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28/04/2008
Don't eat me please!
11:55 Posted in Favourite Food , Snapshots | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
20/04/2008
Fasting
What the eyes are for the outer world, fasts are for the inner.
Mahatma Gandhi
16:10 Posted in Quotes & Aphorisms | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
16/04/2008
Preparing to fast
Next week will see a new experience for me. I'll go in Burgundy for a 6 days fast. (Yes I know, Burgundy is a strange place to fast!). I'm a bit nervous about it, sort of stage fright, I'd say. It's the fast that makes me nervous, I'm used to it. In the past years I've fasted regularly, for even longer periods than 6 days. But this will be my first collective fast and also the first one that I co-organize, and that impresses me a bit to assist and guide other persons in their experience.
I'm also looking forward to it. This is going to be a very interesting week. We will be in Vezelay, a beautiful and highly spiritual place. We have planned many activities, like relaxation and yoga sessions, painting, writing and acting workshops, thematic meetings in the evening, and I'll be responsible for the meditation walks, evening meditations and yoga nidra sessions. That will be my first experience of guiding people on the path of meditation.
I'm a bit nervous about it, but I know also that I've gained enough confidence to be able to do it. Time to jump into the water.
19:40 Posted in Snapshots | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this
14/04/2008
Strange humanity...
The Dalai Lama was asked about what surprises him most in humanity. He answered:
"Men... because they loose their health to accumulate money, then they loose their money to regain health... thinking anxiously about the future, they forget about the present, and in the end they live neither the present nor the future... they live as if they would never die and die as if they have never lived".
PS : I'm not sure about this quote, it came to me with one of those endless emails, I couldn't find the source but I like it just the same.
15:20 Posted in Quotes & Aphorisms | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
12/04/2008
Tibetan national anthem
Compared to most anthems which are usually war songs or whose lyrics reinforced the national feelings, the Tibetan anthem is inspired by feelings of love and compassion, spreading the values of the Bouddhas on the world.
You can here a chorus version here and a modern version here.
Let the radiant light shine of Buddha's wish-fulfilling gem teachings,
the treasure mine of all hopes for happiness and benefit
in both worldly life and liberation.
O Protectors who hold the jewel of the teachings and all beings,
nourishing them greatly,
may the sum of your virtuous deeds grow full.
Firmly enduring in a diamond-hard state, guard all directions with
Compassion and love.
Above our heads may divinely appointed rule abide
endowed with a hundred benefits and let the power increase
of four fold auspiciousness,
May a new golden age of happiness and bliss spread
throughout the three provinces of Tibet
and the glory expand of religious-secular rule.
By the spread of Buddha's teachings in the ten directions,
may everyone throughout the world
enjoy the glories of happiness and peace.
In the battle against dark negative forces
may the auspicious sunshine of the teachings and beings of
Tibet and the brilliance of a myriad radiant prosperitys
be ever triumphant.
11:55 Posted in Snapshots | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
10/04/2008
Monsieur Cyclopède
"I'm waiting for my cancer, I wouldn't die without it", said Pierre Desproges, and he didn't have to wait that long... Died 20 years ago. He was one of the best French humorist, able to laugh about anything, sparing nobody. He wrote a few books, like "the manual of savoir-vivre for ill-willed persons" and "Let's live happy while waiting for death".
"La minute de Monsieur Cyclopède" was a one minute show, broadcast on TV every night, I don't know if it's first or second degree humor... but I remember I woudn't miss one minute.
12:05 Posted in Snapshots | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
09/04/2008
Statement of the Dalai Lama to all Tibetans
As the arrests and protests still continue in Tibet, China and many other countries, His Holiness the Dalai Lama still carries on his mission of conciliation and peace to find a solution for Tibet, once again appealing for non-violence. The text of his statement is published here on tibet.net.
09:55 Posted in Snapshots | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
08/04/2008
Among the deodars
I remember one day in Dharamsala, after lunch, I went for a long walk up the mountain, following the small road leading to Dharamkot, where the Vipassana meditation center is. It was a misty day, village and mountain wrapped in mist, creating such an atmosphere of "enchanted forest".
The road was climbing up quite hard, 500 m higher in only 3 km, I was walking peacefully, quietly. I was alone, but far away from being lonely...
Silence all over, allowing the nature to talk... Birds singing, branches cracking, trees whispering with the light wind, animals animating the forest, the rain chanting... I felt very impressed to walk among those fierce deodars, the Himalayan cedar trees, so tall, standing so right.
Every now and then the rain was falling, and despite my umbrella soon I was completely wet, but I wasn't cold. It was raining and I wasn't sad. I don't remember crossing other people on the road.
It took me more than one hour to go all the way up, to Dharamkot. On the way back, the rain started to fall harder. Walking with sandals became slippery. I took off my shoes, and continued to walk barefoot, all wet under my umbrella.
At some point I stopped. There I was, in the middle of the enchanted forest, feeling the silence deep inside, every inch of my body feeling the atmosphere, every part of my being fully living this beautiful moment. At that moment, I had a glimpse of what awareness is and the happiness that came with it is forever mine.
11:45 Posted in Beautiful India | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
07/04/2008
Days of peace in Dharamsala
Last summer I've spent a few days of peace in Dharamsala, an important moment of my travel in Northern India.
I didn't know exactly why I've put this place on my itinerary until I arrived. When I reached the village, after nearly 10 hours of a chaotic journey on a noisy lousy local bus struggling on mountain roads half-destroyed by the heavy rains, when I felt the chilled air on my face, when I smelt the atmosphere of the Himalaya mountains, then I knew I had to come. It was so peaceful there that I could feel a general different state of mind, a different "spirit" animating the people in the streets.
Right from the start, I felt at home there and it was funny to notice that in just a few days I had already picked up some habits : my favourite place for meals (Tibetan food is really delicious!), walking the Kora (the mani path around the temple) to start and end the day, meditating at the temple, a long walk in the woods around after lunch...
Right for the start also, I met some nice people, like Tom, a Dutch man living near Bangalore, who shared most of my days and taught me so much about life in Dharamsala and Tibetan culture, and Tashi, a young Tibetan painting teacher.
Many happy memories of the stay there. I've gathered some pictures in this album here.
More on Dharamsala and the Tibetan government in exile :
The government of Tibet in exile: http://www.tibet.com/
The official site of Central Tibetan Administration: http://www.tibet.net/
The office of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama: http://www.dalailama.com/
10:15 Posted in Beautiful India | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
03/04/2008
Mysteries for April
I've heard this piece of music a while ago, the soundtrack of a movie trailer, and it took me time to discover what it was, Mysteries by Beth Gibbons. It sounds a bit sad and nostalgic, but actually I don't think it is. To me it's just a beautiful way to express some "blue instants".
God knows how I adore life
When the wind turns on the shores lies another day
I cannot ask for more
When the time bell blows my heart
And I have scored a better day
Well nobody made this war of mine
And the moments that I enjoy
A place of love and mystery
I'll be there anytime
Oh mysteries of love
Where war is no more
I'll be there anytime
When the time bell blows my heart
And I have scored a better day
Well nobody made this war of mine
And the moments that I enjoy
A place of love and mystery
I'll be there anytime
Mysteries of love
Where war is no more
I'll be there anytime
10:07 Posted in Music of the month | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
02/04/2008
More on Tibet
To get more information on Tibet, here are a few sites of interest.
The government of Tibet in exile: http://www.tibet.com/
The official site of Central Tibetan Administration: http://www.tibet.net/
The office of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama: http://www.dalailama.com/
Tibet online: http://www.tibet.org/
Free Tibet Campaign: http://www.freetibet.org/
10:40 Posted in Snapshots | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this