Thursday, November 20, 2008
Basic Advanced Guide To Freight Train Riding, part 2
Now for part 2.
Is there really that much to train hopping? Yes. Why? Because you have to do it right. Life not done right leads to death. A backwards perspective of life leads to a backwards perspective of death. And of course death is the biggest foe of life. So the best thing to do is learn how to control that enemy and be free.
Overall, Jessica will make it. Here is what she feels.
1. Shaucha: purity of body and mind
The first mistake many a tramp and hobo is the glorification of dirtiness. Jessica offers a different perspective. In her role as a train riding super heroine, she says cleanliness gives her power and fluidness. She says its not a matter of other peoples opinion of her but instead it is the freedom she finds in it. Dirt controls people, says she. In this case dirt could be defined as that which there is an aversion to. Once, running into some high talking wanna be cool bums, she pointed out that glorifying those stupid things which made them dirty actually made them hypocrites and weaklings. Here she says that it is the effect of being outcast from a group or people which then has the dominant tendency to bring one to adopt the aversions of that group or people. Unfortunately, this always goes in the negative direction when gone unchecked. For example: Jeremy don't like the cool kids in school so he started drinking to be not like them. The cool kids started imitating his drinking so he started doing coke. The cool kids start doing doing coke so he started doing heroine. He overheared a cool kid talking about doing heroine so he decided to become a hobo. He packs his stuff and gets to a railroad overpass and then gets run over by a train.
This is an example of rebelling against yourself.
Now, I would also like to note that if done right, this train hopping lifestyle can be an exemplary kind of shaucha. It is possible if you can learn to wholly leave behind the impurities and corruptions of modern lifestyles and negative types of relationships. The experience can be like a bath for the mind.
Talk about good clean fun!
2. Santosha: contentment
Jessica feels content. When she is waiting for a train, she is content. When she is riding through the mountains, she is content. When she is heading over the plains, she is content. When tumbling through the hills, she is content. Completing a perfect dismount, she is content. Landing in a steam by the tracks, she is content. Walking the 10 miles into town, she is sure trying to be content. Finding out they don't let backpacks in the library, a little effort and she is content. Deciding to leave town because crappy things keep happening, she is content.
She feels that the decision to tramp and train ride in her life has helped her to always be content. Such is its beauty.
3. Tapah: training the senses, austerities, ascesis
The rigors of train riding has made Jessica very strong. Also, she does not negate that accomplishment and weaken herself through the imbibing of alcohol or taking of other drugs.
The universal expression of this tapah in train riding is that you will be confined to a (most likely) small area anywhere from a few hours to a few days. In some ways, this is actually Jessica's favorite part. She says that there is great joy found in allowing yourself not to move.
Jessica actually does not usually bring some entertainment along with her because she truly enjoys the fast.
4. Svadhyaya: self-study, reflection on sacred words
Jessica has probably studied a lot of different philosophies and practices, but she doesn't usually read on the train, as she finds it difficult. One of the things that she has talked about is studying the beauty in nature. She says that there are sounds behind the sights and that's what can make something beautiful or ugly. She believes that sacred words are what makes things beautiful.
5. Ishvara pranidhana: surrender; (ishvara = creative source, causal field, God, supreme Guru or teacher; pranidhana = practicing the presence, dedication, devotion, surrender of fruits of practice)
Jessica wants you to check this out:
[Yoga Sutra] 2.45 From an attitude of letting go into one's source (ishvarapranidhana), the state of perfected concentration (samadhi) is attained.
Here ends the Basic Advanced Guide to Train Hopping.
Is there really that much to train hopping? Yes. Why? Because you have to do it right. Life not done right leads to death. A backwards perspective of life leads to a backwards perspective of death. And of course death is the biggest foe of life. So the best thing to do is learn how to control that enemy and be free.
Overall, Jessica will make it. Here is what she feels.
1. Shaucha: purity of body and mind
The first mistake many a tramp and hobo is the glorification of dirtiness. Jessica offers a different perspective. In her role as a train riding super heroine, she says cleanliness gives her power and fluidness. She says its not a matter of other peoples opinion of her but instead it is the freedom she finds in it. Dirt controls people, says she. In this case dirt could be defined as that which there is an aversion to. Once, running into some high talking wanna be cool bums, she pointed out that glorifying those stupid things which made them dirty actually made them hypocrites and weaklings. Here she says that it is the effect of being outcast from a group or people which then has the dominant tendency to bring one to adopt the aversions of that group or people. Unfortunately, this always goes in the negative direction when gone unchecked. For example: Jeremy don't like the cool kids in school so he started drinking to be not like them. The cool kids started imitating his drinking so he started doing coke. The cool kids start doing doing coke so he started doing heroine. He overheared a cool kid talking about doing heroine so he decided to become a hobo. He packs his stuff and gets to a railroad overpass and then gets run over by a train.
This is an example of rebelling against yourself.
Now, I would also like to note that if done right, this train hopping lifestyle can be an exemplary kind of shaucha. It is possible if you can learn to wholly leave behind the impurities and corruptions of modern lifestyles and negative types of relationships. The experience can be like a bath for the mind.
Talk about good clean fun!
2. Santosha: contentment
Jessica feels content. When she is waiting for a train, she is content. When she is riding through the mountains, she is content. When she is heading over the plains, she is content. When tumbling through the hills, she is content. Completing a perfect dismount, she is content. Landing in a steam by the tracks, she is content. Walking the 10 miles into town, she is sure trying to be content. Finding out they don't let backpacks in the library, a little effort and she is content. Deciding to leave town because crappy things keep happening, she is content.
She feels that the decision to tramp and train ride in her life has helped her to always be content. Such is its beauty.
3. Tapah: training the senses, austerities, ascesis
The rigors of train riding has made Jessica very strong. Also, she does not negate that accomplishment and weaken herself through the imbibing of alcohol or taking of other drugs.
The universal expression of this tapah in train riding is that you will be confined to a (most likely) small area anywhere from a few hours to a few days. In some ways, this is actually Jessica's favorite part. She says that there is great joy found in allowing yourself not to move.
Jessica actually does not usually bring some entertainment along with her because she truly enjoys the fast.
4. Svadhyaya: self-study, reflection on sacred words
Jessica has probably studied a lot of different philosophies and practices, but she doesn't usually read on the train, as she finds it difficult. One of the things that she has talked about is studying the beauty in nature. She says that there are sounds behind the sights and that's what can make something beautiful or ugly. She believes that sacred words are what makes things beautiful.
5. Ishvara pranidhana: surrender; (ishvara = creative source, causal field, God, supreme Guru or teacher; pranidhana = practicing the presence, dedication, devotion, surrender of fruits of practice)
Jessica wants you to check this out:
[Yoga Sutra] 2.45 From an attitude of letting go into one's source (ishvarapranidhana), the state of perfected concentration (samadhi) is attained.
Here ends the Basic Advanced Guide to Train Hopping.
# posted by edgarnow : 9:33 AM
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