The Journey...2


	Community OMpage The Journey of A Thousand Eight Miles...


	sacred destinatiions

Surya Das a.k.a. S.D. Youngwolf shares his journeys...

This photo was taken at Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, in Bangkok Thailand. It shows Thai Hanuman in the background. Scenes from the Ramakien, the Thai Ramayana, are painted on the inner walls surrounding the temple. The temple itself encloses the Emerald Buddha, the treasure of Thailand. The King himself changes the robes of the Emerald Buddha- one outfit for each season; hot, rainy and cool- three times a year.

At Rumtek Tibetan monastery, across the valley from Gangtok, Sikkim, the seat of the Karmapa. I am with Dr. Paljor, a Bhutia (Tibetan tribe) of Sikkim. When we, Stephen Knapp and I, arrived in Sikkim, it was a traditional day of ancestor worship. Dr Paljor welcomed us into his home, showed and explained the puja and traditions to us, and said it was undoubtedly due to good karmas from previous lives that we arrived at this time, on this day. The next day he took us on a tour of Rumtek.

This picture was taken at a tribal boys school at Sher, Aranachal Pradesh, India during a tour I made of tribal areas. The boys come from scattered and remote villages to the school. They are from the ?Tani? tribes, who are descendants of a common ancestor, Apo (father) Tani, which include the Adi, Apotani, Nyiishi, and Taguin. The school is run by the Vivekananda Kendra, a non monastic social service order. This one is a residential school for boys. The students follow a rigorous schedule, rising before dawn to study and do yoga and meditation. They are also encouraged to practice their traditional religion and conduct ceremonies at the school. There are many VKVs (Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas) throughout India, but particularly in tribal areas of the Northeast. I spoke to the boys in the evening and told some stories, after which this photo was taken.

These tribal girls, from the Tani tribes, were polite, respectful, well mannered,
and very very sweet. I spoke to them about preserving their traditional culture,
answered questions about life in America, and told some stories. Upon leaving,
hey presented me with a gift; a diary, which was inscribed with these words: Sir,
Your presence fills us with dishy flavour. We pray that God will provide more
opportunities for you to visit and bless us. Your Loving Children of India, VKV Jirdin.

SD Youngwolf is an award winning artist, storyteller, singer and teacher.
He is a Cherokee tribal member as well as having spent many years in India
and Thailand, studying Hindu and Buddhist teachings. He is an Artist in Education,
teaching Native American Arts and telling stories of the Cherokee and other
Indigenous peoples in schools across America. He has studied with Ram Dass
and and was fortunate enough to spend time in India with his guru, Neemkaroli Baba.
He has also sought out the darshan of many other saints and sages. He composes
devotional songs in Eastern as well as Native American Indian styles. In the last few years,
he has had the great opportunity of travelling among the tribals of India, giving talks
to encourage them in the preservation of their culture in the face of the threats of
globalization and aggressive conversion activity coming from western countries.