DHARAMSHALA/MCLEODGANJ- EXPERIENCING THE ELUSIVE SHANGRI-LA IN REALITY
A couple of weeks back, I had written about the spiritually immersive experience of the memorable audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama during my trip to Dharamshala/McLeod Ganj and had promised to write about the physical experiences later, a promise which I intend to fulfil now.
The trip afforded me the opportunity to undertake the scenic Trihund Trek, an experience which made me, in spite of my advancing age and unmindful of the risks involved, even more determined to plan and undertake more such adventures during my remaining lifetime.
Although, naysayers, including well-meaning friends, family and, in particular, my wife dissuaded me from undertaking the adventure, warning me of the difficult physical terrain, the physical risks involved, the inclement weather (in particular the forecast of intermittent but heavy rain), it being off-season etc, I definitely with more than a bit of foolhardiness but backed by a steely, may be quixotic, determination, set out on the trek accompanied with two acquaintances.
The trek began after a short, albeit, bumpy ride to the Gallu Devi Temple — and a short distance into the trek I realised how lucky and fortunate I was to be able to indulge in this adventure and overcome the incessant, yet well-meaning reservations of my well-wishers to the, seemingly, foolish plans. The drive to Gallu Devi Temple in a Maruti Omni was itself remarkable — not just for the bumps involved, but for the manner in which the Driver traversed the entire path (which was to put it mildly uneven and anything but smooth) and the ingenuity with which he would find ways to prevent the vehicle from stalling — exemplifying not only his experience and presence of mind but also a stark reminder of the famed Indian “Jugaad” (make-fix) technology.
The close to eight-hour trek, made me aware of the bounties, vagaries and the sublime beauty that nature provides us. Throughout the day, I was witness to the shifting moods and manifestations of nature, what, with a clear sky and the bright pleasant sunshine, providing a clear view, suddenly being covered with dense clouds enveloping the entire valley in a misty, fog obliterating the entire view– mind you it was a pattern to be repeated several times during the day with periodic, of course, unpredictable regularity.
A clear sky provided a breath-takingly clear view of the valley, encapsulated in a vast expanse of green dense forests and the surreal and sublime beauty in the backdrop of the seemingly monstrous yet majestic, magnificent Himalayan Ranges. The next moment dense clouds in the face of strong, yet soothing, winds covered the entire valley dropping visibility to sub-optimal levels. The misty and dense fog with its accompanying solitude was at the same time comforting in the serene calm and absolute stillness of the entire atmosphere. More so was the inbuilt confidence that in the near vicinity of the seat of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, nothing could and, in fact, did not go wrong. A couple of raindrops, at some intervals, only added to making the experience memorable — and the raindrops reflecting brightly in the backdrop of the sun’s rays (when the climate changed) only made the entire package ethereal. Of course, I was lucky not to encounter any heavy rainfall in the entire day — perhaps a reflection of the stroke of good luck riding on me in this trip — culminating in an audience with His Holiness (already written about earlier).
The other thing I realised, nee, learnt from this trip was that, apart from mere physical exertion, any such strenuous activity and sport, required not just physical training/practice but also strategy, planning, coordination, determination — all in all an analytical mind and intense mental preparation. Apart from infrastructural planning (things to be carried — managing the weight while at the same time taking care to carry all the essentials), estimating the time to be taken so as to be able to complete the task before dusk, planning the route to such seemingly mundane and incongruous matters, such as regulating the fluid intake to prevent dehydration while at the same time keeping the limited availability of washrooms enroute in mind, the entire experience was a lesson in management which will stand me in good stead for any such adventure in future and of course in my normal routine.
The experience once again reinforced my respect for champion athletes in any sport, and the fact that their path to glory and success required not just strenuous physical work and training, but also extraordinary mental strength, agility and perception — wherein success required a potent combination and optimal blend of the physical and the mental to reach the pinnacle of glory and success.
The entire trek was also a lesson in concentration and mental agility, beginning with an ability to spot your way forward among the rocky terrain to putting the best foot forward where a wrong step apart from not just causing some extra physical discomfort had the potential for major injuries — may be a torn ligament or pulled hamstring most of which I shudder to even think off, the entire process required extraordinary presence of mind all along the way. While I was lucky to have the company of two experienced hands with me who guided me along the way, the need to keep your faculties operating at an optimal capacity was paramount and integral to the entire exercise.
The day also left me with fond memories of simple and endearing nature of the hilly people comfortably ensconced in their own cocoon, and thankfully unsullied by the rapid commercialisation and machinations of the urban/material world. Right from offering drinking water to a warm, well-made cup of tea to a friendly meal of well-cooked almost homely dal, chawal, to offering you a comfortable place for relaxation (perhaps realising that for a city- breed like me the experience was really physically exhausting — which I must confess it really was) and guiding you on the track — their innocence, simplicity and earnestness floored you all along the way. If only we could imbibe their qualities in our so-called modern, yet commercialised and manipulative world, our problems would rapidly dissipate. Of course, considering the circumstances (I may be forgiven for sounding pessimistic) the possibilities seem remote.
All in all, to put it simply, the entire experience was exhilarating, satisfying and rejuvenating — an adventure I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone. Of course, the experience, for want of a better word, is infectious, and I have already started planning my next trek, much to the chagrin, (completely/understandable) of my family and well-wishers.
I would entreat everyone to fuel, power and execute and not just ideate one’s adventurous streak. Enjoying nature with some amount of adventure thrown in is a whole lot of fun, an unforgettable experience and something to cherish.
1. The month of September, at least for the last two years, seems to come with happy tidings, memorable experiences and cherished memories, enough to provide sustenance, motivation and a desire to get the best out of and enjoy this life, savour its experiences and devour the bounties that mother nature has to offer.
2. While last year (September, 2018) provided me an opportunity to visit the hallowed city of Cambridge, soak in the intellectual environs of its University and get a peep into the intellectual giant that my late father was, this September gave me the opportunity to visit the picturesque, and calm hill cities of Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh. The visit apart from being a vacation in a clean, unpolluted and unsullied atmosphere, surrounded by ethereal beauty, with absolutely breath-taking views was memorable both from a physical as well as a spiritual standpoint. While I shall write about the physical aspect later, for starters, I propose to write on what made the visit, to put it mildly, remarkable purely spiritually and mystically.
3. Having long known McLeod Ganj as the seat of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, I had long cherished, a desire to see His Holiness in person, and circumstances warranting, to be blessed by him. Also having been an avid reader of books written by and about him by various authors (including my favourite “The Book of Joy” which is a series of conversations between His Holiness and Archbishop Desmond Tutu moderated by Douglas Abrams) and impressed by the simplicity of the Buddhist religion, I had tried, admittedly sparingly (perhaps realising the remote possibility of success), to have an audience with him in the past, of course, without any success.
4. Imagine my luck when on this visit, we came to know that His Holiness was delivering teachings in McLeod Ganj for three days and were with a bit of effort from my wife and providential luck, were able to obtain an appointment for an audience with His Holiness. In absolutely childlike exuberance, enthusiasm bordering on insanity, unbridled anticipation and nervousness as to how things would ultimately unfold and whether the plans would really materialize we reached the Dalai Lama Temple well before the appointed time (conscious not to take any chances) and aware that for the audience to actually materialize we would have to go through a massive and elaborate security drill.
5. We need not have worried. The security, admittedly tight, rigorous and detailed, with standard operating procedures being followed to the minutest detail, was nevertheless friendly and unobtrusive, and the entire procedure well laid out, perhaps positive tidings for what was to follow and harbinger of what lay in store.
6. With a warm and friendly greeting His Holiness’s nephew (who also doubles up as his Secretary) escorted us to the room where we were to have an audience and be personally blessed by His Holiness, politely informing us that although the blessing was going to be “very brief”, there would still be enough time for plenty of photos and, may be a personal conversation.
7. We waited with bated breath, excitement running high, for the moment when His Holiness arrived supported by his aides (apparently his knees give him a lot of problem, making walking difficult) admittedly looking frail in the body, but the mischievous smile and twinkle in his eyes, as he is famous for, intact, and the glow on his face is radiant as ever — being merely in the same room that he was, made the moment memorable.
8. However, it was what followed that left the most everlasting impression and it seemed as if time stood still for as long as we were there. As soon as he came, he stretched his hands out and as a mark of pure, unabashed reverence we bent down to seek his Blessings, but after blessing us he quietly reached for our hands and held them tight and with pure, pristine affection, started talking to us. The conversation started with how Buddhism, being a relatively newer religion, had benefitted from the teachings of other more ancient Religions and how its thought processes and principles had evolved over time. Seconds turned to minutes and we were overwhelmed by the serenity and composure of this colossus and the opportunity to be able to personally imbibe his teachings. If not from the gentle nudge of his aides reminding him of the stream of visitors, patiently but eagerly, waiting for him, he would have continued to talk to us.
9. I mind you his facial expressions did not give the slightest hint of the trials he had faced and the tribulations that his life had been through — it was an embodiment of tranquillity, peace and nobility — his mere presence in the room generated not just under- currents but may I, cheekily say, high-voltage serenity, purity and calm.
10. While we left after a few more minutes with memories enough to power a life- time, I personally was again fortunate to sit through his discourse — mind you — a restless and fidgety personality like me sat glued to the chair for close to two hours with the FM radio (to provide the English translation of his discourse in Tibetan) plugged to my ears to listen to his pearls of wisdom, his commentary on Bodhicitta, mindfulness, joy and the like and attempt, perhaps, to apply them in my daily routine. Indeed, his autobiography which I had the presence of mind to carry and get autographed, is one of my most prized possessions and the photographs clicked with him would occupy the pride of place on my table
11. The thing that was most noticeable was that while walking from his residence to the seat from where he was to deliver his teachings, a distance of barely a couple of hundred meters, His Holiness took almost three quarters of an hour — not because he was slow to walk, but because he made it a point to meet and bless as many people on the way as he could, among the multitudes who had gathered to hear him. With a special focus on children, he made sure to respond to as many people as he could both on the way down and while leaving after the discourse again a reflection of the purity, sincerity of the approach and a mirror of his teachings, principles and philosophy — Bring Joy, Spread Joy, Radiate Joy and Find Joy in the happiness and success of other people.
12. While those couple of minutes spent with His Holiness were surreal, the entire experience was the most cherished experience of my life by a vast margin — a margin which I do not see being bridged, even to a miniscule extent, by any other experience. If only, we all as a society could embrace and emulate his teachings in our daily routine, the world would surely become a better place to live in — a thought, admittedly, very idealistic but surely desirable and not beyond the realm of possibility — it is only by aspiring for and dreaming of the impossible that we attain progress. I leave you all with these thoughts with the fond hope that all of us would be fortunate enough to get a chance to be personally blessed by His Holiness and of, course, imbibe and practice his teachings. I conclude with one of my favourite Dalai Lama quotes: -
“Remember that the best
relationship is one in which
your love for each other exceeds
your need for each other”
