The USA Events — another year, another miracle

I don’t know if you are experiencing like me, but this year seem a little more intense than usual. I don’t mean it necessarily in a negative sense. It is like the intensity of everything is stronger, as if life itself is vibrating at a higher frequency. I feel it on many levels — in my creativity, my meditations, throughout my everyday activities, also in my connections with others. And it casts a shadow of uncertainty over everything, a not-knowing-what-to-expect-the-next-moment while creating a big, collective anxiety. From the perspective of the tours, they have never been more beautiful. On the hand, I find myself having to let go more and trust that things are going to work out and be ok — just maybe not in the way I am expecting. Never in all my years have I not been able to picture in my mind’s eye how the USA events would look like. Usually, I can get some sense of them. This time, I simply could not see the forest for the proverbial trees. I found myself going through the usual motions — organizing the music equipment, renting the van, making the many necessary preparations — all without really knowing what was going to happen. Looking back, having just completed three of the most-wonderful weekends possible, I find myself meditating on the koan of trust and control. Sure, I would have felt more comfortable and secure beforehand knowing who this year’s band would be. Yet, had I come with a full band as I usually do, there would not have been space for something new. And I really have to say it has been an absolute joy to have so many new musician friends join the events — Arjun and Sharabo in New York; Shanti, Suriya, Shiva Das, and Lee in Dallas; Gillian, Dave, and Orpheus in Chicago. So a very special “thank you” goes out to all of them. To be honest, I haven’t felt such energy and intensity in the USA weekends since 9/11. I guess we are all feeling the collective world-situation strongly.And in these uncertain times, I think it is safe to say this is the meditation. Before moving onto the photos (all you photographers, thank you) I am reminded of a discourse question Vimal asked Osho in 1987. I can’t remember the exact wording, but it goes something like this: “Concerning the current world situation, how to avoid feeling depressed and utterly hopeless?” Osho starts by berating Vimal for being so serious, then goes on to say the state of the world should not be our concern. Our only concern is to wake up. And that even if the world should end tomorrow, no worries. We will go dancing and celebrating.

New York

Dallas

Chicago

geetam’s lemon bars  …	osho  …	and the rainbow

In Zen the saying it is “the Path not the Goal”. Certainly, the long miles between events gave new meaning to this. Some iconic highlights along the way included crossing the Mississippi at Memphis, Tennesse, homeplace of “The King” Elvis Presely, and passing St. Louis the night of the first World Series baseball game (the Cardinals won the Series!). The game was in progres as we drove by, the stadium fully-lit within sight of the highway. Just next to it could seen the elegant and famous Gateway Arch as we again crossed the Mississippi River enroute to Chicago.