Topic: Eat, Pray, Love

[Definitive Journey]

~

I think this is the title of the movie with Julia Roberts.

Please don't laugh at me, but I found the movie a good one.  Why?  Her mindset and the traveling.  I love to travel!

The shallow lines and interesting 'guru's' I just ignored.  I guess what stirred in me was what I like to call, 'culture shock.'

Moving outside our boundaries, and for most of us, this would be a standardized western civilization.  I'm not really referring to anything 'big,' but more the small things one encounters when one finds oneself outside our comfort zone.  What's the weather like?  The humidity level or dryness of the air?  Are there a lot of bugs?  Does anyone we're with speak a language we know?  How do they communicate?  How do they move their bodies?  How will we get by?  What to eat?   

It's always interesting, putting us in a state of heightened awareness.  I think this is good training.

As I'm too busy to travel at this moment, I at least took the opportunity to call my old friend, Tom Chou, a Chinese, and went to China Town to have lunch and visit with him.  He's many friends and lunch lasted hours.  It's always good to see how different cultures 'think.' 

Sure, there's the old saying, 'wherever you go, there you are.'  I'm not talking escapism. 

Much more to write, but I'm out of time.  Hopefully the gist of this comes across 

K
   

[Michael]

Julie has read the book and seen the film, and she loved them both. She also gets angry at people who slag off at the film, and say how self-indulgent Julia's character was. (I haven't read or seen either)

Julie claims that it became a film critics loved to bag - they do this occasionally, possibly because the book was such a huge hit across the world. They wanted to put it in its place, especially probably due to its 'self-improvement' theme which is considered fringe middle class bullshit these days.

It's always interesting, putting us in a state of heightened awareness.  I think this is good training.

Absolutely. I'm no follower of 'Brom-ston (though I do admire him), I'm closer in sentiment to Dam-pa Sangs-rgyas, now there's a character and a traveller!

[Definitive Journey]

~

'Brom-ston?

You've stumped me on this one.  Who is this? 

[Michael]

'Brom-ston (1008-64) was Atisa's chosen disciple. He avoided publicity of all kinds, and refrained from giving religious instruction. He founded the monastery of Rva-sgreng in 1056 where he led a life of secluded meditation until his death. Founding the Kadampa school ('Bound by Command').

His followers were bound by four laws;
1. Abstention from marriage
2. Abstention from intoxicants
3. Abstention from travel
4. Abstention from the possession of money

Needless to say this was a bit extreme for most Tibetans.