of the kashmiri people.

And may this fight for autonomy

inspire us all.

As it reminds me of the tibetans struggle

to regain the right to live in harmony upon their land.

May this year be the year for these special people across the world that fight for what is right.

and may this inspire us to slow down and connect to our place

and maybe even rediscover, reroot, and redifine our way.

------Molly

Lotus blooms in July

Peacefully floating aboard a shikara boat
we explore dal lake
feeling like princess, we dip our toes in the silky calm water, sip kashmiri tea and relax
"no worry, no hurry"
In the presence of water lilies
we gaze and ponder the white mosque, reflecting itself upon the glassy water.
afternoon prayer projected through speakers
awakens our hearts
as we honor the greater power--whatever name rings true for you.
Captivated by these reflections we float on
gazing upon the budding lotus, stetching tall out from the murky depths,
only to bloom come July.
ahhhh, this becomes the metaphore for our journey
we cultivate, nurture, learn, explore in june
nourishing, reaching toward the light we become rooted in ourselves---in our great lightness and our murky darkness. we rediscover our selves, and help eachother along the way.
As we look to july, like these budding lotus, we await the day we unfold into our full nature.
For july we return to the land of the Buddhists.
Mid july we will sit in silence.
and then carry this insight into our daily movement.
mindful ness in action as we bloom in july.
-----Molly

Arrive in Ladok 15,000 feet

Soaring mountains sing to my soul.
Rivers rush through me and capture my heart,
runnning white from glacier run off.
The high mountain air fills me as we climb higher and higher on a windy dirt road.
Snow capped peaks greet me from every direction.
Beautiful people smile when our eyes meet. They live so simply on this vast arid land, in communion with their heard.
Their faces light up after every greeting passed. "Jule"!!!
I am in a different land but in the presence of the mountains I am home.

abby

Mighty Mountains

To see the greatness of a mountain one must keep one's distance, to understand its form, one must move around it, to experience its moods, one must see it at sunrise and sunset, at noon and at midnight, in the sun and in the rain, in snow and in storm, in summer and in winter, and in all the other seasons. He who can see the mountain like this comes near to the life of the mountain, a life that is as intense and varied as that of a human being. Mountains grow and decay, they breath and pulsate with life. They attract and collect invisable energys from their surroundings: The forces of the air, of the water, of electricity and magnetism; they create winds, clouds, thunder-storms, rains, waterfalls, and rivers: They fill their surroundings with active life and give shelter and food to innumerable beings. Such is the greatness of the Mighty Mountains.

(Lama Anagarika Govinda)

Believers

"where reason departs, faith enters."
"We are concerned with the believers
for whom the invisible supernatural is more real than the visible material."

---quote from a book on dispelling the misconceptions of Islam

Kashmir dispells our fear of muslim people
we are taken in by a wonderful family afloat dal lake
where lotus and water lilies bloom
fine herbs and healing teas
kashmir...a place to be happy.

the people prepare

After a nights drive

we arrive

in Srinagar, Kashmir

afloat the Buddshaw Palace on Dal Lake

we arrive

and we go retire to our princess palace

sleeping the drive off.

I arise

to the people prepareing

for a storm

rain clouds form

some people gather to watch

others prepare the houseboat

closing doors and shutters.

I rise to this bustling.

language and lifes rhythm meld together

one cosmic dance

not understanding the words

you learn to listen to it as song

and dance along with the natural beat.

we await the rain as the wind brings a much needed air flow into my room.

this afternoon we prepare to arrive with the coming of a storm.

---Molly

Arriving again

you arrive again
the smells are real
the smiles are true
the colors once again
vibrant.
I fall in love with this place.
I arrive.
to see each day before serving this moment now.
Illness seemed to cleanse me
of something profound
deep.
now, i feel that i have fully
arrived.

Silence
stillness
steady pace
breathe

the rain falls.
sigh

today we rest
and arrive.

----molly

Don't drink the water

DON'T DRINK THE WATER
THEY SAY, BACTERIA LIVES THERE.
SWEET WATER!
OUR NOURISHMENT.
TAINTED?
OH, HUMANS WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
OR IS IT NATURES WAY OF GETTING INSIDE US
TO REMIND US
THAT SHE IS FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN US.
SURRENDER.
SO THAT YOU CAN BE ONE
FEELING THE WORLD INSIDE AS THE WORLD OUTSIDE
THIS IS WHAT THE AMOEBAS HAVE TOLD ME.
DO NOT CURSE US.
REALIZE
THIS IS WHAT IS.
EMBRACE.
THIS IS ALL APART OF THE ADVENTURE
AND AT ITS ROOT ADVENTURE MEANS:
"WHATEVER COMES."

SO BE IT.
------Molly

June 10, 2008

A vigil for tibet.
humans walking
faces lit by candle light
we walk as one to the tibetan Buddhist temple
I sit and I these words arise...

June 10,2008
an auspicious evening
a stuggle for a culture
as way
a greater consciousness
Their struggle is our struggle as it
looks to China as a destructive force that is not
in line with nature.
As a human race, we all are in this struggle together.
Save our place on this earth.
Join Tibet.
As a human race.
We must return to the ways of such peoples as the tibetans.
the native americans.
the indigenous wisdom.
NOt duplicating their culture, or totally changing ours, but
slowing down our pace.
so that we can hear the rhythm of our own beat.
heart beat.
and connect to this powerful feeling of compassion.
for all.
To return to a way, where you are encourage to slow down and create.
rather than speed up and progress.
May we learn to reconnect to our place and make life
our practice
our art form
our style.
May peace prevail within each of you.
And there for reverberate across this great blue planet.
EARTH.
----Molly

words to live by

I Got Kin: a poem by Hafiz

Plant
So that your own heart
will grow
Love
So God will think,
"Ahhhhhhh, I got kin in that body!
I should start inviting that soul over
for coffee and rolls."
Sing
Because this is a food
Our starving world needs.
Laugh
Because that is the purest
Sound.

In flight i write

Words to guide your mind back into the body
inside the heart

as life unfolds before you
allow it to inspire a smile
walking with grace
laugh often
greatest advice ever given
let laughter guide you
through lifes transitions.
ponder. contemplate.
laugh often.

----Molly

healthy and happy

After being in the small mountain village of Mcleod Ganji for four days, Moly and I had plans to travel further north to get a closer look at the beautiful Himalayas. We had planned to travel over the coarse of three days up and over the worlds highest mountain pass to the town of Leh.
One hour before we were supposed to board our bus and embark on the first leg of the trip, Molly became very sick. She had a red hot feaver that was later replaced by dhiareah. She was sick in bed for two day. We were so luck to have still been in MCleod Ganji and not on the bus heading north when this happened. So our plans for the north country have been put on hold for now.
Molly is up and healthy again. We start out volenteer project tomorrow. We will be working at the Tibetan handicapped childerens craft home. We will be assisting children with arts and crafts projects, using art as theraphy. Molly and I bought a big bag in Ca. and filled it with art supplies. I brought the bag by the center yesterday. The little Tebetan woman who is in charge of the center was so excited. Tears filled her eyes. I am so excited to have the opportunity to take something that I love and use it to help these childeren.
Everyday in India is an adventure. My senses are so overwhelmed by all the busteling activity, smells, color and life that is present here. We have been finding balance in the chaios through yoga and art. We just stumbled onto this beautiful brand new yoga studio. The teacher is amazing. I have never seen a body move in such a flexible and athletic way. Yesterday we took a Tonka painting class with this Tibetan man by the name of Labsong which means wisdom. It takes great wisdom to be a master of Tonka painting. It is an ancient form of painting which is taken very serously. It is a very percise and mathematical way to paint the gods and goddesses in the Buddist religion. If the artist fails to follow certain guidelines and use the exact colors to depict these dieties it is considered a great sin. For those of you who have seen me create art you can imagine how hard this was for me. It tested my patience a great deal. I learned a lot about the importance of a straight line and percise measurement for without these the entire image is incorrect. I had to redo my drawing several time before I got it right. Tonka painting is a meditation in itself.
I hope that you are well and enjoying the summer months.
sending you much love.
Namaste Tashi Delek, Abby

words to begin with...

To begin I reflect on a long journey...
exhaustion, but once you reach a place of such wonder, you do not want to sleep, but rather walk around and absorb such chaotic grace.
India...a place where chaos reveals truth and becomes harmonic.
Where you are constantly tested, and asked to reveal your whole self.
Each moment encourged to let go into the flow.

We arrive finally in Mcleod Ganj, we sip chai, smile at the confluence of cultures--east meets west---tibet meets india. These people are beautiful, there cultures inspiring, their struggles heartbreaking. With each face I pass, a reflection of their divine light appears and I feel my own light brighten. At the foothills of the himalayas we are reminded of lifes delicacy, strength, and vibrancy. The strength of the tibetan people at this time is incredible, their dedication and faith in their culture is amazing, and i am humbled and honored to be in their presence.
With this I am reminded of the words from Thomas Merton:
"Then suddenly I saw the secret of beauty of their hearts depths where neither sin nor desire nor self knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each of one is in the eyes of the divine. If only they could all see themselves as they really are. If only we could see eachother that way all the time! There would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed...I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other."
May you all feel this, and carry it with you in your day to day.