Dear friends, as some of you have not done your homework (see Vipassana notes pt.2), I’ll give you a few more days -- and then start making cuts! Until then, here is a report for all of ya (especially the ones who are slacking on your homework). And by the way, happy Buddha's Birthday! It's also full moon too. Enjoy both. Happiness to all.

Island Life

For the last week I’ve been here at the beach on a small island in Southern Thailand. I’ve got a sweet little bungalow fifteen steps to sand-between-my-toes. A hammock, a lean-back chair, and an unobstructed view of this small curving beach and the waves that roll up the wet brown to where the sand turns white. The sounds and smells of the Big Blue always wafting, massaging my senses. Earth frequencies. Purifying pulses of hypnotic hallucinations whispering me away to a deeper consciousness, a more primal relationship, and a real peacefulness inside.

I’ve been getting up at 5:30 A.M. to do my meditations. I have several spots on the beach that I like and at that time, I usually have the whole beach to myself. There are a couple of dogs about who get excited when they see me walking along the water’s edge in the early morning darkness, my shawl wrapped around my torso and shoulders. When I sit, one of the dogs always comes up to me, kisses my hand a few times (then wants me to shake his paw, “good to see ya again!”) and then finds a place to lie down next to where I am sitting.

After an hour or so, I watch the sky and the clouds change to colours that I sometimes wonder if I have ever seen before. Everything is constantly changing. Seemingly so slow that it appears static yet at the same time, so quickly that I close my eyes for a few seconds and when I open them again, a brand new surprise, a gift, it’s an entirely different scene. A fiery ball of light emerges –resurrected again! – from a watery horizon, a great vast ocean.

How many times in our lifetime do we devote the time and attention to just watching the sun rise? How many times?

For some reason, it’s difficult comparing this reality with my experiences in India over the last eight months! In fact, I am having trouble even acknowledging that I was there just a few weeks ago. In Calcutta of all places! Now, I am considering staying on here until next Christmas. But then it occurred to me how cold it is back home that time of year. So maybe a little longer. It’s just a lifestyle that I seem to be (miraculously) very well adapted to. And besides, it’s a lot cheaper here than it is back in the States. I figure I could do Thai massage on the beach to earn my stay here…maybe work at the bar tending drinks (“excuse me, so what’s actually in a margarita?”) But the massage thing seems like it might actually work.

After meditation and watching the sunrise, I run five or six lengths of the beach on the soft sand until my quads are burning-up. Then I go for a swim, which usually involves a fair amount of body surfing. After that, I practice yoga for an hour or so. And when I am done with all of that, it’s time for breakfast!

The day has just begun and there is so much reading and bodysurfing to do. Well, I am trying to manage my life a bit so I have some balance. Constantly fine-tuning…Unfortunately, the only thing to eat around here is Thai food (ha, ha). I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances.

I have developed a new yoga posture that I have been practising quite a bit. I call it, “hammakonassana” (outstretched angle pose). Basically (and now you’ll really have to use your imagination), I am lying on my back and my legs are slightly bent so that my knees can rest up against the sides of my hammock. Sometimes I do a slight variation and extend one of my arms back so I can rest my head against it. You won’t find this one in Iyengar’s Light on Yoga book but as soon as I get back, find a place and get settled in, I am going to set up a 24-hour webcam, positioned over my hammock that will stream live footage to a link on my web site -- so just be patient.

So – what else to report? This afternoon might be a bit busy. I am planning on hiking over a small hill that separates this beach and the next one over to play some volleyball. I think the last time I played, Reagan was in the White House. Sorry, there’s not going to be any live webcam on this one!