Teachings and Diwali

So today is a day full of things going on in Mc Leod Ganj. Not only the Dalai Lama is giving teachings, but it's the Diwali festival, supposedly the most glamorous festival in India. Info is though, that here in Mc Leod Ganj is not that nice. People just get drunk and throw firecrackers.

About the teachings, they run til sunday I think, when the Dalai Lama blesses those who go there. I'm not going neither to the teachings nor the blessing. And I must state here my total dissapointment with His Holiness receiving the golden medal of the US Congress. Well, I must clarify myself. I don't mean he doesn't deserve it, he obviously has done his best for the Freedom of Tibet, but isn't accepting a reward from a country that promotes war in the name of oil and other natural resources a bit hypocritical? And besides, such a wise man should know it's in the US best interested to maintain the tension with China, specially now that they are going to have to deal with the olimpics. And besides, if your final goal is to free Tibet, what's the point in challenging China by receiving such an award from the US? Or perhaps, His Holiness has forgotten what is his mission as the Dalai Lama? Let's not forget he is just a man carrying within himself a symbol for Buddhism. He is as Holy as his 13 predecessors, and he is known better than the rest because he has had to deal, in a very good way, so far, with exile. But I don't want to extend myself on this matter more than needed.

About the Diwali festival, it means Array of Lamps. Therefor, it's a festival of lights that symbolizes the victory of the righteous and the lifting of spiritual darkness. It represents therefor, the victory of good over evil.

I say, I'm in the wost part of India to see this festival, and most probably Rishikesh would be a great place to see it in all it's magnificence. But that will have to rest till some other time in the journey.