from Gared, American Observer in India

[Guest guest]

Namaste, Everyone

Shree Maa has asked me to post a copy of Gared's letter on the club.

He's living in India, in New Delhi as his base while he is working there fo=

r a

group called ASHOK (or ASHOKA), and traveling about as well (he just got

back from Ladakh).

Divine Mother wants to pass his thoughts on to his brothers and sisters!

Jai Maa

Nitya

 

 

Saturday, November 15, 2003

 

My good brothers and sisters,

 

It appears to be the most complex recipe in the world. And

when you're cooking, potentially quite easy. And you really

don't know the outcome for some time. After it's cooled.

Presented before the family. When you – chef – stand back

(or is it above?) and look.

 

So much life swirls before me, within me, these days –

through inextricable links and interrelated unfoldings – that

when I attempt to unwind it to its core, its essence, there

is nothing there on which to place words.

 

To sit and share this life's fantasies arrives woefully short

of its reality. And may even glorify it in a sense;

romanticize that which both is and isn't. And none of it,

once distilled, is. It was. And only then as fantasy.

 

Today then:

 

I have been to the high mountain desertland of Ladakh and

watched the moonrise over 20,000 ft. peaks. I sat in silence

that thundered in its vacancy, as if I were hearing the

lifeforce of my ears themselves or the lingering birth noise

of the universe.

 

I have been to the tropics of Goa and sat with a colleague

who once lived as a freedom-fighter in remote Thai jungles,

shouldering her rifle while tending to rice paddies and

teaching younger students. We watched the sunset over palm

trees and the Indian Ocean.

 

I have walked home from the office at 9:30 p.m. in the

evening after a long day. Picked up lauki (long gourd),

tomatoes, potatoes and coriander at the vegetable stand and

milk at the milk stand, and stood in wandering thoughts while

preparing dinner.

 

This morning I gave a small pack of jelly beans to a dusty

girl asking for money at my idling auto-rickshaw.

 

So, am I cooking? Am I still learning the recipe? Has the

dish already been plated and served?

 

It feels like all three. One big complicated life dream

tough to figure in the making.

 

Peace,

G

[Guest guest]

Wow! Thats amazing. It sounds very PEACEFUL there! It must be hard

to be an American in India. You are very poetic. What were you

cooking?

 

, "nitya_ma" <nitya_ma> wrote:

> Namaste, Everyone

> Shree Maa has asked me to post a copy of Gared's letter on the

club.

> He's living in India, in New Delhi as his base while he is working

there fo=

> r a

> group called ASHOK (or ASHOKA), and traveling about as well (he

just got

> back from Ladakh).

> Divine Mother wants to pass his thoughts on to his brothers and

sisters!

> Jai Maa

> Nitya

>

>

> Saturday, November 15, 2003

>

> My good brothers and sisters,

>

> It appears to be the most complex recipe in the world. And

> when you're cooking, potentially quite easy. And you really

> don't know the outcome for some time. After it's cooled.

> Presented before the family. When you – chef – stand back

> (or is it above?) and look.

>

> So much life swirls before me, within me, these days –

> through inextricable links and interrelated unfoldings – that

> when I attempt to unwind it to its core, its essence, there

> is nothing there on which to place words.

>

> To sit and share this life's fantasies arrives woefully short

> of its reality. And may even glorify it in a sense;

> romanticize that which both is and isn't. And none of it,

> once distilled, is. It was. And only then as fantasy.

>

> Today then:

>

> I have been to the high mountain desertland of Ladakh and

> watched the moonrise over 20,000 ft. peaks. I sat in silence

> that thundered in its vacancy, as if I were hearing the

> lifeforce of my ears themselves or the lingering birth noise

> of the universe.

>

> I have been to the tropics of Goa and sat with a colleague

> who once lived as a freedom-fighter in remote Thai jungles,

> shouldering her rifle while tending to rice paddies and

> teaching younger students. We watched the sunset over palm

> trees and the Indian Ocean.

>

> I have walked home from the office at 9:30 p.m. in the

> evening after a long day. Picked up lauki (long gourd),

> tomatoes, potatoes and coriander at the vegetable stand and

> milk at the milk stand, and stood in wandering thoughts while

> preparing dinner.

>

> This morning I gave a small pack of jelly beans to a dusty

> girl asking for money at my idling auto-rickshaw.

>

> So, am I cooking? Am I still learning the recipe? Has the

> dish already been plated and served?

>

> It feels like all three. One big complicated life dream

> tough to figure in the making.

>

> Peace,

> G