I just returned from a lovely trip to
Jaipur and Delhi. It is Christmas week in the Christian world so I got the
opportunity to take some time off. My main reason for going to these two cities
was to see some friends, Annu and her daughter Naina in Jaipur, and Deepjot and
Arvind in Delhi. Since I had never been to Rajasthan, I organized some
sightseeing in Jaipur and one day in Pushkar (I won't go into the trip to Pushkar because it was a total disappointment...for those Indians who have seen the great
movie 'OMG - Oh My God', Pushkar was a total OMG anubhaav - experience).
Anyway, I was a
little reluctant to leave Rishikesh...on one hand because I have my daily yoga
classes with Usha Devi that I really enjoy but more than that, I was not
feeling the desire to visit new temples, monuments, etc. As I told my Didi (big
sister in Milan), the only place I feel the need to 'visit' is inside myself.
Of course, I was very happy to see Annu, Naina, Deepjot, and Arvind...that goes
without saying...but now that I am back home in Rishikesh, I can honestly say
that I am done with sightseeing. And as much as I can appreciate the beautiful
structures that man has built over the centuries (let us not forget I grew up
in Italy!), the only places that really move me are the natural ones...the
mountains, the seas, the forests, etc.. And sightseeing is so superficial.
Running around with a guide just to hear about some ancient times that have
nothing to do with who I am now. Dates and names that I will soon forget. It is
one thing to live in these places, as I have lived in Italy, France, Spain, and
now Rishikesh...one gets a feel of the culture and its people...it is a totally
different and, at this point in my life useless, thing to 'sightsee'. I would
have been just as happy to sit in a café and chat with my friends all
day.
So I am done with sightseeing.
To be honest, what is on the outside has
only brought misery. And having seen everything on the outside and nothing on
the inside, my only choice is to go inward.
What is on the outside has brought me
nothing eternal. Nothing truly meaningful. That which is on the inside is
everlasting and it is there that I must go. What is on the outside is boring at
best, torture at worst and in both cases, a waste of time. Time is of the
essence if I am to come to any kind of understanding in this lifetime. Who
knows how long it will last?