Merry Christmas from India
Namaste to you all, sorry I haven't done any posts or sent out a newsletter in the past week, I've had what I would term Blogger block. For some reason I haven't felt like getting on a computer. I've arrived in Goa it's a great place, very touristy, it's ok for a change. The Indians hear are wonderful people, they seem to be allot more easy going, which is a welcomed change.
I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year and that all your dreams come true for next year. I also hope that while your spending time with your family, that you pause for just one moment and look around the room and take in what Christmas is truly about, for me its family, sharing and above all things unconditional love. For unconditional love is what we're all here for. I remember times when people say that around Christmas time usually they have big fallout's with certain family members, or cant stand this relative or that one. Well I pray that this Christmas and maybe for a new years resolution that we be conscious of remaining in our hearts and to love and accept everyone that comes into our lives.
I feel that as a species if we cant find peace within ourselves and within in our own family, how do we expect to find peace in the world?. One of my favorite sayings goes something like this,
We each are angels with only one wing
Its only by embracing each other
That we can truly fly.
Here's some great poems and sayings from myself and others,
Believing is one thing, doing another
Many talk like the sea but their lives are stagnant marshes.
Others raise their heads above the mountain tops,
while their souls cling to the dark walls of caves.
Kahlil Giban
Imagine you only have one year to live.
What important things would you be doing?
How would you be allotting your time to accomplish the most you could?
This exercise is one method of going after your priorities.
Denis Waitley
The soul would have no rainbow, had the eyes no tears.
John Vance Cheney
Here's one of my favorites, this helped me get through my divorce a few years back, I don't know why but this saying really inspired me to push through my fears,
RISK To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He or she may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he or she simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love.......live. Chained by their certitudes, they are a slave, they have forfeited freedom. Only a person who risks is truly free.
Here's some of mine,
Prayers and meditation are like wood
The more you add the higher
And brighter the flame burns within.
If you think you are not of this world you're right
The only world that exists is yours
Everyone else on the planet are all living in different world's
No two are the same.
Seek not for solitude in a cave
Contemplation in a temple
Enlightenment in an ashram
For this way is of old paradigms
The most magnificent cave, temple and ashram that you will find
Is within you, it's in your heart
Where God the all loving, all knowing, all compassionate dwells
You can make a daily pilgrimage to this sacred place
Without going anywhere.
Leap into the unknown it's the known that's the illusion
Leap and set yourself free
Living free from chains and suffering that cloud your mind and heart
Take the hands of God and allow the All That Is to catch you
Lifting you higher then you've ever imagined before.
Silence instills clarity
Clarity instills calmness
Calmness instills peace
Peace instills love
Love instills God.
Opening one's heart is to open to God's love
Like the sun rising from the East
It's warm and tender ray's touching mother earth
Enveloping all that dwells on her
So does the heart when it opens and rises again
touching and enveloping everything
with its warmth and tenderness.
I hoped you enjoyed some of these, again merry Christmas and a happy new year to all of your and your families, In the famous words of one of Australia's greatest boxers Geoff Fenech,
"I love you's all" lol.
Tibetan children in Delhi lighting candles for Tibetan new year(I think, forgot to write that one down)
Christan Church Goa, Its great to be in a part of India that has quite a few Christans, so we can feel its a bit like Christmas.
Huge Buddha statue in Norpalinka.
Ah, family is what its all about. These puppies were at Norpalinka, their mother had died giving birth to them. They have an older brother from another litter, he's about 3 years old. They say he does everything a female dog would do, only he doesn't have milk, so the people step in and feed them.
Sunset Anjuna beach, Goa.
Anjuna beach.
Vagator beach, Goa.
Vagator beach, Goa.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Well Over Diu, India
Namaste people, well I'm back in Delhi waiting to catch my plan to Goa for the Christmas break. I went back to the Internet cafe where I left my CD of Diu island and these wonderful men who run the cafe had kept it for me, very lucky. So here are the photos of Diu and stories of what I can remember of my time there.
This is the view from my hotel hut.
This is a view from the other direction from my hut, Indian sunsets are amazing.
Another perfect sunset at Diu.
You can really feel the Portuguese influence on the island.
It was strange seeing so much Christan architecture, after been surrounded by Hindu and Muslim architecture.
I was riding my moped down one of Diu's alleyways when I came across these boys doing one of the most religious ceremonies in India, yes you guest it cricket. I played cricket for about two hours, it's such a wonderful experience when you can join in with the local people, especially when their this age.
These wonderful people were a very inspiring family that I met at my hotel, this is Mike from Britain and his lovely wife Nadine who is from Switzerland. They have been traveling for about 17 months with their two boys Desmond in the photo and their littlest one Lenny who didn't want his photo taken. I can fully understand why Lenny didn't because unfortunately everyone wants to take photo's of the boys, and like us sometimes enough is enough and the beautiful thing about it is that Mike and Nadine fully respect what their boys have to say.
I got talking to them quite a bit about their experiences traveling with two young children. I found it quite inspiring, that they didn't let having children stop them from still experiencing traveling around the world. I was also very impressed with how Lenny and Desmond have taken everything in their stride. I mean it's not as though they've stayed in just Western countries with all the luxuries far from it, this wonderful family have been everywhere. They travel like any backpacker would.
Here are the places so far that the family has been, China I think for seven months, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and Pakistan. As you see not your run of the mill countries. They explained that they have travelled together for years before the boys were born and thought why not do it with the boys. As you can imagine all their experiences have been different then before because of the the boys. They get treated different, especially in the these countries because everyone loves children, so families just offer them to stay with them etc.
For me they were inspirational because it showed me that life doesn't have to end just because you have children like most people do and believe. I know now when I have a family if i still want to travel then I will. Can you just imagine how well adjusted these two wonderful boys will be when they get older.
Living and sharing with a Tibetan Family
Namaste to you all, as I write this its started to snow outside, the first day its snowed this year. So you can imagine its getting quite cold here, its certainly time to leave and hit the surf, yippee.
When I first arrived in India I met a lovely couple who gave me the number of a Tibetan doctor called Dr. Namgyal Qusar. I rang his clinic last Sunday and spoke to his wife, she said I was welcome to come and meet them and that they'd workout if there's something I could do to help.
So I left Mcleod Ganj and traveled to the little village that they live in. The villages name is Sidhpur, its just outside of Dharamsala. The village is known for a place called Norbulingka Institute, its a beautiful centre where they do allot of programs for the Tibetan people and their culture.
When I arrived I felt immediately welcomed, we had a chat and we decided while I stayed there, my job would be to teach their son and a few of their workers english. It's been such a wonderful experience living with these warm, kind hearted people and I've also had allot of fun, which is the most important thing in life, to experience as much fun as possible while we're on this planet.
As part of Rigsangs teaching(Dr. Qusar's twelve year all son) I asked him to interview his father.
So here it is,
Rigsang: What is your full name?
Dr. Qusar: Namgyal Qusar.
Rigsang: How old are you?
Dr. Qusar:Im 46 years old.
Rigsang:What is your occupation?
Dr. Qusar: I am a doctor of Tibetan medicine.
Rigsang: Where and what is your business name?
Dr. Qusar: I have a business in Dharmsala and its name is Qusar Tibetan Healing Centre.
Rigsang: Where were you born?
Dr. Qusar: I was born in a small village called Shangtse, which is in Tibet.
Rigsang: What is your father's and mother's names?
Dr. Qusar: My father's name is Msnlhamtsering and my mothers name is Dsnam Lhamo.
Rigsang: What is your wife's and children's names?
Dr. Qusar: My wife's name is Dr. Rallhse and I have three boys their names are, from my eldest son, Tensin Chsephel, Tensin Rigsang and my youngest son's name is Tensin Karma.
Rigsang: How long have you been a doctor?
Dr. Qusar: I've been a doctor since 1987.
Rigsang: Do you love your job? and what inspired you to become a Tibetan doctor?
Dr.Qusar: Yes I love my job and I was inspired to become a doctor when I was in my early twenties I became quite ill so I went to a Tibetan doctor, the medicine worked straight away so this was what i wanted to do.
Rigsang: How does Tibetan medicine help people?
Dr. Qusar: Tibetan medicine uses all natural products eg mainly herbs, and therefore its effective against chronic diseases.
Rigsang: Who originally started Tibetan medicine?
Dr. Qusar: Tibetan medicine has been around a very longtime. The founder was a man called Yutok Yucten Gonpo, they call him the father of Tibetan medicine.
Rigsang: Thank you for your time.
Who knows maybe Rigsang might go into journalism. Here is Dr. Qusar's website,
http://www.qusartibetanhealing.mypage.org/ and heres his email address
qusarheal@yahoo.com. If you are interested in purchasing any healing products from Dr.Qusar, his website has all the details. It's easy to get what you want you just have to email him and he'll workout whats best for you and send it by post. I can certainly highly recommend him and his work, he is one of the leading Tibetan doctors in the world.
Now for some photo's.
My first dinner with the family, they had some relatives staying with them. Guess where their from? yep Australia, they migrated to Melbourne a few years ago. So the house was full of Aussies.
This is Dr Qusar's brother, he's making the dried herbs into a mixture.
This is Krishna, he and other workers make the mixture into pills.
This is the finished product, thousands of Tibetan herbal pills drying in the sun.
They even make their own special incense.
I think you'd all agree, not a bad view from the backyard.
This was on the way back from the bakers shop, in the next village.
This is Karma, he's ten months old, he truly is an angel. He never cries he only giggles and smiles. I can certainly see the difference in a child when they are surrounded by family and love. Is it possible for men to get clucky? since being around this lovely baby it makes me want to start my own family.
What a face, he would win any baby competition hands down.
These two beautiful souls are the grandparents, their names are Mr Ngsdup Palden and Mrs Sherab Tsomo. I think they are called amala for grandmother and popala for grandfather. Amala is such a strong woman in mind, body and spirit, shes eighty years young.
Nan, pop and me.
Now these four characters are the boys that I'm teaching english to. From left to right, this is Din he's from Thailand, Din's studying Tibetan medicine and is doing very well at it. Next we have Nyima dhondup, he's a servant, cook, mechanic and does just about anything else around the house. Next is Tensin Rigsang the doctors son and finally we have Krishna, he does a similar job to Nyima. I hope I've helped them learn something and they've got something out of the experience. This was on the first day when I met them. The next photo is when I'm just about to leave, boy I hope I've had a positive influence on them.
Yep, I think I left a pretty good impression, my work is done.
And finally we have Dr. Qusar and his beautiful wife Rallhse in traditional Tibetan dress, here they are visited by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa.
Freedom for Tibet
Namaste to you all, I've now spent about two weeks in
Mcleod Ganj. As you know this is where most of the population are Tibetan refugees. After spending only this small amount of time with these beautiful people, I have come to realize that these people truly are the most open hearted, caring, loving and happy people I have ever met. Through my teachings over the years I've come to not be so attached to circumstances around me(or at lease
be aware of how I'm reacting to a person or situation). Being around these wonderful people makes it hard for me not to feel pain in my heart and tears in my eyes, when I see what the Chinese Government have done to these inspirational people.
When I was younger I used to always talk politics to people and I tell you I was very passionate about what I believed, overtime I've learned not to get so upset at certain things that are going on in the world. I know there's a part of me that understands this, what is happening to the Tibetan people is all for a perfect reason, that this maybe all karmic, that as souls they've all come to this earth plane to experience these atrocities. But I realize there's a huge part of me that still feels overwhelmed by the countless stories I've been told and the number of documentaries that I've seen in the past two weeks.
So I'm going to help as much as I can and I hope you all can do the same. You must realize that if you live in the West we really don't get the truth of whats going on in Tibet. I now realize for some reason especially the Australian media don't want anything to do with whats going on. Looking at it nor do most of the governments around the world. Why? I'll tell you all why, MONEY!!!!! China has most of the worlds governments under their thumb.
The Australian government especially are very spineless, they are that bad they didn't even recognize His Holiness the
Dalai Lama as a political leader, because they would offend China if they did. I've been told that they only let one hundred Tibetan refugees from Tibet in our country each year, compared to ten thousand a year in Canada. Yet they'll let thousands of other people in that don't even want to assimilate with other people or our culture. I'll tell you all now there should be thousands upon thousands of these people let into Australia. As I said you cant help but feel open hearted and loving when your around these people, they have allot to teach the West. And maybe this is the true reason that all this is happening so these beautiful souls will be forced to spread themselves around the world to show the rest of us how to truly live and be.
So what can we do? well I'll do it all for you, you just have to sign petitions when I place them on my blog. Maybe even write to your local member or our spineless government's, showing that as a people, as fellow humans we are not happy with how the Tibetans are been treated. I know this works because a nun was released from prison not
long ago seven years before she was supposed to be released. Thousands of people signed a petition and brought it to the attention of Amnesty international and their governments. I wont go into the details of the conditions these beautiful souls are placed in, while they're in prison, but I tell you if you think what happened to the Jews in the the past two world wars was bad, these poor unfortunate people are experiencing the same if not worse.
So please every single one of you, please try something to help these people, before its to late. That sounds drastic I know but the Chinese are quickly killing their whole way of being, they're very smart. I'll put websites on so you can all have a read and see for yourselves whats really going on.
Here are some sites I've found, I've also talked with heads of some of these organizations. They all are doing a wonderful job, but they need our help, NOW.
http://chinawouldyoushootme.org/ look around the site there are two petitions to sign. One is for
Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and the other is for one of the most important people in Tibetan society the
Panchen Lama. His name is
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and guess what he's child. Yes the Chinese have even taken a child as a political prisoner, which I might add is highly illegal, everyone knows this but again they just sit on their hands.
Here are some photos I took whilst in Mcleod Ganj, these Tibetans were protesting over the slaughter of innocent Tibetans at the border a few months back.
Protest Mcleod Ganj.
Protest.
Monks at the protest.
Huge Buddha statue in Norpalinka.
Sunset Anjuna beach, Goa.
Vagator beach, Goa.
