Last year I trekked into the Moroccan Sahara desert on a very trusty camel named Aszu. In the evening, my guide, Jusef, a sixth grade educated Berber nomad, surprisingly fluent in six languages, fixed me a tantalizing chicken tangine. All that it lacked was a glass of wine, unfortunately verboten for Muslims just days before Ramadan. At night we slept under the incredible desert night skies. Never before had I seen so many stars, stretching from one horizon to the other – the stars so bright and numerous, it was difficult to make out the constellations. That was Morocco, a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells, and experiences. From Morocco I traveled on through much of Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, and finally concluding my trip in Japan. This year's trip will take me to Romania, Ukraine, Georgia, Central Asia, India, Nepal, Southwest China, and Indochina. At times I hope to report back on my experiences and observations, perhaps posting a few pictures and videos that may be of interest. I've posted below a few pictures and videos from some past trips. For my blog on my travels through East Europe check out my blog at http://tallinntovarna.blogspot.com.

I’ve been asking myself lately, is there a theme to all this? Maybe not, but one thing I can say that piques my interest, is the dangerous nexus between religion and politics that engulfs the world today. In Morocco, where the King is both the head of Mosque and State, a Muslim, during Ramadan, can end up in jail for doing nothing more than drinking a glass of water under the scorching daytime heat – his crime, the thirsty Muslim broke the fast. Imams in Morocco claim that such an abhorrent act defies the teachings of God, infringes on the religious liberties of practicing Muslims, and is deserving of serious sanction. Of course, such a violation of an individual’s personal freedom could never happen in America. Or could it? As I write this, the U.S. Catholic Bishops are ferociously attacking President Obama’s Affordable Care Act for requiring institutions to provide birth control under their insurance policies. Like the Imams, the Bishops consider it not just an affront, but an existential threat, to their religious liberties. A poor woman, without the means to support a family, let alone a brutally raped woman, should not expect any sympathy from these Catholic institutions, as they, like their Muslim brothers, are scripturally bound to impose their beliefs on others. Does it matter that no one is telling Muslims that they cannot fast or Catholics that they cannot abstain from sex?

Now that I think of it, I’d like to dedicate this blog to Americans United, a terrific nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to preserving the principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom. Before I move on though, I’d like to share with you this political satire piece I wrote a few months ago when Senator Rick Santorum had a chance of being the Republican nominee. It pretty much sums up my take on what a large segment of the American population would like to see should their wildest dreams come true. Finally, I begin this blog with three postings from last year’s trip just to give you an idea of who I am and what you may or may not come to expect as I embark on this year's trip. If you have something nice to say, I'd love to hear from you.

Friday, August 31, 2012

A Barber's Tales


Barber Shop
My barber in Pokhara, Nepal, clips away and regales me with tales of the Hindu gods: “Lord Brahma, the creator, and Lord Vishnu, the preserver, had a terrible fight over who was the greater god. Lord Brahma said, ‘I am. I’m the creator of all things.’ Lord Vishnu said, ‘No, I’m the greater, because I’m the preserver of all things.’ The argument raged until it occurred to them to ask Lord Shiva, the third god of the trinity. To resolve the argument, Lord Shiva created a pillar of fire and said to them, ‘Whoever can find the end to this pillar of fire is the greater.’ Lord Brahma went down the pillar and Lord Vishnu went up the pillar. After some time, Lord Vishnu returned, disappointed, ‘I could not find the end of the pillar of fire.’ Lord Brahma then returned and exclaimed, ‘I found the end!’ Lord Shiva knew better and retorted, ‘No you didn’t. You are lying. Because you are a liar, no one will worship you.’ This is why today you won’t find any temples to Lord Brahma.

Hanuman
Narada was a young musician who played for Lord Vishnu. He was very proud, but not very good-looking. He wanted a wife but was afraid no woman would accept him. He decided to ask Lord Vishnu, who was the most beautiful of all the gods, if he could borrow his face. Lord Vishnu said, ‘No, this is not possible.’ But Narada persisted, ‘Just for one day’, he begged. Lord Vishnu relented, ‘If you go to the river and wash your face, you will have my face, but I warn you, do not look at yourself.’ Narada did as he was told, washed his face in the river, and went to where the women were. When they saw him, they all laughed and made fun of him. Narada didn’t know what happened. But then he looked at his face in the river and saw it was a Monkey’s face. Embarrassed and angry, Narada went to Lord Vishnu and demanded, ‘Why have you done this?’ Lord Vishnu answered, ‘Your monkey face will become your strength.’ Narada then became known as Hanuman and today we worship him for his strength that comes from his celibacy.

Ganesha
Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva, the destroyer, became lonely when her husband was away, so she decided to make a child from clay to keep her company. When she breathed on the clay, it came to life as a young boy, who she named Ganesha. One of Ganesha’s tasks was to guard their house while she would leave to bathe. On one such occasion, Lord Shiva appeared. Of course, he didn’t recognize his son, so they fought. Lord Shiva cut off his son’s head. When Parvati came back, she cried out in grief, ‘what have you done? You have killed your own son!’ Lord Shiva became sad and immediately set out to rectify the situation. He told his men and gods, ‘Go out and find the first head facing north.’ They found an elephant’s head, which Lord Shiva attached to his son’s body. Today Ganesha’s elephant head is revered as the ultimate reality of our soul. We worship Ganesha as the destroyer of evil and the embodiment of wisdom." 
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