Lessons

So, what did I learn on this long and arduous trip? Aside from a sense of ancient civilization as it flourished on the shores of Tonle Sap lake over a thousand years ago? Many mysteries remain.

What magic purpose did these mystic faces have? Were they religious? The faces of the four-headed Brahma? Or something much more mundane--the faces of an egoistic king who presided over the destruction of his own empire?

As a teacher, I think a lot about learning. We don't always learn what we set out to study. I learned that I can push myself a lot harder than I thought. I learned that ego is incredibly difficult to overcome. It's nice to stay in an ashrama and meditate. When I stayed in Chiang Mai Ashrama, I went almost two weeks without getting angry at anyone. A great accomplishment for me. I felt totally at peace. But then again, there was no provocation. When we move in the world, it's much more difficult to stay balanced. Lust, Anger, Greed, Pride, Illusion, Envy. These are very real aspects of daily life. Difficult to overcome. Working together as a team to reach a goal helps diminish some of these bad qualities. I'm deeply indebted to my friend, B.B. Avadhuta, the mysterious Russian Swami for allowing me to participate in the project.

Bhakti Bimal Avadhuta Swami

Naga head guarding entrance to Bayon Gate at Angkor Thom, Cambodia

 Our camera men and assistent director are determined to maintain their anonimity.

Jana Nivas in front of Buddhist Pagodas

Indulekha with cell phone camera, checking camera angles

Andri and Birchandra with steady cam in Rikshaw.

I really enjoy working with young people. They have a different angle of vision, They are passionate, get excited about things and then change their minds, but they are the future. I learned a lot about new technologies from them. I tried to teach them to have more of a sense of humor about their work and not to take things too seriously. Strangely that's what people always tell me: "Don't take it so seriously." Young people taught me to experiment. I experimented with different things on this trip: screenwriting, acting, lecturing in Russia and Ukraine, making TV programs in Thailand and doing voice-over. 

As far as what we learn, it's difficult to process in a day or two. I have been transformed by this journey in ways I can't completely express. I'll write more tomorrow.