In Search Of . . . .

Recalling Leonard Nimoy’s gravely voice in the slick production “In Search of”, I have been on a quest in search of so many things, people, and places for more than half a century. But only a few have truly been what I consider to be so impactful that the experiences changed me. One such place was Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey. My best friend, Lou and I buzzed through the kings’ sarcophagi but both of us, having recently graduated as Lit majors, stopped and sat in this particular place. We knew that not everyone represented there was buried there, but to be among these great dead guys and recalling their words that inspired or moved or cajoled us to think, to act, and just to be (or not) was awesome – I mean truly awesome. I believe that directly after this memorable event, Lou and I also experienced our first real Indian cuisine in London as well as the English way of enjoying beer. Talk about memorable! The Indian food, which I admit we ASKED to be made as hot as possible, was Angry Shiva and Kali all in one. But then to take a large gulp of room temperature beer was memorable as well, but not necessarily a positive one. I think the Sikh’s that ran the place were in the back laughing at us.
During that same trip, I caught up with Deb in Munich and we went to the Dachau memorial. Now Dachau was not intended to be a killing camp like Auschwitz, but tens of thousands died there. It was a model for the entire concentration camp system the Nazis constructed. Dachau housed the dissidents, journalists, and just about every other German (and thousands of non-Germans) they believed didn’t drink the Kool Aid.
Being there has made me appreciate the people I have met that lived through that experience.

Nearly 20 years later I had the opportunity to search for Harry's New York Bar in Paris. Silly me, I thought I would be the only person who might be remotely interested in finding the place where the most famous 20th century expats hung out.
And while it is a niche tourist destination, it blew me away when I walked in to see the pendants of virtually every major US university pinned on the walls. My first reaction was to look for a UofM banner. This was something of an epiphany -- there were others out there looking for similar things as me. It was comforting to know that there were others who were on a quest as well and that our paths had crossed even though at different times. It brought to mind the Arthurian story of when the knights of the Round Table went out on their Grail quest. They made a pact that each one would enter the forest at a different point. Now that was significant for the writer/story-teller as well as the few readers and/or audience. The forest represented chaos while the community represented order and civilization. Of course, none of them could have ever visited Detroit's Belle Isle on a hot summer night. Now THAT'S chaos. The knights of the Round Table had to map their own path; not follow someone else. Upon entering Harry's, I realized that many others had entered the forest and many of us came to the same places as part of our individual quests. Now it just happened that on one leg of that same journey (a long project that took me to France, Belgium, and Germany looking for Anglo-autophiles -- a very rare breed) I ended up in Offenbach, Germany in late December, 1988. Offenbach was home to the poet Goethe and philosopher Schiller. Upon completing the German phase of the project on December 18, I had a free day before my scheduled flight on the 20th. While walking back to my hotel, I had the overwhelming feeling that I should be home with my family. Back in my hotel room, I contacted my corporate travel agent and asked to arrange a flight back a day early. Now this was significant. When they were able to get me out of Frankfurt on a December 19th Lufthansa flight, you must realize I was scheduled on Pan Am 103, the flight that was brought down over Locherbie Scotland the next day. When I got home, this picture was on all the television stations.
So what has my time in India added to my quest? First and foremost, I understand much better what must have happened to Siddhartha when he got out of his father's palace gates and mingled with his peeps. You can't help but see the struggle for survival everywhere you look. All of our fancy stuff and fancy places are the illusion and this is the reality. But as we've asserted before, the caste system is alive and it brings to mind the segment in Mel Brooks 'A History of the World Part I:
Harvey Korman as Count De Money: "Your Highness, the peasants are revolting."
Mel Brooks as Louis XVI: "Yes, they stink on ice. But they're my people, I love them. Pull!"
Peasant being used like a clay pigeon: "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
MB as LXVI: "It's good to be king!"

Which is why the gods are important. While we took an unexpected side trip to Cochin three weeks ago due to a cancelled flight, we took in a Kathakali play. It was a scene from the much larger depiction of the Ramayana legend which for length makes Wagner's Ring Cycle seem like Samuel Beckett's "Breath" by comparison.

Anyhow. . .Arjuna, a princely guy, but arrogant and haughty, is out hunting with a woodsman and his wife (Shiva and Pavarti in disguise). Arjuna is doing his princely hunting thing and, to make a very long story short, is humbled by the gods and learns a lesson, therefore being granted a boon by Shiva and Pavarti. I know I am guilty of such stuff and I know that I've been bitch slapped by God more than a few times.

Further, in Hindu tradition, even before the gods were created, there was "I" in a void. I is probably best thought of a conscious awareness of self. According to the Vedas, "I" realized it was alone and was afraid. Thus, the first of the two great karmic weights on the soul was created (the other being lust which was created when "I" split in two; one half being man and the other half being woman). This might be comparable to the original sin of the Levant-origin religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for which salvation from original sin is either pending as in Judaism or through (your credo faith goes here). For Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists, moksha or the soul's release is finally being free of the two great weights thus not having to come back in another life as a bug or life insurance salesman.

Since I am an advocate of the secular Grail quest as written in the Parzival legend, I can continue on my quest and, although I often fail, I get an abundant number of passes until I get it right and heal the wounded Fisher King.

And our journey will continue as our next adventure is just a couple weeks away. Keep tuned in and don't drop out.