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Turtle Feet
Traces the author's spontaneous decision to give up his life as a musical prodigy to become a Buddhist monk, a choice that led to his relocation to the Himalayas and his indoctrination into Buddhist culture, where he found unexpected humor, doubts, and new friends.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2008
35 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
Nikolai Grozni
16 books48 followersNikolai Grozni was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. His given name is Nikolai Grozdinski - Николай Гроздински.
He began training as a classical pianist at the age of four and won his first major award in Salerno, Italy, at the age of nine. He studied jazz at Berklee College of Music, Boston. He began writing while living in India, where he spent four years as a Buddhist monk, studying Tibetian texts at the Institute of Buddhist Dialects in Dharamsala.
His first book in English, Turtle Feet, about his experience in India was published in 2008 by Riverhead. Wunderkind, his new novel published in 2011 by Free Press, is a roman a clef about music, obsession, genius and growing up behind the Iron curtain as a piano prodigy. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Brown University.
He began training as a classical pianist at the age of four and won his first major award in Salerno, Italy, at the age of nine. He studied jazz at Berklee College of Music, Boston. He began writing while living in India, where he spent four years as a Buddhist monk, studying Tibetian texts at the Institute of Buddhist Dialects in Dharamsala.
His first book in English, Turtle Feet, about his experience in India was published in 2008 by Riverhead. Wunderkind, his new novel published in 2011 by Free Press, is a roman a clef about music, obsession, genius and growing up behind the Iron curtain as a piano prodigy. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Brown University.
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January 26, 2016Пънкът, обясних веднъж насън на една приятелка, е непрекъснатото усъмняване в готовите смислови фабрикати на света. Ако си недоволен, удряш. Ако не ти харесва, рушиш. В съня приятелката ми каза, че не ме разбира, и отиде да си купи банан.
Мисля си, че пънкът и будизмът имат нещо общо, доколкото и двете целят разрушаване на готови, но неработещи норми, пълно оголване на реалността и човека, достигане до същностното или по-скоро до съзнанието, че няма постоянно същностно и единственият начин да поддържаме някаква връзка с истината е непрекъснато да подлагаме света и себе си на рушене.
Един такъв бунт е сюжетният старт на “Крака на костенурка”. Разказвачът Николай е загубен музикант, който е учил пиано в най-якия музикален колеж в света, обаче нещо все не му е било наред, нещо все се е разминавал с предлаганата му реалност, която все е изглеждала лъжлива — гаджета, купони, уроци — имало нещо празно в цялата тая работа. Идентичността на талантлив пианист с бляскаво бъдеще не сработвала. Накрая зарязал всичко и станал будистки монах в Дарамсала. Освободил се от суетата и суетенето на западния свят и отишъл да търси обратното — смирение, себеотричане, светопознание.
Цялата работа малко намирисва на поредния западняк, който е открил голямата източна истина и се връща с аура на светец, за да ни просвети. Не това е целта на Грозни. Самият той казва: “В книгите си не давам отговори, само задавам въпроси. Това разочарова някои мои читатели в Америка, които са очаквали да открият мистични духовни послания, които ще разрешат всичките им проблеми”.
При все че Николай е напълно отдаден и верен на монашеската клетва, още от самото начало той подхожда към цялото преживяване с пънкарска игривост. Вместо да затъне изцяло в будистката догма и да изключи всичко невписващо се в нея, погледът му остава чувствителен за откаченото, несериозното, абсурдното. Реалността около него така и не предявява каквато и да е претенция за логика и всъщност това й е ценното. Никой и нищо не е нещо готово и завършено в тази реалност, всичко е странно, смешно, невероятно, непостоянно и затова — правилно. Същото важи и за самия разказвач — всеки негов наивен опит да се самозаяви, да се самоопредели в новата си обстановка завършва с комичен крах, малко по уесандерсъновски и селинджърски. Дори по време на мемоарната си рефлексия, в нито един момент разказвачът не се подхлъзва по удобната възможност да се покаже як, печен и разбрал — напротив, той използва писането, за да се изкара неуверен, смешен и смаян.
В крайна сметка се е получил чуден баланс между случка, теория, персонаж и техника. Случката, познавателната страна на историята, е реалистичната документация на монашеството, заедно с абсурдния живот в Дарамсала. Теорията са умерено вмъкнатите разсъждения по въпроси от будистката метафизика. Персонажът е бившият вундеркинд, младият монах Николай, който е в непрекъснато развитие по личния си път към истината. Техниката (мен ако питате, най-значимото в този роман) е силният усет към абсурдното и шашавото, лекотата и иронията на описанието.
Дотук всичко е по анонс. Това, което анонсът не съобщава обаче, е, че един от многото чалнати обитатели на Дарамсала, за които Грозни явно има око, постепенно мутира от поредния дребен колоритен персонаж до важно повествователно отклонение, та до главно действащо лице, което измества всичко останало, дори самия разказвач. И ето тук идва същинското рушене и баш пънкарията, истинският бунт. Като че ли напускането на западния свят и самоиронията не са достатъчни като средство срещу суетата на света и егото, затова, за да постигне пълно саморазрушение, във втората половина на романа Грозни отстъпва средата на сцената на друг персонаж, който прави всичко, включително него, на пух и прах. Не Буда успява да освободи Николай от илюзията му за аз, а Цар, смахнатият босненец, който е пробвал с монашеството, ама набързо се е отказал, който си е хвърлил паспорта и сега е заклещен в Индия, който е от несъществуваща вече държава, който почва търговия с босненски хляб в Дарамсала, който планува да мине границата с делтапланер, който е луд шахматист, който е въплъщение на грандиозната пънкарска добродушна неебателност.
И докато Николай е усърден в монашеството си, нещо непрекъснато го дърпа към Цар, който го храни с всякакви подривни идеи. Колкото и да недоволства Ани Дауа (нещо като настойничката на Николай в Индия), постепенно хаосът на Цар става по-значещ от реда на будизма.
Навсякъде пише, че този роман е историята на джаз пианист, който се преселва в Хималаите, за да учи будизъм. За мен обаче това е преди всичко портрет на Цар, на неговата способност да удря, мачка и руши, да не признава етикети, авторитети и истини, да не се задоволява с нищо готово, да не се церемони, да не се нарича никакъв, да не приема идентичност, да няма дом, да няма аз, да решава на момента и, като образцов играч на шах, винаги да е няколко хода напред. Той се оказва най-важният учител за Николай.
И като казах “няколко хода напред”, най-много се смях и надъхах тъкмо на разсъжденията на Цар за играчите на шах. Според него шахматистите имат много по-гъвкаво отношение към реалността и винаги мислят с един ход напред. Ако, да речем, си чужденец без паспорт в Индия и си тръгнал рано-рано от Дарамсала към Ню Делхи да се примолиш за статут на бежанец, обаче, не щеш ли, точно на излизане от квартирата те блъсне магаре и ти счупи крака, какво биха направили повечето хора? Биха отишли в болница, биха се прибрали веднага, при всички положения биха се отказали от плана. Играчът на шах обаче вече е с един ход напред, незабавно яхва магарето, което го е осакатило, и препуска с него към автобусната спирка. Добре, нали, обаче цялата тая работа със счупения крак го е забавила и когато стига до спирката, автобусът тъкмо тръгва. При това положение обикновеният човек няма какво друго да направи, освен да се върне, играчът на шах обаче вече е няколко хода напред и се хвърля пред автобуса. Качва се, значи, и стига до жп гарата в съседното градче. Обаче се оказва, че експресът за Ню Делхи не спира точно на тая гара, а само на съседните две. Обикновеният човек вижда безизходна ситуация, а играчът на шах веднага хваща влак в обратната на Ню Делхи посока...
Страхотна книга, една от любимите ми през последните години.
Мисля си, че пънкът и будизмът имат нещо общо, доколкото и двете целят разрушаване на готови, но неработещи норми, пълно оголване на реалността и човека, достигане до същностното или по-скоро до съзнанието, че няма постоянно същностно и единственият начин да поддържаме някаква връзка с истината е непрекъснато да подлагаме света и себе си на рушене.
Един такъв бунт е сюжетният старт на “Крака на костенурка”. Разказвачът Николай е загубен музикант, който е учил пиано в най-якия музикален колеж в света, обаче нещо все не му е било наред, нещо все се е разминавал с предлаганата му реалност, която все е изглеждала лъжлива — гаджета, купони, уроци — имало нещо празно в цялата тая работа. Идентичността на талантлив пианист с бляскаво бъдеще не сработвала. Накрая зарязал всичко и станал будистки монах в Дарамсала. Освободил се от суетата и суетенето на западния свят и отишъл да търси обратното — смирение, себеотричане, светопознание.
Цялата работа малко намирисва на поредния западняк, който е открил голямата източна истина и се връща с аура на светец, за да ни просвети. Не това е целта на Грозни. Самият той казва: “В книгите си не давам отговори, само задавам въпроси. Това разочарова някои мои читатели в Америка, които са очаквали да открият мистични духовни послания, които ще разрешат всичките им проблеми”.
При все че Николай е напълно отдаден и верен на монашеската клетва, още от самото начало той подхожда към цялото преживяване с пънкарска игривост. Вместо да затъне изцяло в будистката догма и да изключи всичко невписващо се в нея, погледът му остава чувствителен за откаченото, несериозното, абсурдното. Реалността около него така и не предявява каквато и да е претенция за логика и всъщност това й е ценното. Никой и нищо не е нещо готово и завършено в тази реалност, всичко е странно, смешно, невероятно, непостоянно и затова — правилно. Същото важи и за самия разказвач — всеки негов наивен опит да се самозаяви, да се самоопредели в новата си обстановка завършва с комичен крах, малко по уесандерсъновски и селинджърски. Дори по време на мемоарната си рефлексия, в нито един момент разказвачът не се подхлъзва по удобната възможност да се покаже як, печен и разбрал — напротив, той използва писането, за да се изкара неуверен, смешен и смаян.
В крайна сметка се е получил чуден баланс между случка, теория, персонаж и техника. Случката, познавателната страна на историята, е реалистичната документация на монашеството, заедно с абсурдния живот в Дарамсала. Теорията са умерено вмъкнатите разсъждения по въпроси от будистката метафизика. Персонажът е бившият вундеркинд, младият монах Николай, който е в непрекъснато развитие по личния си път към истината. Техниката (мен ако питате, най-значимото в този роман) е силният усет към абсурдното и шашавото, лекотата и иронията на описанието.
Дотук всичко е по анонс. Това, което анонсът не съобщава обаче, е, че един от многото чалнати обитатели на Дарамсала, за които Грозни явно има око, постепенно мутира от поредния дребен колоритен персонаж до важно повествователно отклонение, та до главно действащо лице, което измества всичко останало, дори самия разказвач. И ето тук идва същинското рушене и баш пънкарията, истинският бунт. Като че ли напускането на западния свят и самоиронията не са достатъчни като средство срещу суетата на света и егото, затова, за да постигне пълно саморазрушение, във втората половина на романа Грозни отстъпва средата на сцената на друг персонаж, който прави всичко, включително него, на пух и прах. Не Буда успява да освободи Николай от илюзията му за аз, а Цар, смахнатият босненец, който е пробвал с монашеството, ама набързо се е отказал, който си е хвърлил паспорта и сега е заклещен в Индия, който е от несъществуваща вече държава, който почва търговия с босненски хляб в Дарамсала, който планува да мине границата с делтапланер, който е луд шахматист, който е въплъщение на грандиозната пънкарска добродушна неебателност.
И докато Николай е усърден в монашеството си, нещо непрекъснато го дърпа към Цар, който го храни с всякакви подривни идеи. Колкото и да недоволства Ани Дауа (нещо като настойничката на Николай в Индия), постепенно хаосът на Цар става по-значещ от реда на будизма.
Навсякъде пише, че този роман е историята на джаз пианист, който се преселва в Хималаите, за да учи будизъм. За мен обаче това е преди всичко портрет на Цар, на неговата способност да удря, мачка и руши, да не признава етикети, авторитети и истини, да не се задоволява с нищо готово, да не се церемони, да не се нарича никакъв, да не приема идентичност, да няма дом, да няма аз, да решава на момента и, като образцов играч на шах, винаги да е няколко хода напред. Той се оказва най-важният учител за Николай.
И като казах “няколко хода напред”, най-много се смях и надъхах тъкмо на разсъжденията на Цар за играчите на шах. Според него шахматистите имат много по-гъвкаво отношение към реалността и винаги мислят с един ход напред. Ако, да речем, си чужденец без паспорт в Индия и си тръгнал рано-рано от Дарамсала към Ню Делхи да се примолиш за статут на бежанец, обаче, не щеш ли, точно на излизане от квартирата те блъсне магаре и ти счупи крака, какво биха направили повечето хора? Биха отишли в болница, биха се прибрали веднага, при всички положения биха се отказали от плана. Играчът на шах обаче вече е с един ход напред, незабавно яхва магарето, което го е осакатило, и препуска с него към автобусната спирка. Добре, нали, обаче цялата тая работа със счупения крак го е забавила и когато стига до спирката, автобусът тъкмо тръгва. При това положение обикновеният човек няма какво друго да направи, освен да се върне, играчът на шах обаче вече е няколко хода напред и се хвърля пред автобуса. Качва се, значи, и стига до жп гарата в съседното градче. Обаче се оказва, че експресът за Ню Делхи не спира точно на тая гара, а само на съседните две. Обикновеният човек вижда безизходна ситуация, а играчът на шах веднага хваща влак в обратната на Ню Делхи посока...
Страхотна книга, една от любимите ми през последните години.
July 22, 2008
Nikolai Grozni was a childhood piano prodigy well on his way to becoming a professional jazz musician when a sudden metaphysical crisis caused him to drop out of the Berklee College of Music and move to India to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk.
Turtle Feet is Grozni's articulate and thoughtful memoir about his years living in Dharamsala. Though Grozni moved to India to divest himself of his previous identity and devote himself to religious scholarship, it doesn't take long for a new life to begin sprouting in the space he had opened up. Though he does discuss some aspects of his Buddhist training, this book is less about his spiritual discipline than about how he was unexpectedly captivated by the chaotic beauty of Indian village life and the oddball cast of characters he befriends while simultaneously having fantasies of living a hermetic life in a remote cave.
Grozni is a skilled wordsmith with a wry sense of humor and impeccable eye for detail, and it is these talents that make the book both fascinating and a pleasure to read. I was quickly caught up in his colorful descriptions of how he and his other friends eeked out a surprisingly pleasant living in leaky rooms infested by snakes and rats. It becomes apparent very quickly that we need much less to survive than most of us in the West could fathom. Grozni demonstrates that the free time granted by such detachment from materialism creates fruitful ground for other, more satisfying pursuits, including meditations on "the Indian Law of Probabilities, which states that some things happen or don't happen, again and again, for absolutely no reason."
Though Grozni introduces so many characters in the beginning of the book I couldn't keep them all straight, as the story progresses, his attention turns more specifically on his growing friendship with Tsar, a swaggering refugee from the Yugoslav wars. Tsar's quest for a solution to the problem of being an illegal refugee from a country that no longer exists provides an interesting structure for Grozni's musings on the nature of self and identity. His juxtaposition of Tsar's brand of crazy wisdom with the formal lessons of Grozni's official teachers also offers some rich insights.
This is one of those books that makes me wish Goodreads had half stars, for although there are many beautiful and funny moments found in this book, the ending was neither as tight or as satisfying as I had come to expect from the previous pages. But I'm bumping it up to four stars because I admire Grozni's willingness to open himself up in the process of de-mythologizing the world of Tibetan Buddhism and the quest for enlightenment in general. There are a lot of gems to be found here.
Turtle Feet is Grozni's articulate and thoughtful memoir about his years living in Dharamsala. Though Grozni moved to India to divest himself of his previous identity and devote himself to religious scholarship, it doesn't take long for a new life to begin sprouting in the space he had opened up. Though he does discuss some aspects of his Buddhist training, this book is less about his spiritual discipline than about how he was unexpectedly captivated by the chaotic beauty of Indian village life and the oddball cast of characters he befriends while simultaneously having fantasies of living a hermetic life in a remote cave.
Grozni is a skilled wordsmith with a wry sense of humor and impeccable eye for detail, and it is these talents that make the book both fascinating and a pleasure to read. I was quickly caught up in his colorful descriptions of how he and his other friends eeked out a surprisingly pleasant living in leaky rooms infested by snakes and rats. It becomes apparent very quickly that we need much less to survive than most of us in the West could fathom. Grozni demonstrates that the free time granted by such detachment from materialism creates fruitful ground for other, more satisfying pursuits, including meditations on "the Indian Law of Probabilities, which states that some things happen or don't happen, again and again, for absolutely no reason."
Though Grozni introduces so many characters in the beginning of the book I couldn't keep them all straight, as the story progresses, his attention turns more specifically on his growing friendship with Tsar, a swaggering refugee from the Yugoslav wars. Tsar's quest for a solution to the problem of being an illegal refugee from a country that no longer exists provides an interesting structure for Grozni's musings on the nature of self and identity. His juxtaposition of Tsar's brand of crazy wisdom with the formal lessons of Grozni's official teachers also offers some rich insights.
This is one of those books that makes me wish Goodreads had half stars, for although there are many beautiful and funny moments found in this book, the ending was neither as tight or as satisfying as I had come to expect from the previous pages. But I'm bumping it up to four stars because I admire Grozni's willingness to open himself up in the process of de-mythologizing the world of Tibetan Buddhism and the quest for enlightenment in general. There are a lot of gems to be found here.
July 17, 2022
I never thought my usual response to ‘what’s the most useless thing you have ever done in your life’ would ever change in this lifetime. And then, I read this book. When compared to my experience of reading this book, what I considered useless earlier actually seems to be a positive experience with some meaning attached to it! How did that even happen?! Well..
Saw myself in a dream
Secrets sewn in my bloodstream
Quietly uncovering everything
Finally alive I can feel it all
Brought into the light I see it all..
…a mop of curly wavy hair on your head, you are doing your hair, trying to tame its unruliness and the fizz in this monsoon season. You are almost done and you think it is decent enough. And then you notice this one strand, this one strand that for some odd reason decides to stay straight and so is much longer in length than the rest of your hair. You know it’s definitely unnoticeable and that it shouldn’t matter at all. However, it keeps bothering you and you can’t get that out of your head. You keep fiddling with it even though you don’t want to and..
Because when the sun shine, we shine together
Told you I will be here forever
Said I will always be your friend
Took an oath, I’ma stick it out to the end
What even? Wondering what is all this? And how this making any sense at all? And what exactly am I trying to get to anyways?
Well, this was my state throughout the book.
I don’t know how else to put this out here.
Such a waste of time this was.
Thought I might develop a permanent scowl on my face by the end of this. I actually took a photo of myself reading this to confirm the scowl. The scowl was there, a very prominent one, that too. I think I need to watch a few episodes of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ to get that thing off my face.
Anyways..
This book makes Buddhists monks look like fools, India like one filthy country, Hindus like a bunch of penis worshipping idiots, and Hindu sadhus as ganja addicts. Amidst all this, I couldn’t really focus (and make sense even when I focused) on his existential and metaphysical reflections. Should I even call those reflections in the first place? Whatever. Btw, I am ready to stand corrected on my views of this book, with a caveat though, that it be done by a Dharmic.
P.S. - Those lyrics are from a couple of songs that I remember, one is ‘feel it all’ and the other is ‘Umbrella’.
Saw myself in a dream
Secrets sewn in my bloodstream
Quietly uncovering everything
Finally alive I can feel it all
Brought into the light I see it all..
…a mop of curly wavy hair on your head, you are doing your hair, trying to tame its unruliness and the fizz in this monsoon season. You are almost done and you think it is decent enough. And then you notice this one strand, this one strand that for some odd reason decides to stay straight and so is much longer in length than the rest of your hair. You know it’s definitely unnoticeable and that it shouldn’t matter at all. However, it keeps bothering you and you can’t get that out of your head. You keep fiddling with it even though you don’t want to and..
Because when the sun shine, we shine together
Told you I will be here forever
Said I will always be your friend
Took an oath, I’ma stick it out to the end
What even? Wondering what is all this? And how this making any sense at all? And what exactly am I trying to get to anyways?
Well, this was my state throughout the book.
I don’t know how else to put this out here.
Such a waste of time this was.
Thought I might develop a permanent scowl on my face by the end of this. I actually took a photo of myself reading this to confirm the scowl. The scowl was there, a very prominent one, that too. I think I need to watch a few episodes of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ to get that thing off my face.
Anyways..
This book makes Buddhists monks look like fools, India like one filthy country, Hindus like a bunch of penis worshipping idiots, and Hindu sadhus as ganja addicts. Amidst all this, I couldn’t really focus (and make sense even when I focused) on his existential and metaphysical reflections. Should I even call those reflections in the first place? Whatever. Btw, I am ready to stand corrected on my views of this book, with a caveat though, that it be done by a Dharmic.
P.S. - Those lyrics are from a couple of songs that I remember, one is ‘feel it all’ and the other is ‘Umbrella’.
October 15, 2024
Strongly written memoir about a young man in search of himself by attempting to follow a Tibetan Buddhist path.
Mostly, the book is about his friend, nicknamed Tsar, and how Tsar's irreverence is an influence in the quest for true meaning and true spirituality.
Much behind the scenes gossip of Tibetan teachers and the students who flock to the Himalayas in search of wisdom and what they might find instead.
I wish there were some pictures included here, even just street scenes from Dharamsala.
Mostly, the book is about his friend, nicknamed Tsar, and how Tsar's irreverence is an influence in the quest for true meaning and true spirituality.
Much behind the scenes gossip of Tibetan teachers and the students who flock to the Himalayas in search of wisdom and what they might find instead.
I wish there were some pictures included here, even just street scenes from Dharamsala.
October 12, 2012
After reading and liking Grozni's novel, "Wunderkind", I was intrigued by the path that he took from Eastern Europe to America to India and then back to his beginnings. "Turtle Feet" covers the author's time studying Buddhism, living as a monk in India.
The book is very entertaining, an anti-"Eat, Pray, Love": cynical, sarcastic, pessimistic, yet wildly romantic, with the same smart-alecky humor of his novel. It helps that Grozni was lucky in his friends and acquaintances: larger-than-life bundles of contradictions, who find themselves in a constant flow of unsolvable dilemmas, fitting easily into India, where "things happen again and again for absolutely no reason." Heretical skeptics who question constantly, they don't accept answers, or The Answer, from any person or institution, and they serve as catalysts in Grozni's rotating search for Truth, which keeps revealing a world that makes no sense and seems to have no rules. There is no magic formula, "...everything is right; everything is wrong; it's all a huge mess and there's no solving it on a rational level."
In the end Grozni finds that Buddhism has the same problems that plague all organized religions: entrenched Dogma and inflexiblity. "There was really no end to the rules that stipulated what was permissible and what wasn't." He can't fit in to a world that is so closed to possibility, where questions are always blasphemy. Even the realization that we're all making it up as we go along doesn't free us from the responsiblity of making and owning our choices.
The book is very entertaining, an anti-"Eat, Pray, Love": cynical, sarcastic, pessimistic, yet wildly romantic, with the same smart-alecky humor of his novel. It helps that Grozni was lucky in his friends and acquaintances: larger-than-life bundles of contradictions, who find themselves in a constant flow of unsolvable dilemmas, fitting easily into India, where "things happen again and again for absolutely no reason." Heretical skeptics who question constantly, they don't accept answers, or The Answer, from any person or institution, and they serve as catalysts in Grozni's rotating search for Truth, which keeps revealing a world that makes no sense and seems to have no rules. There is no magic formula, "...everything is right; everything is wrong; it's all a huge mess and there's no solving it on a rational level."
In the end Grozni finds that Buddhism has the same problems that plague all organized religions: entrenched Dogma and inflexiblity. "There was really no end to the rules that stipulated what was permissible and what wasn't." He can't fit in to a world that is so closed to possibility, where questions are always blasphemy. Even the realization that we're all making it up as we go along doesn't free us from the responsiblity of making and owning our choices.
June 30, 2020
Края на книгата ме очарова и размишлявам от нощес върху това:
"Той смяташе, че има само един път - неговият. Аз, от своя страна, смятам че за да разбереш нещо ясно, най-напред трябва да се откажеш от него"
Как възприемаме света? Кое е реалност? На децата им е лесно, не се доверяват изцяло на сетивата си, но като пораснат се стараят да я възприемат така, както се предполага, че изглежда в очите на повечето хора.
"Хората са доволни, когато има "тук" и "там". Това прави света почти реален."
"Докато аз прекарвах безброй нощи в опит да проумея защо сексът и пътят към осъзнаването на реалността се смятаха за несъвместими....."
Не зная дали образа на Цар е реален, но дори измислен авторът е късметлия - такъв образ отваря вратите към реалността със замах :)
Томас Едисон и Мона Лиза. Душици.
Индия звучи забавно в тази книга :)
"Навлязохме сред стръмните каньони на долината Кулу и автобусът запълзя по тясна, врязана в отвесния зъбер тераса, на места ерозирала от дъждовете и нащърбена от падащи скали..... с някоя от двойните задни гуми, висящи над пътя. Повечето пътници взеха да мърморят по нос, стиснали медальони и броеници или притворили очи. Религиозното чувство видимо нарасна"
И ще си забъркам "джал джеера" - лимонов сок със сол, кимион и джоджен
Харесаха ми тези мемоари.
"Той смяташе, че има само един път - неговият. Аз, от своя страна, смятам че за да разбереш нещо ясно, най-напред трябва да се откажеш от него"
Как възприемаме света? Кое е реалност? На децата им е лесно, не се доверяват изцяло на сетивата си, но като пораснат се стараят да я възприемат така, както се предполага, че изглежда в очите на повечето хора.
"Хората са доволни, когато има "тук" и "там". Това прави света почти реален."
"Докато аз прекарвах безброй нощи в опит да проумея защо сексът и пътят към осъзнаването на реалността се смятаха за несъвместими....."
Не зная дали образа на Цар е реален, но дори измислен авторът е късметлия - такъв образ отваря вратите към реалността със замах :)
Томас Едисон и Мона Лиза. Душици.
Индия звучи забавно в тази книга :)
"Навлязохме сред стръмните каньони на долината Кулу и автобусът запълзя по тясна, врязана в отвесния зъбер тераса, на места ерозирала от дъждовете и нащърбена от падащи скали..... с някоя от двойните задни гуми, висящи над пътя. Повечето пътници взеха да мърморят по нос, стиснали медальони и броеници или притворили очи. Религиозното чувство видимо нарасна"
И ще си забъркам "джал джеера" - лимонов сок със сол, кимион и джоджен
Харесаха ми тези мемоари.
September 7, 2018
A guy becomes a Buddhist monk, rattles off a LOT of metaphysical nonsensical non-observations, hangs out with some eccentric drop outs all living in disgusting conditions...until finally everyone splits up and the monk disrobes. If that's your cup of chai, read this. If it isn't, I just saved you a lot of wasted time.
(But what IS time? The past, present and future are all happening at the same time, if there is any time at all, which there isn't....) See what you're missing?
I tried repeatedly to understand and like this book. Both objectives were beyond my unenlightened abilities.
(But what IS time? The past, present and future are all happening at the same time, if there is any time at all, which there isn't....) See what you're missing?
I tried repeatedly to understand and like this book. Both objectives were beyond my unenlightened abilities.
October 20, 2017
„Крака на костенурка” е една от най-забавните и остроумни книги за важните неща от живота. На пръв поглед това е автобиографичен роман на Николай Грозни – българин, джаз пианист, който отива да учи в САЩ. Неудовлетворението го кара да предприеме пътуване към Индия, където се замонашва и прекарва няколко години в Дарамсала.
След по-нататъшно задълбочено четене, разбираш, че това е нещо повече от нечия история. „Крака на костенурка” е пътепис, социален роман, приключенски роман и книга, чрез която всеки, който си задава редовните въпроси за живота и неговия смисъл, ще спре да пита, ако не завинаги, то поне за известно време. Най-същественото е, че ще се посмее на героите и ще се надсмее на себе си.
Забавлението е гарантирано с Вини, Цар, Лодро Чосанг, Ани Дауа, геше Яма Цетен в среда като Индия, където всеки ден е истинско предизвикателство и като че ли е по-трудно да останеш жив, отколкото да постигнеш просветление.
Но не си мислете, че ще минете само с купона и играта на шах.
Тук има търсене, риск, осъзнаване, приятелство, будизъм. И освобождение.
Заради вникването в едно много различно, лежерно и лишено от притеснения битие, което се е изродило в нелечим мързел.
Факт е, че ние хората често си задаваме въпросите, но рядко предприемаме нещо, за да им отговорим както трябва. Е, „Крака на костенурка”е подобаващ отговор на едно човешко търсене.
Смешна книга за сериозните неща от живота или сериозна книга за смешните неща от живота.
Смело бих я препоръчала на всички почитатели на „Шантарам” на Грегъри Дейвид Робъртс.
„Не искам да имам нищо общо с Просветлението. Последния път, като го извадих от кутията, ми натроши цигарите, изтри цвета на очите ми и обърка всичките ми представи – не можех да се усмихвам, да се ядосвам, да се движа, да си спомням. Сякаш бях в болница с инфаркт. Сега поне мога да умра, когато си искам. Могат да ме гръмнат, докато пресичам границата. Да усещам болката. Да ида в ада. Свободен съм да правя каквото си искам. Мога да бъда лош. Мога да бъда добър. Има много възможности за избор. Също така мога да пътувам и да разглеждам нови неща.Това е животът, нали? Пътуване. Да срещаш нови хора. Да се изчукаш. Да изпълняваш различни роли. Буда може ли да преживее ада? А да преживее илюзията? Не може. Би могъл да я съзерцава, както се съзерцава картичка от Йерусалим. Така че не. Нямам нужда от Просветлението. Той нека го постига.”
След по-нататъшно задълбочено четене, разбираш, че това е нещо повече от нечия история. „Крака на костенурка” е пътепис, социален роман, приключенски роман и книга, чрез която всеки, който си задава редовните въпроси за живота и неговия смисъл, ще спре да пита, ако не завинаги, то поне за известно време. Най-същественото е, че ще се посмее на героите и ще се надсмее на себе си.
Забавлението е гарантирано с Вини, Цар, Лодро Чосанг, Ани Дауа, геше Яма Цетен в среда като Индия, където всеки ден е истинско предизвикателство и като че ли е по-трудно да останеш жив, отколкото да постигнеш просветление.
Но не си мислете, че ще минете само с купона и играта на шах.
Тук има търсене, риск, осъзнаване, приятелство, будизъм. И освобождение.
Заради вникването в едно много различно, лежерно и лишено от притеснения битие, което се е изродило в нелечим мързел.
Факт е, че ние хората често си задаваме въпросите, но рядко предприемаме нещо, за да им отговорим както трябва. Е, „Крака на костенурка”е подобаващ отговор на едно човешко търсене.
Смешна книга за сериозните неща от живота или сериозна книга за смешните неща от живота.
Смело бих я препоръчала на всички почитатели на „Шантарам” на Грегъри Дейвид Робъртс.
„Не искам да имам нищо общо с Просветлението. Последния път, като го извадих от кутията, ми натроши цигарите, изтри цвета на очите ми и обърка всичките ми представи – не можех да се усмихвам, да се ядосвам, да се движа, да си спомням. Сякаш бях в болница с инфаркт. Сега поне мога да умра, когато си искам. Могат да ме гръмнат, докато пресичам границата. Да усещам болката. Да ида в ада. Свободен съм да правя каквото си искам. Мога да бъда лош. Мога да бъда добър. Има много възможности за избор. Също така мога да пътувам и да разглеждам нови неща.Това е животът, нали? Пътуване. Да срещаш нови хора. Да се изчукаш. Да изпълняваш различни роли. Буда може ли да преживее ада? А да преживее илюзията? Не може. Би могъл да я съзерцава, както се съзерцава картичка от Йерусалим. Така че не. Нямам нужда от Просветлението. Той нека го постига.”
January 30, 2009
I found the story about Nikolai Grozni odyssey into Buddhism great fun. It made me think of my younger, more carefree days in college. In some ways I found myself very envious of Nikolai's adventure. Perhaps I lived vicariously through his journey into this world. I too continue to search for meaning and a higher power.
July 11, 2012
Yet another book by Grozni that made me cry.
Really, why do I feel like I have affairs with his books...
Unbelievable.
Really, why do I feel like I have affairs with his books...
Unbelievable.
April 16, 2022
Love this crazy wonderful story. It made me marvel at how much can happen to a person in 5 years time. It can still be just a small part of a lifetime and yet change you, how you see yourself and your future, which is also the past and the present.
April 22, 2015
A promising career as a jazz pianist wasn't enough for Nikolai Gronzi. He wanted to know what life was really about. So he threw away everything to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk in Dharamsala, India, home of the Tibetan exile community.
Dharamsala is a small town where Indians and Tibetans live as uneasy neighbors, where everyone is always running into everyone, where people quickly fall into stereotypes. Gronzni, originally from Bulgaria, had gone to a music conservatory in Boston, so he became a cultural mixture, but for the Indians and Tibetans he was simply an “Engie,” like all the others from the West.
Grozni dedicates his book to “Tsar,” the Serbian who was his best friend in Dharmasala and around whom a lot of the drama centers. Colorful and nonconformist Tsar doesn't fit in anywhere, both figuratively and literally, because he is from Yugoslavia: with the Serbo-Croatian war is in full swing, his country doesn't exist anymore. Nikolai spends much time and energy trying to rescue Tsar from one crisis after another, most of them resulting from Tsar's being in India illegally. Still, Tsar has something, some insight into reality, and Nikolai is probably attracted to him for that reason, although it is not until the end, when Nikolai has his own realization, that he recognizes Tsar's true depth.
Despite the difficulties all of the Westerners face in Dharamsala, though, Nikolai does find a Tibetan teacher who, in his gruff and unfriendly way, takes this “Engie” under his wing and tutors him. Nickolai also goes to classes at a Buddhist institute when he is not busy rescuing Tsar. But the teaching seems so abstract, so intellectual, with “Buddhist debate” as the main topic of study, that I was sure that the message of subtitle -- The Making and Unmaking of a Buddhist Monk -- was that this poor young man would go home disillusioned, realizing he had taken his seeking to the wrong place. I was mistaken. When Nikolai's world stops – when he finds what he came to India seeking – I had to admit that there are many ways to Truth.
TURTLE FEET gives the reader an appreciation not only of how broad the spectrum of everyday life on earth is but also of how broad the spectrum of Buddhist teaching is as well.
Dharamsala is a small town where Indians and Tibetans live as uneasy neighbors, where everyone is always running into everyone, where people quickly fall into stereotypes. Gronzni, originally from Bulgaria, had gone to a music conservatory in Boston, so he became a cultural mixture, but for the Indians and Tibetans he was simply an “Engie,” like all the others from the West.
Grozni dedicates his book to “Tsar,” the Serbian who was his best friend in Dharmasala and around whom a lot of the drama centers. Colorful and nonconformist Tsar doesn't fit in anywhere, both figuratively and literally, because he is from Yugoslavia: with the Serbo-Croatian war is in full swing, his country doesn't exist anymore. Nikolai spends much time and energy trying to rescue Tsar from one crisis after another, most of them resulting from Tsar's being in India illegally. Still, Tsar has something, some insight into reality, and Nikolai is probably attracted to him for that reason, although it is not until the end, when Nikolai has his own realization, that he recognizes Tsar's true depth.
Despite the difficulties all of the Westerners face in Dharamsala, though, Nikolai does find a Tibetan teacher who, in his gruff and unfriendly way, takes this “Engie” under his wing and tutors him. Nickolai also goes to classes at a Buddhist institute when he is not busy rescuing Tsar. But the teaching seems so abstract, so intellectual, with “Buddhist debate” as the main topic of study, that I was sure that the message of subtitle -- The Making and Unmaking of a Buddhist Monk -- was that this poor young man would go home disillusioned, realizing he had taken his seeking to the wrong place. I was mistaken. When Nikolai's world stops – when he finds what he came to India seeking – I had to admit that there are many ways to Truth.
TURTLE FEET gives the reader an appreciation not only of how broad the spectrum of everyday life on earth is but also of how broad the spectrum of Buddhist teaching is as well.
February 1, 2013
I’ve been obsessed with meaning lately. Or, more precisely, the uniquely human obsession with creating meaning from the inherently meaningless. I’m one of those people that believes that we’re just specks of stardust floating in space and that, if we want to have purpose and value in our lives, we must create it for ourselves. Who was it (Sartre?) that brilliantly reminded us that “man is nothing but what he makes of himself.”
But, as Mr. Gronzi highlights so clearly in Turtle Feet, creating meaning inevitably means creating complexity, attachment, joy, and pain. He bravely abandoned one life as a renowned musician for another of pursuing meaninglessness- only to find that simply the pursuit of meaninglessness is, in and of itself, meaning.
Fascinating, we humans are.
If only we could truly let it all go, maybe we’d finally find some peace.
But, as Mr. Gronzi highlights so clearly in Turtle Feet, creating meaning inevitably means creating complexity, attachment, joy, and pain. He bravely abandoned one life as a renowned musician for another of pursuing meaninglessness- only to find that simply the pursuit of meaninglessness is, in and of itself, meaning.
Fascinating, we humans are.
If only we could truly let it all go, maybe we’d finally find some peace.
September 2, 2012
This book is about Nikolai's rich lifetime experience in India. Through little examples of everyday life in India, this book teaches us about friendship, how making decisions is an important part of our life, how circumstances affect our lives and what not! But one thing you need to know before reading this book is that if you are looking for a serious, religious book to get enlightened about Buddhism, then this book is not for you. It is a lighthearted, funny journey of the narrator in India, filled with unique characters, circumstances and humor. This book simply inspires me to go to dharmshala once and have all the adventures that the narrator experienced. Just one word- Terrific.
January 6, 2010
I loved this book for many reasons. The descriptions of India are sensual. His grappling with Truth, perception, identity was quite a ride. He is honest, funny, humble, blunt. I respect his admiration for the sacred and the profane and the way he and his friends rode on the edge of both so gracefully and full of quirkiness.
November 26, 2019
Very enjoyable book. An exciting adventure story that presents refreshing and ironic view on the life of a monk and his diverse friends. Although very light read, includes some deep “food for thought”.
November 21, 2008
wonderful story of life as a western buddist monk in Dharamsala
January 26, 2017
Тази книга трябва да бъде екранизирана!
April 16, 2019
This book was a hilarious autobiographical experience of becoming a Buddhist monk. The setting and characters were fascinating and absurd, and they absolutely transport you to Dharamsala.
April 17, 2020
In his 47 years of living on this planet, Grozni has crammed in several 'lifetimes. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1973, he was a musical prodigy. At that time, Bulgaria was a part of the Soviet empire. Grozni's musical talent was recognized. He was sent to The Sofia School for the Gifted. Along with practicing and performing he was in his words "raging against the inhumanity of the regime". After the fall of the Berlin wall coinciding with the break up of the soviet socialist state, Grozni was able to come to the United States to study Jazz at the Berklee College of Music in Boston MA.
As many know, Eric Erickson's Stages of Psychosocial development theorize an individual goes through various stages of growth during their lifetime. Each developmental stage offers an opportunity and a crisis. Failure to complete a developmental stage results in "stuck behavior". This might lead to negative adverse emotions. In the early 20's most folks are concerned with Intimacy vs Isolation. This is/was Grozni's task. However he hit a wall, and the wall hit back.
Grozni appeared to be 'stuck' in his adolescent stage: he is reexamining his identity, trying to find out who he is. A malaise sets in. All seems hopeless. He turns to Buddhism. Drawn to the teaching's of the Buddha he travels to India entering the Dalai Lama's university in Dharmamsala.
The blurb on the inside of the book states he becomes "fluent in Tibetan". No, he doesn't. With a Western mind, he does not grasp the meaning behind each of the words in Tibetan. He at best has a working knowledge of the language. He can order a meal, converse on basic matters but still is thinking with a Western mind set. He is still focusing on accomplishment. He is struggling.
Now the memoir takes an unexpected turn. He meets 'Tsar'. Also a war refugee, trapped, bright, charasmatic, drug infused, erratic. Grozni is faced with two paths, continue to study or walk into nilhism. The body of the memoir covers this conflict of ideas. The ending is abrupt leaving the reader wondering "what next"?
Why 3 stars? Grozni while honest never did grasp, in my opinion, some of the fundamental tenants of Buddhism. His disillusion comes from not realizing the truth behind the words. Like a performer can understand the basic notes transcribed on paper, study of Buddhism may require years of practice to fully 'get' the inspriration behind the notes. I saw this memoir as the work of a very young mind. One that I hope continued to develop and to find true happiness.
As many know, Eric Erickson's Stages of Psychosocial development theorize an individual goes through various stages of growth during their lifetime. Each developmental stage offers an opportunity and a crisis. Failure to complete a developmental stage results in "stuck behavior". This might lead to negative adverse emotions. In the early 20's most folks are concerned with Intimacy vs Isolation. This is/was Grozni's task. However he hit a wall, and the wall hit back.
Grozni appeared to be 'stuck' in his adolescent stage: he is reexamining his identity, trying to find out who he is. A malaise sets in. All seems hopeless. He turns to Buddhism. Drawn to the teaching's of the Buddha he travels to India entering the Dalai Lama's university in Dharmamsala.
The blurb on the inside of the book states he becomes "fluent in Tibetan". No, he doesn't. With a Western mind, he does not grasp the meaning behind each of the words in Tibetan. He at best has a working knowledge of the language. He can order a meal, converse on basic matters but still is thinking with a Western mind set. He is still focusing on accomplishment. He is struggling.
Now the memoir takes an unexpected turn. He meets 'Tsar'. Also a war refugee, trapped, bright, charasmatic, drug infused, erratic. Grozni is faced with two paths, continue to study or walk into nilhism. The body of the memoir covers this conflict of ideas. The ending is abrupt leaving the reader wondering "what next"?
Why 3 stars? Grozni while honest never did grasp, in my opinion, some of the fundamental tenants of Buddhism. His disillusion comes from not realizing the truth behind the words. Like a performer can understand the basic notes transcribed on paper, study of Buddhism may require years of practice to fully 'get' the inspriration behind the notes. I saw this memoir as the work of a very young mind. One that I hope continued to develop and to find true happiness.
February 9, 2022
The story of a young Bulgarian man's journey to northern India, where he learned to speak Tibetan, ordained as a monk, and enrolled in a Buddhist university to study the Dharma back in the 1990s.
About half of the book is about his experiences among the Tibetan expat community, the bizarreness of India, and his experiences with the Tibetan Buddhist establishment. These parts of the book are wildly interesting.
The other half of the book is about the strange exploits of a man nicknamed Tsar, a Bosnian refugee who the author came under the influence of and befriended. Tsar ordained as a Buddhist monk but disrobed almost immediately, and spends most of the book espousing his nonsensical amateur philosophy, always concocting weird schemes, and always getting into trouble. These sections of the book are unbearably annoying to read; probably because I've encountered many people just like this Tsar character - losers who can't get their shit together, incapable of critical introspection, who regardless fancy themselves geniuses and philosophers, who believe none of the rules apply to them, who do nothing but take advantage of others' kindness and dunk on anything resembling institutional wisdom - in my own life.
Listening to the author recount page after page of Tsar's ruminations is like listening to Joe Rogan's podcast, yet somehow even worse.
Throughout the entire book, I couldn't help but get annoyed with the author for wasting his time with this strange and annoying friend of his and neglecting his Buddhist studies. The author had many unresolved issues with organized religion and disrobed in the end, so perhaps it was inevitable anyway, regardless of the company he kept.
The book still offers an illuminating look into the world of the Tibetan expat community and its relationship to the rest of Indian society, and some interesting insights into Tibetan Buddhist monastic life, but not much else.
About half of the book is about his experiences among the Tibetan expat community, the bizarreness of India, and his experiences with the Tibetan Buddhist establishment. These parts of the book are wildly interesting.
The other half of the book is about the strange exploits of a man nicknamed Tsar, a Bosnian refugee who the author came under the influence of and befriended. Tsar ordained as a Buddhist monk but disrobed almost immediately, and spends most of the book espousing his nonsensical amateur philosophy, always concocting weird schemes, and always getting into trouble. These sections of the book are unbearably annoying to read; probably because I've encountered many people just like this Tsar character - losers who can't get their shit together, incapable of critical introspection, who regardless fancy themselves geniuses and philosophers, who believe none of the rules apply to them, who do nothing but take advantage of others' kindness and dunk on anything resembling institutional wisdom - in my own life.
Listening to the author recount page after page of Tsar's ruminations is like listening to Joe Rogan's podcast, yet somehow even worse.
Throughout the entire book, I couldn't help but get annoyed with the author for wasting his time with this strange and annoying friend of his and neglecting his Buddhist studies. The author had many unresolved issues with organized religion and disrobed in the end, so perhaps it was inevitable anyway, regardless of the company he kept.
The book still offers an illuminating look into the world of the Tibetan expat community and its relationship to the rest of Indian society, and some interesting insights into Tibetan Buddhist monastic life, but not much else.
May 25, 2024
I am very surprised at the end of this book to find that I actually like the author. Up until the last couple chapters I would have said I didn't. I think he made some really stupid decisions and I cannot relate in any way at all to most of his life choices. But I can appreciate the bizarrely true friendship he shared with Tsar -- whom I still don't like, but am more attached to than I expected to be. I think that some of my willingness to keep reading the book even when I thought these people were just hopeless is the same thing that attracts me to Slavic/Eastern European/Russian personalities and culture. There is something hopeless about it, like watching a train wreck happen in slow motion, which somehow has an underlying sense of poetry.
For anyone who is fascinated by or attracted to the Tibetan Buddhist way of life or the thought of living in Dharmsala, this book is a pretty good deterrent -- but it might not work. I have never been attracted by the hippie-esque aspect of that world and the discourse about how one goes from picking the flies and insects out of one's food in the early days to enjoying the accidental bits of protein they offer was enough to dissuade me. That and the discussion of the lack of hygienic facilities. Or the fact that the large snake that lived in the ceiling had a name and was part of the family as was the king rat that she was constantly in pursuit of. The amount of spitting and bodily fluids in the book was a huge turn-off. As was all the talk about crude sex and crude male thought patterns. For those who can handle that, there are some interesting points on the nature of reality and existence, although some of those are dizzying and not necessarily in a good way. Can't even say if I would recommend the book, but it was well-written and at least generally interesting.
For anyone who is fascinated by or attracted to the Tibetan Buddhist way of life or the thought of living in Dharmsala, this book is a pretty good deterrent -- but it might not work. I have never been attracted by the hippie-esque aspect of that world and the discourse about how one goes from picking the flies and insects out of one's food in the early days to enjoying the accidental bits of protein they offer was enough to dissuade me. That and the discussion of the lack of hygienic facilities. Or the fact that the large snake that lived in the ceiling had a name and was part of the family as was the king rat that she was constantly in pursuit of. The amount of spitting and bodily fluids in the book was a huge turn-off. As was all the talk about crude sex and crude male thought patterns. For those who can handle that, there are some interesting points on the nature of reality and existence, although some of those are dizzying and not necessarily in a good way. Can't even say if I would recommend the book, but it was well-written and at least generally interesting.
November 12, 2020
Единият читател в мен разтвори тази книга, за да утоли интереса си към темите, които тя обещава да разгърне - будизма, мошанеството и мястото на новоположените монаси в социума, отношенията между Тибет, Китай и Индия, причудливия пейзаж от преживявания, който предлага Дарамсала - Индийски град в подножието на Хималаите, който приютява Тибетското прав��телство в изгнание. Невероятни случки за сто живота напред се наслагват една след друга в 20+ глави, обхващащи четири години. Цялата вселена работи, за да изтръгне главният герой Лодро Чосанг от новонаденатия от него живот на себеотрицание, аскетизъм и заучаване на текстове от будисткия философски канон, за да го изведе обратно на пътя, по кафенетата и чайните, в ласките на омайващи монахини и по стъпките на обречените планове на приятелите му - фарсови герои, в определен смисъл антиподи на него самия.
Другият читател в мен, който все търси да си удовлетвори нагона за големи достижения на литературата, малко поскуча в седмиците, в които съжителствахме с книгата. Имаше няколко тягостни глави, в които се илюстрираха неща, описани в предишни глави чрез други ситуации, както и известно количество повърхностни/повтарящи се разсъждения на произволни философски теми. Откровено казано не мисля, че Николай Грозни има дарба да пише на такива теми, но пък и моите сетива за философските търсения не са от най-острите, така че може би изпускам нещо.
Свежо четиво, азбучник за периода, в който търсиш себе си и се заобграждаш с приятели, които са най-близкото до избрано от теб семейство.
Другият читател в мен, който все търси да си удовлетвори нагона за големи достижения на литературата, малко поскуча в седмиците, в които съжителствахме с книгата. Имаше няколко тягостни глави, в които се илюстрираха неща, описани в предишни глави чрез други ситуации, както и известно количество повърхностни/повтарящи се разсъждения на произволни философски теми. Откровено казано не мисля, че Николай Грозни има дарба да пише на такива теми, но пък и моите сетива за философските търсения не са от най-острите, така че може би изпускам нещо.
Свежо четиво, азбучник за периода, в който търсиш себе си и се заобграждаш с приятели, които са най-близкото до избрано от теб семейство.
October 15, 2017
A beautifully written, yet flawed book. I really like the lyrical prose and the authors attention to the minutiae of life in India. The author spent 4 years studying Buddhist philosophy in Dharamsala (and a little bit South India), and should clearly have a good understanding of India and the lives of Tibetan refugees in India. And yet, no Indian makes a significant appearance in the book. The Indians that appear in the book are always at the periphery (chai wallahs, a hashish smoking mendicant, policeme, soldiers, landlords and their families) and barely named. The author doesn't seem to have a non-commercial relationship with most of them.
Similarly, among the Tibetan community the author seems to have significant interactions only with two Tibetans: Geshe Yama Tsetsen (sp?) - who is mostly portrayed as a caricature through occasional glimpses - and, Ani Dawa - who the author gets increasingly estranged from. I found it surprising that the Author spent all this time in India and did not understand why Ani Dawa would object to his relationship with Tsar.
If I didn't suspect any better, I would have thought the author spent his whole time in India hanging out with fellow Westerners only interacting with the locals occasionally. If this book had been about his interactions with the Indians and the Tibetans, I might have liked this book better.
Similarly, among the Tibetan community the author seems to have significant interactions only with two Tibetans: Geshe Yama Tsetsen (sp?) - who is mostly portrayed as a caricature through occasional glimpses - and, Ani Dawa - who the author gets increasingly estranged from. I found it surprising that the Author spent all this time in India and did not understand why Ani Dawa would object to his relationship with Tsar.
If I didn't suspect any better, I would have thought the author spent his whole time in India hanging out with fellow Westerners only interacting with the locals occasionally. If this book had been about his interactions with the Indians and the Tibetans, I might have liked this book better.
March 5, 2021
I'm glad I finished this book for several reasons the first and foremost being
I will never go to India. Nikolai Grozni, the author leaves behind a very promising musical career to find enlightenment as a Buddhist monk. His life in the Himalayas, studying, begins as a sincere effort to find himself amid squalor and no means of supporting himself. The most telling part is that the monks will not allow westerners to live in the temple with them. Westerners have to figure out how to pay for their lodging elsewhere.
Life quickly dissolves into a long frat party with stoners, vagabonds and the pursuit of figuring out his pal Tsar's life. The description of their huts is absolutely horrid. Rats, snakes dirt, fungus and bugs made my skin crawl.
I'm glad the author wrote about his experience and I'm glad he figured out that it wasn't a life he really wanted to pursue and most of all it reconfirmed my belief that I don't want to go India.
I will never go to India. Nikolai Grozni, the author leaves behind a very promising musical career to find enlightenment as a Buddhist monk. His life in the Himalayas, studying, begins as a sincere effort to find himself amid squalor and no means of supporting himself. The most telling part is that the monks will not allow westerners to live in the temple with them. Westerners have to figure out how to pay for their lodging elsewhere.
Life quickly dissolves into a long frat party with stoners, vagabonds and the pursuit of figuring out his pal Tsar's life. The description of their huts is absolutely horrid. Rats, snakes dirt, fungus and bugs made my skin crawl.
I'm glad the author wrote about his experience and I'm glad he figured out that it wasn't a life he really wanted to pursue and most of all it reconfirmed my belief that I don't want to go India.
February 13, 2019
Lost my patience with the author three quarters into the book. I came into it with an open mind, hoping to learn something meaningful about the author’s journey into Tibetan Buddhism. But a large part of the book is about his meandering, directionless encounter with fellow Europeans, a bunch of equally aimless people who were in Dharamsala mainly because they didn’t have anything going in their lives. The book painted the Westerners in a bad light, and made the Tibetan Buddhists look like fools. I really don’t know who came out looking good in this book, not even the Dalai Lama!
April 16, 2023
Nikolai looks for enlightenment in India, becoming a monk studying Buddhist texts and philosophy. He finds friends with their own searches for meaning. The memoir pleasantly rambles through his journey and studies. He has misadventures with his friend Tsar. Nikolai is at peace with the local Indian culture, food and the primitiveness of his life. He lives without modern utilities or comforts and few belongings.
October 27, 2019
This book was not soft and contemplative like I thought it might be, but a rollicking description of some 20-30 something Westerners in the craziness of Dharamsala. Kind of an interesting outlook - rejection of everything, acceptance of all possibilties. Too long though. Some of the passages went on and on.
July 18, 2024
On Time by Nikolai Grozni and illustrated by Iva Sasheva, a book purchased July 2024 from a book store in Sofia, Bulgaria called ElephantBookStore.com. Not showing up on Goodreads. Used his prior book to count this one. Simple story with black and white illustrations. Enjoyable and memorable of our vacation time in Bulgaria and Italy.
February 13, 2022
A slippery, gritty, realistic and sharp to read book. Love the metaphors and anecdotes, lessons and conflicts.
shanthab.zen.pecha.tonka.amdo.u-tsang.kham.butter tea.shalwar.chapati.
lingam.katak.churo.ngagpa.hanuman.
apparatchiks.manjushri.tso mapam.si pa.
Mentions Paul Bowles on pg158
shanthab.zen.pecha.tonka.amdo.u-tsang.kham.butter tea.shalwar.chapati.
lingam.katak.churo.ngagpa.hanuman.
apparatchiks.manjushri.tso mapam.si pa.
Mentions Paul Bowles on pg158
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