The memorial Service

The memorial Service

Today was the memorial service for the SSS. There was not as large a turn out as everyone expected, several hundred, rather than several thousand. It was nice, but way too many speeches in Punjabi. That gets old quick. It was moving for me nonetheless. I have been crying off and on over his loss. At the same time, I have felt his presence strongly at times. At the opening ceremony, I had a strong sense of his presence, free, formless and joyful. Also at the hospital, I see an eagle flying high overhead. I always think of him when I see it.

Basically, I’m doing good, probably more than good. I feel impactful with our clients. I am getting enough spiritual time for myself and for the most part the other staff is pleasant, capable and enjoyable. I am eating too much. I’m not eating too badly, but I eat just because it’s served and I really don’t need to.

Program Update

Program Update

Our guys in the “de-addiction” program are doing well. We currently have 6 with 2 more beginning to attend as “day students”. This is part of their trial period to see if the program is a good fit for them. The clients we’ve had for 2 weeks did a good job of introducing them to the program, helping them feel welcome and letting them know what we are like and what they’ve gotten themselves in to. :>) I was very proud of them. They have told us some very touching things, like “I wish my family treated me as well as you do.” And “I feel so happy.” One guy’s daughter’s birthday was yesterday. He really wanted to go home to be with her or to have her come to us; neither of which was permissible. So we got some sweets for him to pass out to the group in her honor and we did a meditation in the group for her (and all our families). He described her and we sent her the good energy of healing and protection and guidance from the meditation. (I told them I would be sending energy to my family and invited them to include their families as well. It’s after this event that he said he was so happy.

When I’m engaged in the program, teaching or otherwise working with the folks in the program, I am very happy as well. I am also fully enjoying/benefiting from my time at the Golden Temple. Our schedules are more relaxed now (not all day every day); so I am also having good time at home doing yoga and meditation in the back yard. I was anyway until someone told me that two Cobras (yes, the snake) live back there. They said that in the winter (some month away yet), they come out into the sun and dance. I can’t wait,….. I think;?

The Gods can be petty while the people have a blast

It goes something like this. Rama cut off the nose of Rawlwhen’s sister. In return, Rawlwhen kidnapped Sita, Rama’s wife. The monkey god, haunaman, tried to make things right, but failed. This started a huge war.

Today, at this time of year, every neighborhood creates huge puppets, 50 feet tall. They gather in fields, these puppets from local neighborhoods. Then they blow them up. It is a time of intense rivalry between neighborhoods. Whose is the biggest, whose is the most beautiful, whose burns the fastest, whose makes the most noise when it blows up. Oh, did I forget to mention? They are packed with hundreds of coconut-sized bombs.

It was a huge mob scene. I have never heard anything so loud. I have pictures, but again, they capture only one dimension. We were with a friend – Har Deep. Someone raised in Amritsar, a few block from the Golden Temple. It’s always great when we go out with him. He is so knowledgeable and so helpful. His neighborhood was competing in this celebration. It’s a Hindu festival, but everyone gets involved. His brothers were there and helped keep the crowds at a safe distance from us. There exuberance was unbounded, as one picture captures.

Anyway, it was fun. We again went to The Brothers Restaurant afterward for Indian Vegieburgers, fry’s and ice cream sundae’s. What ever it is that you are imagining about the food, it is not quite that way. :>)

Yummy sweet potatoes. 

Metal workers, pounding iron bowels. They beat in a rhythmn that sounds like play, not work. 

Silversmiths are making the domes for the model of the golden temple 

Wood carvers, Guru bazaar, Amritsar 

Muktiar and Fateh Singh at the wood carvers. 

Guru Bazaar, he's still putting more bricks on his head. 

Alleys of Guru Bazar 

Kasar da dubba kitchen 

Kitchen in Kasar da Dubba, established 1916. Clean and delicious. 

At the Cyber Cafe

We have a decent schedule for the hospital now. We're working mostly half days with a few long days each week. Scheduling is complicated by translation, etc, but we are working it out. I got off at 1 today, cruzed the alleys of old Amritsar (Guru Bazar) had a great lunch in a local dubba (street restaurant. I have greeat pictures of their kitchen, but don't have them with me to post. It feels so good to get my writing and pictures up on the web. I hope you are enjoying this. My email is very messed up. I am not getting messages, Sorry if you;ve written. We are still getting our technology working.

I'm off to take a sip and a dip in the "Necter Tank" at the Golden Temple, then meditate. It is so beautiful there. The vibration is unbelievable. There has been continuous chanting there for over 300 years. I feel like I'm at the center of the universe.

Love to all!

Veggies on the way home. 

A dashing figure. Doctor sahib. 

Dr. Guru Terath Kaur and Dr. Agit Singh on the Balcony of our unit. It's the first evening of our program. After several days of screening, we've had the ceremony, met with our clients, we're feeling pretty good. 

I threaten to post this picture on the unit to let patients know we have back up for AWOLS. I was sorry that the sub-machine guns on their shoulders don't come out better in the picture. They are security for one of the politicians speaking at the Opening Ceremony. 

After the Ceremony 

Opening Ceremony. Dr Goyle, the head of the hospital speaks. 

The nurse/addicts pledge to stay drug free in their skit. They are very cute. They have been helping in the real program. 

Student nurses dressed as male drug addicts put on a skit about how the hospital's programs can help them. Pur patinets and their families are in the audience. 

Patients perform with spiritual songs and the National Anthem. They are lovely. We applaud. They don't want to leave the stage. 

Opening ceremony for the "De-Addiction" Program. 

The hospital was built in the early 1940's it houses 350+ mentally ill adults. The admin building was completed within the last year or two, as was the building we are in. Modern for India, Clean. Water and lights are intermittent. Very, very stark on the inside. 

We're getting close now. 

Dr. Agit Singh, formerly of Toronto, now of Chandhigar, India, plays while waiting for the train. Apparently the track crossings are clossed at the time the train is scheduled to pass. They remain clossed until the train passes. The smoke stack in the back is where locally hand made bricks are fired. We live about 500 yards from this spot. 

Still Waiting. That's us in the red Tata Sumo. 

Waiting in line for the train to go by in the village of Charrata 

Going to work at the hospital. The Hospital van works pretty good once it gets going.