From Dharamsala, India.

Hello everyone,
It is very peaceful up here in the Tibetan Buddhist land of
Dharamsala, India. Every morning I am awakened around 7 a.m. by
hundreds of monks chanting in the main temple. From my room in
the Namgyal Monastery, I can see the surrounding Dhauladar
Mountains. I usually spend a few minutes taking in the view,
and then join the monks for a few hours. The chanting is all in
Sanskrit, so I don't have a clue what the words are, but I just
kind of hang out, meditate, and soak it all up. I am greeted
with such kind and loving eyes from the Tibetan people. One day
their chanting broke around noon for lunch (rice and vegies -
all vegetarian) which I was invited to share in. After lunch,
there was this amazing karma-purification ceremony in the temple
courtyard. Senior monks chanted over a huge fire burning
specific herbs and wood, while others, dressed in ceremonial
attire, added to the chanting and the crackling of the fire,
with deep, rumbling blasts of Tibetan horns and crashing
cymbals. It was very powerful...
The Dalai Lama has been here and has been involved in some of
the ceremonies, but he is said to be leaving for Spain any day
now. His whereabouts are often kept unclear for his own safety
and privacy. I gave a copy of my newest book, Sea-Soaked Heart,
to one of the Dalai Lama's personal aides to give to "His
Holiness" (as he is called up here). I wrote him a note
explaining who I was and that I was staying at the monastery.
The aide assured me he would pass on my book to His Holiness as
soon as possible. I get a kick out of thinking about the Dalai
Lama reading Soul Rider ocean/surfing poems. Classic!
So what is it like up here? The village of Dharamsala is
actually very busy right now. The narrow streets are filled
with people and lined with shops selling mostly Tibetan
handicrafts, assorted bronze buddhas, singing bowls, tapestries,
etc. The shops seem to be about 60% Tibetan owned and 40%
Indian owned. There are plenty of restaurants and an assortment
of internet cafes. Cows, mules, and dogs roam the cobble-stone
streets along with the people. Funny thing is, the animals up
here don't "belong" to anyone. They just exist freely,
wandering wherever they want, looking for food, sleeping where
they choose - often in the middle of the road.
There's definitely a poor population here, but not at all like
the conditions in Delhi. Although, things in the village are
not clean, you must be careful where you go, what you eat, what
you step in, etc. There are perhaps a few thousand Tibetans (in
addition to all the monks) living in Dharamsala, and though they
live on very little and are quite poor by U.S. standards, they
don't have a sense of poverty about them. They tend to be
clean, deeply spiritual, and very closely-knit. They are
definitely a people and a community who look out for one
another. Tibetan owned shops have signs reading, "We do not
sell items made in China." Their Tibetan culture is really
strong here, their Buddhist faith, philosophies, and practices
are thriving. I would guess there must five or six hundred
monks alone who live up here. Overall, this place feels more
like Tibet than India. Hats off to India for providing
sanctuary to the Tibetan people and their government.
Nonetheless, it is clear that the Tibetans miss their own
country and their relatives who are still in Tibet, many whom
they haven't seen in years. The movement to "Free Tibet" is
alive and well with many fresh and brilliant minds involved.
Westerners who end up here tend to range from the mid-20's to
mid-40's on average, mostly Europeans, Australians, and quite a
number of Israelis who are escaping the tensions in Israel.
Only a few Westerners come here to study Buddhism, most come
just to get away from their own country or other parts of India.
They tend to be a pretty soulful group of travelers coming
through here though - most that I've met anyway. The majority
of visitors to Dharamsala, however, are not Westerners, but
middle or upper class Indians on holiday.
Fortunately, the Namgyal Monastery is on the far south-east end
of the village, up a hill, and is pretty secluded. Most
tourists don't spend much time over there. I seem to be pretty
much the only oddball standing out (trying to keep a low
profile) during the daily chanting services. I'm definitely the
only foreigner staying at the monastery. Some of the monks have
become curious about this purple-saronged, scruffy-looking white
dude hanging out in their temple courtyard all the time. Some
that speak English ask me where I'm from, others that don't
often flash me that sweet, compassionate Buddhist smile.
Usually I leave the monastery around one or two, take a walk
through the hills and watch the monkeys, and then spend the rest
of the day roaming in the village, getting food, writing, etc.
The road leading from the monastery down to the village can be
pretty intense. Often it is sprinkled with an assortment of
Indian beggers, many of whom are either crippled in some way,
missing portions of limbs, or have strange diseases where it
looks like their fingers, toes, or even limbs are rotting away.
No joke! They get your attention by calling out "Namaste!" as
you walk by. I try to help some of the hungry every so often.
There are a lot of people in serious need, and for about $4 I
can buy a mother rice and milk for her children that will last
two or three days. It's wild - the clashing of people up
here... the Tibetan community and monks that are really tight...
the Western wanderers looking to live cheaply... the wealthy
Indian tourists that come here to shop, see the Buddhists, and
relax with their families... the Indian shop owners who are
somewhere in the middle (economically)... and the poor Indian
families who resort to daily begging in order to get food to
eat.
Lessons and opportunities are everywhere... we just have to keep
our eyes and minds open...
All in all, I am thoroughly enjoying the Buddhist vibe up here
and soaking up the peace as much as I can. Soon enough I'll
find myself moving on to other parts of India... perhaps to the
yoga capital, Rishikesh... and after that maybe Varanasi, the
holy city by the Ganges, which they say is a total mindblower -
cremations by the Ganges, sadhus, etc. We shall see... I'll
keep everyone posted. If you want to drop me a line, try to do
so in the next few days because after that things may be a bit
tricky with the rest of my upcoming travels in India.
Sending blessings,
Ari