moving to Dharmsala, gulp help!!!

It certainly does to me.

thanks

There are few places and few people who can sincerely help in interpreting signs, symolism, dreams or similar extraordinary talents such as psychic phenomena, premonitions, or healing abilities, to put what i am guessing at into broad categories. And i can think of a couple of people whom you could do well to meet if i am probing in the right area. Coming to the Himalayas and to D'sala is a good place to go alright, but equally you may want, and indeed i feel you should expand your research and meet some highly evolved persons who happen not to be Buddhists - leaves and branches of the same roots, moreorless isn't it?

To me, it does not make much. You have not said anything wrong that you must apologize. Only we doubt your decision, as somebody said, what you get may be quite different from what you hope.

[I]It's so true that even Lennon wrote a song about it.

It didn’t matter because this thread isn’t about me. It was only an offer of encouragement to Sunspirt who seems to be sorting things out as she goes just fine.

Namaste Camel girl

Quote :"There is no misunderstanding by anyone beside Shivani."

Camelgirl, I'll stick by what I've said to Sunsprit. Strange as it may seem to you, it seems clear enough from the start that she meant visiting rather than illegal immigration....

Sunsprit, yes, it will be fun to meet up in Mcleodganj! We can keep in touch through India Mike. I'll be there in November :-)

By the way, you can enroll at the Tibetan Library without needing to study Tibetan language and writing.

Follow your dreams....

I don't think it was at all clear from the start that sunspirt simply meant visiting. And while I'm sure sunspirt didn't have illegal immigration in mind, I'm equally sure that she wasn't talking about just visiting India. She wanted to know what kind of visa she would need to move there. Apparently she thought there was a type of visa that would allow her to become an immigrant, as there is for people wishing to move to the U.S.. People told her that because of India's immigration policy (which is radically different from the U.S.'s) there wasn't a realistic possibility of that in her circumstances (short of marrying an Indian citizen), that a tourist visa was probably the way to go (or maybe a student visa), and that if she didn't comply with the terms of her visa (which would probably be a tourist visa limiting each stay to 180 days) she'd be illegal.

If all sunspirt had intended from the beginning was visiting, it would have been odd for her to ask what kind of visa she'd need to "move" there. Her question shows that she was at least aware of visa requirements (and we've see a few would-be visitors who weren't), and given that awareness, plus the knowledge (which I'm sure she has) that people go to India as tourists all the time, it would probably have been pretty self-evident to her that there was a tourist visa that would allow a short-term trip if that was all she intended. But she didn't ask, "How do I go about getting a visa to visit India? Where do I apply? Does it cost anything?"... etc. . No, she was looking for information about a more obscure kind of visa which she hoped existed -- a kind of visa that would allow her to re-locate there. Unfortunately for her, there's really no such thing and she'll have to re-think her plans and come up with something more workable, which she seems to be in the process of doing, after an initial shock of disappointment (which she reacted to by being pissed off at people who she thought were throwing a wet blanket over her).

But not giving her a "heads up" about this obstacle to her plans, and instead just engaging in "follow your dream" cheer-leading, while all very chipper and upbeat and "nice," does not actually seem very helpful to someone looking for information about whether something she wants to do is actually possible.

... To pick up on the tangent sidestep here,* I'd have to agree with Camelgirl:

India may be many things to me, but there's nothing intrinsically spiritual about it to me, or no more and no less so than many another place I know might be.

I don't understand this suggestion why it should be so either. My own country (of The Netherlands) is full of churches and a bunch of monasteries, you know (not to mention lord knows how many new-agers, please), I'd only need to rap at their door and preferably have some genuine interest to follow whatever they are doing (and hopefully have some idea first of what it is their specific denomination is doing anyway) if I were so inclined. (A little more specifically, that is in fact what many of my new-agey friends will do, no few of those monasteries have long found the cross-fertilization there & opened up their doors to it. It seems to please all parties involved, from what I hear. Yes, of course, there's yoga and tantric retreats and transcendental meditation and whatnot being offered there. Japanese flower arrangements and vegan cooking and organic beer-brewing, you name it.) I just happen to not be so inclined, although the thought has crossed my mind at times, sure (and notably towards the "real" Christian schools of thought -- but then let's face it, my anarchic and atheist approach wouldn't likely make the project last very long, would it. That's not to say I have no interest in spiritualism, not least of it its "radical" manifestations.) I have silly thoughts and unfeasible plans a lot of the time, I should hope we all do (and then I should hope most of us recognize them to be so before we act on them and burn all our bridges, unless we are convinced that's what we want and need to do -- and using some heavy self-criticism and observation in arriving at that decision).

As some of you will know I like to visit Spain; there'd certainly be plenty a church of again a number of denominations for me to run into right there.

But so anyway to get back to India, please allow some of us to just go there and like it as a country and its various peoples among many countries without necessarily becoming all starry-eyed about it, and cast all sense and wits to the wind, please. Need I say it again: The experience may be many things to me; but it isn't spiritual (except perhaps to the extent that all of life might be called so), and no one can tell me it should be.

* I see now that was on the other thread by the same person really. Oh well. See here and onwards --> what type of visa would I need to move to India?

Sunspirit, visa issues aside, agree with those who say 'visit first'. Perception is not- usually- reality.

I have found that sometimes there is nothing so invigorating as burning bridges before crossing them.

LOL, Capt. Maybe people should appreciate sometimes they're being adviced by people who know about steps and their possible consequences

(So to Sunspirt [sic] again, do I know about burning one's bridges & leaving stuff behind? Yes, you betcha. Do I regret it? No, I don't believe in regret as a useful sentiment, which doesn't mean I can't wallow in melancholy and self-pity btw. Do I think it was always wise, or I couldn't have done better? No, I certainly don't. I try to take whatever consequences I face; it's far from always easy. Hey, it never is to anyone, no matter what choices they make.

But in your position, I think you've mostly been given very good advice on your various threads, whether you like to hear it or not. And that would be to if anything, go check it out on a holiday or several,* then see what you make of it. From what I've briefly seen, you seem to have some idea about Dharamsala being a very "spiritual" place; I think you'll more likely soon get sick and tired of a certain semi-permanent "traveler" scene with their hang-ups about dope and honey pancakes and whatnot, and whether you're not spending more money than they are and have managed to survive in Asia on nothing for as long (but borrow us a quid while you're at it). And then all the "spiritual" jive and all the people whether Tibetan or Indian or Western or whatever to cash right in on it, and take your passport and your virginity while they're at it, of course.

I'm painting it a little bleakly, of course; but rest assured it can really be like that, certainly if arriving there as a naive youngster having "come take advantage of me" written in neon letters all over your face. While India is generally very nice, just like anywhere in the world it isn't always such a nice place to everyone, and one needs to keep one's eyes open just a little, of course.)

* The idea has come up on this or some of your other threads btw to look into a student visa. I'd say if you're just thinking of it as an excuse, and not genuinely interested in pursuing a study with a recognized institution, just forget about it. It's not going to happen on that basis.

It can limit your options, though.

Why not look for Buddhist studies in India? I think they would have some institute in McLeod'sganj or some nearby place (Himachal University - they have many campuses) on basis of which you can get a student visa for a longer period. For example - http://www.namgyal.org/photos/group5.cfm. You can search for more in Google, say 'Buddhist Studies in India'. You see, we are not against your coming to India or learning more about buddhism. We just do not want you to be starry-eyed so that you take care of yourself.

Aupmanyev, That's a very interesting website. They seem to offer every kind of study, for those who want an introduction and then for more serious students many possibilities. And it's in upstate New York (USA)

I did notice that you do have to provide your own housing but I'm sure they help you find it.