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