June 24, 2008
Pike's Place Pilgramage
"Arigato Gozaimasu," the voice on the Seattle-Tacoma airport loudspeaker concluded after an announcement in Japanese.
"Ah ha!" I thought, "Another premise for a pre-departure PiA blog.
Later, on the shuttle to the main terminal, I asked a fellow passenger why the announcements were in both Japanese and English. Coming from Southern California, I am used to hearing "Muchas Gracias," instead. He explained that Seattle is the closest port to Asia on the US Mainland. The American addiction to Asian produced cars, clothes, electronics, and everything inside Target and Wal-Mart is fed partly by container ships arriving in Seattle. It is quite possible that the MacBook that I am typing on now arrived from China via the Pacific Northwest...
Newly released from my meditation course, I arrived in Seattle to find the bustle of a big city absolutely overwhelming. My main purpose for the visit was to see friends, and I decided to limit my touristic activity to the most important destination - the first Starbucks. Ironically, this historic Pike's Place cafe was somewhat un-Starbucks - over twenty people queued to order drinks, overwhelming the three baristas. In the mood for a mellower vibe, I decided to find another venue to sip an espresso - a place where the sun deprived locals get their daily fix. Before leaving, I snapped a photo of the sign of the original Starbucks logo (see above). The company recently switched back from the green portrait, albeit with a minor alteration. The corporate office must have decided that the Starbucks lady needed a new hairstyle - see if you can spot the difference...
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June 22, 2008
Buddha Boot Camp
4:00 am - "Clang...Clang...Clang...Clang...Clang..."
The ring of the wake-up gong on day one of my ten day meditation course felt like a dream. I proudly consider myself a "morning person," but my body and mind revolted at the demand to rise hours before the sun for the purpose of sittine cross-legged in a meditation hall. The rest of the day's schedule was similarly demanding:
4:30-6:30 am: Meditate in the hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 am: Breakfast break
8:00-9:00 am: Group meditation in the hall
9:00-11:00 am: Meditate in the hall or in your room
11:00-12:00 noon: Lunch break
12noon-1:00 pm: Rest and interviews with the teacher
1:00-2:30 pm: Meditate in the hall or in your room
2:30-3:30 pm: Group meditation in the hall
3:30-5:00 pm: Meditate in the hall or in your own room
5:00-6:00 pm: Tea break
6:00-7:00 pm: Group meditation in the hall
7:00-8:15 pm: Teacher's Discourse in the hall
8:15-9:00 pm: Group meditation in the hall
9:00-9:30 pm: Question time in the hall
9:30 pm: Retire to your own room--Lights out
That first day was definitely the most difficult. I managed to stay focused during meditation time, but during the breaks, I found myself overwhelmed with craving - to speak to a friend (we followed a "noble silence" throughout the course), hug a family member (no physical contact allowed), and to eat some animal flesh (the food was all vegetarian). Walking in the garden in the afternoon, I sat down on a bench and shed tears for the first time in a while. The structured schedule and course rules allowed me to experience the suffering that my attachments - especially the need for control - have produced.
This is a Princeton in Asia blog about a meditation course in a rural area outside of Seattle, Washington, USA. Where's the connection? According to the teacher, SN Goenka, Vipassana (the pali word for "seeing things as they are") is the technique of meditation that Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha taught during his lifetime. Although Vipassana was lost in Siddhartha's home country of India, it was kept alive and pure by generations of Burmese monks. After learning Vipassana from his Burmese teacher, Goenka began teaching courses in India in the 1970s (I think), and has established centers across the world since.
That historical connection to Asia put me in awe. While sitting in a meditation hall for ten hours each day felt boring and pointless at times, this thought always inspired me - I am practicing the same technique that Siddhartha and generations of practitioners in India, Burma, and other parts of Asia have used for the past 2500 years to seek liberation from the suffering that comes from craving, aversion, and ignorance. Coming to understand the teachings of Siddhartha experientially - rather than intellectually - was a profound experience and excellent prelude to Princeton in Asia. I feel that it will help me to better understand the region and its people.
Anyway, please let me know if you have any specific questions about the meditation course. Suffice it to say that I am using Vipassana as a non-sectarian way to lead a moral life, have a focused mind, and make wise decisions. However, I have no intention to reach enlightenment in this lifetime. Meditation is hard work and I am not ready to give up my vices...
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June 10, 2008
Writer's Block
"Just write - without thinking about how others will judge your prose. You can always edit it later. Trust yourself."
For the past two years, this is the advice that I have offered to my students who were struggling to begin their 8th grade world history research papers. Easier said than done. I have been meaning to start this blog for the past three weeks, but have found other things to occupy my time. I can now empathize with my students - this writer's blocked procrastination is fear induced paralysis.
What is there to be scared of? Whether it is a research paper on Genghis Khan or a blog about living in Asia, I think it is a fear of being judged by others based on one's prose. Just like my 8th grade students, I want what I write to make me seem intelligent, insightful, and funny. Ironically, this preoccupation has taken away the open minded confidence that inspires me to write well.
The remedy to this writer's block? Take my own advice and "Just Write." Blogging seems like a good exercise in liberation from the self imposed pressure to present a calculated facade of strength, intelligence, and security. I will try to make this blog about my Princeton in Asia experience as open, honest, and frank as is possible (and prudent for legal and professional reasons). Here it goes...
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