Flying and Serenity

Good evening, friends! It’s been another wonderful couple of weeks for me here and I’m excited to catch you all up on my adventures!

First off, I’ve been absolutely loving the babies I play with in the mornings. One of the best moments was when I walked in and they immediately smiled and ran up to play; they are beginning to recognize me and I’ve been able to pick up on their distinct personalities and am more able to respond appropriately. These moments only reinforce my decision to stay for a longer duration than most volunteers, so that I may have a lasting influence and provide more stability in the kids’ lives. I think that is extremely important to the overall welfare of them, especially with building a strong moral compass. I think  that is one of the more difficult aspects of this work, because in India and Tibet beating is a common reaction of caregivers, for even the smallest things. We actually had a conversation the other day with the full-time staff, and they were amazed that we don’t do the same, and would even get punished for it. Trying to work within that confine, then, is difficult but I think we do a good job.

I had been a little stressed recently about my ‘office’ work in the afternoons, but I have graciously been given reprieve from that with the news that Rogpa does, in fact, already have enough books for the library they want to open in less than a month. The work that I am doing is simply to get the entire scope of Tibetan children’s literature that’s available for them. With this in mind, then, I’ve decided to expand my project a bit for them and make an index of the literature they do have, compare it with the database I’m currently making, and procure a simple list for them of the remaining books they need. In the meantime, the building the library will be in should be completed (no, it’s not complete yet, but the skeleton from last week has at least been filled in) in two weeks, which means we have less than two weeks to paint, decorate and populate the library with furniture and books in time for the grand opening. I’m also doing some extra projects for Pema and Young, particularly coming up with info blurbs that will be on the tags of products they sell in the Rogpa café and shop, and my current project: contacting a publisher for the rights to use the words and artwork in one of their books in order to make postcards of Tibetan proverbs written in Tibetan and English. In fact, I’m also compiling a separate list in conjunction with my literature list, of all of the publishing companies of the books I already have compiled. So far, I’m at close to forty companies. Once all the literature is documented, I will contact each of these companies, list the books we already have documented, and request info for any more they might have. There’s also the matter of seeking collaboration on illustration projects from Tibetan artists, etc. Basically, I have my hands full. And I couldn’t be happier. My first couple of weeks here really felt like vacation, but it’s wonderful to have realized my purpose here and be spending the time to fulfill that purpose. I truly believe this is where I am meant to be and that these are the people I’m meant to help. My work is making a great difference, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to help.

In other news…. Today, I leapt off a mountain and flew.

My friends and I are currently in Bir, the ‘paragliding capital of India’, and also the home of Dawa’s family. Bir is essentially a village in a valley, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. We arrived Friday evening and took a walk out of the village, into the tea fields and just soaked in the sunset behind the peaks. This place is serenity exemplified. It’s so quiet. As ridiculous as this sounds, Bir is to Dharamsala, as Dharamsala is to Delhi. Delhi is just a cacophony of noise, odor, and filth. Dharamsala is quieter, less smelly, and slightly cleaner. With mountains. Bir is silent, pure of air and pristine by comparison. It screams nature; it screams holiness; it screams God. Oh, to live here. But I can’t do that; rather, I don’t know if I will ever be back. Part of me wants to say that I absolutely will, and a greater part of me hints that I never will. The girls are just as captivated as I am, perhaps even more enchanted, especially with the array of massive temples here (seriously; the Dalai Lama should move here. I have no idea why he’s in Mcleod Ganj when he could be in a place like this.), and they’re already making plans, clamoring to get back here. I understand, but I almost feel that, for myself, I’d be cheapening the experience, not really soaking in every moment, if I knew I’d be coming back. To think of it as a one-time experience forces you to embrace every moment and drink in as much as possible, and I don’t want to reserve anything for later. No. I want to fill myself up with the sacredness of nature here, and spill it out onto every natural canvass I encounter; seek out the most mundane shrub or small hill and recognize, fully, that the same hand made all of it, that every leaf and blade of grass bears the mark of holiness.

So, flying. Today I experienced my first ever ‘extreme sport’: paragliding. There are not enough words to describe what it feels like to leap off of a mountain (literally) and soar for forty-five minutes of bliss. And for only $30! It costs the same to do the same thing in Dharamsala, but for only 15 minutes and off a hill. Waiting was a good life choice. I have to admit something here: I have exactly one great fear: heights. Naturally (or unnaturally, depending on who you are), I’ve worked for years to overcome this fear by climbing trees, big rocks, and other larger structures I won’t mention. Today, there was no fear. Driving the half-hour up the mountain, I felt only excitement. And the time to jump came so quickly and suddenly I didn’t have time to be afraid; there was just running and then nothing beneath my feet. I wouldn’t say I’ve conquered that fear, but the only word to describe today is exhilaration. Yes, I took videos, even one of my landing which was absolutely perfect; I didn’t fall or anything. I’ll post them soon. Pictures as well. Truly amazing.

I am officially done with seven weeks of volunteering, which means only nine more! Almost halfway home.

Thanks for reading another long post, and I hope this sincerely finds you happy and well! If there are any prayer concerns on your mind, please feel free as always to send me a message or email. I’d love to be praying for you.

Take care, and have a wonderful day!

In peace,

Aaron

Daddy Training and Faith

Hello friends,

It has been a little while since I last posted and, once again, so much has been experienced that I hardly know where to begin. As I mentioned in my last post, this week has been one of transitions: every two weeks, generally, a new batch of volunteers shows up to work in their respective serving stints, and often this also means the end for new-made friends who are leaving to continue travelling or head home. This week, seven new volunteers arrived, and one is leaving tomorrow. There is not enough room for all of us in Dolma’s house, so Dawa has found a new host family to accommodate everyone. Somehow, amazingly, it works out yet again that I have a room to myself and that I don’t have to move at all. Considering the vast amount of souvenirs (and random awesomesauce things for myself, of course!) that I’ve bought, I don’t relish the notion of having to move all of that elsewhere.

On that note, I am officially done with all of my souvenir buying so from now on I’m Cheapskate Chuck (yes, I did just make that up. I’m clever.). I have certain things in my future back home to hold into account, and I’m working very hard to set a weekly budget for food and stick to it in order to maintain realistic goals. The fact that six large oranges cost 50r, or about one dollar U.S., it’s safe to say that my budget is small and I can save a lot of moneys for the futures. That makes me very happy, and very excited too. I am not ashamed to say that I have legit bought pairs of handmade Tibetan wool socks for my future children. (Awww moment.) I have gotten many, many other neat things too so people should be getting excited for the amazingness coming their way. No, Dad, I didn’t forget you.

In the past week, I have seen the Dalai Lama twice more. The first of these two times, we went to the temple and he was sitting in an upper chamber surrounded by monks, chanting and chuckling. There was a never-ending procession of people bringing a variety of things up to the Dalai Lama to be blessed, which means that they basically processed in front of him and his very presence sufficed for purification in their eyes. We did not get to partake in that procession because we didn’t have passes, but we did circumnavigate the room he was in (in clockwise order of course, as is the way of everything in the Buddhist religion) and saw him clearly. Then we squeezed our way through the throngs of people down into the open teaching area, and a little while later he came down the stairs and passed less than 15 feet from us. It was nice. The second time, we showed up at the temple about 6:30am to listen to the Dalai Lally give ‘blessings’ at 8:30. We got excellent seats because of our early arrival time. When I say seats, I mean that we had excellent square foot squares on the concrete ground, surrounded and squished in on all sides. We were less than 50 feet away and had a clear view. Low points first: he spoke in Tibetan the whole time, so we didn’t understand anything he said… and it lasted three and a half hours. We didn’t stand up once. High points: the Dalai Lama’s funny (that’s for you, Paige!), Tibetans are extremely nice people, and we got fed tasty rice dishes.

 It is fascinating to watch the devotion that these people have for someone they consider a living god. Though I must, being Christian, ultimately disagree with them on many points, I greatly admire their principle and dedication to their religion. If only we Christians were so bold and focused! What would our lives look like if we prayed in public, read our Bibles on the subway and sang songs of praise in the streets daily? How could we change our community if we proudly got our Jesus freak on in public, and truly sought to live God-pleasing and Christ-like lives? We all pray for it, but what does that actually mean? What does it look like? It can’t be just going to church on Sunday and reading the Bible faithfully. The Word is our foundation, definitely, but are we actually using it as such? After all, it was everything for the Pharisees, and look how they behaved, how they treated Jesus. Do you read the Bible, underline a convicting line or two, then go about your day normally? Is that normalcy? Getting frustrated with the simplest things, thinking self-centeredly, praying for fifteen minutes max at bedtime and calling it good? What is normalcy supposed to look like in the Christian life? In Buddhism, they say that if you let even an ounce of anger or frustration enter your mind, years of meditation and focus on peace are wiped away and you start over again. These monks are extraordinarily dedicated, and some of the nicest (and funniest) people I’ve ever met. Their entire lives are centered around compassion, in the footsteps of their Buddha. Can you imagine that? We get angry and frustrated every day. What would our days be like if we constantly sought out peace? You can say all you want that it’s impossible, and I am acutely aware, as I said before, that Buddhism is centered on the wrong guy. In fact, Buddhists are by nature extremely self-centered, as the ultimate goal is to let go of any attachments in this life in order to reach Samsara. For all of their compassion, they are acting on selfish principles. But why don’t I see Christians with that kind of mindset? Are we not seeking to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the Prince of Peace? Why haven't I upholded that, myself?

Le sigh...

In other news… I have finally started my original intended volunteer placement this week, and I could not be more thrilled. Unfortunately, I am not going to be working with Tibetan monks in the Dalai Lama’s temple after all, but that doesn’t dissuade me too much: I’m learning how to be a daddy. I get to spend every morning, for four hours, with Tibetan babies. It’s very tiring, but extremely rewarding. Then, in the afternoon, I have a truly unique opportunity: I'm helping doing research in the Rogpa office. This means that I get to go to other institutions in the area on behalf of Rogpa and interview their librarians about different aspects of their programs. This will include the kind of Tibetan books they have and how many, how they receive their books and that process, the process of loaning and other managerial things. Rogpa can then use the info for reference when they build up their library. I'm also going to attempt to get an estimate of the entire scope of Tibetan children’s literature  and folk tales that is out there for use. Then we're going to interview the elderly Tibetan community here in Mcleod Ganj. If they have stories that have only been passed down orally and never written down, we will transcribe them and compile new books of previously unpublished material. The end goal is to make a 'moveable' library that goes to different locations, collects cultural literature and also distributes the same, in an effort to preserve the Tibetan culture in a form that allows Tibetan children to understand their heritage. The whole process will last much longer than my duration here I'm sure, but anything I can do to help I can and will do. I feel I have a personal hand in helping to preserve a nation’s dying culture. Between this and the childcare in the mornings, I can’t think of a better way to be spending my time here. I am truly blessed to be given such placements, and I hope that I will be able to make a lasting difference.

As this is getting very long, I’m going to wrap it up. I have much more to tell, so another blog post will be up in a couple of days. Thanks for reading, and for your continued prayerful support. As always, please let me know, either in a private comment or through fb message, how I can be praying for you.

In peace,

Aaron