Mission meditation

by Chirag Bafna (India)

A leap into the unknown India

I had just been kicked out of my job for going on a trip to goa with my wife and friends. I am an artist, designer and a photographer. This trip was special and opened my eyes towards what all i have missed out on for years. My mental space was unclear and uncertain about the future. After a long time i got to travel So what It cost me my job you live you learn to lie (which i should have done in the first place fake an illness or two). As i am sitting home and getting low. My wife tells me about this meditation course that my brother had also done and saw useful - a Buddhist technique of meditation called Vipasnaa. We looked online for this course and I told my wife to book the latest available course and that I will go anywhere in this country and do it. I didn't expect to find a train and I convinced my newly married wife to let me go on a motorcycle alone in the winter... Well she agreed. It was 11th December the date of joining the course was 14th. This place was in Kutch, gujrat and I lived in Pune Maharashtra. One of the tags you can give me quite easily is that I am a motorcyclists, a rider, a motorcycle enthisiast. I had recently got my dream motorcycle, a Jawa after a long waiting time and I was looking forward to riding it more. It gets chilly in northern and central India in December, some people die everyday out of cold somewhere in the country every year. My brilliant plan was to cover long distance in the night and rest in day time. With minimal legal riding gear I strapped my luggage on the tiny motorcycle said good bye to my wife and told her to not tell parents because as it happens when they learnt they weren't happy. Me and my Motorcycle for the next 2 nights rode on and on in the cold and lonesome strech of more than 1200 kms. I make it just in time with a breakdown stalled me in expense of a good riding time. The kind watchman takes me in and lodges me at 4 in the morning. Next 10 days proved to be one of the hardest earned days of peace and quiet. We were not to speak or even look at ech other nor could we eat what we want. As the ancient Indian spiritual science of vipasnaa was thought we learned how to be equanimious on the face of pain, not to get resentful or attached to anyone or nothing as nothing is permanent and you learn that from your breathing. These days gave me a new dimension of knowledge and a path towards improving myself as a spiritual animal. After the course for few days more some of us bonded and explored nearby places as we surprised ourselves on the hospitality and generous spirit of the people of 'Rann of Kutch. The marvelous craft that I got to see with a new friend who had done good deal of research about he local crafts accompanied me on my Motorcycle to go and see the majestic white desert of Kutch. After saying goodbye to my new friends on day 15th. I headed back home and on the way saw an unseen part of tribal india, it's beauty and simplicity of life. It's poverty ofcourse but a wealth of culture and a big heart full of breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. I tried meeting as many friends and family as possible and the memories of those good times fills my heart with joy. There's a lot that happens on a journey like this more so if you hav had e a profound spiritual experience on the trip as well. It made me fearless about being good to others and trusting others. This also made me love my Motorcycle more, so much so that as it happens when you do something worth while with your motorcycle and the bike earns its name. Mine is called Holiday. Since then wherever I go, I go on holiday, whenever I am blue or in a good mood I go on holiday. I just need an excuse to go on a holiday, and everyday I am on it it reminds me of long roads and the visions of tucking in the motorcycle and going fast to explore unknown places. I hope I can share more with you later.