Cows, dogs, pigs, goats, birds, people, monkeys, all battling for the same roadside scraps, every step of life in this land a harsh struggle for survival, every glance filled with a particular creature trying to feed an empty stomach, survive another day, to do it once more, what a burden, I wonder if or how they feel, if the burden registers if its all you've ever known.
The train rocks rhythmically, swaying side to side, early morning mist breaking over green tilled fields, a quick glance could be home, so far away, longer looks and differences are discerned, square brick hovels, ancient communist tractors, ragged power lines, weighed down by age and neglect, have they ever worked, I wonder.
Happiness is being aware of whats going on in the present moment, free from both clinging and aversion. A happy person cherishes the wonders taking place in the present moment. A cool brezze, the morning sky, a golden flower, the smile of a child. A happy person can appreciate these things without being bound by them. Understanding that all things in life are impermanent, a happy person does not get consumed by such pleasures. A happy person thus lives in ease, free from all worry and fear. Because he understands that the flower will soon wilt, he is not upset when it does.
Thich Nhat Hahn
Rajasthan pics online.... http://picasaweb.google.com/JeffreyHDow/Rajasthan
