My Flight to India

The flight was long. 15 hours from San Francisco to Hong Kong, 6 hours to Bangkok from Hong Kong, and at last, just 3 hours to Kolkata which I received happily knowing that soon I would see my spiritual teacher. We did end up waiting in Thailand for 9 hours but that’s another story because we fell asleep through most of it. Overall it was a long flight and I was hurting especially after sleeping on a chair all crooked with people in the aisles hitting my legs every time they walked by. Then of course there happened to be five crying babies on the plane. So there was some suffering on the trip, so I thought, maybe I should get a massage in Thailand since they are cheap. By the way, the rate is 32 Baht to a dollar.

Stupefied by some sort of illusion, I spent way too much money on a massage that ended up hurting my neck more and made me feel really uncomfortable physically, mentally, and emotionally. If you travel to Bangkok, don't ever get a massage at the airport, it is really lame.

So I was taught a little lesson. If I try to make up for any suffering or discomfort that I have put myself in, I am bound to pay that back. If I am doing a transaction with the bank and I do not pay a bill, I am going to get charged some sort of fee or interest. If however, I try to make a transaction with someone who is affectionately looking out for me, the system is based on mercy, not justice and I will not have to pay such a heavy fee. So my note to self is, Vaidehi, try to make transactions with the plane of mercy, not the plane of justice. I thought "now I deserve to get a massage even though I know I should not be spending my money or my energy thoughtlessly."

I was basing my actions off of the physical plane….Actually, before I left to India I was really meditating on how much I focus on the physical plane. It is all I know. If my physical body is in good shape then I am able to be kind and to be of service to others, but if it is not I am unkind and no longer trying to help. If I am trying to surrender and really be of service to others, if I am indeed trying to become selfless, my attempts have so fat been whimsical. And then I spend most of my time noticing others and finding fault in them. I do not bother to see what it is that I am lacking. During the whole flight I just pondered, how will I change, how will I possibly change? I want to change for the better. Hmmm...modest natural growth. Slowly if I can grasp the meaning of everything that comes my way, I can learn to progress and become more conscious.