Yoga, Meditation and Everything In Between

Here are some pictures from my time spent in Rishikesh (I'm too tired to write anything right now, sorry). For those of you whom aren't familiar with Rishikesh it's the same place in which the Beatles came in 1968 to practice Maharishi Yoga and Transcendental Meditation, also the same place where John Lennon wrote most of the White Album and ever since then it has become a boon for yoga enthusiasts and spiritual teachers from all over the world. Hope you enjoy!

Fear And Loathing In Varanasi

When I think about Varanasi several words come to mind; Crazy, Bonkers, Disturbing, Ludacrious, Unpleasant and Absolutely Fucking Insane ... Okay that last part was three words but still it's very fitting. Never before have I ever seen so many damn people packed into such a small place at one time, it's like watching 5 people trying to fit through one doorway but not as funny. The streets are narrow and over run with people, cows, dogs and motorcycles. Yes, MOTORCYCLES. As a matter of fact I rode on the back of one through these chaotically small streets in order to get to my hotel which I never would have found otherwise. Not even a map would do me any good, I would need to ask for directions for hours to even get remotely close. But nothing of nothing can possibly describe just how truly fucking crazy this city is. I had heard from everyone that Varanasi was plain and simply nuts and that I should prepare myself physically and mentally for what would be a blatant assault against every one of my senses and maybe even some I didn't know I had. I didn't doubt any of it for a second. Varanasi takes no prisoners as was rightly stated in my Lonely Planet but never could I ever prepare myself for what was to come.

Being that Varanasi is the Holiest City in India in which the dead come to reincarnate, there is quite alot of foreigners that come to see this shocking spectacle. And when theres foreigners in India you can almost guarantee that there is going to be flocks of touts, scammers and beggars trying to get your attention along with your money. From the second you walk outside of your hotel you are almost immediately bombarded with people trying to sell you shit that you dont want and probably will never need. Its quite cumbersome and draining actually, so much so that I debate about whether or not to go outside and deal with the onslaught of people. When I first came to India I got used to people asking me if I wanted any drugs or trinkets and always politely declined the offer but after being in Varanasi for 3 days I can only think about punching every person that comes up to me so hard in their face that they lose all of their teeth and are unable to utter a single word! When you weave your way through the maze of endless streets and walkways eventually (or hopefully) you find yourself at the steps of the ancient ghats among hundreds of dilapidated ruins and people. There is so much going on here at once that I had to sit down from all the overwhelming stimuli. [WARNING: If you have a weak stomach you should probably stop reading here] There are processions of people carrying long colorfully decorated stretchers down towards the Ganges River where they finally meet with the edge of the shore. You figure that its a dead body that they're carrying but it's only until they unwrap the colorfully decorated cloth and reveal its still, lifeless face that you truly understand its dead. One of those "Wow, this is real" moments. They proceed to bathe the body by scooping up handfuls of muggy water from the Ganges and carefully splashing it on the face of dead. I have only seen a dead human in real life once or twice before so this was quite the experience for me, and completely opposite from the funerals I was accustom too back home. However nothing on the face of this person denotes death, as a matter of fact they look quite peaceful in their brilliantly flashy attire. This was really fascinating for me as well. For so long death had been chalked up to be this painfully dreaded event, but when I stared into these lifeless faces all I could see was peace and tranquility. At this moment I didn't feel so bad about death or dying. I felt like it gave me courage for my own inevitable passing. Anyways back to the story. While all of this is happening cows, dogs and goats are eating scraps of garbage off the trash covered beach, kids are coming up to you demanding money or trying to sell you hasheesh and fires are violently burning ash high into the atmosphere. The air is thick with a grey, barely permeable smoke that burns the eyes and nose so bad you want to stop breathing. Then as you begin to gaze deeper into the violent flames as they consume stacks of wood, you notice something. Something that doesn't fit. Then you stare more closely and realize what it is... Flesh and bone searing away in the radical flames. Ill spare you the gory details but thats when it hits you, there is more then just wood in those burning stacks. Once you figure out that your sitting in a fiery graveyard you begin to realize what the ash is that's landing on your clothes and the putrefying air that your inhaling. In that moment I instantly jumped up from my seat as if I had just been stung by a bee. I looked around disorientated, trying to find my composure and quickly snapped back. "This is fucking crazy" I thought to myself, and the truth of the matter is that it is fucking crazy. For the rest of the day after that I was very weak and solemn, reflecting on what I had witnessed earlier.

I have come to realize that although India has a lot to offer culturally (as in it will blow your mind if you can handle it) and architecturally, it is for lack of a better term, an outright shit-hole. Yes I said it and if you care to argue with me about this then please do, I welcome such criticism, but nothing about India is at all clean or sanitary, not the people, not the cities, not the streams not even the hospitals and if you don't believe me then you can come here yourself and experience the true India first hand. Not the India mocked up in the western world to be some sort of spiritual haven or peaceful refuge. I'm talking about the real deal, the one that doesn't give two hot steaming piles of cow feces about what you or anyone else thinks. It's in your face, unrelenting and by no stretch of the imagination a picture perfect holiday vacation. And as I lay in my hard wood bed sick with food poisoning (for the third time now) a headache, and diarrhea all that I can think about is the 10 day countdown before I get to leave this shit infested, overcrowded, nightmare of a place. I know that may sound harsh but that's how I feel, no ambivalence.

Yup that's my rant I hope you enjoyed.

Stay tuned for my next exciting installment where I attend a teaching held by none other then His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and ride an elephant in Jaipur!

Am I A Space Time Continuum?

Well fortunately the Vogons decided to spare our lives and post-pone the destruction of planet Earth to build the intergalactic space highway (if you don't believe me you can check out the demolition orders on display in Alpha Centauri for yourself) so I can now safely continue onward with my travels :D Over the course of the last 10 days I've been to 3 different regions of India; Punjab, Himchal Pradesh, and now Uttarkhand. I've travelled to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, trekked up to Triund high in the Himalayas, and now i'm staying at a yoga ashram in Rishikesh. My time in McLeod Ganj was well spent however I needed to move onto my next destination so I wouldn't become complacent. So with that said I boarded a bus at 4:00 AM with my Australian buddy Rob and headed towards Amritsar. Ive travelled by bus enough now to know that it absolutely sucks and after 6 long hours of bumpy roads and uncomfortable turns we finally made it to the station. We got off the bus and made a feeble attempt to find our way around but gave up after 5 minutes of wading through the hordes of unpleasant traffic. Eventually we found a rickshaw to the Golden Temple where we ended up staying for 3 nights in the dorms. Among us there were two dozen other travelers from all over of the world, some we had even met previously in Mcleod Ganj. Its really cool to unexpectedly see someone you met awhile back at some random place in India, it actually happens more then you'd think. I was exhausted from the overnight bus ride and wanted to catch up on some sleep but Rob decided he wanted to attack the day with more ambition then a puppy in a dog park. Of course I couldn't say no for long thinking about food, so we made our way across the road and to the entrance of the Golden Temple (not real gold for those of you whom are curious). Before entering any of the sacred sights barefoot we had to first cover out hair with a bandana (or shawl for women) and wash our feet so as to not tract in any dirt. The view from the front of the temple is something extra dazzling especially at night when its all lit up, although my pic doesn't do it justice. I began to follow a long mat laid out upon an immaculate marble floor surrounding the emerald green lake of the temple until I found myself inside. It was amazing beyond belief and I had picked the perfect time to go, a ceremony was in progress (which made sense why there was so many people standing in line) and I had just stumbled upon it by accident. Afterwards I walked back around the other side of the lake and to the dining hall or Guru-Ka-Langar as they call it which serves thousands of Sikhs, Hindus and foreigners like myself free food each and every day. For me this was the most fascinating sight of all, not just because I love food but also because ive never witnessed something as effortlessly efficient as this before. As you walk through the gates you are handed a plate, bowl, and spoon (with a warm smile might I add) and then follow a large group of people down a corridor to the dining hall itself. Everyone looks identical as they sit down together in a long, orderly row with they're legs crossed and palms wide open as if praying for holy intervention. A few dozen men, some young and some old, come down the line of people tossing chapati into the open hands of those patiently waiting to be fed. Not to far behind them are more men carrying large metal pales of hot dhal and deliciously sweet rice pudding (my favorite), each ladling equal portions into their plates. Prior to anyone even picking up their spoon a mantra is echoed throughout the massive room and everyone says their blessings for the beautiful food in front of them. But the most amazing part is that there is not one person that is discriminated against or denied food here, rich or poor, white or brown, Muslim or Christian, low Caste or high, everyone is treated as equals and rejoices in the splendor of a wonderfully tasty and filling meal.

Its important to note that this system is run solely by donations, devotion and volunteers. Without these three key ingredients the kitchen that serves thousands of people a day, and the temple that is worshipped by millions would cease to exist. This is when I began to notice the cycle of life unfolding before my eyes. The same person whom hands out spoons or cleans dishes or chops potatoes is also the same person sitting next to you eating lunch each afternoon. Sometimes I even saw the same person handing out plates in the morning as I did at night like they hadn't moved from that one spot the entire day. Its a constant cycle and for many people this is their every day life, their jobs. It gives them purpose and they are completely happy doing it, not a hint of remorse in they're eyes whatsoever. Then you realize how utterly devoted these people are (of course you'd have to be for any of this to be possible). Many of them don't even have a house to live in but instead sleep in the middle of the courtyard at night with hundreds of other homeless people. But to be completely fair they all treat this place as they're one and only true home and in reality it is. They eat, sleep, worship and even die here. As a matter of fact one day while walking back to the dorms I noticed a large crowd of people forming around a window blocked by guards. I was curious to know what had happened so I asked around abit but couldn't find any answer. I would later find out that someone had drowned trying to swim in the lake surrounding the temple that people use to bathe themselves in. I couldn't believe it, at first I was upset at security for not keeping a stricter eye on people swimming but shortly after I realized that they wouldn't have it any other way if it was their time. That's not even the most astonishing part though, its the fact that the government doesn't support the temple or the Sikhs whom inhabit it at all. They don't even want them to be there in honesty however its still alive and thriving.

Each day after I ate I would take the utmost pleasure in jumping right into the wash area and start cleaning dishes with 50 other people, men and women. I'd always get some curious looks from the locals as I began to scrub the scum off silverware, for awhile I assumed I was doing something wrong or maybe my hair was showing but I later realized that for them it was intriguing to see a foreigner help out with the dirty work, and not care about getting a little wet. But nobody ever said that I couldn't help just because my skin was white or because I spoke a different language. It was always fun sharing laughs with everyone while completely loosing track of time and myself in the meditation of cleaning. I forgot about everything else and just washed plates, bowls and spoons for hours on end. It was so simple yet felt so good knowing that I was somehow apart of making this awesome place run smoothly, being apart of something bigger then myself. Something truly special. Plus it was the least I could do for all the free food. And if it wasn't standing and washing dishes it was sitting and chopping vegetables. There was always something for someone to do, no prior experience or special talent needed. As long as you were willing and able there was always a task that could use the help. The the other cool thing about this place is the fact that it is open to the public all day and night, meaning it never closes. Yes its true it never closes. Seriously, think about that. There is always going to be someone there to serve you food 24/7, 365 days a year even if you had just come from the middle of nowhere and it was 2:54 AM they'd still willingly feed you, even if they had to wake someone up to do so. That's like an all you can eat buffet that's always open and doesn't slap you with a bill at the end of the night! As you can probably tell I'm still utterly confounded by this, but I'm also falling in love. It makes me so tremendously happy to know that places such as this exist in the world, that there truly is hope for humanity. If only there were more places like this where a community could come together as one big family and take part in something as truly meaningful and special as this, then the world would be a better place for sure.

For all those whom are reading I say to you that this place and its people are truly unique and if at all possible I highly recommended you to spend a few days here if not longer. I guarantee that you will find happiness in the simplest of things and leave with a feeling of wellbeing not just for yourself but also for the planet.

Rainy Day Randomness

I know I haven't updated my blog in awhile now, I'm either not motivated to write anything because I'm to busy enjoying myself or I just can't think of anything to write. So instead I think I will just post some random pictures of my time here in Mcleod Ganj before I leave on Monday to Amritsar. Enjoy and beware of the Holy Cow!

Welcome To Mcleod Ganj

Just above the well known town of Dharamsala also known as the home of the Dali Lama, lies the smaller more condensed town of Mcleod Ganj where backpackers from all parts of the world come to find enlightenment and entertainment. When I first arrived at the Dharamsala bus station at 5 in the morning after a 9 hour trip through the rocky mountains I couldn't see anything beyond the platform. After 3 hours of waiting in the cold for the local bus, the sky finally began to clear and the landscape around me became apparent. Now I'm not usually one to judge just based off looks but I will say that when I do it is a pretty good indicator of how somethings going to be, not all the time but enough to be reliable. Well to put it simple the bus station and drive to Mcleod Ganj wasn't the prettiest thing that I've seen. I tried to stay as open as possible during the ride but I had high expectations coming from a place as clean and nice as Manali. The road was covered in trash and the town of Dharamsala looked more like a slum then a holy place for someone like the Dali Lama. However I turned my attention to the moving landscape in the horizon. Given that it was still morning I could see the sun just barely peering through the orange tinted clouds next to an almost surreal looking mountain. It was a comforting sight among all of the ugliness. The bus struggled to make it up the narrow and windy road but within 15 minutes we eventually made it to the middle of Mcleod Ganj. I was anxious to get away from the blaring Balliwood music , find my hotel and pass out. When I got off the bus I was almost immediately approached by two people whom asked if I needed a place to stay, and as usual I graciously declined and started to walk in the opposite direction. However as is custom with these people they don't take no for an answer and followed me aimlessly down the street for 300 yards. I finally had to turn around and tell them that I already booked a hotel and didn't want anything from them. They wouldn't budge though. I am beginning to loose my patients with people like this. I quickly cut across an ally and walked back in the opposite direction, I wasn't sure where my hotel was nor did I want to take out my guide book and stand out even more. So I just walked around in an attempt to locate my hotel. I began to realize how different Mcleod Ganj was to Manali. The roads were very congested, packed full of cows, cars and people some much so that it felt very superficial, not like a mountain town should. I hugged the shoulder of the road to avoid the ear ringing horns of the cars passing by. Several more people stopped me and tried to sell me something like hash or give them money, but I just ignored them. You wouldn't believe how many beggars and scam artists there are here, it's fucking ridiculous. Anyways I had a feeling that I was getting closer to my hotel and kept on walking despite all the shady characters when eventually I found exactly what I was looking for, the Green Hotel. My senses hadn't led me astray this time. Once inside I saw a deli case full of delicious looking cakes of every flavor; lemon cheesecake, banana cake, chocolate walnut cake, carrot cake, fudge cake, etc. My stomach seized my brain and called for me to come to the dark side. Tempting but I still had to see the room before I settled down. There was a young looking asian women sitting behind the front desk who would say things like "yes sir" and "thank you please" which was quite funny to me. She was very kind though and I would later find out her name was Chicky, almost a perfect characterization of her cheery and chipper attitude. She showed me the room that I would be staying in which was 800 ($15) rupees a night, a little pricy for my pocketbook but I wanted to at least check it out after all the trouble. Well it was absolutely gorgeous and not just the room but the view from the balcony! Extraordinary! Set perfectly in view of the deep valley and the endless fog covered mountains that reminded me of a ukiyo-e painting. "Sold!" And just as simple as that I found the perfect room. I set everything down and thought of resting, there was so to many things to do however that I decided to sit outside instead and enjoy the phenomenal scenery. "I could sit here for days" I thought. All of Mcleod Ganj came was infront of my room. It was quite an interesting sight to see all of these ramshackle buildings sticking out of the emerald green forest, almost as if someone just dropped them here. It was definitely a backpackers ghetto but it was still quite stunning. I had never seen anything like it before. Although I was tired from the bus ride my curiosity began to fester and I decided to sacrifice rest for a little adventure through town. I grabbed what I needed from my room then headed back to the street. Fortunately I was able to blend in better without my backpack however I still got approached by beggars and such. Theres one particular situation that stands out in my mind. I was walking down the street trying to find the local post office but couldn't seem to locate it. Within moments time a women wearing a deep red shawl no older then me came up with a baby in her arms. My almost instinctual reaction was to put my hand up, shake my head and say "no no no"! But before I could even move my hand she grabbed it, looked in my eyes and said "no money, I don't want". She proceeded to say her baby needed powdered milk because he had colostrum. I noticed that there were a few other women near by wearing the same garmets and holding babies in there arms. She led me down the street for a little ways but I had to stop her and tell her that I didn't want to buy anything. "No no no just come". "Where is the post office?@ I said, "I'm looking for the post office" once again she said "come" I followed a little more then realized that something was wrong. I stopped again and looked around. She pointed to a door and said that it was the post office but that there was a shop not to far away. "Here here" she pointed to a place right next to the mail office. I walked in and was greeted by the owner. Something felt fishy about the entire situation. I was on high alert for a scam. The women pointed to a bag of powdered milk on the shelf "You buy". At this stage in the game I had learned that parting with your money doesnt always have to be an option. Saying no and meaning it is good enough because at the end of the day it's your money. Although I had sympathy for this women and her possible child, I had found out that if people off the streets are coming up to you begging you to buy something then chances are that it's a scam or a some sort of trick. Now with that said I was contemplating buying this bag of powdered milk anyways for this mother and her child, yes I have a soft spot and I thought well how expensive could powdered milk be in India after all its like the milk epicenter of the world. The owner grabbed it off the shelf and said 350 rupees. "What!?! Was my instant reaction. "That's ridiculous!" I told her that it was to expensive and offered her what little money I had on me. She declined my offer. That's when I realized something's wrong, why would someone decline an offer for money but want someone else to buy something for them? After that I said my prays for them and left the store walking back to my hotel. For awhile it tore my heart apart. "How could I deny this child the necessities he needed to stay alive, what kind of person am I to not give someone the equivalent of $7 to help keep her child alive and healthy?" I contemplated going back and finding the women to buy her the milk. However I just wanted to check online first to see if it was a possible scam. I felt weird searching the Internet for such an odd and fucked up thing thinking that I was the only person who thought it could be a trick. But then I came across hundreds of hits. "I can't fucking believe it, they were trying to scam me." I read that these mothers were not even mothers, they just "rented" these babies from there family members for the day in order to scam travelers into believing that it was there child and they were sick. They actually cut a deal with store owner and when someone buys the outrageously priced powdered milk then they will give it back to the shop for a portion of the price. This is apparently a huge scam in Nepal. Well after that I was pretty outraged, putting it nicely. So when you come to India just know that many people don't give a fuck about morality or sacredness. Just saying. Though I have met many nice people here as well so it's really about just being wise about who you trust and that goes for anywhere. Lesson well learned.

Technology Is Pretty Sweet

To be able to watch one of your all time favorite films in a foreign country is simply put, amazing. The fact that I'm thousands of miles from home makes no difference, I can still watch the Matrix: Reloaded on my flat screen tv just as I would if I were in America. There may not be clean running water but ill be damned if I can't watch tv in my room. Another great luxury is being able to listen to any music I want at anytime. If I start to get sick of Balliwood anthems and just need something a little more uplifting I can put on my headphones and momentarily transport myself to a different place in space and time. I must say that's pretty sweet. When im homesick these things help me find my bearings on life. If I'm feeling lonely, I can go online and chat with my friends on Facebook. If I'm bored I can read a book on health and nutrition through an app. I don't know how long I would have made it here without having such technological advancements at my disposal. And I can say without a doubt that my phone is the most valuable tool I have on this trip. If I'm lost I can call one of my friends for help, if I need light in the dark I just use my phone, if I need help translating something then I just use my phone, when I want to research places to stay I just use my phone etc... It literally does everything for me, but when I don't have Internet access (which is a lot) I tend to feel slightly helpless without it. It just goes to show how much we really do rely on these things. Some can't live without them (for example people on life support) while others say they can't live without them (some people who play video games). Either way I can't imagine my life without such luxuries.

Here in India most everyone has cellphones (even monks need to talk to other people too) and Internet cafes can be found in many small towns everywhere. A lot of teenagers and adults alike (mostly men) have Facebook's as well. Which at first was very surprising to me but it makes sense, its a dating site. It's really interesting to see sometimes as India tries to make a push to become a more advance society with iPads and iPods and flat screen tv but still so much of it is stuck in the 1900's. Something that I saw once comes to mind, there was this teenage boy walking down the street talking on his handy dandy smart phone and a beggar proceeded to graciously ask for a few rupees. the teenage boy completely ignored this women, literally didnt even make eye contact or acknowledge her miserable life, just kept on talking and smiling on his phone like it never happened. It's still considered a third world country and for a reason. Poverty and disease are rampant here and doesn't seem to be getting much better. I have been told that the middle class is slowly rising, however while its true that it is growing its only making a significant difference for those who can keep up with it. More things become more expensive and thus unaffordable for those less fortunate, which means that once again the class gap is beginning to separate the poor and not so poor, with fewer people actually making more money. The Caste system is still alive and thriving here so poverty won't soon to become eradicated in the near future. And for the most part the government is completely fucked. No support and all corruption, which a large portion of the culture has seemed to take after. What a shame. So as I watch a commercial about some shiny new core processing Hp Laptop I wonder to myself "Where is India heading?". At times I feel as though not even Indians know in what direction the country is trying to move? Or care for that matter. Many people live on a day to day basis, doing only what they need to get by and not caring about anything else. Is it a world leader or will it just become another capitalistic society that feeds the rich but not the starving? It's hard to say from my point of view. I have been here for little less then a month but so far I have witnessed so many hypocrisies. So I will continue to ponder this question until I find the proper answer that I'm looking for, until then however I will keep on listening to great music like Moby's 93-98 Best Selected Works and enjoy myself.

The Importance of Relaxation And Play For The Soul

Whatever I ate on Thanksgiving night has caused me to be stuck in bed for the past 4 days with the most severe and intensely excruciating stomach ache of my entire life. It was pretty crippling to say the least. The pain got so bad that I couldn't help but squeeze my sheets as tight as possible and let out an outcry of agony. Within those 4 days I spent a majority of my time either in bed by myself or getting up to go to the bathroom. Not really my idea of a dream vacation to be honest. But something that I was not expecting to find amongst all the discomfort was a period of rest, the relaxation part only came on the 3rd day after the stomach ache had subsided. For so long I had been treating rest as something that my body would do on its own if given a certain amount of time. But after battling exhaustion for much of my adult life I realized that was not the case, however I never found a steady solution to this constant problem. Until now. When your body exerts a certain amount of energy each given day, to which we will refer to as E for now, we assume that we will need an equal or greater amount of time resting the body, to which we will refer to as R. Energy or E can be considered negative since it is energy spent or exerted (something we don't have) and Rest or R can be considered positive since its energy that will recharge our batteries so to speak (something we constantly need). Well when you have equal amounts of R & E, then your body can sustain itself for a longer period of time. But the truth is most people only get an accumulated 8 hours of sleep on average, some even less. So what are you doing for those 16 hours your awake? You are using energy, sometimes energy your body doesn't have. Many of us go to work for 8 hours a day which would be equivalent to the amount of sleep one would get on a daily basis (you hope) but we tend to forget that being awake is being at work too. Every action, every movement, every thought requires energy just as does that of work. So if on average we spend 8 hours sleeping (not always good deep sleep either which is the best) and 16 hours awake then I don't have to tell you that we are exerting energy for twice as long as we are replenishing it. And I'm not just talking about resting because to some that means watching tv, which although you are not exerting as much energy as you would if you were moving, your body isn't reenergizing itself like it would if it were asleep. Nothing can really substantiate true sleep. Relaxing is more of an in between period in which the body wishes to sleep and it can lead to exhaustion if not used properly, for example to much stimuli.

Sleep is very important to the body but play is very important to the soul. What is meant by this is that we can all have equal amounts of sleep and exertion but without play we are depriving the soul of its needs and wants. If we did not sleep enough on a regular basis our bodies would get weak, pail, pasty, cranky, sick, unhappy, lethargic, slow, disoriented and a whole long list of destructive traits. That is our body telling us that we need more sleep, and just as our body states its needs and wants to stay alive and healthy so does our soul. There are countless incidents when I have mistaken my souls needs as my bodies needs and supplemented sleep for play. Although my body probably could have used the sleep regardless it was still yearning for something else but I couldn't put my finger on it. Just as the body begins to fail from lack of sleep so does the soul from lack of play. Ones soul can be described as dull or boaring without this essential piece of life, but sometimes it's just a shear lack of happiness. The soul is the bodies emotional center, with it we would be emotionless and without fulfillment our happiness would cease to exist. Now what is meant by fulfillment is not the same for everyone nor is it what we always think it is. We sometimes search for fulfillment in others or from instant self gratification. This could take a me a whole nother week to try and explain play from fulfillment but I will just leave it up to the reader to decided what is what to them. I will say that sometimes fulfillment comes in the form of play and sometimes play comes in the form of fulfillment. However they are not always the same. Confusing huh. To play is to be completely free and unhinged to any beliefs or constraining factors of ones life and just enjoy ones life as it is, whole heartedly with no reason whatsoever, just being alive and able to enjoy life's beauties. This is what feeds the soul, unconditional love and happiness. To many this is fulfillment, but I separate the two because ones fulfillments may not always be geared to there souls prosperity. Which is not a bad thing. We as humans need fulfillment from many different areas. We search for it at our jobs, in our lovers and in our lives. But it should not be mixed up with the souls fulfillment which is a completely different type of fulfillment altogether. Less of a goal or objective but more of a way of life. In order to constantly maintain our soul and thus who we are as humans we need to cherish the soul as well as the body and listen to what it is telling us. Denying them is only denying ourselves. If we are to be at harmony with ourselves and truly know thy self then we must hone in on exactly what it is that they are both telling us. Sometimes it's to pursue a more inspiring and challenging job or relationship. But whatever it is we must always come back to that child like play which brought so much joy and happiness to us when we were young. There's no reason why we can't have that now, no matter what age we are. Just free uncaring fun, no restraints and no bars. I hope this will become a reminder to all reading that we are more then just vessels on this planet meant to live and then die. There is so much love here that we would be silly to ignore it and not bask in its beautiful pleasures. So take sometime to rest and enjoy your life, and if theres nothing that you can enjoy then your not playing enough. And what better way to capture that in a picture then the great Buddha laughing with his hands in the air?