Retreat

Journal entries at the beginning of my retreat.
Mauni Amavasya (Silent New moon)
29th Jan 2006

And today I shall be an observer. Mauni Amavasya is an auspicious day when the moon begins it's waxing phase and is a time to remain silent. It is an interesting experiment for me considering the fact that I'm in the railway station right now and 31 of us leave for Amritsar. I am trying not to interfere too much with things, but rather to flow with them, and thingsdo flow very easily. It is a beautiful morning and the soft light casts long shadows in muted tones. Myenas, crows and pigeons make their presence felt by various levels of chirping and cawing, while a pariah kite circles the smokey blue overhead. Lone train whistles interspersed with a sweeping broom cleaning away the remnants of yesterdays journeys on platform No.5,bring back a sense of antiquated charm of old cantonments that is the history of the great Indian Railways. I am excited, enthused by life and the constant mysteries that unfold every minute, the perpetual supply of knowledge and the unquenchable thirst to learn.

Thank You for this inward and outward journey that has brought me here and now.I'm on the train to Amritsar, and I do have to make constant reminders tomyself to stay silent. A few words have been uttered, (such as an ouch!and other such exclamations) but all in all I have managed to retain mypeace. Was it the Miranda vs. Arizona case that said that I have the right toremain silent? It all makes sense now.

Trains have always fascinated me, and to traverse our magnificent Indian terrain by this mode of transportation is an enchanting experience. We have just passed Ludhiana and Phillaur junctions and trees, domed structures and minarets poke their heads out of clouds of mist that lay spread over this earthy landscape. As we head to Amritsar, a transition of languages, costumes, facial features and geography of the land have taken place overnight while I rested on the upper berth of our sleeper coach. Sleep is an important part of tain travel, and the wild and magical realms that I have been transported to over the years of journeying by tain has only increased my intrigue of this inbetween, transitory means of gettingfrom one here and now, to the next.

en route with visuals at the next junction,

ta ta bye bye,

Prash