firstly id like to say a happy new year to all! I have to say 2009 sucked(i couldn't think of a simple literary term to sum it up so i went with the simple option). i guess new years eve is traditionally spent with family, alchohol and the site of fireworks and other grand pyrotechnics. I guess this year i wanted to spend my last day of 2009 a bit differently.
I never intended for my blog to be used to recount events in my life rather my thoughts, but its a new year so what the heck. futhermore our personal experiences shape our outlooks, morals and views, so i thought i ought to give you guys a back story before i start spieling!
I think ive hinted in previous posts that im a buddhist, truth be told ive spent the weekends at the same temple in peats ridge for the past 8 years. i guess it gives me peace of mind. but back to the topic of new years! i spent my new year at temple, in fact my last hour of 2009 i wasn't with friends, dancing being merry and eating good food. i sat alone in a candle lit room that burned with the smell of incence. Yeh i know what your thinking, ''what a depressing to start a new year'' and well to the wider majority who think that your entitiled to your opinion. yet for me it was a chance to reflect on the year thats gone by i guess my first thoughts were that school sucked, my severely lacking love life sucked, life at home sucked, 2009 sucked. Yet after pondering that only through hardship can we learn from our mistakes and strive on to bigger better things and i guess thinking about all the hard times throughout 09 i learnt from every single mistake and bad situation. I guess what im trying to alude to is no year is truly good or bad. Some will prosper while others will suffer but with peace of mind whatever obstacles life has for us, we will stand strong and overcome it all the stronger. So with that i wish you all the best for the turn of a new year and hope that you jump every hurdle standing in your way.
I guess my highlight for the year was a trip i took to sarnarth in india. it was organised through my youth group, i pretty much signed up for a course where i lived like a monk for 3 weeks. The idea of doing it still sounds pretty strange to me, but i felt that i had so many questions and i could never find resolve out in the world, i felt i had to go to at least get some closure. In short what i had to do was give up all my things wear monsatic robes and meditate all day, i lived like the average indian, living in a temple communal toilets filled with bugs and creepy crawlies. Heck i even walked barefoot on streets covered with sewerage, cow crap and peoples piss and spit. Yeah i know the idea of doing this sounds ridiculous right? Well i can't say much else other than it is.... but its liberating to let go of everything. I learnt alot from the people in india. In short they have ''jack shit'' to live with poor housing, little food, little money that means there is little reason for hope right?
WRONG! They live with so much hope and vigour they strive onwards day after day and there i was pining for my guitar and a nice big bottle of hair conditioner. But i guess living like that i realised that all those ''wordly'' things are impermanent the idea of conditioner is a fine example well metaphorically speaking anyways. When i have conditioner im as happy as larry but once its all used up(which for me is generally a 600ml bottle in 3 weeks =0) im pissed off upset and i want more and i crave for it until i get it, its all a vicious cycle well until im bald!
In summary india taught me that everything is subject change. All thoughts and possessions are subject to change so ''let go''. Thats my tune for this year letting go, to be more content to be a simple Suhada because thats where true happiness lies. Although i had nothing to call my own that was the happiest ive been in certainly a long time. I guess when there is no attatchment, no cravings and no delusion there is purity in your thoughts and actions. Its like poison and honey, so lets hope the bee's keep it sweet aye.
Well i know thise post wasn't the most elequont ive made in recent months but i felt i need to put it out there. Spending new years at Peats Ridge and going to Sarnarth was certainly one of the most amazing and humbling experiences ive ever experienced.
love. Suhada.xx
PS. I don't think i do justice to my descriptions of Sarnarth, India so here are some photoes!
One awesome sharing bro.
ReplyDeleteI rejoice over what you've experienced ;)