Some impressions of New York City

I first saw New York from a plane arriving from San Francisco. It was a late afternoon of winter and clear skies. The destination was JFK and the plane entered from south and went on to take a big roundup over long island before turning back and coming closer to Manhattan. My first impression is that of seeing an array of beautiful homes with their square and triangular bodies lined up next to a road next to a beach on long island. When plane turned, I saw Manhattan head on for few moments and could recognize one world trade center and the Brooklyn bridge. Manhattan seemed monolithic to me, as if carved out of one substrate. Definitely New York evokes feeling of bigness or of a giant monolith. This is the same impression I got when I saw Manhattan skyline from observation deck in the Empire State building, this time the view was from midtown to downtown but the same feeling. The same feeling was evoked again when seeing the mid-rises lined up on both sides of any of the major avenues looking towards downtown. Manhattan/New York is one giant monolith carved out in one piece. One could also feel a certain crude alpha masculine energy eminating from the city, which most of the time seems at rest and static due to it's bigness, but certainly capable of dynamism.

Times Square is arguably the most important place on the earth and the cultural heart of the universe (until we find other civilizations and if they have something better). The mundane physicality of the place takes form of the theaters, pretzel sellers, hot dog stalls, large electronic billboards, etc, etc. However, the energy of the place is what counts. First of all there's no time at Times square. There's uniform density of people around it no matter what time it is and it just feels like any day or night or month or season, shows just different but identically rich intensity of the human life. It was so natural to walk past midnight on 7th avenue, towards Times Square, in temperature just above freezing, with my family, in anticipation of some great spectacle. On the way something bad happened and my mood turned sour. Though the matter was small and insignificant, it is hard to dislodge me at such occasions out of the unpleasantness. Not until the unhappiness burns itself out slowly, along with some part of myself. But voila! As we were approaching the square I felt upbeat emotions almost overpowering the state of my mind and it was almost euphoric. The feeling that I got was that the Times Square's vibe just bent my iron rod of the bad mood and threw it away...almost whispering to me "you are here, now see this, experience this!"

(To be continued..)

An evening outside village

[ A little piece of fiction ]

The last bullockcart full of his dear ones has passed and the dust is now finally settling on the road next to the cremation ground. His pire has reduced to ambers and a few dying flames. A soothing darkness is ensuing after a long, hot day of summer. All that's left there is: two dogs on the ground and two eagles hovering above.

The hands that lifted the load of the world till yesterday, quietly burnt away this afternoon. The brain that held so many beautiful thoughts, just evaporated this afternoon. The heart that beat so strongly, and bathed in waves of emotions his entire life, turned into mere charcoal this afternoon.

This afternoon, the death oblirated his entire life, along with the dreams of his and his loved ones. In matter of few fast hours everything was destroyed so ruthlessly that nobody had time to feel the pain or caress their wounds. All they could do is to just curiously stare at the gaping ugly holes that were left behind in their hearts and minds.

Meanwhile the silent cart was disappearing in the dark searching for the lights of the village. In the cart, what started as a small wrinkle on his son's lips has become an involuntary trembling of his entire mouth. There's unvoiced despair building up in his breath and the throat is getting chocked. Tears are desperately holding on to his lower eyelids, but any moment now they are going to slide out.

Every mind in the cart seems desperate for seeing signs of life, soon. Some confirmation for their primordial urge to belong to their own bodies and minds. They could not take any more blows from death tonight, not this evening...

Three forms of thought

It seems there are three forms of thoughts. We can also call them states of mind. Air, liquid and solid.

Most common form is air. Thoughts appear and go and move randomly. Also by nature they are chaotic. Mind is at its impressionable best during this time. However, each thought carries with it a small physical response in the body according to the quality and the nature of the thought.

In liquid thoughts, they are like a flow in certain direction, they are still chaotic but they are channelized on one matter or subject. In worldly sense, when we talk about 'concentration', they are liquid thoughts/mind.

The third state of mind is solid, where thoughts are few and far in between and much less chaotic. This accompanies with usual perception or sensation of solidifying/heaviness in brain. This state can be experienced most commonly just before falling asleep or just after waking up. If one is perceptive enough, they can literally see solid mind melting away and then going to liquid or air which we call normal waking state.

Solidifying thoughts and mind can also be observed while in Meditation or under the vibrations of a spiritual place/environment. I believe, if you hold on to the solid state of mind for long enough, there are exciting possibilities of watching the mind/thoughts disappear or vanish or reduce greatly in intensity.

Neuperlach Süd

He had just returned from Marienplatz from a day well spent with friends and colleagues. While coming back he was already planning to go again that evening at the same place; this time alone and with no shopping bags. He was prone to these tentative escapades in new environments, seemingly poorly planned and without any definite agenda.

So, when they reached their hotel, he told his colleague-friend, that he won't be able to join him today for pizza dinner at the shop next to the hotel as he wanted to go visit the the city again.

"Now?!" He took the colleauge by surprise, who didn't know him well enough. So, instead of  convincing him passionately in couple of sentences with his disarming smile, he gulped that bit of awkwardness, right there by replying a cold but sensitive "Yes, I will be back soon".

It was a late November evening, which was rapidly turning cold and dark. Chilling winds from the Alps and screeching fall leaves at their mercy were ruling the streets of south Munich. Either it is an empty city or most people are already at home, he wondered as he walked.

He arrived at the Neuperlach Süd train station. He had no phone connectivity and he was on his memory, the map and good grace of English speaking people.

There was no wait at the station. The Deutche Bahn for the city arrived soon, with two headlights on engine car piearcing the darkness of the elevated station enclosure. The sky outside the station was slightly more bright and colorful.

Before he knew, he was inside the train car with brushed metal and woody interior that looked pleasingly foreign to him. The standing area had a lot of people forming what he called a "comfortable rush". People were mostly dressed in formals, in pristine black overalls. There were overcoats, furcoats and hats; lots of leather too in various shades of brown, coffee and chocolate. In front of him, there was a flood of beautiful and big eyes; hazel eyes, brown eyes and greyish blue eyes. For few moments, he stared right into the stillness of those eyes. And the hair. Golden blond hair, whitish blond hair, mixture of blond and dark hair, thin, straight and sliding hair, dark black maskara on eyelashes, etc, etc. Everything was so new, so fresh and so foreign, except that thrust of the train as it started leaving the platform.

Some experiences at the Grand Canyon

The canyon is so overwhelming to the senses and the psyche as a whole. I think, the fact that this feature was slowly created over millions of years has ingrained some psychic quality to it. And when you experience it, that thing reflects in the timeless part of you at some deeper level. It feels as if, you and what you are experiencing are the same phenomenon.

When you first see the canyon, there is a feeling of being in front of a giant picture. You almost become part of that picture. The scene has somewhat timeless and transcendental quality to it.

When you stand at the edge and look down in the mile deep abyss, you are left speechless by these giant naturally carved out platforms, mansions and layers of rock...piled one upon another in step-like fashion descending deep into the canyon. It evokes stillness and thoughtlessness in you, for a moment.