I went a little Punk Rock in India

Once I crossed paths with a man who had especially orange hair. The kind of orange that reminds me of fresh zinnias on a bright Summer day. I learned something in that brief crossing, something especially deep and profound. I was meditating last night when I finally realized what I learned.

A single question, at the right time, expressed properly is a life changing event.

Every day the possibility for extraordinary change looms in the background tapestry of our life. It is expressed in this single question -- a question that when asked will move the earth, light up life, and shake the status quo in which you are living. Some of you inherently know of this underlying question. The one that might feel like an itch or restlessness and might even make you a little nervous. The one that drives you to abandon old accepted ways in order to feel alive again. The one that might drive you to challenge the status quo in your own life.

So there I was, crossing paths with the man with orange hair, when I realized that we all walk around with this question in our hearts. A sort of Punk Rock question -- a 'let me break out of this box and feel alive again question.'

Yeah, sort of like Punk Rock. Except when you challenge the status quo, it is your own inner status quo. And when you express your individuality you do it through removing your energetic ties to your old tired habits that have long been outgrown. Instead of focusing on your ties to useless societal norms (I am not saying all norms are useless), you look inward for radical change. And there sits the question.

Let's think that this life changing question is a question that creates positive change because the nature of the question is to be open to positive change. And let's say that that opens you to a kind of wisdom answer.

Then we begin to have a truer Punk Rock, a sort of an enlightened form of Punk Rock, where the downside of Punk Rock never happens. The totally high highs and really low crashes aren't necessary. Where challenging the norm never harms, only helps. Where feeling totally alive -- where feeling totally clear and high does not require negative charges or angry resistance (or restricted substances), only radical and proactive change to the status quo. Where feeing alive is never fllowed by tired and exhausted. And where again, radical change is only in beneficial directions.

The man with orange hair has a question, and he wears it on his sleeve. I have no idea what the question is, but I hope that when he asks it, that the answer he gets is so filled with wisdom and makes him feel so alive that that orange hair stands on end - just like the wisdom flames in traditional Thankas. Wouldn't that be cool to see?

But more importantly, this led me to look at my own heart question and to realize that it is not carrying the heart question that is important, it is the expression of the heart question.

And here I am in India, alive in this present moment, fully realizing my heart question and thinking, wow, I owe this understanding to the guy with the orange hair.

So if you see him, tell him I went just a little Punk Rock while I was in India, minus the orange hair of course.

And another thing -- there are Punk Rockers in this world who have a deep and profound sense of respect for others. And from time to time they express it deeply and honestly and even in public. Now, I am sure that there are a lot of people out there are feeling that I am stating the obvious, but I feel that when it is sincerely expressed by this group it often goes unnoticed.

I'd like to thank that man with orange hair for his kindness in taking time to demonstrate so sincerely, outwardly, inwardly and deeply this sense of respect.

And the best part is, it was so natural he may not even know that he did it.