Mumbai - Kenneth and his family

Ken was in Hyderabad when I requested to his couch, but I was hosted by his cousin Marvin, with the help of his brother Kevin, and the whole family.




Kenneth and the pipeline



The pipelines




Ken's family's garden



Ken's family



Ken



Eating

Mumbai - day six

During the 4 first nights, I have been hosted in Santa Cruz west by TV reporters and teachers. Then I was hosted for one night in Mulund west, where there was a party to celebrate the full moon. Now, I am in Andheri east. I will probablyleave Mumbai tomorrow. Sick of big cities for the moment !

Today I went back to see Ramesh Balsekar . He is really humble and cares for everyone. Every day, he makes a kind of philosophical lecture, in his home. He sits in his armchair, there are two persons sit in front of him, and he discusses with them. Other people listen to the discussion,and then can ask questions. Basically, his philosophy is that pursuing happiness, which is a selfish quest, if this research is made consciously and wisely (wich means for example understanding that pleasure doesn't bring happiness, and therefore that its poursuit is useless), leads to be totally open to other people, treating them as oneself, while being constantly connected to the Source (of Consciousness) -or God, or whatever.

Here are a few quotes of Ramesh :

"Quite some time ago, a sudden thought hitme with great impact : it is downright stupid for anyone to try to appear wiser than he is, or more handsome than he is, or better in any sense than he really is. No one is perfect in this world; acceptance is so much easier than hypocrisy, being natural so much easier than pretention"

This one sounds like this post :

"With the realization that livingin essence is merely the response of each sense when in contact with its respective object, without any real volition, there is an actual experience that I do not really live my life, but that life is being lived through me, as much as it is lived through every body-mind living".

"With the experience of life being lived by itself, it seems amazing how easily each problem seems to resolve itself, allowing each dilemma to arrive spontaneously atits natural solution. 'Me' and 'other' actually turn to be just different perception."

Here aresome other pictures of the city :

Mumbai - day three

The horns are very hard to bear. The way they sound has be chosen to provoke a maximum of stress, above all on new cars. It's really awful because they keep using it all the time !!! The whole city is full of the sound of horns. During the night, it's the barking of dogs fighting. The ears can't have any rest.

Today I met Ramesh Balsekar, in his house. And I had a drink with a couchsurfer who is preproducing her first long movie for Bollywood. It is a big production. The subject of the film looks like the one of `Un air de famille`.

Mumbai - day two

This city is crazy. Imagine your worst nightmare about the rush hour in a big city : this is the regular street scene in any part of Mumbai, at any time. It's a huge mix of what we can imagine of best and worst on this planet. Architecture is an obvious example. Some people beg for money because they have no more fingers on both hands while others have access to anything they want.


Santa Cruz West, Daulat Nagar



Santa Cruz West, Daulat Nagar



Santa Cruz West, Daulat Nagar



Santa Cruz West, Daulat Nagar



Santa Cruz West, Daulat Nagar



Regular street traffic

























Security portal on the way to Haji Ali Mosquee



Way to Haji Ali Mosque



Haji Ali Mosque

Mumbai - day one

The couch

John Scofield @ Blue Note

Amazing illusions

Nothing is actually moving !




I didn't believe it !! If you aren't either, just open the file in paint, and try by yourself !

Alex Grey's Hall of mirrors

On 540 27th street (next to 10th avenue) 4th floor,Alex Grey has a permanent exhibition. There is his Hall of sacred mirrors, and some of his best artworks. The mirrors are actually paintings at real size showing the human body in different ways. The visitor can find in each of them an image of himself. It makes him take consciousness of what he is made of and what is his nature.

In the entry



Closer



Exhibition's doors



The frame



The Hall of mirrors, with a visitor looking at his image in the painting



The exhibition



Here are some of the best Alex Grey's artworks :



One of the mirrors



Pregnancy



Nursing



Theologue



Gaia



Painting



Wonder

Looks familiar ? :)