Follow the Journey

Mcleod Ganj is a suburban town in the northern section of Dharmsala, laying on the ever rising hills with miniature, breakneck curving roads that redefine traffic laws and pedestrian awareness. Mcleod Ganj has been an area of refuge for the Tibetan people living in exile and fear caused by the Chinese Government. After resting our bones for a couple days in a local guest house, our contact introduced our group to our individual home stay families, all being Tibetans. Each of the houses was comprised of three rooms or less, a quaint family atmosphere with a good amount of space and energy in the households dedicated to the Dharma. The second night with our homestay families, our group went to a nearby movie theater and watched 7 Years in Tibet, a movie about a cocky, abrasive mountain climber in the 1940s who finds his way to the exclusive, illusive nation of Tibet, befriends the young Dalai Lama, and finds his true self through his exposure to the Dharma lifestyle. The film stars a young Brad Pitt with a laughable German accent. Our days were filled with less group structure, and more opportunities to pursue internships of ones liking. Members of our group engaged in beaded jewelry making, Learning Tibetan, Tibetan cooking, and various other activities around the tight community. Many of our sweet toothed activists found solace at a tremendously delicious, diamond in the rough brownie stand, and certain basketball junkie got his fix at a court just outside of town. We found ourselves at several meditations and discussions of the Dharma, and participated in Yoga classes, meditative walks around the temple of His Holiness the Dali Lama, hikes to nearby waterfalls, which let some of us know, myself included, that our upcoming trek might not be so easy after all. An organization by the name of Tibet world was introduced to a Carpe Diem student named Jamie, who was on her volunteer placement semester. At Tibet World, our students would interact with Tibetans practicing their English in conversations with us, shining light for us on the Tibetan situation from a first person perspective on those who journeyed by foot from the Chinese controlled Tibet, and the loved ones who were lost amidst the unthinkable turmoil that is a very real and globally ignored truth for an entire nation, culture, and religion. Our leaders filled our loose schedule with lessons on the power of positive thinking, the paradox of choice, and a photography workshop including the the culturally appropriate actions towards taking photos in a foreign country. Although we were too late to request an audience with HH the Dali Lama, we were able to receive one with Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa. The Karmapa is the spiritual leader of one of the four sections of Tibetan Buddhism. When we asked him how we can practice compassion for those who make it seem so difficult to be compassionate towards, such as the Chinese government and ISIS, he spoke on the simple qualities that make us all human, regardless of external influences, that objectively interconnect us all. He touched on this point when we asked him what message we should take back home from him. He spoke along the lines of human connection being universal, and for us to portray the idea that all sentient beings are in this universe together, and we should work together for the betterment of all life. After our meeting, we explored an institute dedicated to Tibetan Arts and craftsmanship. Woodworking, jewelry making, meticulous brushstroke paintings, all on a beautiful campus with many gardens and ponds. The Tibetan Childrens Village is one of many organizations created with the purpose of benefiting the lives of the Tibetan people. The TCV is a community that cares for and educates destitutes, orphans, and refugees from Tibet. We visited the local TCV and learned about the education of the children, saw the athletic facilities, the areas where the children slept and were fed, and the classrooms. As our stay in Mcleod drew to a close, we prepared ourselves for the five day trek in the foothills of the Himalayas. Despite some lingering sickness, we stepped out of the Tata vans that drove us up to our location, and took the first steps into the freshest five days of our adventure. The hiking itself wasn’t too laborous, and our guides took care of most everything difficult after the hiking(cooking, setting up tents, starting the fire). It was glamping(glamour camping) In the purest form, but who were we to say anything, we were out there among the elements, with nothing to occupy our minds but the next step on the path, and the silent serenity of the mountain air. It is my firm believe that everyone came out of the woods with a little bit less sanity, and with a great deal more clarity. The resounding words of the Zen proverb found within Kerouac’s narrative ring truer to me then my inhaling and exhaling at this very moment: “When you get to the top of a mountain, keep climbing,” With only two more weeks left in our journey, the Shanti group hasn’t put down their pickaxes quite yet.