Summary of Bali and Thailand

    It has been almost three weeks that I have been away but it feels like I have already taken a journey of a lifetime. The quest for this journey was truth and reality; to observe people, their lifestyles and their realities. Bali and the places I visited in Thailand had a lot to offer.
In these three weeks my journey has taken me to the beautiful island of Bali where I visited temples, coffee plantations, the rural country side, a village located at the foothills of the volcanic mountain, the green school and more. As I made my way through Thailand, I visited temples, waterfalls, hot springs, and experienced long hikes and wonderful food.

    The people I have come across on this journey were remarkable. Everyone had their fair share of experiences and knowledge that they shared with me. I heard about mystical things from some, practical understanding from others and some had their emotional stories to share. I realized that to live in truth, one does not have to be a saintly monk living somewhere in an isolated forest. Each and every one of us has an essential truth and the quest is to understand one’s own reality and true nature.

    Travel is indeed a very wonderful way to explore the world and understand the people who dwell in it. It gives one an insight to see beyond the personal self and listen to the needs of the people outside. From a very old grandmother who is in the streets every Sunday selling her handmade art or a group of four sightless men creating wonderful music to sustain themselves or the medicine man who has given up his wealth to teach poor children to learn English and the story of one man’s mission to help his village with economic development. Each and everyone were very inspirational.

    One journey ends marking the beginning of another. As I head towards India, I leave my arms wide open to the experiences it has yet to bring. One thing about travelling I have learned is not to have any expectations and just take things as they come. I will be where I need to be and will absorb what I need to learn. Let my intuition be my guide and wisdom be the ultimate goal

Day 3 Bali

One of the best things that happened to me in Bali was getting in touch with Christina, a mutual friend of one of my close friends Darlene. The night before, I had gotten to meet her and her driver Deva (who later happened to take me around) along with another person from San Francisco, Loretta. That evening began my spiritual connection in Bali.

When I had spoken to Christina before I left, she was a little hesitant to take me to her contacts. After the movie and book "Eat, Pray, Love" came out, Ubud, the place where I stayed in Bali, got so much publicity that other great healers and medicine men didn't want to be surfaced. After our conversation that evening and reassuring her of my intentions, she opened the doorway to her connections and I ended up meeting one inspirational person to another.

In the morning, I received a call from Christina that her teacher was willing to see me. Around ten, I was greeted by a friendly smile and he was introduced to me as Dewa. . I rode with him on his bike as we proceeded towards a restaurant close by.


Dewa is a prominent figure in Bali. Whenever any spiritual teacher arrives in Bali, he gets a private audience with them. He and his mother have met up with many prominent figures including the Dalai Lama. I felt honored to be at his presence


After we settled in our conversation carried on for the next eight and half hours. Our topics ranged from spiritual, world religion, politics, the deeper meaning of yoga, medicine, nature and life in general. I was not able to record our conversations because it was a Saturday and he told us that any auspicious activity should not be done on Saturdays' and Tuesdays' because anything that is started that day is bound to fail. I asked him why and he said it was a part of a contract man made with God (I shall explain more later).

One of the prominent things that I remember from our conversation is the importance of continuously letting go of our possessions both external and internal so that we can make room for the new. By holding onto things we are just preventing the circulation of energy.

His thought about religion.
Any religion is good but the connection with God is better. Religion is a path that one can follow to reach God and it does not matter which path you take because it all leads to God.

What happens after death?
Death is not the end of the line but it is just another beginning. He also explained that there are another seven levels and yet another seven levels. Through the practice of meditation and yoga one could travel to these planes even before death. The destination between these planes is determined by the action of the individual.

Why are people so afraid of death?
Ignorance can bring a great deal of fear in one's life. When one does not know what he is doing and what his actions are leading to then he is in a constant state of fear. When one understands and accepts this process, fear is hence eliminated.

What is yoga?
Yoga is not merely the external physical exercise. Yoga is the means by which one disciplines the body. The physical actions are important but it is also necessary to pay importance to the happenings within the mind and keep it in balance.

Quest for wisdom.
In order to gain wisdom a person should pay attention to three factors:- the relationship between human being to human being, human being to the environment, and human being with God.

What is truth?
Truth is balance between the three factors and when one can hear things as they are either good or bad, that is the ultimate truth.

The importance of spirituality.
There are many intelligent people in the world but because of the lack of proper guidance, they have been creating many amazing inventions but that are not necessary for the good of the world. He says every institution should have spiritual lessons so as to guide the future inventors and intellectuals toward the right path - the path that serves everyone and hurts none.

There were so many topics we discussed. One of the last questions I asked him was what would he like to share with the world. He just smiled and said....

“It is important to do something beyond the self - selfless service is the highest service. Also it is important to forgive others and to ask for forgiveness when you are wrong.”

The evening ended with the Balinese traditional dance to the Gamalan music. It was a very interesting experience. The most interesting part was when you looked into the eyes of the dancers-they didn't look at you, they looked through you. It was definitely something.

Yet another wonderful day in Bali.

Bali January 13, 2012

Looking onto the horizon, I can see the sun from my airplane window. The beautiful shades of red and orange colors seems to light the evening skies. Just below I can see miles and miles of clouds slowly floating by.

Bali day 2, Jan 13, 2012

You know when you are not in the states when four a.m. in the morning, you are awakened by the roosters singing Cook – a- doodle do!!! Cook-a-doodle do!!! I was already awake, must be my jet lag but it feels very nice to be in Bali. I can hear crickets in a distant, water flowing just outside my bathroom window, the air is pretty warm and nice and outside the air is fresh. Bali, the island of thousands of temples is indeed a wonderful place to be.

Today was a very interesting and exciting day. The day began with a little uncertainty. I had spoken to someone about take me to places to see but it turns out there was a miscommunication and at 9:a.m they had arranged for a motorbike. Well it has been quite a few years since I have driven a bike so I had to pass, instead the very nice people from the hotel arranged for a driver to take me around. Just before I left, I realized something was wrong with the camera and I have not been able to figure out what it is. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it will be ok. Glad I had my phone and was able to use it as a camera.

The driver was very friendly and knowledgeable and was able to take me to a lot of places, and give me the insight on each destination. He explained about the people, the life style and traditions, the food, the importance of temple and spiritual practices in day to day life and much more.

A place of worship is very important to the Balinese family. Every family has three temples in the house and is dedicated to each of the trident gods – Brahma the creator, Vishnu the protector and Shiva the lord of justice. Furthermore, a two hundred person Balinese family constitutes a community and every community has more temples and a community center. Prayers are conducted three times a day and the offerings can been seen as a small hand woven bowl with flowers and incense.

One very important note that one should be aware of before entering into the temples in Balinese tradition is that both men and women has to wear a sarong to cover themselves up. The sarong is tied around the waist and a smaller yellow color cloth is tied on top of it. I was told this signifies covering oneself up before the deities.

Stop 1: Rocky mountain temple.

Driving in the windy roads located half an hour from where I stayed in Ubud; the rocky mountain temple was carved straight into the rocks. I believe each temple carved was for each of the local deities. There were two carvings opposite from one another separated by a river surrounded by lushly green forest and rice paddies. The temple was located at the bottom of a mountain and there are over 200 stairs to get to it. The location was just perfect and you could feel the nature that surrounded you. The running river added just the right touch and provided soothing music to add to its perfection.

Stop 2: The holy water temple

Close to the Rocky Mountain temple laid the holy water temple. As the name suggests, this temple was built around a natural occurrence where water comes up to the surface from underground. If one immediately noticed this, it would look as if water was boiling. One can compare it to a swimming pool with bubbles being formed as the water oozes to the surface. This water was further diverted to three ponds with the help of manmade springs where people could take a dip and purify the body. It is believed by the local people that washing one’s body in this water and drinking it makes one feel and look 15 years younger.

I made two new friends Ketut and Ede, who showed and explained to me my first Balinese ritual. It was a series of a five step process using flowers and incense. The ritual ended with a holy man sprinkling water on the head and then drinking the water three times ending with the fourth water being put on the head and tika on the forehead. My friends also gave me an unusual but sweet fruit and it was pretty good. Taking a leave from them, I was off to my next stop

 Stop 3: Coffee, cocoa and vanilla Plantation

I was/am pretty amazed by the number of spices, vegetable and fruits that grow in Bali. It is a self sustained island and rarely has to import any foods from outside. Driving to my next destination, we stopped by a coffee plantation. Lush and green, this place was covered with coffee beans and cocoa pods. My driver even showed me a vanilla plant. Walking through the coffee plantation, we ended up at a place where a woman was roasting some coffee beans.

This plantation belonged to a family where the members of the family were involved in growing, harvesting, roasting, hand crushing and then packing coffee, chocolate and tea. I was given a tour by a very nice girl who explained to me the process of making coffee from the plant to a cup. I was astonished to find that the world’s most expensive coffee came from animal poop…..

That’s right…. A rare variety of coffee was shown to me which was made after being collected from animal by product. Mongoose and raccoons selects the finest and sweetest coffee pods as their food. Due to the lack of enzymes that breaks down solid foods, perfect coffee beans passed down through their body and when dry, it forms a perfect poop pod. This pod is then fermented and the outer skin is removed, leaving behind a bean. After another wash, these beans are roasted, crushed and one could enjoy a fresh brewed less bitter coffee, as I was told.

Stop 4: Mountain View Road

Back in the car we started driving towards the mountains. Living in San Diego for the past eight years, the sunny and warm weather could easily make one forget how heavy it rains in other places around the world. As we got higher into the mountains, heavy dark clouds covered the afternoon skies. Just before we got to the next stop to view the highest mountain in Bali, heavy rains started pouring, preventing me from seeing another perfect view. Through the misty clouds I could see the mountain in a distant and a magnificent lake laid somewhere at the base of the mountain.

I was told this was a dormant volcano but when it last erupted in 1963, lava from this volcano spread for 15 km and destroyed villages, temples and many people lost their lives. For now this mountain provided a nice six hours hike to the top and five hours back. If one chose to watch the sun rise, I was told, it was best to start walking around midnight.

Stop 5: largest Temple in Bali

On one of the bases of the largest volcanic mountains in Bali, there lies the mother of all temples. This temple was built in the 8^th century by a yogi from India thus introducing Hinduism to Bali. This area was covered with many temples built in the honor of different deities. The east end was dedicated to Ishawra(White), the south to Brahma(Red), West to Maheshwara(Yellow), the North to Vishnu(Black/Green) and the center to Shiva(Five colors). There were also temples for the caste systems. According to the Balinese belief, Shiva was the creator of all manifestations in the universe.

My journey to this holy and ancient site was accompanied by a local volunteer (also a bee keeper) who explained to me the significance of that area. The entire temple was carved out of lava rocks, hand carried by the people up the mountain, and then carved to perfection. Devotion is indeed a powerful element which enables the devotee to do things which before completion cannot be comprehended by the mind.

The place did indeed cover a huge area. When the volcano erupted in 1963, many things were destroyed but the temple was untouched. There is a lot happening in this mystical island of Bali, and one is continuously humbled by the happenings. Walking to the holy sites, it feels like we are just a tiny speck in the cosmic manifestation. What is there to be proud of, what is there to hold unto, what is there not to love?

From the North end of the temple the black volcanic rocks arranged and carved, spread in all directions. It was surrounded by lush green forest, and rolling fog up in the distance. The physical location was just breath taking and the energy so pure.

Stop 6:  View point

As we left this place, we stopped very briefly at a view point to watch an island up in the distance and the beach. Green shades from the rice paddy and coconut trees was a wonderful sight.

Stop 7: Royal Palace and museum

My last stop before dinner that evening was at the royal palace now converted into the museum. One of the things that I keep noticing is that there are so many ponds with lotus and Koi fishes. There was a structure in the middle of the pond, could have been a temple or a place where the ruler dwelled. Whatever it was, it was a beautiful sight. Within the compound, I could see a praying area with a huge door. These doors were/are common in many temples and houses.

The museum was filled with memories of the past. The weapons that were used, the conquest of Bali by Holland, the tribal people defeated by the powerful guns, the musical instruments (some still being used), ritual dresses, various forms of art, bronze statues, and much more…..

Bali, with its geographical location, tradition, culture and the hard working people, offers many unique gifts which cannot be expressed by words but can only be expressed and appreciated. I have not been able to see entire Bali, as of now but if someone were to ask me what I don’t like about this place, I don’t have anything ill to say, for all I see around me is beauty, wonderful people, good food and a full complete experience.

The First Step

The swift flow of live is taking our precious life by the second but we fail to see, wait and observe it. For a better tomorrow, we are constant moving today but in the process we are forgetting to live in the present. When we just stop for a moment and listen, there are a lot of key question that come up that needs to be answered.

The past few months has been a moment of great observation. One of the most interesting topic to observe is a human being – homo sapiens, their lifestyle, their needs, the desires, the quest. Just taking a step back to observe this microcosm will revel much more than just the external physical body. Not many people take time even to know who we really are.

The journey between birth and the end of birth is called LIFE. Even in this short journey that we have – people are constantly struggling – a struggle to have a roof on top of their head, a struggle to provide food, a struggle to fulfill their constant desire. Struggle and more struggle. The knowledge that we have is only limited to what we have learned until Now but what we learn beyond this could be confined by our knowledge of the past.

So who are we? Who am I? What is my reality? What is the TRUTH? What is my QUEST? Where is my LIBERATION?

The journey in search of this truth may take a day, may take months, may take years. Are we willing to take the first step in this journey? If there is a journey then where is the path?

The answer may not be in the place where we accept it to be in. Mind is the largest vessel there could be. It can hold Galaxies and universe, the stars and the planet and every thing that lies in it. It contains all answers and secrets to all there is to know. Yet there are certain secrets that has to be understood in the mind but has to be reveled in the heart.

Where the mind and the heart begins to work the journey that we call life has/is/ and can be filled with eternal happiness. One's reality is created by the self. The process of living is a mirror projection of the realities that we are constantly creating. Just an a simple example – A smile is received with a smile and a simple frown has a multiplied effect on those who receive it.

Our mind has to be entertained all the time and for that reason we seem to multiply ever thing, even our problems. When one start taking a step towards understanding there is no me or you, happiness and sadness, rich or poor, suffering and joy. There is JUST – IT IS......... Everything is relative. THE TRUE HAPPIENESS LIES IN SIMPLICITY.

“The more one has the more he has to loose and the more he has to loose – the more miserable there is for him to feel.”

The endless space of the mind constantly need information to be satisfied. When one is ready to take a step towards the ultimate truth, ask as much questions as you would like – not to someone but to yourself – and then allow yourself to swim in the vast ocean of your mind and understand and find your own reality and your own truth. Anything short of that is like feeling thirsty but waiting for someone to pour water in your mouth, when all you have to do is reach your hands out and drink.

Is it just a mystery or is there more?

There are a lot of things that happens in the world which seems to be a mystery. Are the unexplained phenomenon just an unrelated event or is there more to it than the eyes can see?

Sometimes we may not have a clue as to what is happening around them. Think about all the unexplained circumstances that has happened in your life and has it left you to wonder as to how and what just happened. I am not a person who does not believe miracles do happen but as I learn more - it makes me think other wise.

What one believes or not is one's personal opinion and experience but if there is an answer to a question one finds satisfaction but when there is no explanation then it becomes a mystery. When situation as such happens, we are left to thinking deeper and when we cannot answer it logically - a myth evolves.

A similar event happened recently. As a person who is aware there are ups and downs in the world we live in, many occurrences don't seem to surprise me. When something good happens I enjoy it and when something unpleasant happens, I take it as reminder and lesson but when people around me starts to link different chain of events and try to put logic in a situation which cannot be explained then I am left with thinking – did that have really happened?

Life can alter from one day to the other. Just a month ago, it seemed like none of the family members had their feet in the ground. There was excitement every where. There was a wedding in the house and people from both far and near were getting together and that too after a long time. The house was filled with excitement and an unlimited supply of laughter. Everyone were having a great time. Even when everyone returned back to their regular lives no one could stop talking about the good times everyone had.

I remember someone saying,”we were having so much fun, I hope nothing bad happens.” Now this statement was not meant to invite any negativity but there was a misfortune in the family. Less than a month after the wedding, One of our dear and loved one, got into a terrible accident. Just a few days later, the entire atmosphere seems to have changed. Faces that lit up with smiles transformed to surprised, confused and filled with sorrow. 

Every day thousands of people fall – either be it from a chair, the stairs, just slip on a banana peel, a puddle of water or just fall. The mind says when things are meant to happen they will but the heart is stuck with a question how could just a simple event like falling create such an unwanted tragedy? How could it?

It brings us back to this question – Or was it because we were having so much fun that this was bound to happen? Was there someone who was over looking us and couldn't stand us having such a wonderful time – brought this upon us?

Events like these leaves us with questions – questions which leaves a wide door for interpretations but no actual answers. Your logical mind might say this was just a coincidence but someone else would say otherwise...........