Stories from going MIA

I made some varied friends during my 10 day stay for the Vipassana meditation in Dhamma Ganga. So let’s start by talking about them.

I also carried one, just in case!

So the first friend I made was Annie. She was an ant. Had some really interesting conversation with this one, I must admit. So she was quite an independent female among their race apparently. Not something she said of course but I guess that’s an assumption I made. Anyway, I almost hooked her up with her brother; I mean I didn’t know better, in my defence. She remains quite busy with the nephews and nieces and taking care of herself so she doesn’t have time to date and stuff. I asked what her thoughts were about human beings and she couldn’t quite understand my question. So I pointed to myself and informed her that we are human beings, didn’t she know? To which she replied that she had no idea what to do with that piece of information! I reasoned she has a point. So I asked her how they address us in their language and she replied and I quote, “Oh you know, the big beastly creatures that destroy every other creature for their own benefit.” Well, sounds fair, I mumbled. Unable to come up with anything reasonable to follow up, I replied, “Umm… we call you ‘ants’!” By then she was totally done with me. Now that I think about it, I don’t know what made me think that I even made friends with her, clearly that was totally one sided and another of my many assumptions! Anyway, I met her a few times after that as well. She didn’t seem to be salty. She would may be nod once to insinuate a ‘hello’ and vice versa. I guess that can be called friendship as well!

Next, I met Squiri! Now, Squiri is a squirrel! He was playing with his friend Mindy (also a squirrel…just to be clear). They were really tight. Like his daily routine was to wake up help out a bit back home, meet up Mindy, and hop on from trees to trees and play all day long. Such a blissful life, right? Squiri has a little sister. Her name is Liri. She wanted to be a part of his squad but I guess her brother thought he was too cool for her. So she would tag along in all their ventures and try to be as discreet as possible. Squiri would called her out but after a while he let her have her way. So Liri would follow their every step thinking she was upping her game every time and Squiri would stop being bothered by her presence. And it worked perfectly fine for them! Now, obviously I had to ask him the obvious question to which he replied that he didn’t look at Mindy that way. They were just really good friends, that’s all. It was refreshing to hear that from a male kingdom. And no, I didn’t ask him about his thought on our species. I think I already knew the answer. Also it didn’t really come up to be honest. I spent a good many minutes a day following them around. They really did have a good time. Did I envy them? No. It was heart-warming to see them having so much fun just on their own, you know. It reminded me of the old days. Come to think of it, I don’t have any vivid memories of that anymore. A few glimpses sure, but not the whole picture. I guess that’s fine as well.

I even had a conversation with a piece of dirt and realised that even that tiny piece of dirt might have a better future than I’ll ever have! To be fair, I assumed that it was a piece of skin from my toe. So if my assumption is wrong then so will be the whole storyline! Okay it may not have to be MY skin but as long as it is organic, the storyline should stick! So what was this storyline, you ask? Well, I don’t remember it fully but it was on the lines of it getting in contact with the ground and in turn acting as manure for the other trees. Yes, that miniscule organic piece of dirt. I hear you, don’t worry. Also, knowing me, I made up much more crap than that but thankfully I don’t remember it!

Then I met a spider! Her name was Lucy. She was quite an uncharacteristic one, not someone that would intimidate you right away so you might fearlessly squish it just so you don’t get to face her again. She has heard it all her life. That in this big bad world, she won’t last long, she is too fragile for survival, too naïve to think she can make it. I, for one, am not too fond of spiders, but right before I gave up my phone for this camp, I saw some cute spider video that made me want to give this species a chance and not just go by their appearance. And let’s just say I’m glad I did. Prejudices are a funny thing. I don’t even know if she was talking to me, because nothing came out of my mouth. I was still trying to cope with my new belief system and everything that I was hearing. I think she was just talking to herself. The last thing I heard her mumbling was, “But I’m still here, aren’t I?”

Okay, I think it is about time I address the alligator in the room. WTF is Vipassana? Well, Google it.

As for the elephant sitting next to it, my brain is okay. I mean as okay as okay can get. 

Here's the thing right, when we meet someone new, we make tonnes of assumptions about them before we even get to know them. And then we do, and then we chastise them for not keeping up with your assumptions.

I, for one, acknowledge the world of fantasy as my own. So when I say that I made some friends with some animate/inanimate objects that may not even be living, I know how crazy that sounds.

But don't you do the same thing, with every other human beings as well? So shouldn't you be crazy too?

Those 10 evenings ended with this view

Living without prejudices must be so liberating. Let's try that!

Live a little, huh?