If this trip had a theme, it was that 'we are a global community.'
At night, the dogs curl up with one another in the dirt potholes on the sides of the road to keep warm. Not a bad idea.
There is a cow here with one leg shorter than the rest. She seems well fed and brave in her demeanor. Today she limped down the center of the road without batting an eye.
The borders and religions and titles and nationalities and money and power we cling to/yearn for/are proud of is all a bloody illusion.
There is a rotary club here that passes out free blankets to the homeless in the Winter chill. Code Blue is requesting New Yorkers help protect the homeless in the intense cold.
That illusion keeps itself hidden unless you dedicate ongoing concentrated time towards unveiling it.
Tonight we were having tea with our friend (the clothing shop owner and ex-politician) down the street and fight broke out between two men outside. Here they said they use slaps as an ultimate form of embarrassment in a fight. In the US we use tweets, fists, and guns.
Our friend is somewhat of the local peacekeeper, that’s why the fight happened right outside his shop… one of the men was coming up to ask for his help. After he helped break up the fight, we sipped our tea and laughed at his unofficial role in the community, and how sometimes he hides in the corner behind the desk to savor a few moments of peace for himself.
The archetypes in this Sarnath community match those in Missouri, which match those in New York, which match those in Los Angeles, which match those ancient sculptures of deities that we saw in the museum today.
We apparently cannot escape the news of Trump’s recent tweets even here. He is not referencing the size of buttons, but instead bragging about his ability to kill of hundreds of thousands of people. I only pray for his heart to be nourished with a genuine love… just as much as I pray for the American people (including myself) to respond with compassion and necessary action.
Peace and happiness and love and freedom. Wanting these things make us human. We want these things because we are human.
