An interesting side note I’d like to share. I’ve been fortunate enough to have travelled to India. And on that one trip, quite near the end of my journey, I was visiting the town of Pushkar. Now this town has a few temples up in the hills/mountains surrounding it. And over the course of my journey I started to actually wake up before sunrise in order to visit the temples at sunrise. And on one particular day I decided to visit one of them, and so I awoke early and headed on out to walk up the path to the temple. Along the climb I passed an elderly couple along the way, happy to see the dedication they were showing. Upon reaching the top, I found the temple wasn’t yet open, so I sat down along the edge of the hill facing east and meditated as the sun rose. Now once the temple opened there was another woman who had arrived, and we all went inside. I ended up talking with the young woman and found that, amazingly enough, she was also from San Francisco. So we chatted more, and walked back down the path to town, and shared breakfast (Dosas of course!) and eventually exchanged phone #’s and email addresses. Well, I was able to meet up with her a few other times (even for Dosas!) back in San Francisco after we both returned to the states. But the interesting part is the first time we met up, which was at a coffee shop. We sat and talked for two hours before it was time to get other things done that day. And as I started walking down the street to catch the bus I happened to catch some passersby talking about their shopping finds or some similar “thing” centric situation. And I realized that in those two hours I had spent talking with my new found friend not once did the conversation turn to talking about “things.” It was all about experiences and emotions and travel and the like. And it was amazing to realize that fact. So I look back on this and see someone who, I feel, truly gets that. Definitely a fantastic experience.

Maybe a more meaningful thought comes from the Dalai Lama who has written extensively on the passing happines one feels from having the newest, best of any material possession. His bottom line is that there will always be something newer and better, such that happiness needs to be based on things much more permanent than consumer goods. In the words of Elwood Blues, after ravaging a shopping mall with the Bluesmobile, “The new Oldsmobiles are in early this year!”

Synchronicity in oneness consciousness is beautiful isn’t it? :]

My article deals with the implications of the monetary system and as such will likely not be published anytime soon, however it’s utterly telling that we were both thinking the same things.

best always,

_Omar