Whether sanctimoniously single or smugly encoupled, I find that most people suffer from a post-Valentines hangover. I don’t mean a literal hangover, although copious quantities of champagne are commonly consumed, I mean a reaction to the intensely saccharine and unidimensional portrayal of love. As a homemade remedy, I offer the hair of the dog that bit you – a reminder that love takes many forms.
Saheli tipped us off to this article by an American desi who went back to Karnataka to work as a medical volunteer at the “largest Tibetan refugee colony in the world,” an encampment of over 10,000 Tibetans:
I found out quickly that I had entered a place with entirely different notions about life purpose and productivity. Soon after I arrived I pointed out to a monk that a mosquito was sucking his blood. He nodded in acknowledgement and said something brief about the accumulation of merit and allowing another being to nourish itself off your own. (Luckily, we were in a region where the prevalence of malaria is low).The second day I was there, a monk took me to the local Indian restaurant. A fly fell into my daal. The monk’s reaction took me by surprise. I wrote this poem about it.
There are those who
When a fly drops Plop! into yellow daal
it is not their bowl of food they worry about.
It is the fly and her wings
The ability of fire and spice
To sear wings
And with so much kindness
They place the fly in their palm
Unfold a white creased napkin
Clean the wings and the space
Between the wings
with water rinse away
Any hot yellowness
Place the fly gentle
On the edge of the table
Until
by the end
Of our meal
The fly has flown
made her way
Back into the world. [Link]
sweet post.
but… not everyone who is encoupled is smug about it. single people can sometimes be so sanctimonious :).
Revised accordingly 😉
Years ago, I knew (I said to hi to them), some buddhist-Tibetan monks who were PhD graduate students @ Computer Science @ Cornell. Some of my friends knew them rather well – they said they were in most (outward behavior) of the ways – like any one of us.
They were one of the reason – apart from Buddhist monastory in upstate NY – Dalai Lama visited Ithaca. That was awesome.
One of my aunt’s brother lives in Dharamsala. I think he is happy – He gave up being a diplomat.
Sometime ago, Economist did an excellent article on Tibetans youths – major problem is young Tibetans are living in secluded enclaves – and not preparing themselves for IITs, IIMs, etc. Some of the Buddhist-Tibetan monks are really concerned.
thank you 🙂
Sweet.
One of my most vivid childhood memories is coming downstairs in my pyjamas on a beuatiful summer’s morning. My Mum has opened the garden door and a refreshing breeze wafted in. I sat at the table, still bleary-eyed and hungry. As I tried to convince my arm to pour the cereal, a little mosquito landed upon my it. It paused, leant forward and painlessly penetrated my skin. It began sucking and as the morning sun caught its body, I saw it glow red with my blood.
I watched it silently, motionlessly. To it I was a huge meal, to me it was an insignificant bug. But for that moment we existed as one.
And then I squashed it and ate my Coco Pops.
Did you know? A ‘bug’, in scientific terms, is an insect that sucks.
BB – your story was cuter than the original … at least until the squishing part.
Yes, but does BB look as good in red robes?
If he posted a picture I could give you an answer.
BB – One of you in your pajamas with a box of cereal is preferred.
Here I am. No robes, but there is some Coco Pops action.
Something bugs me about the Udupi massacre of Idli-Dosas worldwide. Ok, a rundown joke. Mind doesn’t quite run after having a BLT for lunch.
No robes? For a moment there dude, I thought you were about to make your foray into porn.
Ok, now I am sorry to sully a post about monks with p0rn.
OMG…..
cute poem, i’ll be careful around those monks!
what a wonderful journey, thank you
Bong, thou art cruel (nice story though).
My very devout Buddhist grandmother wouldn’t let me kill mozzies as a young ‘un, so even if they got under the net I’d have to cup my hands to remove them alive. This ban extended to flies, giant huntsman spiders and ants; it was considered a terrible thing to destroy ant nests, even if you found ants in the firewood you had to remove them – even if it was burning.
Ah flygirl, now I see the origins of your name – you saved all the flies! 😉
I thought it was just Jains who were so strict, but I guess there are others who think along similar lines. Here an ad’s on TV with a Buddhist monk walking through a park. He picks a spider up gently and puts him on a tree. He turns a little turtle over who had got stuck on his back. He helps a beetle across a gap. Then he goes inside. The voiceover starts: new Kleenex (whatever) tissues contain an antibacterial formula which kills 99% of germs. The monk blows his nose as he hears the voiceover, and suddenly looks shocked. The narrator says “That’s right, kills them, dead. Thank goodness for forgiveness”
You may have seen it, it looks American dubbed with an English accent. Talking of TV, I’ve seen the contestants for the next British Apprentice – I think FOUR are Indian!
Bong Breaker
The new Apprentice has three desis – a Bangladeshi lady, a Bangla guy, and a Punjabi from the Midlands.
Ah, poor research on my part as ever. I didn’t know what channel it was on so hadn’t checked but now…it’s Syed, Nargis and Mani, along with 11 others. I’ve never actually seen it, but I see more of Saira here and there than the chap who won, Tim. Although one of my friends works at London Underground and apparently Tim became a big hero.
And then left for Alan Sugar’s company.
Bong Breaker
It’s a great show – try and watch it!
Wow, Bong Breaker, what an ad. Cute picture too.
Thanks for posting this so nicely Ennis! The line about the hair of the dog keeps making me smile. 🙂
Bong, it’s sadder than that..I work on Drosophila and so was christened thus ~. I does mean that though I loathe cockraoches and am terrified of spiders, I can’t kill them and have to have them removed alive (however poisonous…and we’re talking about Australia here). As for flies: I gas ’em and drown ’em in alcohol…it’s a happy death.
I think Gandhi had the same scruples about germs…and so refused vaccination if I remember correctly.
Nice post, Ennis.
Where do you live in Australia?
Bong: Canberra. No funnelwebs, but redbacks galore (a.k.a black widow), whitetails (they make your skin necrotic), brown snakes.
I don’t know what you just said, bar black widow and necrotic. I have cousins in Canberra. We don’t talk. Shame, my uncle owns a vineyard. I’m hittin’ up Sydney in April. I shan’t kill any bugs whilst I’m there, in your honour.
Bong: warning: Sydney has funnelwebs (most poisonous spider). Whitetails are spiders. Canberra…don’t spend more than two days here…though vineyard you say?..Hmm…