Inner Journey will stay

Inner Journey will be maintained for personal musings and updates on Minam Rinpoche

Shhhh. ....... The child in me

When I was young, I used to sit in the backyard of our home. Beyond that backyard was a small guava plantation. I listened to the chirping sounds of birds, the humming of the crickets as the wind blew through the drapery of leaves, always munching on a guava plucked directly from a tree above. I spent many sad moments of lonesomeness as well as great times of pure joy in search of fairies and gnomes in that sanctuary. Little did I realise then that the search for these elementals and the belief in “Alice In Wonderland” will lead me to this path of mystic and magic.

I did not have many friends as I lived within a community where the British Navy set up homes. Lily was my only companion. During the weekends we played masak-masak in the morning, giggled through the afternoon, took evening walks in the evening and shared teen secrets in the din of the night. But the secret of fairies and gnomes and angels remained a secret. I would spend hours on end sitting by the longkang, when Lily had to do her 3 hourly daily chore of frying “chi-yau-char”, waiting for the fairies or garden gnomes to appear, often times peering into the holes in the garden and half expecting a gnome carrying a water can, as in “Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs”, to appear.

Our home was not near any ocean nor a mountain or a hill. There was nothing to escape the inevitable monotony of the routine buzzling and honking of cars, screeching tyes on the roads, the adverts of Coca-Cola, Milo, etc; cartoon shows of Flintstone, Popeye coming from the tube, always tuned up too loud.

I come from a family who enjoys music. Every other evening my mum would have sing-a-long sessions with me ….”Jack & Jill a riding, riding riding. Jack & Jill a riding. Humpty Dumpty Dish….” Please don’t ask me how this song goes. At that time it was our most well loved song but now it sounds a little incoherent to me. Every evening just before dinner, our home will be filled with melodious music, songs. I listened, appreciated the enchantment of the music. I immersed and absored myself to the sensations and vibrations of the sound. I allowed the melodies to drown out the sound of a car pulling out of the garage across the street, the honking of a car few doors away and even the rain pelting on the window sill. It was the most natural thing for me at that time. I did not know the big word “meditation”. I did not know music heals and I certainly did not know that Nature is my Teacher.

I have come this far. From a child who believed in angels, into the corporate world. A condition of constant anxiety – rush hour traffic, relationship baggage, job security, credit card debts ..People have no time to sit and listen to the wind. They no longer have the luxury of allowing things to unfold naturally. It is no longer possible to do one thing at a time. It’s all about multi-tasking. And the end result of all this is spiritual fragmentation.

That was some good 17 years ago. From the corporate world to being an energy worker. Today I stand at the crossroad and ask “WHAT NOW?”

I shall let the wind blow in my face. Let it circle around me as I live my day. But deep in my heart I know I have the power to choose the road I want to travel.

The old boat

Some 13 years ago I remember going on a “Cruise To Nowhere” around the Malaysian waters with a good friend, Mama Khoo. We had just returned from a 7 day power-packed Reiki Master Course/Energy Works in Melbourne. During the course I had observed that there were a mix of people. People who had been angry, frustrated, burnt-out, disappointed; all of those things that we experience on our path from time to time.

As we took out to the sea I saw many old boats at the harbour. Some had magnificent tall masts but some were just bare of anything. The sails of these old boats were torn, some covered with bird droppings but if you took a careful look you could see that these old boats had once been splendid.

I somehow relate our life to that of the boats. What is our role, our purpose or involvement in life. Our role is like that of a great ship – to get out on the sea and sail. To sail in dangerous waters as well as calm seas. To learn how to interact with the violence of the storms and not stay in the harbour.

How do we sail and move amongst people of the world? How do we grow and enrich ourselves and keep our purpose clear? How do we swim amongst the sharks and not get eaten? How do we stay happy in the midst of so much sufferings, grief and set backs?

Let me now clean up that old boat, put up the sails and take it out to sea and learn to sail – sail that journey of life. And may all Good Forces be with me

I am migrating

I have found a new home in Cherish Wellness. It has 3 rooms (3 authors) and a huge garden with an array of beautiful blooms and flowers. Come on over to pick your bouquet

Only in India

With the new airport in operation we thought our ride from Indira Ghandi International Airport to the city will be a breeze, possibly with all the ring roads in place. After years of visiting India, I still have a story to tell.
As we notoriously weave through the roads in and around Delhi the mind numbing sounds of horns, grime and filth enveloped us. Unlike most cities in the world, the comedic road scenes in India fill many a traveler’s heart with memories that last a life time. Only in India can one witness buses, cars, auto-rickshaws, bicycles, motor bikes, tractors, horse drawn carts, ox carts towed by people, buffalo carts, elephants, cows, pigs, goats, dogs, pedestrians, camels and what have you, all on the same road. Hilarously you will see crowds of traffic dodging the cows while they arrogantly make their way across the street to the nearest garbage pile or standing in the middle of the road chewing on some yesterday’s papers.

Can you see the goat at the back of the car?

Only in India will you see the entrepreneur skill of man. It intrigued me when I saw a row of entrepreneurs along an overhead bridge near Manju Tilla (Majnu-ka-tilla), each with a bathroom weighing scale. Two of my friends stood on the scales and the charges for the two of them were 3 Indian Rupees (RM0.20). The ear cleaner, shoe polisher, barber, the street girls and boys, etc make up the rest of these entrepreneurs.

On our way down from Dehra Dun to Delhi our driver pulled by the side of the road and showed a sign which I took it that he wanted to make a phone call (showing his little finger with the thumb slightly protruding). The first thing that came to my mind was “Oh no, not again.” I thought he was pulling by the side of the road to call his friends for direction to Manju Tilla. I was cracking at the sides when my Tibetan friend told me that he wanted to have a pee. The next day at the airport I asked a security officer where can I find the washroom and seeing his confused look I decided to show him the little finger sign. He immediately lit up and pointed me to the “Ladies” sign. Only in India!

All said and done, I had another memorable stay. See you again India.

With gratitude

For the past one year, life was on a little merry go round.  You know, those horses that go on a light bounce, going in circles, meant for little children.  Yes, I was on that merry go round. 

From time to time, we all feel a little disappointed with our lives and perhaps the people in them. We start questioning our daily routines; a sense of loneliness touches our hearts, and we wonder what life is really all about. When you reach this point in your life, take a moment and forget about what has gone wrong before …. and start believing in what you really want today. It is by redirecting our lives that we can keep ourselves headed in the right direction, and it is by standing still that we allow time to just pass us by. It is looking at a sunrise or a sunset and appreciating its beauty that enables us to understand some of life’s mysteries. No two people see the world the same way, nor do they think or feel or even experience things around them with the same exact perception. Dont try to mold yourself or your life into a design that isn’t you; rather, paint your days with all the colours you so desire and enjoy the artwork that you alone can create.

Everyday I look around me and see people who have problems far greater than mine. Yet they confront life with a courageous and honest determination within themselves. It makes me stop and realise how small my worries are in comparison and how I should try much harder to be happy, tolerant, understanding and caring towards others. It encourages me to believe in my own abilities but most of all to be thankful for all I have every day of my life.

Diwali In India

5 November 2010

Today is Diwali. For lunch I cooked “lap cheong” (sausage) rice and the old time favourite, ABC soup. Our Tibetan friends came with Buff Momo (buffalo meat). Our lunch table crowd has grown from 5 in 2009 to 7 this year, with the addition of 2 new staff at the library. Most of the monks will have their lunch outdoor taking advantage of and basking in the warm sunlight on a cool afternoon.

The sweets (desserts) I bought from Kumar Sweet Shop was nothing short of being delicious. It kind of tastes the same but then again each piece tastes a tad different. I like the little green round ones the best. Not too sweet and not too milky too.

At Kulhan, the whole night, starting from around 7.00pm to way past midnight, was filled with colourful lights and thunderous sound from the fireworks and crackers. From my room looking towards hilltop Mussoorie, this honeymoon resort came alive with most abodes lighted up and fireworks displaying various colours in their outbursts.

Though I did not get into the bazaar I am sure it must have been filled with much gaiety and abundance as they welcome Lakshimi to bless their homes

My days in Kulhan

This year my cooking utensils, electric stove have changed. I have a new rice cooker, new bowls and new mugs (with compliments from our Tibetan friends) minus ladles and a real classic gas stove. Using this stove was fun. I had to squat down to do the cooking and it made me laugh so much. This egg has a big load of great laughter and happy energies. The only "set back" is when you squat down to cook, it gives you the feel of wanting go to the toilet hahahaha.

The stove actually sits on top of the gas tank and it comes in one piece. Very convenient. Filling in gas for this tank costs only Rupees 150 (RM10.00).

Hello from India

Arrived Delhi on 30 October. The new airport is up and running and it gives India a fresh outlook. But once you get out of the airport, you get back into "India" again. Despite of the recent Commonwealth Games, nothing has really changed in India.

Stayed the night at MT. Next day caught the train to Kulhan. Holiness will be away till May next year and that leaves some kind of a vacuum at Songtsen.

Diwali is on Friday (5 October) and we may be going to town to join in the celebrations which will last whole night long. And by then I hope to be able to upload some pictures (the internet connection at Songtsen has improved greatly so uploading of pictures should pose no problem now).

Till next update - cheers!!