Asu nepal

A pagoda

 

It's been a week since the Big Shake. As the fashion media effect is buzzing down on Nepal situation, the people are still there. It will take a long time to rebuild, to heal from this trauma. The political situation will also do it's own growing due to the events, but I'll keep politics away for now, as the immediate need is to organize the help. There are those that need help, and those that give help, but mostly everyone does what they can with what they can. Those that usually do nothing, still do nothing, and those that usually are active are double active. Seems that through life drama, we get to the chore of people...



 Sundari Tower

Meanwhile, the situation in Kathmandu is still quite stressful. There is still a shake every night, and it's hard to sleep in such condition. A week of tension for the folks of Kathmandu. "No tension, no tension" the nepalese often say. They now got the tension of a life time in a short short span. Fear gets surpassed by working for others or doing whatever occupies the mind. Tiredness, stress, fear, sadness in the middle of a destroyed kathmandu, this is heart breaking, but people go on, there is no choice. The streets have emptied and the tourist area is almost totally closed. Most tourists left, season is gone. People walk around broken Streets.
Tents, plastic covers and blankets are still available in town, maybe a little dificult but are still there, and more should arrive. One of the problem is drinking water. What they need is water supplies, filters. Those that have knowledge on water purifying systems are most welcome to share information and work. And food of course, kilos of foods.

First aid

To do our part, as many others do, we created the Funky Buddha Hands donation box, with what we have, we distribute as we can, it's all we can do. Fundraising is going on with many groups, support those you know are on local ground, they sure need it.
Those pictures of Kathmandu show places that all  lovers of a 1000 Gods know well. How heart breaking to see the temples we love so much be turned into dust and piles. Even sadder is knowing that much will not be able to be renovated. Much will have to be wiped down to be rebuilt. The ancient red brick Kathmandu lost a part of it's soul with this shake, Nepal will cry laters. What is left standing is too cracked to be fixed, need to start over. How many centuries of history gone in a few seconds. Ah, impermanence, impermanence, when you show your true face.

Fallen

 

Besides the romantic notions of loss, the action for now is to take care in the aftermess. If some pray for Nepal, it's time for work, hard hand work. But at night, after long days of work, a little praying does not hurt, it even feels good. I light an incense after a full day, sit, breathe, digest. I even let the Baba put a tikha on my forehead. The coolness of the red paste cools down my mind, it feels good, a little prayer can't hurt, we even need it sometimes, to do even better work tomorrow. Pray if you need to pray, play if you need to play, work if it's work time, do what you have, this is today's mantra.



 

Pray for Nepal

 



Through it all, it's still gratitude that I feel mostly in my heart. A deep deep mediation on life, on one's role in society, on choices, on priorities, on love. But I'll keep the philosophy stuff for laters. Maybe I've said enough already, now is time for work, this much I know.
All love and thanks to all for supporting those that do the good work:)


Photos by Sunil Gautam from Funky Buddha Tattoo.