india (part # 5) - dharmsala

lay householders and buddhist practitioners engaging in prostration after prostration
tibetan monks debating in courtyards trying to one up the other
thirty or more rounds of vipassana with no progress to speak of ...
turning prayer wheels as a way to gain merit
harsh austerities
such as holding up the arm for lifetimes -
and depriving the body of food and comforts..
corrupt ashrams
seeking powers and siddhis...
and of course disingenuous seekers and Gurus
these are just some of the things witnessed while in india that Guruji has spared
the seeker from ...
one could be caught up in these practices
for lifetimes with no true depth gained
without Guru's light...

practices that are meant to gain merit, develop compassion or sharpen intellectual powers
have their place in the dual world
some can benefit to a certain degree in that they help to
open the heart and bring the mind to focus on something broader...
but by no means do these practices bring lasting effects of inner peace and stillness..
for non-dual consciousness to be revealed, it is essential the sharp sword of Gurus
wisdom is in place ..
as it is this transmission that will cut through superficial patterns within consciousness..
and lay bare the graspings there ...
even if the practice is for the *good of humanity* .. still the focal point is external and
within the field of duality...
the difference between **challenging** internal conditionings and**nurturing** pure qualities
within is like night and day..
the first will breakthrough the mental world of opposites such as *good and bad* and all the
ups and downs that come with this...
the second may indeed make for a better *persona* but this is truly only adding another cover
to the mix that will haveto be cut thru later when one gets really serious..
many of the buddhist practitioners (especially the women) are not given deeper teachings
and do not know the difference as they have not been exposed to a true teacher...
this is true of many of us as we stumble along in the beginning prior to meeting Guru
the ones that are here on the path can attest to the stunning difference in having a
living Guru that challenges directly the long held conditionings
compared to the path that was carved out blindly before stepping onto this path of Guruji's ...

dharmsala...

the trip was several hours long from rishikesh to dharmsala...
the roads were straight up into the mountains -- winding and curving the entire time..
the roads were made of dirt and had no lanes to separate ...
one never knew what was to appear around the bend... a cow?, a pedestrian?.. another
motorcycle or tourist bus coming head on? who could know...
the driver was used to this whole business of surprises around every turn and curve
as well as the narrow passage ways.....
he rarely slowed down and it seemed there were so many close calls ...
which to an indian was just an ordinary day on the road...  no big deal...
i closed my eyes here and there and flowed along ...
Guruji didn't feel well due to the constant twisting and turning and we needed to stop awhile
until the dizziness settled....
eventually we made our way there towards evening.....

more on dharmsala later...

om shanti