Rob's India Travel Blog

Well, I'm back in Pune. Severe lack of updates for this blog. I have been too busy!

My good friends Ravi and his brother Sandeep picked me up from Mumbai airport tonite at around 12:30am Jan.4, and drove me to a flat they have arranged for me in Pune. (I flew in from Munich visiting my girlfriend there.)

Next days will be busy arranging things - buying pots and pans (the place has a kitchen but no dishes, silverware or anything), changing money, getting my motorcycle, buying groceries, registering myself at the Osho Resort... hopefully I'll be able to lead Gurdjieff Movements classes in the mornings, I have offered to but I don't know how the system at the Resort works.

Oh yeah, will probably go to the dance party tomorrow night, assuming it's on - used to be every Wednesday and Saturday. Going for the exercise basically, move the body a bit and have some fun.


KIRAN!!!

Right-click the link below, the scroll down to "Save link as..." - whatever that is in German.

Prayer in Carre

Anyone wanting to hear a beautiful Gurdjieff dance piece could save the music too...


Namaste from India - 6 am here so India is just starting to wake up.

Currently enjoying morning satsangs with Mooji in the temple town of Tiruvannamalai, probably known best for the Sri Ramana Maharshi ashram and a very large temple which I don't know the name of.

The inner enquiry is present and ongoing in me - sitting with such a being as Mooji fuels this, as does seeing the beautiful shape of the holy mount Arunachala, a place I visited with a different master about 15 years ago.

There is simply not much to say now - and I wonder how I will pass this evening.

Hello and good day to you,

Here's some more photos from the second 3-week Gurdjieff group at Osho Nisarga, taken on the last day of the group before everyone headed off on their own...

Well, I took the "inland" route back to Pune from Goa - I think I can recommend this route rather than cutting across through Kolhapur, although there's not too much difference - the roads are a bit boring either way!

NH4A I would say has less traffic than going by NH17, although there is a really congested part a bit after Panaji where there is some kind of industrial plant just off the highway I think...

It was bumper-to-bumper trucks for a stretch of about 3 km or so, luckily going in the other (towards Panaji) direction.

Anyways this route I think is still preferable overall, for one I found it MUCH easier to get through Belgaum than through Kolhapur. Also going towards Goa it is very easy to miss the Kolhapur turnoff and you might as well just keep racing along NH4 which is two lanes divided (each direction) all the way to Belgaum and probably beyond.

With a decent Enfield (and I have been lucky to have a very good one - 2005 model with an engine in VERY good condition) you should be able to maintain easily 70km/h if not 80+. 70 would be comfortable and safe, as well as probably around the most fuel-efficient speed for the 350cc Enfield models.

Recommedations:

1) DRIVE with CARE!!! You need to have mirrors on your bike, there will be many cars going faster than you so you have to be aware when to get out of the way and go into the slower, left lane. Also DO NOT be too aggressive when passing slower vehicles - I side-swiped a bus coming back taking a corner too aggressively and was about 5 inches away from an accident.

2) It is really nice if your bike has a GOOD HORN! On the Enfield I'm renting the horn is really loud and sounds a bit like a truck horn. When I am honking it everyone gets OUT OF THE WAY which is a good thing!

3) Take two days for the Pune - Goa trip - it is about a 12 hour journey.

4) Driving at night isn't so bad. You can just stay behind a truck (not bus as they sometimes stop unexpectedly) that's not going too fast and it feels pretty safe.

Overall, it is a somewhat boring but, now that I've done it, good ride. I will do it again, although it would also be great to take the train or catch a flight also! (Sleeper bus is also quite OK but the other options are a bit better.)

One last thing, if you end up on Candolim Beach in Goa, north of Panaji, pay a visit to Pete's Shack for EXCELLENT food and music, and very good friendly service. (Many OSHO sannyasins will be there, by the way.)

Namaste - all is well.

~ Latif aka Rob

Well, for anyone who finds this blog via Google looking for a little information on the Pune - Goa trip by Enfield - it is EASILY doable in two days, one day if you leave early in the morning - you could be in Panaji by late afternoon.

First thing - WEAR SUNSCREEN on exposed body parts. I didn't and got a bad sunburn.

Second thing is the road between Pune and Kolhapur is in excellent condition and you should be able to cruise at 70 or 80 km/h comfortably.

The hardest part of the journey is probably getting through the cities... I had a friend direct me through Pune, from Koregaon Park to the Pune-Bangalare Highway, NH4. Once I got to Kolhapur I hired a rickshaw to get me through the city and onto the Mumbai - Goa highway, NH17.

I was told by my friend to ask for the "Guganbhowda" highway - so that's where I asked my rickshaw driver to lead me. On this road, all the signs are in Marathi or Hindi so just stay on the road... it goes all the way through to NH17, with a variety of traffic from oxcarts to trucks & buses to speeding tourist jeeps. The road was in reasonably good condition.

Arrived in Guganbhowda around 8pm - there is a decent quiet hotel just before this village with reasonable single rooms costing Rs. 700.

NH17 - the Mumbai-Goa highway - was not in such good condition. It was smooth sailing in parts but then with sections that were really rough - potholes and bumps everywhere.

IT MAY BE recommended to take NH4 all the way to Belgaum in Karnataka, then switch on to NH4A which takes what looks on paper to be a slightly more roundabout route to Panaji, but that highway might be in better condition than NH17, not to mention probably less congested with traffic. Also you won't have to go through Kolhapur.

I will try the NH4A route via Belgaum on the way back and see if it's any better.

Hey there,

Well, I can't claim to be a very good photographer, however I have put up a gallery of around 40 photos that I have taken so far on this trip to India - if I can even call being in India a "trip" as I am presently in this country most of the year!

There is one good photo of me that a friend took, view it here or scroll to the bottom of the gallery.

There aren't so many people photos in this gallery as I seem to be a bit shy about that, perhaps because for many years I HATED having my photo taken. (Nowadays I don't really mind.)

Other people in the two Nisarga Gurdjieff groups did take a bunch of nice group shots, hopefully they will e-mail them to me and I can post them in another gallery.

Anyways visit the gallery here or click the pic below to start viewing a few India pics!

Namaste to you now and welcome!

I - we - have just completed seven intense weeks of Gurdjieff Sacred Movements seminars - two groups of 3 weeks each. There were 6 of us who braved both groups.

I can say it has certainly been a rewarding process and experience, one I will likely repeat every year at Osho Nisarga. I'm already planning on coming back to India in early April 2011 to take Amiyo and Chetan's Bhagsu group to further my practice of the movements, and to become more rooted in my being, which ultimately is the underlying goal of the Movements practice.

On a personal level, I had three small 'love affairs', one of which still continues (although it will be ending shortly as she is returning to Germany). Was going to write more here, but I have decided to leave out the details!

Out of time to write for now - I can only offer you the advice of all the sages - "Look Within".

Namaste

Greetings visitor and welcome to my little India travel blog! (Note from webmaster - put keywords in link text ;-) )

The weather actually isn't that bad - better than I expected so far in the three days I've been here. Today there has been glimpses of the sun, although it has mostly been overcast. It has rained a bit, but not too much, although my friend Ravi told me the week before I arrived was just rain, rain, rain.

Today finally registered at the Commune (people still call it that although it is closer to a resort nowadays). Will participate in my first "official" meditation today - one hour silent sitting in Chuang Tzu, also known as Osho Samadhi.

I put "official" in quotes because meditation is perhaps more accurately described as a state of BEING rather than something you do. An hour of silent sitting, or the myriad of Osho meditations are perhaps better called techniques or tools you can use to become more acquainted with your natural inner silence.

OSHO techniques in my experience (and that of 1000's of others) are EXTREMELY beneficial for one's spiritual health, not to mention often rather fun!

Namaste from India and thanks for visiting,
~ Rob / Latif

It's a REALLY small picture, I like it though.



That's me with the red shirt and hat.

Quite a pleasant day that was - a nice hike then a well-prepared Indian lunch up at a guesthouse surrounded by views and a forest.

Lots of very good places to stay around Bhagsu, a touristy scenic village close to Dharamsala in north India. Good place to do yoga also - many studios offer frequent classes. I felt there was a sort of quietness, stillness in the area.

More on the Gurdjieff dances here - this link is perhaps a little more informative then the other link I posted earlier. It's also my teachers' Gurdjieff webpage - their names are Amiyo Devienne and Chetan Green.

(EDIT: also just found a very well-made video showing people practicing the dances, as well as showing glimpses of what Tibetan culture is like in India:  http://gallery.me.com/aveshvideo#100020)

Hard to believe. Feel rather sad right now, although I will be back soon, probably August to Pune then 7 weeks at Osho Nisarga to take two more Gurdjieff Movements Intensives from Mid-Sept to Nov.2 or so.

Feel very aware of the sounds around me. Feeling of sadness still present. We'll just call it silence perhaps?

Off to get a beer.

Namaste from India until next time,

Love,
Rob aka Latif

... after a 40-hour train ride from Pune. Wasn't a problem at all, in fact the time went by very very quickly! It was SURPRISINGLY EASY to sleep - in fact I probably slept better on the train than I have been in the rediculous heat of Pune where it had been reaching 40+C during the day.

Also - Pune: 220+ particles per million in the air - normal healthy air is 100 ppm. UGH! Not to mention my apartment, while spacious and pretty nice was directly on a busy, noisy street.

About to go for a walk, just going to finish cleaning up the 96% SPAM I get in my e-mail. Air here in Bhagsu (close to Dharamsala) is clean and while it is pretty busy here there is not much traffic and it feels somehow quiet - we are surrounded by steep hills, the ones that just in the distance become snow-covered jagged Himalayan mountains.

Gurdjieff Movements start tomorrow at 5pm. I already met my teachers. Hugs on first meeting. Good vibes baby.

My mind is very restless and impatient as usual these days - it is probably good I will be getting away from the computer, not to mention the noise and busy-ness of Pune city and the ashram.

Difficult to find words right now - I have been here since early November and the end of my time visiting the Osho International Meditation Resort is very near, although I plan to be back soon.

It's a very beautiful campus - big beautiful trees form a canopy over the entire ashram so even in the stifling heat there is plenty of shade. Waterfalls and fountains gurgle and birds chirp and caw easily bringing us back to the eternal present.

It isn't always an easy place to be - in meeting and interacting with others you will come face-to-face with yourself and your own negativity (and that of others!) time and time again. (Not that you need to be here for that...)

If you'd like to take a virtual tour of the ashram, there seems to be a pretty thorough one at the Osho website - Take a tour of Osho International Meditation Resort here.

Tomorrow dance party (every Wed. and Sat.), the last one for me on this trip. Should be fun. Maybe I'll avoid drinking this time?

Anyways will probably update the blog at least a few times in Dharamsala from an internet cafe. Time for two weeks of Gurdjieff dances then fly back to Mumbai and back 'home' to Canada.

Namaste and keep on keepin' on...

Greetings!

Well, I finally seem to have at least the semblance of a schedule now in what so far has been a fairly hectic and chaotic stay in India.

It looks something like this, at the moment:

10:00 am - STRUGGLE to get out of bed due to not sleeping at all the night before because it's too freaking hot

10:10 am - SNOOZE button has gone off twice, HAVE to get up now or will be late

10:15 am - eat chewing gum instead of brushing teeth because brushing teeth will take too much time

10:25 am - arrive at Resort gate - look at watch - realize there's JUST enough time for quick cappucinno

10:30 am - slurp cappucinno

10:45 am - Vipassana meditation - watching the rise and fall of the belly. Easy yet very difficult meditation because the mind always wanders.

The meditations at the Resort take place inside a HUGE pyramid-shaped building called the Auditorium which is kinda dark, nice and cool, with a very calming quietness present.

11:45 am - meditation finished. Go outside in the scorching heat. Go to Plaza Cafe and have coffee / chai / something to snack on.

12:00 pm - practice Tai Chi in a quiet part of the ashram that faces a large park with the sounds of water gurgling - a small stream

12:45 pm - eat lunch in Meera Buffet, right next to the Auditorium. The selection of foods at the Resort is EXCELLENT and quite inexpensive by Western standards. Today had a nice pasta dish with boiled mixed vegetables in some kind of light yet tasty oil. Last night while going for a walk at around 9:30 pm I stopped in for a bite to eat in the other main eating area (called Zorba cafe - it's right beside the beautiful and very enticing swimming pool, which unfortunately is closed now due to renovations). Had a nice Miso soup and the best vegetable biryani dish I have ever tasted. (Rice and mixed veg. well-spiced with cloves, cinnamon and other spices I didn't recognize. NOM NOM NOM!)

1:30 pm - Silent Sitting meditation in Chuang Tzu, the quietest place in the Resort. It used to be called Osho Samadhi. I think Osho used to spend a lot of time in that room, and I think it's possible he 'left something' of himself there for future seekers. It's very very easy to fall into a meditative state in that room and 1000's upon 1000's of meditations have happened in that room.

2:15 pm - meditation finished. Lately this time has been a bit hectic for me as my mind wants to revolt, and I have been letting myself follow his whims. Or something.


And tonight is Saturday so that means DANCE PARTY - a twice-a-week FUN FUN occurence here at the ashram happening every Wednesday and Saturday. This usually means I want to have a bit of liquor first!

So it is currently 8:15 pm and I will soon be off on my motorcycle to a nice restaurant to watch some cricket and have a beer.

Hey there,

Much more travel on this trip to India than I expected! So far 3 trips down to Goa, and now:

In Pune until March 26, enjoying the Osho International Meditation Resort. Doing Vipassana daily and also silent sitting in Osho Chuang Tzu, probably the quietest spot in the whole Resort - an air-conditioned marble room with windows out to a beautiful garden. It's lit by chandeliers. It feels great to sit there for a half-hour or an hour with other people meditating.

Also will enjoy the dance parties that happen twice a week here. Only a few left...

Then heading to Rishikesh on April 26 - I take a 20-hour express train to New Delhi, spend a night there then take a first class berth to Haridwar, a 6-hour journey further north. From there I guess I will catch a local bus to Rishikesh which is I think about 1 hour journey from Haridwar.

Rishikesh is a city at the foot of the Himalayas in Uttaranchal province - it's a city of ashrams and the place where the Beatles came so many years ago to visit some guru. (Not sure who...)

I stay there March 28 - April 10 or so to enjoy satsangs with Samdarshi. More inward-looking basically. It should be very very nice.

Then I have to figure out how to get to Dharamsala from Rishikesh - will be taking a 2-week Gurdjieff Movements Intensive there led by Amiyo Devienne April 11-24. Apparently she was the sannyasin who, with Osho's supervision, introduced the dances to the Osho community. It hasn't really flourished tho, for some reason - strange to me because they are so fun and a very centering technique. The morning classes are always quite full though and catch the attention of anyone walking by.

A good explanation of the movements: Gurdjieff Sacred Dances

Then April 26, I think, I go to either Mumbai or New Delhi (will try to change my air ticket again - it leaves from Mumbai but Delhi is much closer to Dharamsala) and fly back to Canada.

And then we will be seeing you again (back here at the blog I hope) in a few months as the thought of leaving India is already feeling kind of scary!

Thanks for reading and namaste.

Namaste reader and welcome.

Haven't said anything here about the Pune bomb attack - probably you've read enough about it already!

Will just say, don't forget to smell the roses.

Currently on Agonda Beach. My Gurdjieff 7-day course got cancelled, so I decided to come down to Goa on a whim more or less. Have been thinking about coming a lot but finally it happened.

Most enjoyable train ride this time. Possibly because I had the best seat for sleeper trains, in my opinion - lower berth on the 2-tier side. Got to have window seat all the way.

There was this little girl who I absolutely adored - she was a bit sick and somehow tugged on my heart strings. She was very curious about me also, although we didn't talk at all. She got off with her grandparents (I think - at least they were her guardians) around the half-way point in the journey. I was like, "NO!!!!!" Didn't really express it though. I suppose it's mostly because I am male and seem to be a mind-oriented person, what to do?

Satsang this morning with Samdarshi was very beautiful. Such a heart space.

Then today I slept the entire day! It's 4pm and I haven't even had breakfast. Came directly to Internet cafe. Geek urge is first priority it seems! That's OK!

Well, off to eat a small thali then take a walk on the beach.

Namaste once again from 35C Agonda Beach, Goa, India.

Hello reader and welcome to my little blog here.

Well I somehow didn't make it down to Goa... I'd heard it is getting hot there now, also I just didn't seem to want to get out of bed much after finishing the 5-day Gurdjieff Intesive.

Instead I took another short 2-day Gurdjieff course which was very good - during the 5 or so days between courses I was rather lazy - it felt like I went "backwards" meditation-wise, if "forward" or "backward" movement is even possible when speaking of meditation. So taking the 2-day group was centering for me, at least, even after a few hours the difference in how I felt was apparent.

Lately though laziness has entered again, mostly because I have not wanted to go out of my bedroom and deal with the world. The beggars around the German Bakery here in Koregaon Park (near the Osho Resort) - some of them at least - are REALLY aggressive. I find myself sometimes taking my motorcycle even for short distances, just to avoid all the fucking people who seem to want my attention, or more precisely, my money! This includes an overly-friendly fruit seller who somehow always convinces me to buy stuff I can't eat, or at least don't eat in time before it becomes moldy. Then there's the rickshaw wallahs I have come to know... they're not so bad actually, I have become friends with a few of them.

Mostly though I have wanted to avoid other Western sannyasins. Have been having a hard time lately dealing with other people's negativity. I seem to attract it somehow - I suppose this is due to how I am as a person / mind - perhaps especially so with women, I can't seem to help looking at them, also I see judgements about people passing across my mind without my control really, which they seem to sense and then become agitated. However a lot feels like stuff that gets projected on me wrongly. That is tough to deal with.

Also some drama happening in my mind / emotions about the Spanish woman who seems to have come back from wherever she went. She is perhaps seeing someone else now. Don't want to talk about it!

Speaking about it here, and reading a great book right now (Paul Theroux's "The Great Railway Bazaar") where Paul swings through good situations and bad - it is easy upon reflection to just read the story of life. Just let it happen and observe seems to be the message here!

Anyways to finish this post I will just say I am still planning to take the 7-day Gurdjieff Intensive on Feb.15, and might participate in a "demo" on Saturday the 13th to help my teacher out. Found a good website which describes the Gurdjieff Sacred Dances very well, I think:

Explanation & background information on the Gurdjieff Sacred Dances

Then maybe Goa or who knows, maybe even back to Victoria, BC, Canada, "home" for me I guess. I miss the fresh Victoria air that much is certain.

Thank you for reading and namaste from Pune, India.

Minor rant ahead.

Taking groups here at the Osho Meditation Resort is freaking expensive! My Goa plans somehow didn't happen, I have been extremely lazy the last couple days - mostly just lying in bed! Anyhow I was thinking instead of going to Goa I would take a two-day Gurdjieff course starting tomorrow. However it costs 9900 Rs. which is about $240 Cdn.!

That's more than you'd pay for a similar group in the West, which is a little crazy. That said the facilities here at the Resort are very very good for this sort of thing.

By the way the daily entrance fee for non-nationals (that is, not Indian) is 700 Rs per day nowadays. It used to be 50 or less 15 years ago! Basically a Western entrance fee, although... basically it is worth it if you are into meditation.

It should be said also that the food at the Resort is very very good, 100% organic & healthy, inexpensive by Western standards, expensive by Indian standards.

Also apartment / room prices in the high season (Dec. - Feb.) are comparable to what you'd pay in the West as Koregaon Park is simply full of wealthy foreigners (and Indians as well).

Ah well easy come easy go I guess??? Still haven't decided whether to fork over the 9900 Rs. for just a 2-day course.

Thank you & namaste.

Greetings reader and namaste from India!

Thank you for visiting... the 5-day Gurdjieff movements intensive has finished today... and it ended VERY well with nice hugs all around in our small group of 8 or so participants. A lovely group of individuals although at times I wondered about the teachers - I felt a lot of friction at times when I felt I was being pushed too hard or even unfairly. That said perhaps I need to take responsibility for my own 'spiritual, meditator' ego. OR probably the REAL answer is, not to identify at all with the persons involved (including myself), rather just remain the one that watches the whole play and forget about analyzing the freaking thing.

Hm... 'anal'yzing - yeah, probably should just forget the whole thing good and bad!

My life continues to be very fast-paced and socially intense. The focus remains meditation however so no worries.

Looks like I will be heading back to AGONDA BEACH, GOA (Google it if you like to check out photos) on Wednesday (2 days from now!) to spend more time in satsang with Samdarshi, for 10 or so days then back to Pune once again to take another Gurdjieff Movements Intensive, this one lasting 7 days starting on Feb. 15!!

Forget driving the Enfield down I think, too much hassle, I will just fly, I think a return flight from Pune - Goa costs less than $200 so no problem there.

It's all happening... center of the cyclone.

Thank you for reading & namaste once again from amazing India.

Namaste reader and thank you for visiting my little India travel blog. (Webmaster comment: SPAM those keywords!)

I was thinking to make a post about people / characters I've met so far on this India trip while sitting by myself having a beer in a local Koregaon Park restaurant close to the Osho Resort.

There's been RAVI who has become a close friend. During the first couple months here in India I really depended on his extremely giving and friendly nature. The 'energy' at the ashram at the time felt very crazy - probably a mix of how my own mind was plus everyone else's as well. I needed his friendship at that time, not only to 'get stuff done' (like, buying this computer, making doctor appointments, renting motorcycle & many other small things that are MUCH MUCH easier for someone who speaks the language (Hindi)) but also just to be with someone who was just plain nice to me. When I first arrived he also picked me up at the Mumbai airport which felt extremely nice as I had been travelling nearly 40 hours straight (two long-ass flights + layovers, etc.) since leaving my apartment in Victoria.

There's also been SUSHIMA the very beautiful Spanish woman who I've been 'in love with' (or something... have no clue really) since last year when I first met her at a dance party. Have hardly met with her at all this year, except importantly for one LONG LONG hug where we REALLY connected and sort of melted into each other. However I basically haven't seen her since and I'm not even sure she's here right now - perhaps she's in Goa or maybe even went back to Spain. No clue and I am definitely 'looking around' now.

There's been the Italian girl I had a short fling with in Goa, her name is Prem Mahima which means 'dignified love'. We spent a very nice evening together, nothing 'happened' so to speak but a very beautiful connection was enjoyed by us nevertheless. She had/has a relationship with an Italian boyfriend for 2 years now and she didn't want to give that up, anyways she had to return to Italy to go to university.

There have been many more characters that have appeared during this journey - SO MANY! - especially considering I am alone most of the time. And I've been here only just a bit more than 2 1/2 months.

But it occurred to me, while thinking of what I would write here, over the beer in that restaurant close to the Osho Resort just now, was that the most important meeting has been with 'myself'.

'I' have become so much more centered over these past 6 or so months since I have started focussing my life on meditation again. (I put the 'I' in quotes as I think it's best to minimize the amount of thought one gives to thinking about oneself as a separate entity, as a person - rather, it is better to remain conscious, better to remain rooted in the present, better to think of oneself as the one that perceives everything - thanks to Mooji for that wonderful advice! Problems tend to just VANISH when you are simply open and available to the present moment, taking it all in...)

I even felt a bit different today after just one day of this 5-day Gurdjieff Intensive group here at the Osho Internation Meditation Resort in Pune, India. The movements are beautiful in their simplicity and somehow create a relaxed awareness - mental concentration won't do and neither will spacing out. The 'dances' (there are 100's of dances (I think), all created by Gurdjieff years ago to make his students become aware) are something like rubbing your belly clockwise on the on beats, counter-clockwise on the off beats while patting your head on the off beats, counting from 8 backwards while moving your feet forwards and backwards on the 'on' beats... while saying 'I' 'WISH' 'TO BE' 'ALWAYS' on the off-beats. SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!!

There's also a rather attractive woman in the group!!! Will definitely post about it if anything happens with her.

ANYWAYS besides the entertainment value (if any!? - hope so!) the main point of this post is to encourage you to become interested in meditation - in whatever form you enjoy, be it swimming, jogging, yoga, Tai Chi, laughter groups, or the Osho meditations are very well-designed for the modern stressed out mind.

Go for it and meanwhile thanks for taking the time to read my little India travel blog.

Namaste and thank you.

Hey there, thank you for visiting my little India blog.

Latest plans are to take a 5-day Gurdjieff Movements Intensive at the Osho Internation Meditation Resort in Pune, India. It starts on the 28th of January - Thursday, so in just 3 more days! It's gonna cost a whopping 24,300 Rs. which is about $600 Cdn., but Samdarshi gave the advice, when you have a chance for meditation, JUMP! He said the same about love as well. So I'm jumping.

I met with the instructor today, his name is Dhyan Prem, Dhyan means meditation while Prem means love! I've taken a few of his morning classes, he is a good instructor very energetic!

Anyhow it is really an intensive we will be doing 6 hours per day from 9:30 am - 4 pm with only small breaks for tea and lunch. I expect I am going to want to escape at some point - the mind always wants to escape from meditation? - but really it should not be very difficult to stay for the entire 5-day course.

In other news, I have recently discovered that there must be a "gap of two months between two visits [for] all Tourist Visa holders", which changes my travel plans a little. I might come back to Canada a bit earlier than I had planned because I might like to spend a full two months with Samdarshi at his North India (Khaknal close to Manali) ashram from May 1st to end of June.

So might leave India end of Feb. instead of end of March. We shall see.

... is "Thank You".

Mooji's website.

Thank you.

Hello reader! Thank you for visiting my little India travel blog. (Webmaster comment: SPAM those keywords!!!)

Current plan just whipped up over a few beers with a very good friend. His name is Ravi, I met him last year, rented an Enfield from him and am doing the same this year. In fact we also entered a sort-of business partnership, I loaned him one lakh rupees (1,00,000 is one lakh) which is about $2400 Cdn. He's using the money to rent 4 rooms in a small "apartment" which he is then renting out to foreigners staying at the Osho Meditation Resort. Seems like he'll make a small profit on the venture and I'll get a little bit as well. Anyhow we've become close friends and we both like beer - too much!

So, back to the current India travel plan. (Webmaster comment: SPAM those keywords!) Looks like I'll be staying in Pune for around 10 days more then head back to Goa. There's a 5-day Gurdjieff Movements Intensive coming up on Jan. 28 - Feb. 1 here at the Resort. Then drive the Enfield down to Goa on say Feb. 2, 3 or 4th over maybe 1-2 days (probably 1 and a half) with Ravi perhaps leading the way.

At Samdarshi's small satsang area / ashram there are weekend meditation retreats where they do selected Osho meditations. Actually they don't take place at the satsang area (which is really small) but about 3 km away in an botanical garden which has about 12-15 huts for rent within / around the garden itself, with some locals / local workers living and working in a tiny village on the same gravel road. The reason for having retreats / groups at this special place is so we can scream / yell / generally freak out (as part of Osho therapeutic meditation techniques) without disturbing anyone too much.

So, it does seem like a good plan, after the Gurdjieff Intensive stay over two weekends maybe 11-12 days on Agonda Beach, Goa away from the fucking traffic and pollution of Pune! I'll be able to participate in two weekend meditation retreats. Meditation = recharge spirit, clear mind, feel fuckin' good!

Oh, and of the Gurdjieff Sacred Dances, from the Osho website: "The precision and complex simplicity of these beautiful and charismatic exercises give a direct transmission of energy to centers beyond the mind."

In my own words and to make it more palatable to most people's ears, I can say this of the Gurdjieff Movements: basically they were created by an enlightened man from Russia to make his students become aware. The movements are very simple and beautiful but very complex at the same time (like, chewing bubble gum, dribbling a basketball, counting backwards from 10 to 1 in your head while doing tango steps - that's about the complexity of it. Individually easy but together - very difficult!). Therefore meditation arises out of the movements as an intense awareness is needed to coordinate and somehow be aware of your various body parts going this way and that. The movements are done in a group so it is a group meditation, the movements are also extremely beautiful somehow in their simplicity and people often can't help but watch the group as we move this way and that, our arms going one way to certain beats, our feet another and our heads another.

Looking forward to class tomorrow at 7:30 am, I only hope I'm not too hungover as I've had a few beers tonite with Ravi and I couldn't stop myself from purchasing another to drink while I make this blog entry!!! So, cheers!???

I can stay here in Pune and do some groups - if anything I will probably take a painting course with my friend and amazing person and artist Meera (http://www.meera.de/), a long-time disciple of Osho. I'm also enjoying a Gurdjieff Movements class in the early mornings. (There's also the dance parties which I am eager to get excited about again, haven't enjoyed them for awhile now, just haven't been in the mood.)

Or I can go back to Agonda Beach, Goa and spend time with Samdarshi. Satsangs in the mornings, meditation retreats over the weekends, there's also T'ai Chi classes happening there, plus lots of yoga.

OR I've recently been considering travelling down to south India and sitting in satsang with Mooji another enlightened Master I've mentioned in prior posts. He is a very appealing Master to me because he speaks very fluent English (as opposed to Osho or Samdarshi who are both Indian), Mooji is from Jamaica originally but grew up in London. Flights down to south India from Pune, I discovered yesterday, cost less than $200!

I have been downloading many of his audio discourses, although it is slow going with the craptastic internet connection I have now. He's a beautiful speaker and a beautiful man.

Anyways anyone can give me a call also, as I've mentioned on Facebook I now have a cell phone! (Welcome to the 21st century Rob!) Just ask my Dad or brother for the number, dial the India country code first then the #.

Don't know what the future holds but as long as I stay in the proper mindset (or, no-mind-set?) it is all gonna be good!

Greetings all,

Here are a few sayings from Mooji that I hope take you back to yourself; this is as much for me as anyone else...

Hey there readers,

Hope you've enjoyed my little India travel blog so far.

Current plan: heading back to Goa on Thursday most probably - haven't yet decided the mode of travel! I am strongly leaning towards riding my Enfield motorcycle down - Goa actually is not too far from where I am (Pune), maybe like 400 - 500 km or so, so like 10 - 12 hours on the bike.

I can do it over two days for a very relaxed and non-rushed ride. I'd been reading earlier today about all the accidents on two-wheelers in India which scared me a little bit, but thinking about it right now, the numbers aren't that high really when you consider the immense population size of the country.

The bike I have now is really excellent if I haven't mentioned it already. Great motor on this bike. Enfields by the way are an old English bike (I believe) with only a 350 cc engine but you wouldn't know it by the wonderful, powerful sound it makes, a bit like a mini-Harley Davidson. Anyways this particular bike even has pickup in 4th gear, accelerates well even from low rpms.

Have pretty much decided that I should take advantage of the opportunity to spend time with Samdarshi - it isn't that often that a Buddha comes around! He has said that this particular age is another golden age of consciousness which happens every 2500 years, the last great period occuring during Buddha's time when many seekers became enlightened under his tutelage.

He also said it should be quite easy (relatively speaking) to become enlightened under him now, the time is extremely favorable, only we have to open our hearts, open ourselves to the sky, receive his blessings.

And so now as I write this I am aware that what I've written sounds pretty cheesy perhaps! It should be understood that Samdarshi, Osho, Mooji are not mere gurus, they are Buddhas. So, Samdarshi is not really a man anymore as we understand it - although he can do all ordinary things and has to eat and drink as a normal human - he is simply not there anymore as an ego, he has disappeared into the sky and become it while still speaking to us through his body. (Something like that!!! I don't really know, but that's about the sense I get.)

And so my travel plans take me to spend time with this man who is no longer a man. Goa and back, Goa and back, then back to Canada to pay my taxes, work a little, do some yoga, play some basketball, then back to India again this time to a village called Khaknal close to touristic Manali in the Himalayas in North India to spend time at his northern ashram in May and June.

Then back to Pune perhaps or even Canada for awhile, then see him in Goa once again Dec. 2010 - March 2011 and we do it all again. I wonder what I'll be like at that time?

Well, this is India...

In Pune the police are definitely pretty corrupt, at least in the Koregaon Park area, and probably have been for a long time.

About 18 years ago I had a similar incident where I had two passengers with me on my Enfield motorcycle, a "policeman" stopped me and said I couldn't have three people on the bike... basically though it was just an excuse to extract a couple hundred rupees from us...

Today while purchasing a mobile phone some kids starting loading my (very nice 2005 model) Enfield into a truck... the "policeman" starting writing me a ticket, probably making up the fines off the top of his head, "No parking in parking zone, - 1000 rupees, No pollution license (right!!!) - 200 Rs., No driver's license, - 550 Rs."

Then he says "Compromise?". I say "How much you want...". 1000 Rs. and his gang of kids working for him will unload my bike off the truck. So I just give him the 1000 Rs., spit in the kids general direction and I have my Enfield back (well, it's not really mine, I am renting it from a friend).

Ya, so for travellers to India, in all the big major cities you might want to ask some locals about the police, whether they are "good" (ie. like normal police you find in Western countries) or not before going to them with your troubles.

In Goa at least the police are proper police, so I was told anyways by a taxi driver from a small village - strict but at least looking out for the general populace.

Oh, in India "baksheesh" can mean tipping for good service and seems to be generally accepted and even expected not only in restaurants (where strangely opposite to Western countries it doesn't seem to be really required) but wherever someone provides a good service for you - a watchman guarding your bike, a boy coming to your home and making sure your computer is set up, small things like this.

"Baksheesh" also (perhaps more commonly) refers to bribes you have to make to policemen, rickshaw wallahs who take you to hotels/rooms, I've even experienced having to give baksheesh to judges / court people in order to have things expedited quickly.

If you travel to India for any period of time expect to be asked for a little "baksheesh"!

Hey there,

The last three - four weeks have been very crazy on the outside, but very calm on the inside! Lots of appointments which have been constantly looming, but the appointments have been for meditation sessions which makes one the center of the cyclone.

Have travelled by sleeper bus (twice), airplane, train, rickshaw, two different Enfield motorcycles, three taxis and a local bus as well covering a distance of around 2000 km. Well it is just back and forth twice between Pune and Goa... and I'm heading back to Goa, not sure exactly when.

Right now enjoying my spacious apartment here in Pune and especially having my own computer with Internet access! Just four or five days ago I was living in a hut approximately 8 feet by 8 feet. It was wonderful to be honest, I bathed outside twice per day using a bucket. BEST SHOWERS EVER! Still I am liking my apt. now with it's big bed and lots of space. The traffic noise is pretty loud though pretty much 24 hours, although it's not too bad in the middle of the night.

Well, off to work a bit for now - I have an Internet business so working from home (ie. wherever I have a computer + I'net access) is YES!

Briefly met the Spanish woman that I have mentioned to family / friends. Her name is Sushima and she is very beautiful - face like a model although the wrinkles are coming, she is about my age, I think she's 38, I am 39.

She speaks very good English with an incredibly sexy accent, it is soft yet very Spanish.

Anyhow we just exchanged greetings after finishing Nadabrahma meditation - I just always run into this woman... karma? She didn't seem to want to talk (to me?) so I just said 'Hi' and walked away.

I met her last year here at the Osho Resort at one of the many dance parties... over a period of about 5 weeks we saw each other frequently and were somehow in love with each other but unable to get past our fears, our blocks - we just weren't able to really connect.

This year the sort of blocked-ness continued between us until she took an Osho therapy group called "Mystic Rose" which is a modern meditation therapy with 1 week of laughing, 1 week of crying, and 1 week of silent sitting, for three hours each day in a supportive group. During this time I had also been fairly focussed on meditation myself so perhaps many of my own blocks were cleared... anyways finally we met and shared a very long, very deep hug in which we both sort of melted in to each other, and in this hug all the problems we had in the past simply disappeared.

This year I've been in Goa and she has also been busy doing other groups so we haven't seen each other much. I did leave her a note saying I loved her so much, hoped her group was going well and that she was a big part of my life, although really we have hardly spent much time together at all. (Not sure why I wrote that last part in the note.)

At this moment who knows what will happen, I didn't think about her at all while in Goa (and had a very brief affair with an Italian girl), so really it could be absolutely no connection at all with her to us being totally in love!

See? This woman somehow makes my mind race (well I suppose it does that on it's own anyways) even after a one second meeting. At least I have something to post about.