The summer heat had taken hold I was just speaking to a friend who said it was 42 agrees. In Dehra Doon , can you believe it , it used to be a hill station once . I am all set to escape the heat of the capital as I head for the Bang Bang tour , yes I am off for a trip to The twang valley , situated in Arunachal Pradesh and how do I get their you ask , well. A Go Air ways flight will take you for Delhi to Gauhati and then connecting to Tezpur airport . Yes Tezpur in Assam state is the symbol of Assamese culture , Tezpur means city of blood and the folklore goes here Lord Krishna’s army fought Lord Shivas and the river Brahmaputra turned blood red . Being in the north east of Assam their are many temples to see in Tezpur including the Bahirabi Temple .The you have the Chitra lekha Udyan park and the Agni Grah Hill . If you want a real taste of Assam and it’s cultural heritage this is the place to see.

But my bang Bang tour has another attraction mourned 10 hrs car drive to the town of Twang situated 3000 meters above sea level . Twang is in the Indian start of Anurachal Pradesh and has Bhutan to it’s east . It comes under the area disputed with China , they claim that it is part of Tibet.It is the birth place of the Dalai Lama and the home to the oldest buddhist monastery The twang Monastery built 400 yers ago . The inhabitants of this region are for Tibet and parts of Bhutan’s they are called the Monapa and are name’s who survive on sheep , yak’s and cattle . They practice ancient Tibetan buddhism and some ancient practices of the Bon faith which even pre dates Buddhism .

Then you have the Bollywood connection the Madhuri Lake so named because the film Koyla was shot near the lake .The Gorchin Peak is worth a climb it is the highest peak in Arunachal Pradesh , at 22, 500 feet above sea level it is 160 km from Twang .The Twang war memorial built in the memory of soldiers who died in the 1962 Indo Sino war is great monument to visit when one is in the region . PT Two Lake and The Nuranag falls are the water bodies one must check out fore their photogenic picture post card look .

A return ticket Delhi – Guhati – Tejpur east me behind Rs 21,000 , room’s both in Twang and Tezpur are very affordable and one can book on tenet itself from makemytirp.com or another travel portals . Room rates in the range of Rs 2000 are available but one need to book in advance to get a confirmed booking . Rest you can explore the region in a Bolero Jeep which are available on hire and can be booked online too .

I am especially looking forward to the Bang Bang it’s Twang Odessey as I intend to finish my book The madness of the Monk here and hopefully discover some more of Bon and ancient Tibetan culture , the route of buddhism and how it spread through  the east from a little Obscure town in Gaya .This will help me uncover many facts and shed light on the Journey I partake with the Mystical Monk Tenzing , it seems it is going to be form the slopes of Dharamshala to the Hill’s of Twang for me.

He was a short man ,indeed old age had hunched him a bit a retired school teacher from the local degree colony he had come to settle in the. Colony almost 25 years ago .I was a very young man the only twenty or so . He. Was our neighbour , good friends we were my dad liked him for his simplicity , and his other was a house wife like mine . Our families stayed good neighbours for more then twenty years . Babu ji the good old common mine at times with his vest and wide Panama’s he did indeed look like the man from the R.K Laxman cartoon , the common man always bemused and perplexed with the goings on around him .Babu Ji , I sue to see him on his white Kinetic scooters , he would ride it around the area , no doubt to do the house hold shopping or doing the local bank work . Babu Ji he spoke Hindi and had very little teeth left , many a times he would sit nest the gate in a bamboo chair sipping small cup of tea reading the local Hindi daily newspaper .He was also a great help when some one parked their car outside our house , or a maid threw some rubbish outside our gate . He would shoe people away and fight with people to keep our part of the road east and tidy free from parked cars and other traffic .In this regard he was the model citizen and neighbour , he would always remind me to get my engine check done and my pollution done for my car . We were use to him , he was some one around us like guarding our house when my folks use to be away . He would also receive. Mail on my behalf at times , he would even deliver to us courier boxes that had accidentally landed in his house .He would love to roam around the front garden in a bush shirt and long white Pyjama’s , he would troll around the garden sometimes it on the bench and talk to fellow oldies at times even crack a joke or so . Maybe discuss the latest political situation or news on the TV . Share the story of the latest Bollywood blockbuster he had seen on the TV . He was good at that kind of homely Saas Bahu gossip , after all he had two sons all in their thirties with wives and children . He was a grand father , all this in-front of my very easy as my parents aged so did our beloved Babu Ji .

His son’s both worked in the IT sectors they had two small cars , which was used by the Bahu worked in HR department of a firm . But Bubu ji had retired long back , I never saw him not retired .He was one of the first residents of the colony , this use to be the teachers colony . Soon it became a Getto of Jain and Baniya shopkeepers . Ou Bbu ji still stood out for his humility and his plains , he had no pomp or show , he was simple as they come . I still remembered the days I had a fight with my servants after. My dad’s death , it was Babu Ji and his family that gave me moral support, they would often visit me and guide me . H was a re assuring old man and was a help after my dad passed away ,a s he would collect all my mails and parcels when I was way on my travels .He had gotten oral and a bit stiff , he would still be roaming around and driving his scooter , he was very active and had the same toothy grin thats as so typical of Delhi men from the Chandni Chowk area .

The thing about Babu Ji was that he had advice for you on almost everything , he wanted me to get married , he would advice me on where and how to pay my gas and electricity bills , he would also shut my main gate at time so that the dogs would not start eating out of the rubbish bags . Babu Ji was helpful without asking for anything in return he was a good old man . You would miss him in a crowd ,you cant see him easily his simplicity and plainness. Is his great camouflage .He wore rubber slipper and pried bata shoes , never saw him smoke or drink even once , he did enjoy his eating tea and biscuits , apart from that he kept himself busy with the TV and the house hold chores .But he was still up and about and looked in good health to me , I had just bumped into him and exchanged pleasantries he had asked me about my travel to Dharamshala and we greeted each other . That is why it came as a surprise and utter disbelief to me when my maid announce dto me in the morning that “ Babu Ji wo ! Ab nahi rahe .” She said Babu ji passed away in the early hours of the morning .” Heart attack , wo floor par gir gaya .” She explained to me .

I walked to my door and opened it to see , their were some people around Babu Ji’s house , no doubt family and well wishers . I could see his elfder brother talking to people , everything looked dull and pale . Yes ! Indeed the news was true that our Babu Ji had passed away with a stroke , he had passed away .” I felt a deep sense of hurt and warm feeling of pain ion my heat , he was some one I had seen around for decades , it was like loosing someone you had got accustomed to seeing around .Babu ji had passed away more then thirsty years we had lived as negators and today hew as no more . No more to hand me my letters or parcel , no more to watch over my pavement , to keep my side of the house clean . I would never see him zipping past me in his scooter wearing his Pyjama’s grinning into the sun . Or sitting on the bench in the garden just sipping tea and gossiping with the old fellows of the colony .No more seeing him take his leisurely rounds around the park lately he had started using his cane stick to help him around but he still had long strides , he looked like a cop who was obscure and could easily get lost , but he wanted to live , his quite life .The crowd outside his house was a bit restless as water was served to all . His son’s and taken him to the local heart hospital but he passed away before they could do anything all his arteries were blocked the doctors gave up mid way .Both his son’s looked baffled one also complained that he never had his heart check up for decades , e did have high sugar so though he fainted  because of that . Indeed it was true Babu Ji had passed away and it was sad day , especially when a dear neighbour with whom you have shared a common wall just passed away like that , just like a bubble . I did not have the heart to see his dead body and stayed away from the funeral , but I felt sad . Wit his receding grey hair and short vest he was thin of waste and limb , very thin patlu , Mr Patlu .He never renovated his house or build an extra floor for his family , the house. State as it was build occasionally he would get it painted , the rest everything even the doors and beds remained the same for all eternity .Babu ji the simple school teacher the commonest of all fellow passed away today , to me it feels like an own has departed , the warm fuzzy feeling of his obscure protection will never be available to me . His love for the street dog’s at times who would feed them and at times keep them at bay . His long conversations with the     Kachra wala or the newspaper delivery guys will never be seen again in my life time . Neither I see the astute bargainer , hackling the vegetable vendor to give him the lowest cost vegetables .All will be lost , my side of the lane has lost a champion a Guardian able and watch dog for our side of the colony .

It seemed like yesterday he was walking about talking to the washer women trying to fix a tap outside his house and today his body was being cremated  , his life as obscure as his death . No one would miss him , he was that insignificant , even his family will forget him after a while , he would just be a painting with a garland on the wall of the house .But for me he will be my Babu Ji and I have lost something today I am sad and in mourning as my babu Ji just passed away .

Nothing breathes Spanish cuisine as much as a paella. So much so, that paella is considered to be Spain’s national dish. Actually, it is technically a regional dish from Valencia. But its aromatic flavors have made it one of Spain’s most popular dishes the world over.

If you are unfamiliar with paella, let’s quickly take a look at the structure of the dish. Paella is a rice dish, where the rice is simmered in a combination of sauce and broth along with typically chicken or seafood, in a large flat pan. This method imbues the rice with bucket loads of flavor, making it the star of the dish.

The original or traditional paella from Valencia is made with either chicken, rabbit or duck and vegetables and beans. The spread of the dish to the coastal regions of Spain birthed the seafood paella variations, and modern takes on paella have introduced further new ingredients such as chorizo sausage and pork.

Paella is essentially a very simple dish to make, while being rewarding in its depths of flavor. There are however a few tricks and tips to making a great paella.

The first one of these, concerns the sauce in which the rice is cooked. Many paellas are started by making a tomato, onion and garlic sauce by simmering the ingredients together in the paella pan. This is called a sofrito. The sofrito should ideally cook for up to 40 minutes or even longer in order to sweeten and deepen in flavor. The trick with the sofrito is not to burn it. One does not want browning to occur. So if you see the tomato and onion mix sticking or browning, add a little water to deglaze the pan and you will be able to continue cooking the sofrito without getting bitter or burnt notes.

The other tips concerns the rice. Firstly, be sure to use round grain rice as it is most suited to paella recipes. Second, once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid in the pan, and is close to being fully cooked, it should start to crispen on the bottom and form a chewy layer. The Spanish term for this is socarrat. Now because most paella pans are larger than most hot plates, burners and hobs, you will need to rotate your pan around on the heat, to ensure an even crispening of the rice on the bottom of the pan. This is very important, otherwise one can end up with a burnt ring in the center, and not much socarrat.

Not let’s talk briefly about the flavoring behind this paella recipe. Seafood paellas often contain a variety of seafood, but being a mussel lover I wanted to develop a mussel on mussel paella recipe. And for most mussel lovers the only thing better than mussels… is smoked mussels. Having to make smoked mussels at home of course is a lot to ask if one does not have a smoker. So I hacked it and incorporated a can of smoked mussels along with the fresh ones. The result is a small explosion of mussel based umami!

To increase the amount of mussel flavor in the rice, the mussels are cooked in broth, and the broth is then used for the rice. The already cooked mussels can then simply be placed on top of the paella before serving. Generally the seafood is cooked on top of the rice. With this method one is able to gain maximum mussel flavor in the rice, and you also do not need to worry about the timing of when to incorporate the mussels into the paella for optimum cooking. Which allows you to place your full attention on the rice and its socarrat.

Not all of us have a paella pan in the cupboard, so feel free to use a large skillet pan. The important part is that it is large enough so that the rice will form a thin layer when fully cooked. Thicker paellas can be soggy and heavy. A thinner layer of rice will allow more socarrat to develop and for the rice to cook evenly.

A Man is Known by his Shoes 

Tenzing had come armed today with an umbrella , yes! It was raining again in this part of the world  . The summer hot air rises up during this time as the cool droplets of rain sponge on the earth and the dust on the ground . Trees regain their bright dark colours and the birds fly away into the comfort of their nests . The the flower petals turn. Inwards as if to protect themselves from showers . The streets become slippery as the traffic slows down , ones covering themselves with plastic sheets , cloth and umbrella run helter skelter to get shade under a roof or a shop on the way side . “ We need to see the rain , I think we should venture out of a while , just be careful walk slowly and watch where you are going .” He barked  his orders before he took me under the wings of his blue umbrella , it looked like a ladies .” You see to understand nature , we need to understand life and understand that we need to understand water , in rain you can really understand water . The water on the earth table , in sea , ocean , river , ales ,canals and waterfall , evaporates due to temperature and heat , this water gets into the atmosphere as water vapour , which rises into the air and settled up in the atmosphere in the form of clouds that hover in the sky . These clouds are like mops full of water droplets and then they burst into rain falling down on the earth in the form of droplets of water .You see water sustains all ,w without water their is no life . Even in space man is trying to find out wether their are planets that can support human life , the first evidence towards that is , if you can find water on that planet .” He explained more like a geography teacher then a Bon monk .

The rain does something to the smell of a place , their was the smell of flowers and lime in the air the sir would turn muddy at times but their was a definite lemon , honey like smell all around .My shoes where wet and so are Tenzngs , the pot holes on the road and made some muddy water splash on my things and parts of my ankle . This was one hell of a break , I could see. Monkeys on either side of the road running into the  bushes or taking refuge in the thick foliage of trees .

“ Water my Hindu friend it’s everywhere in streams and waterfalls all over the mountains infant they say the stream of this region are like milk when the fall from the mountains , the water is so fresh , why do you think the best apples in the world are grown in Himachal .” Tenzing knew his fruits . He posted to patches of farm and crop land in the hill tops ,” Those ares are where the farming happens , things like paddy and vegetables are grown to sustain us here in the monetary , again water is important to make sure the crop grow well and their is enough of fruit and vegetable to sustain all of us .” Indeed this amalgamation of the Hydrogen and Oxygen atom was amazing , along with air it was a vital component that sustained life ,” Well they say in Hindu philosophy we are made of five element or the panache tatva , Air , Water , earth , Fire and Space . The union of all these makes the human body or for that any other organism or animal .When death concours the five elements just evaporate into matter and operate into their own unique forms , the soul or the atman takes another form of being .” I was an expert in Hindu mythologies and my grandmother had read a round many such stories form the Purana’s and Geeta . So what that meant was that the form dies but the essence never dies , it just takes another from .” The clouds have gotten dark all of a sudden , it’s just early afternoon , it will not be easy to walk up with the road all wet , lets find a comfortable spot to sit .” Tenzing had been walking for a while and all this five elements talk had got him a bit tiered .

We found a small wooden shack one owned by a shoe maker who had two black umbrella’s open to give him shade and protect him from the rain . We ran near the. Shack and sat down an the wooden stool kept near by . The shoe maker was oriental , vey old past 70 years , he was working on fixing leather soul with his needle and there’d , he had some gum and some laces next to his feet , he was busy trying to fix the damn shoe and hardly looked at us at first .Then he gazed at us and with a sudden nod and smile invited us ,” I fix the shoes , I am a shoemaker , ,lot of tourist come here , most have bad shoes or their shoes break , help them and make their shoes shine again .” He was no doubt trying to sell is skills , but I was OK my. Shoes where fine a bit muddy and some of the rain water had gotten inside my socks also , but over all the condition of my shoes was perfect . Tenzing looked a bit concerned , the soul of his black leather shoes , which as more like a roman candle had chipped off and he had also broken a buckle . “ Now that needs repair I shouted , you get those fixed .” Tenzing opened his shoe and flung it at the shoemaker ,” Make it good as new .” Tenzing said like it was a. Command .

The shoe maker got going on the shoe with all his tools and with the knowledge of his craft , he chilled chunks to leather from the sole and stcikedt the buckle back , he used gum to paste the leather patches and then polished it to perfection , all this he did with all humility and total concentration , he was doing it perfect as if if was his prayer . I just gazed at him at time rain water would fall on his neck or cheeks , he would just wipe it off with non old twill and get back to work again .” You are very good in mending old shoes , I can see you have learnt the art of polishing well , was dedication towards a job not seen very respectable in our society , mean you are just a shoe shine boy .” The shoemaker gazed at me with soulful eyes ,” Yes you might see it that way but I see it very differently ,a s see myself as a man mending broken soles and shoes , a man making sure you walk straight , and without any discomfort . I give people a path a direction I help them walk , I add so much. More to their lives . I give men a direction .” A detailed explanation about the nobleness of being a shoe boy was given to me .Now that was a lofty idea , Wow never thought like that before , what ideals for such a lowly man , he was a shoemaker for godsakes , thinking he was given even a grand path and vision in life , he was saving poor souls like me who had no direction of clear path in life .

“ Yes you know a lot about a man form the way he wears and maintain’s his shoes .” He gazed at my feet no doubt trying to figure out what kind of a guy I was . I looked at my black leather shoes wet and muddy , but the soles still intact . I thin k I have kept my shoes well , they were not damaged at least I knew what. My path was . Or may be that was the lesson of the day for us , the shoemaker had hit the nail on the head , the lesson was a Man is Known by the way he keeps his shoes . It’s that simple and so very deep at the same time .

“ Life my friend cannot only survive because we breathe , to body our organs want nutrition was that. We can sustain our physical form the body . To give the body going we need food and their fore it is important to pay attention to your diet as you go along in life . A balanced nutritious diet is a kay to a long , happy , healthy and fulfilled life .” He explained to me one morning .” Here have tea and thunk and bread , I also have some oranges and apples if you like , or maybe a banana , diet is very important eat ii.” He handed some bread and apples to me .” Yes in the hills you are one with nature , fresh streams of water banked bread and fruits , after all we are use to walking and climbing through out the day , so we have to be fit , only a good diet can make sure we stay fit , without illness .” Tenzing I thought was a bit old fashioned in his ways of explaining the importance of diet and nutrition . In the metro’s the is a major profession , every. Gym , SPA or salon has a dietician , who gives you a diet chart to keep , so that you can achieve your weight and body goals . Tenzing was the more fresh air , waiter and fruit type . “ Water is very important , you need to keep having water , to regulate all the salts and enzymes in your body. Otherwise it may cause malfunction’s .” Tenzing said as he took one more bight of the red and green apple , he closed his eyes to enjoy the crispness and the tangy flavour of the fruit with the juice running into his taste buds almost hanging out of his tongue .

“ You know diet and religion go hand in hand , mean look at all the world religions they forbid their followers not to eat some meats , animals and even vegetable . Hindu’s can’t eat cow , Muslims can’t eat pork meat , Jains can’t have garlic and onion’s and so forth .” I said trying to find a relationship between the two .” Yes you are right diet is so ingrained oil our roots and way of life , after all no food no life .” Tenzing was amazed that I had made a valid and interesting point .I was also aware of the fact that great civilisations and cultures of the past had been ruined and destroyed by famine , drought and lack of water . With out nourishment , crops , foos their is no life and the land will remain barren , water and food are a necessity of life without them we will not sustain as a race .

“ I try to mix things during the day , I like to have fruits in the morning and evening , lunch is always noodles , thunpka , mom’s or just bread . Dinner his when I try chicken and lamb curry , I like it with Paratha , many shops sell this for dinner . Of. Course I like chances nuts , I eat them with dates in the evening with my tea . WE mustn’t forget a glass of milk and eggs thrice a weeks . That should do it .” Tenzing explained his idea of a ideal diet to have a happy upset free life with out sickness .

“ People here like sheep and they eat even yak meat , yak milk is had by the locals of this region , we are nomadic and really aspire for possessions in the world , we travel light just lie you , you are a travel blogger , just a nomad like me .” Tenzing was now trying to form his own connection . He. Had a hearty laugh , which came from his belly and filled his lungs ,his cheeks would stretch  upward and his eye would light up in excitement when he laughed . As we kept with our walking schedule , I realised my stamina had incurred and I was able to walk long distances without panting much . It must be the fresh air too that id the trick that bit of extra oxygen just gets you going .” I think we try some Karela Juice with sports and some neem and lemon  We sat outside a small park which was a war memorial for the dead soldiers who gave their lives during the Kargil war and the Indo Pak 1971 war . A juice maker was serving diet green juice made of Lauki and Karela and awe are the ones to try it first .” Everything shuts down early here by 8:00 pm most eating joints and dosa joints shut down . What to do so less people here , the higher you go the lesser the people .” My mind rushed to the days I was travelling around Bhutan , it is the most parsley. Populated place on erat , very less people , no doubt it is said they are the happiest country in the world .

“ You see Buddhist monasteries are a storehouse of  this of ancient knowledge of the faith , going inside. Monastery is like travelling back in time , The colour’s the old horse carriages , the prayer room with the might buddha everyone arms folded prays  to it with essence sticks in hand . I reminqicend about my time in Nepal Kathmandu the sound of OM NAMAYO RINKE KYUN , the buddhist chant . I even saw the young king of Nepal come and pray at one of the monasteries . Silence is the key here , just let everything go .

“ Diet yes! That is most important for a happy and fulfilling life , Buddhism takes you towards vegetarianism , just like the Hindu’s and the jain faith they prefer. Vegetarianism . That is the the way infect the world is moving we are discovering that being vegetarian helps improve life quality and you even live longer . “ Tenzing explains the finer points of a vegetarian diet to me .” Mountains are home to some exotic berries , hers and other plants that can be used in medicine , after all Ayurveda is a term from the hill’s where Hindu mountain hermit this sadhu’s would make potent medical prescriptions .”

Yes the mad monk must be right I mean who the hell would want to mediate and chant on an empty stomach or a poor diet .

No doubt the lesson of a balance diet was something that I could take forward as Za Zen principle  , being a non vegetarian I am trying to move towards vegetarianism .

Lesson 5 : Za Zen and The Art of Relaxation

Tenzing flute play had taken me by surprise and so had his lesson for the day . We would take our morning walks together and he would take me from one end of the mountains to the other through mountains , passes , hills and forgotten monasteries . “ I had come here to see the great man the Lama , I had questions I wanted to ask him , I had tried to ask this to Satguru the sage of coimbatore , but I did not get a reply to my letter . But it seems you are wise enough to answer them .” I looked at Tenzing reassured in his wisdom .” So what is it you want to ask ?” He replied . “ Well should I ask for the death penalty for those who killed my father ?” That was. My question .” Will it help , will it heal you an eye for an eye is the law of the land , let justice take it’s course , either ways you cannot get what you lost , you must forgive , so you yourself can forget the past and now walk away from it for ever .” The wise monk answered with resolute confidence .His words were reassuring and made sense , how does it help my healing and it’s better to walk of from the past , let time and justice take it’s course .

“ It’s China it’s mainland population expanded so fast that we Tibetans got forced out and had to settle here in exile , but we still dream of returning to our land and then the Dalai Lama will be King again and regain his lost land .”

“ He is quite a character the holy man I saw video’s of him dancing with bishop Tutu in south africa , and of course you have Richard Gere his Bollywood disciple  .” I had read about him and studied his sermons .” He is a charming man very saintly but he is a coward , why he ran away after the invasion , he should have stayed put in tibet and fought the Chinese till his last breath , now look at him , he lives in exile as a lost king .” Tenzing seems sad at the state of his grand master .” Then their is the second in line for the lama throne The Karmappa Lama he is another work of art , tall and brand he looks like a Chinese martial arts expert , he has also written a lot of books , holy man you see but e has his own set of followers and lives in the Gayto monastery on the other side .” He knew his history I though to myself .” This has been the land of the nomads a land for people who do not belong anywhere and. Have no home they can call their own , you guys are the lost people , time just passed you by .” I reminisced  .

“ You know the great mountain of Kailash and the holy lake of Mansarovar is an auspicious place in the Bon tradition , Kailash was also the abode of the Bodhi dharma and to you Hindu’s it is where Shiva sits and mediates .” Tenzing explained the spiritual journey of Mansarovar .” I know I have been their to Lahsa  and tIbet. Right upto the rock of Kailash  , I even swam in the holy. Lake of Mansarovara , the great king Ravan also prayed near the lake and asked to be granted a wish from Shiva .” I was familiar with Kailash as I had gone for an expedition with Satguru to the holy place , revered by Hindu’s Buddhists , jain’s and believers of the Bon faith .

We stood gazing at the tall walls and the golden stupa’s which jutted out into the sky . Their where white done like structure , with wooden curved roof’s . This was the Runktek monastery very famous ,” You know monasteries  have a long history about how they got made , in Srilanka their is a monetary that was made because one of buddha’s tooth fell on the. Land , so peel saw it as a auspicious place , everywhere in the world their are stories of some body part of the god’s , goddesses and holy men falling and suddenly a shrine a temple or a place of worship is built their .” Tenzing explained about the myths behind great shrines and monuments .” Well lets see Hazarat bal was built as a monk because a hair of the prophet. Feel their , Bhim Mal came into existence when Bheem hit the ground with his mighty mace , The water of the Brahmaputra river goes Red in summer as the mensural cycles of the Devi go on at that time , and it is said the the viajaina of the Goddess fell on the place where the temple is currently running .” I knew if I thought some  more I could come up with many such examples .” In Bon we have no such thing we just throw the dead on the hills to be eaten by birds and wild dog’s .” Tenzing gave a wicked laugh. When he said this .

“ You read Zen do you know the practice of Za Zen , it is a way of life a teaching for a happy and joyful life . They say that if we start getting up 20 min before our usual time or natural today clock , we will be able to be still then and fell relaxed as we begin our day , Relaxing is a very important thing , not many know the art to relaxing , the whole world is running , you city. People are always busy , no time for anyone . Za Zen practices make you relax , Joyful and ease your mind .” Tenzing had begun his lesson for the day no doubt .” Relaxing happens when your mind is till , if you go into a Zen garden you will see it is built in such a away that your mind will relax , no tension nowhere to go , that is when you feel in the real here and now . Take a deep breathe and just keep inhaling and exhale all the while concentrating on your breathe , make it longer and deeper and then slow. And slow .” Tenzing was teaching me the finer points of how to feel relaxed through my breath .” You see you can ideate. , think ,analyse , evaluate , plan and make decisions. Only when you are. Still and relaxed , oct of the people are. Running around , multitasking all the time or trying to salvage one situation till they stumble on the next the whole day , they have no time to sit and. Contemplation , this is a very important life skill one must cultivate . To just sit and think and visualise .a moment when you drop out of the game and analyse things from a far . The quality of ideation and the stream of ides will improve rapidly . You will be more insightful and will make correct decisions according to the situations you confront .So you see my friend relaxing is a big life skill.= to learn in life , to have a long and meaningful life .”

“ So is that what todays lesson will be about Za Zen and the art of relaxing .” I laughed aloud with joy and Tenzing. Gave me a toothy grin . “ You see the very nature of existence is a mighty dance , it is not going anywhere or doing anything it is just dancing and the process of dancing is the reason for the dance , it is not starting from anywhere nor is it going to end , it is just their for you to see .” Tenzing tried two go into death of the matter .” The breath is life itself , when you breathe in and out that means you have life in you the jeev atma is still present otherwise you would be a cold corpse . In Hindu Veda’s they call it “ Om “that is the sound of your breath when you inhale and exhale you make that sound . Concentrate on that and you begin to focus on life itself and you live in the moment all anxiety and worries evaporate .” Za Zen teaches you all this , even things lie ow you place your shoes and sandals in your room tells a lot about your sate of mind Werther it is organised or cluttered . The Japanese think one should be organised in the way you keep your shoes and slippers .” For a while I lost concentration and started to look else where , at the momo’ stall their was a man selling posted corn on the side walks .” Come lets have a snack my friend , a tea break we continue the lesson late .” I pulled Tenzing by the arm and dragged him to the hawker . We had a piping hot plate of veg mom’s and one roasted corn each .” Well I guess that’s all you need as a monk guys like me take care of your meals .” I chided him as I paid Rs 50 to the walker for the delicious meal .” But look at my lessons that I impart to you it is because of that , it is not free even a Monk has to eat .” Tenzing got a bit agitated when he said this , no doubt that what he was teaching him was of immense value too .

My mad monk had been very vocal; today and no doubt his lesson of Relaxation and the techniques will stay with me for ever .

Tenzing had a playful way with words and his lessons were being to hit me one by one. I had answers that I was seeking and he was providing me with those, like an old Zen master. Today I decided to go to the sunset point, this is a very famous spot for backpackers and foreigners who come to seek spirituality in Himachal. “ Today again it was Tenzing taking me up to the sunset point right on top of a hill, he was wearing his maroon robe but today he was carrying a Buddhist wishing well, a miniature version of it which he clutched in the palm of his hand. It would go round and round  when he shook his hand, it had blue jade stones and red rock embedded into it and was made of bronze .” You see this is my lucky charm today, I got it from Norbulinka, they have a great bronze art factory in the monastery, many artisans make statues of go’s and buddha all chisels out of bronze and other metals. “ I was amazed the wishing wheel did glow and shine in the sun, it was immaculately carved with images of the meditating Buddha .” Norbulinka that is the summer abode of the Dalai Lama I am told, he rests here in the summer, to is his palace at that time.” I was beginning to enjoy the climb as Tenzing cleared logs of wood and thin branches that landed on our path which was rather narrow.

“ Ah! This is the sunset point, very famous you cans see the. Entire valley from here .” He pointed towards the sun which was slowly setting. “ This land of Dharamshala is a refuge to us, but we came here long time back from Tibet, driven out of our homes by the Chinese, who saw us as a hurdle , they wanted to take over Tibet as it gave them a strategic point to strike at India. Tibet is high ver high it is called the Roof of the world. China knew that if it had control over Tibet it could spy and strike on India from the top, which in warfare is a huge advantage .” I could see how he made a point that Tibet then was a very strategic country, and if China had to dominate Southeast Asia it needed control of Tibet. The Red army defended the country, old traditions were destroyed, the life and way of the average Tibetan were threatened. With the army came civil disobedience, crackdowns, immolations, torture, and refugees. The Tibetans were driven out of their land and their supreme religious leader The Dalai Lama who I had come to see ran away into exile. The only country ready to except them was India, with Nehru at the helm, he let the Tibetans live in and around Dharamshala, this was one of the reasons for the enmity of China and India because we gave shelter to the Dalai Lama. That was the history of the kingdom of Tibet and it’s exiled people. Many places around the Dharamshala had museums with photographs depicting those turbulent times of grief and strife. Nonetheless, the region embraced them, a large part of the region including Spiti Valley, Nako, Tabo and Leh Ladhak are the roots of the ancient Bon faith which soon got intaglio and almost lost in Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy, which had distinct Chinese influence .” So you see my friend Bon  is much older than Buddhism even, its the mother faith of this mountain region .” He explained further, I felt at times my time with Tenzing passed very breezily.

We started walking down after a while, and then trudged off through the main Bazar, with food outlets and women selling woolen clothes .” We made this our home, we are refugees in the Hindu land, my friend. Most people are monks who have dedicated their lives to celibacy and seeking the ultimate truth. You must have seen young bald monks chanting and praying all the time .”  He paused to look at me,” Ya! That’s one hell of a mind fuck, they are always doing things to screw up the. Mind, I mean mediation also does that it makes you drop the mind .” I had to cut in and give my opinion after all the best way to learn is to elaborate on what your teacher was saying . Tenzing no doubt was my teacher but I was a knowledgeable pupil. I knew the esoteric form and I understood what Tenzing was saying .” So you are practicing ways to drop the mind altogether, that is the doorway to the truth, the Atman or the witness. The witness sees all but is not involved in the play of life, so he is a detached householder, the one who lives within, sees all but partakes in none .” My mad monk stopped next to a small pawn shop and picked up a large wooden flute with the lagging buddha engraved on it, he paid Rs 100 to the shop owner and purchased the flute .” This is what I need at this time, the other way to lose your mind is to listen to or create music, I love playing the flute, the breathing has to be controlled and regulated, you need to be good at deep breathing. What you say in yoga , pranayama .”   He picked up the flute plucked his lips and began to play. In a few seconds, he got into the tune and the flute let go of its melody. I put my camera bag and sat on a large stone by the side, this was some other side of the mad monk I was seeing. He was a master piped piper this guy, but instead of rats monkeys steered flying gall over the trees no doubt enchanted by the melody and song of the flute player. The music filled the air as the rhythm and vibrations filled the air, Tenzing got more and more animated as he plays the flute. From the sidewalks two Buddhist kid monks the same that I had seen chanting at the courtyard appeared and started to dance to Tenzing’s flute play. They waved their hands up and down in the air falling forward and backward in a rhythmic Buddhist dance. Soon people stopped near the neighboring hills to witness the Mad monks rock concert. Only if I could sell tickets for such an event in advance but, alas! It went on and on it’s as if Tenzing had gone berserk totally lost within his music, it was if he had become one with the music and mingles into the dance of the twin monk kids, who had a not of energy. Now I see what he meant by dropping the mind, if you concentrate on your breathe and inhale and exhale, concentrate deep on it after a while it becomes like meditation, you get lost and the mind slowly dissolves to make the witness appear.

Isn’t that what he was trying to teach me the whole day, how to drop the mind and why chanting and prayer were so important in their ancient faith. Suddenly it went all quite Tenzing slowly open-end  his eyes as if waking up from a trance .” Come we walk now enough of music .”  We started walking back. Through the narrow hill by lanes .” Dropping the mind is important, you need to learn just to watch it, stay away from all the physiological drama. That is what the Buddhist practice teaches you, drop the mind and make the truth appear .” I pause to absorb his words this was indeed my mad mom’s out the lesson , drop the mind and the truth will appear.

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Lesson 3 :Nature heals all wounds 

It was early morning and I woke up with a thud a round persistent knock on my door ,” Sahib bed head you want some tea ,” a voice of the helper of Sagar hotel barked from outside the door .” Go away I am sleeping now , later later no tea for me .” I was in no mood to get up , my discussions with Tenzing had made me heavy and sleepy , it was all too much to absorb the fellows teachings coupled with his life lessons . I was woken up again after an hour by the chirping of the birds , it seemed the morning had brought in the rain also , but the sun shone bright , I could see droplets fall on tree’s as rain water dripped from the laves and beaches up aloft . Was this not but a dream the weather cool , soft and serine , I walked out of my room into the breeze that came from either side of the hotel lobby .

Arrey some one get me an ice cream .” I shouted aloud at the helper , within minutes he appeared with a cone of butterscotch ice cream . I felt it was time for me to explore the hill’s further may be a walk a bit more towards the greener side of the city . With my leather sling bang tied around my waist , I walked out into the street across the town ship of Dharamshala , only to spot two tea stalls selling nick Naks , I stopped over for a bottle of water and enquired “ How can I get to the hills on top , I want to explore this place .”  I asked a gentleman reading the newspaper who looked at me with some irritation and said ,” Yes you will get taxi from here private taxi or you cab go by bus also .” He was amused as I looked a bit lost .From no where a thin , lanky kid in his early twenties can walking towards me ,” Sir I take you to the hell , show you all monastery and famous tea shop , I have my car I will drive you to the top .” He looked confident but I could make out from his eyes he was doped and loved to smoke up .” What is your name , you drive taxi .” I asked him politely .” Yes I am Abu I am from here I take you and show you Dharamshala and Macloud Ganj . You pay Rs 800 to me ok .” He was eggar to make a deal , this was peak season time and the locals made money by doing odd jobs for the tourist . I was in luck as I had my own taxi and an exclusive driver name Abu .Muslim right he was lean and had a brown bread that shown , he was fair with droopy , sleepy eyes , he would do I thought to myself , lets explore this land of Tibetan exiles with Abu and his taxi .

We had to go though small ,narrow , curing bylines full of tiny shops and walkers on either side , selling clothes to vegetables . The traffic would often slow down or be reduced to a stand still , we were moving though the traffic  like snails .

‘ It is loud all this noise , I hate traffic and noise that’s why I came here from Delhi , I love to write and I am writing a book .” I explained to Abu  to start a conversation with my driver who would be my companion the entire afternoon .” I see you are from Delhi , how did you guess that .” I asked ,” well you look like from the city , your shoes and your t shirt it is like you are from Delhi , some big town .’ Abu explained his entire observation on my attire . The afternoon was cool and it became cooler as our car climbed the mountain roads , which were narrow and wobbly at times .After a few hours of drive Abu stopped on the side next to a  Paratha shop . It was made of wood with a few benches near by , we had to climb a bit to get to it as it was right on top and hurried from the main view of the hill .’ Came I have Paratha , it is my best food place , good hot tea , you will like it lot of tourist enjoy eating here .” Abu no doubt was hot selling the shop and it’s proportion to me .I decided to take the plunge and climbed up to the shop ,” I am also a Bollywood actor , I have done films with Shah Rukh Khan , in-fact you cane google my name also , I am famous you know .’ I said to Abu giving away further details about my identity . “ I study in the local college , my subject in business administration .’ He said proudly as he pulled me up to the tea stall . As I approached the wooden bench to sit and take a breather , long behold a siren voice asked me ,’ So Shiva would you like your tea in a glass or a cup .” The voice was similar to me , the tone was familiar too , looked up and it was none other then Tenzing wearing old trousers and a unbuttoned white shirt , he was dressed like a tea stall and paratha vendor . This was some transformation I must say , first in the monastery , then in my room and now at the tea stall up the hills of Dharamshala , my magical monk was following me all around the valley no doubt keen to get my attention so that he could whisper another sermon or insight into my ear about the ancient Bon religion and the mysteries of the Buddhist order .” Here your tea I make it just the way you asked , good you came Heer to get some clean air .” He sat down next me as Abu walked into the stall to serve himself a paratha .” We are all connected you see , we just need to have the right perspective , see how you and I keep bumping into each other , it is like we have some connection , why was it that I just picked on you .” He said to me as if he wanted answers from me .My mad magical monk was in no mood to relent it seemed ,’ Yes maybe , you have answers to all my questions , as they say when the student is ready the master will appear .” This was another one of my wise zen couplets I  liked to throw into my conversation to keep pace with Tenzing’s esoteric gyaan .” Pain and Pleasure we discussed it last time , you remember .” He wanted me to jog my memory to his second lesson ,what would be his Third lesson I wondered .” Come with me we climb up a little bit .” He pulled me by the hand as I kept the tea glass on the bench , some how I could never visit the monk .” You know in Bon culture we believe in spirt , in Bhutan you have Shaman’s they are the gate keepers of spiritual energies and bless people during key festivals .

We kept climbing up the hill , when suddenly Tenzing looked on the ground as if he had found something that he was looking for . It was a shrub with round red buds like fruit or berries of some kind . He plucked then and took a hand full , then he very merrily chewed them making =gestures of delight with his face .’ These are sweet they are more red the green berries our sour we pluck them two weeks form now .”  We kept walking till we saw some mountain goats grazing at the corner their were three cowherds , father and two sons for sure guarding their prized possession ,” Nomads all of them they keep moving in the mountains with there goats , in summer they come her fro the sun and fresh air .” I wanted to sit and saw a rock jutting out of the mood with a thud I feel on it , I didn’t enjoy the climb much but with my Monk egging me on I had to obey .” Nature it is abundant most people on this and the Tibetan planes are Nomads , from as far away as Mongolia , Kirkistan and China . All they want is provided by nature . The yak is the mans of transportation and a source of milk. , even meat in winters as food . The goats the sheep are used for well for making clothes , the many rivers and steam provide ample fresh water , the trees provide fruit , berries and herbs . The land gives us grain , crop and vegetables . The nomads live in mud huts and farm the land , they live for the land , as man should in a ecosystem that gives and take .’ He wanted to go on further but was stoped by the sight of a flying bird .The bird had a long tail , blue and green in colour and crooked beak , she flew and sat on a tree in-front of us , that was the distraction enough for the monk to stop his monologue on mother. Nature .” Weather you flow with existence or against it , you have to know you are a sub set of nature and thus dependent on it , their is no reason to believe that you were made to board over it .” At times Tenzing sounded like an environmentalist , trying to save trees and mountains . Most monks and spiritual teachers are that way , they worry about rivers , trees , hills and the oceans . They realise how important it is for the human race to be in harmony with nature .” The real laws one must follow are the ones of nature. Not of societies , groups or man , one should be in tune with the eternal laws of the cosmos the en sure existence .If we align the rules of our lives that way we can avoid pain and suffering as we will be able to build a better reference point for our lives .”  Now it was Tenzings turn to look back and see wether I was on his trail . So it was me and my mad monk trying to understand the world we had landed into with our own unique perspectives .

We stopped after a while near a fresh water stream , water was gushing down the rocks down the hill forming a nice pool of moving fresh mountain water .” The hill goddess is kind on us , come lets drink and wash up , my boots are very muddy let me clean up .” Tenzing wanted a breather from out hill excursion .He was like an excited child throwing water on himself and on his face trying to wash up , the monk enjoyed water and played around like a baby . You could tell the man loved the hills and the streams and the fresh air .” You came to see the master and you meet me the mad monk , the water it gets me excited all the time .” Our old man almost had a mini bath .” Let us walk a bit more on that narrow path on the edge of the hill .’ He pointed to a narrow path will rocks on either side . “ I forgot your taxi driver Abu must be waiting by now he must have eaten a dozen paratha’s and gone to sleep , we have been up the mountain for a few hours .” He said with a tone of panic in his voice .i tried to hurry down the hill but , jagged rock grazed by right upped thing , I could feel the crush as if I burst a skin . I stopped with a Hugh drone to see. The damage , their was a bit of blood , and long gash which oozed thin red blood .” Oh ! You have hurt yourself , my buddha let me see .” The mad monk examined my wounds and decided he had the remedy . I was asked to wait b y my Bon master who headed ahed to fetch some green herbs and leaves . He put some black mud on the leaves and then with the paste of the herb plastered it on my wound that will do it . You will be perfect by the time we get home .” He said has he tied a bandage around the herb and mud paste .’ Their you will be as good as new in a few hours .” He held my hand and slowly pulled me down the winding mountain path ways .One has to be very careful in this terrain ,each step has to be placed with great care the mud was slushy and I could have easily slipped and injured some other part of my body .

“ Nature is amazing , the ultimate mother she is waiting with her abundant love , whatever wounds you may incur , that of the heart for the body can be healed by nature in time , it is a process that has to be given time , with time everything heals and also grows back again , nothing in nature is destroyed for ever if just takes another form , thats all .” I could see what the old man was trying to say . Abu had been waiting with the car to take me back to Sagar hotel .” Where did you disappear with this Tibetan  Lama ,” he asked as he sat back into the drivers seat .” First he was serving you read and then you vanished  in the hills with him , is he your song lost uncle .” Abu quizzed me ,” No no he is my firmed my guide to the hills the mad monk , he had just come to finish the lesson of the day .” I punt the car windows up as I said those words “ So what was the lesson of today .” Abu wanted to know after all he had been waiting for me down the mountain pathway for long .” The lesson was that we should all live our lives as one with nature and respect mother nature at only it knows the tricks to healing our bodily and emotional pain’s . Mother Nature heals us all only time is needed .” He had got the lesson of the day from my mad monk .Abu laughed a loud we had reached our hotel , he braked and said ,’ They say in my village that Time is the greatest healer .” I help my camera tight towards be and before I walked out of the car , removed the bandage the monk had tied on my thing . The wound had healed , the blood had stopped and the pain from the ash had subsided .” Yes time it is the greatest healer .” I remarked as I said my good bye for the day to Abu .