Steppps – Friedenspilgern

I wish ‚I am free‘
I wish I am free from reacting to any abuse. So it would show me, that I have worked through of all the pain of aversion inside of me.
I wish I would be free on reacting
– to loud shouting and commanding tone
– to agressive behaviour
– to abusive language
– to cheating on the market
– to …..
– to …..

I wish I could react only with love and compassion
Because I would realize, any abuse of someone towards me has nothing to do with me, it’s the action of someone else.

But as long I react with language, or reaction in any other way (except with love and compassion), also if it is ‚only‘ by generating another sensation such as a tension or uncomfort or so, I am not free. It shows me, that I have still seeds of aversion in me.
I wish I could be free from all this deep routed defilements
I wish I could be free
I wish ‚I am free‘

And I will continue working on that freedom, that liberation, by observing and not reacting to all these sensations in myself.

Until
I am liberated
Until
I am free

I wish ‚I am free‘
I wish I would be free

Free of any craving for
– for a protected place to rest and relax
– for caring and loving people around me
– for safety
– money in my pocket
– for place in the nature without any disturbance
– for love on any level
– for good feelings
– for …..
– for …..

Free of craving for any comfortable sensations in myself…..

It would show me to fully relax and having arrived in totally acceptance in everything what is.

Love and compassion could grow….

It would show me, that I have worked through all these deep rooted craving defilements. The seeds of craving would be eradicated…..

And I will continue working on that freedom, that liberation of craving defilements, by observing and not reacting to all the sensations in myself.

Until
I am liberated
Until
I am free

Big monsoon rain at the morning of departure from Murliganj. Police came 3 hours late, 8am. I had planed a northeast route through country side and it could have be done in one day, but departure time would be, because of 39 km, 5am. So I change the route along the highway, all together a bit longer on my journey, but managable, now east, 27km to Banmanki.
I get safety escorted again by different teams of the police. People at the road do not speak so often to me or get interrupted by the police. Once I wanted to buy something for breakfast, the owner did not want to serve me, because of corona, police managed, I could buy something there. About 8 km before Banmanki suddenly the safety guards disappered with a sign, that the next team will come, which did not.
Instead, a stationary police post controlled in a rude way, all my bag. Also he did not want to come to close, so I had to show him all singlely by myself. I felt a bit like a model showing different products and clothes out of my ‚wonder-bag‘. People are irritated by the glaring neon green rain cover of my bag.
Arriving in Banmankhi again some police men. Luckily I could convince them, after controlling my passport, that another visit at the police station is not needed. One of them helped me to find a hotel.

Next morning I am just done. Muscles and body say ’no!‘.
Closer to the afternoon I realize, I don’t want to see anyone. Usually I would have gone for a meal. I can’t have another conversation today ‚ Where are you from’…. and I can’t!!!! manage today someone who steps back from me in fear for Corona. There is a kind of fear in me today for rejection? or harmful comments?. I am real not balanced today. So I stay all day long in my boring hotel room without window and a loud fan. Some fruits and peanuts are left.

I am a bit tense. After a bad sleep I do my next lap of today’s 35 km to Purnia (no hotel before). After half way I feel I enter somehow another area with less tension?! Anyway, my body releases. It’s a great sunny day. Overflooded rivers and fields show the beauty of Bihar in monsoon. Purnia seems a bit more developed and I find a relatively cheap hotel. Yes, a have to clean something here and there with my sponge, but lying on the bed, I can also see the beauty of that room. Luckily I can always find something what is nice and beautiful.

The hotel becomes a little oasis to me the next day. Around the hotel there is only chaos incl. bus stand over the street and cheating fruit and snack stands, overflooded area in front, you have to step through the mud to enter, rubbish lays everywhere, backside also everywhere overflooded with lots of rubbish and a car junk yard. But I have a little nest in my room (2nd floor, bathroom without window – best for fresh air) and at the first floor, on the roof of all the shops below (most of them are closed, because of a partly lockdown), its almost like a garden with some walking possibilities on fresh air between drying clothes. My body is again tense and I will not be able to walk the day after too.
Also I have something to do. The blog is waiting and…. again…. I have to apply for the next Visa (I really need a secretary)

Fear

How to deal with fear?
This time is such a great chance to deal with fear, our personal fear and the collective fear.
But everything starts with personal fear. Collective fear disappears after we have worked on our personal fear.

Sit down and come back to yourself.
After a while sense, feel the area, feel the sensation in your body, which is localized as fear. Concentrate on that area without wanting anything to that area.
Just observe the area.
Observe and do nothing.
Don’t react to that feelings.
Just observe.
Just observe.
Don’t except that the fear or that feelings will disappear.
Don’t label it anymore as fear.
It’s just sensation.
And you just observe.

With not reacting the fear will not multiply.
With just observing the sensation has the chance to change.
But just observe.
Do nothing else then observe.
Inner adventure.
Observe what’s happens with your sensation.
Just observe and do nothing.

I don’t like adventures…..

I don’t like adventures (outside) to much. I have already enough adventures inside. But here comes more.

At 4am I wake up, sort myself, little face wash and teeth brushing. Rebuilt the mosquito net and pack my bag. At the Hanuman temple and crossroad a look on the map. 34 km today until Murliganj. People are up early. Most farmers get up at sunrise or a bit earlier, in this season at around 4/4:30am. So the way is already busy with walking people, some motorcycles and tractors. I am walking partly along a canal northeast, ways on both sides. Corn harvest is almost done. Rice is planted, but some farmers are still busy with arranging there fields. Some areas are overflooded, because of monsoon. The soil is muddy, so the water is standing on it, giving nice reflections of nature. There is mostly no wind in this area. Sometimes amazing big trees. Bihars nature is a beauty.
After 23 km I reach the village Deena Patti Sakhua. A young man, 23-25, is commanding me to sit down. I refuse, but no chance. ‚I have to call the police, maybe someone further on the way would kill you,  I want to help you‘. ‚That’s not a help at all, I just want to walk for peace my way here until Murliganj. If you stop me, I loose to much time and I want to arrive one hour before it gets dark‘ But no chance. I sit down. All the village is gathers. 70-80 people are standing around. All without any mask – only I wear one. But I am the danger. They keep distance if I had the pest, but on the other hand there is couriosity. I tell the young man, he has to teach the people to wear masks. After the logdown has ended they go anywhere and think there are safe…. But porotection for themself and towards each other is so important. ‚ What message are you giving these kids who are in fear because of this masked white man?‘ I get some rice and vegetables, very spice… and the police arrives. And sure, they don’t let me walk, first I have to get with them to the police station, but they will bring me back after they listened to me – proparbly this will be not today anymore. Towards the young man ‚You see, this is not a really help…‘ and he apologise ‚I just wanted to help‘. ‚It’s ok, it is now as it is….‘
I am not calm anymore, that was just to much going on in the last 30 hours and I am a little bit inpatient in the moment. My phone falls down, another crack. At the police in Murliganj some are in uniform and some not. Also one police man wanted me to speak with his son…. Another one invites me to his home…. when the on the phone informed SP heard about it, the inviter gets a telling-off. The SP spoke also with me on the phone, but when he ask a question he did not listen to the end of my answer. Also he was very loud ‚who allowed you to walk in my district?‘ Finally he decides – to come from further away to the police station. I have to wait. I am not sure, if my walk here is finished, if I need allowance…. will I get it? Why none of the other police stations told me about…?
Until sunset he is still not there and the police deligation escort me to a hotel. On the way to the hotel I find out, that they have some Crovid-19 cases in town. They will have a lockdown for ten days. But it will not effect me.
The SP orders his police staff, to give me security guards at night in front of the hotel. Further they will bring me back tomorrow to Deena Patti Sakhua, to walk the rest of the way – 11km- towards Murliganj. Also a guide will escort me there. And, there will be another security guard the day I leave Murliganj towards Raniganj (40-50km).

Next morning it rains. Delay. Police shows up again with 5 people and a special tourist police officer, to check if there are more problems. Finally 26h after the ’sitting down command‘ of the young man 2 policemen in motorcycles bring me back to Deena Patti Sakhua. The young man can’t sadly be find. I would love to say him, ‚everything is ok and forgiven‘. Then a policeman on bicycle is following me, replaced by one in a motorcycle……

Still in’The Big hug‘

Thomas

PS In this area are 40% illiteracy

Intense and tense

There is a unsureness, if I really shoud go the small way through the country side, but also there is no ’no‘! It will be 44 km towards Murliganj, which I want to walk in 2 days.
First steppps are until the village of Mangwar, 14 km. I start late, because of rain, so that’s the perfect distance.
After some 7 or so km the first incidence happens. I meet a loud young man. Typical questions ‚Where you are from‘ ‚Where you are walking to’… Then he wanted to see my bag ‚What’s in there‘. .. but I don’t let anybody from the street look through my bag. He became very unfriendly,  I don’t know what he said, but I continued walking shouting back ‚Fuck you‘. I was so surprised  by myself, but it was somehow a ‚equal‘ reaction to his border crossings towards me. Never in years I have used this swear word, and I use swear words anyway so rarely. … He shouted something back, but he let me go. Emotionally I was not soo involved in this, relatively calm inside, but whatching my sensations in the body. Little later he came back. Some friends by his side, one was a bit fatter, tall and with angry yellow eyes. There was a workshop at the side, some other people there and some motor cycles parked in front of the workshop. The young man asked me in a  commanding tone, to put my backpack there in the grass, he found obviously also the light green rain cover of the bag suspicious. But I refused. He got louder and organized a shovel from the workshop. The metal is somehow in a 90 degrees angle to the stick, what is used a lot on the field but also in construction work. He is really threatening me with the showel to force me to put down my backpack. But I was not willing to. He imitated hitting me, making more tensions towards me. To have some protection, I went between the motor cycles. In case that he would hit me, he has also to calculate to maybe damage some motorcycle. I told the guys standing around,  with words and gestures, that they have to stop him and have to help me in this situation. After some attack tries finally the guy with the angry yellow eyes, who had been earlier with him, managed to take the shovel out of the hands of the attacker, and they let me go. Surprisingly I was still not shaking or similars, also not totally calm, but just whatching myself and continued my way. Not to believe , what can all happen in this area.
Some km later another guy was interested in my bag, he was with a friend on a motorcycle. He also wanted to see my passport. ‚I am happy to show any police my passport or my bag, but not anyone.‘ He somehow accepted, but asked me to talk to me at the next temple. ‚What do you have in the bag?‘ In the conversation I mentioned that I have some oranges in there. ‚Can I have one?‘ ‚Ok!‘. I opened my backpack offering a orange. He refused. ‚I wanted just to look in your bag, he said. ‚So you where lying to me, take this orange‘ I insisted……

At around 3pm I arrive before Mangwar. Ramin with a bicycle walks suddenly beside of me. He is about 45 and likes to accompany into the village. He speaks only very little english and wants to invite me to his house. I am not sure, but in Mangwar we verify our understandings, there is also a police patrol, and they agree and confirm, everything is ok. I become more sure that he is the right one and he gets happy, that I agree. He lives 3km outside and understands, that I only walk. So he does too. We eat something and start our walk. After a while he understands, that talking with his abilities of speaking English does not really make sense. And finally relaxes. We start having a wonderful time. The nature is again so beautiful and I am so happy that I came this way. He is a real Hindu and at all temples he takes of his shoes, and asked me by sign language to do so too. Standing barefoot towards the temple he shows me how to put the hand together and bow towards the Hindu God. He is very pleased that I join in. From this time everything is ok. Calmness and silence overcomes our walk together. A second temple follows. Hanuman temple.

We have to turn toward his village. Clouds becoming thicker. They open a little bit up, so that the darker parts are before and behind us. Just when it starts heavily to rain, we reach a shelter. A newly done bamboo hut, open to 3 sides, with a corrugated iron roof. In the middle a kind of nest of bamboo leaves invited me immediately to sit down. I am amazed of this beautiful structure and most surprised how intense and beautiful bamboo can smell. This smell nourishs me. So sweet. Ramin is enjoying my happiness. The rain is pouring down and the sound and temperature, the little lake close to the shelter, a perfect moment. Mother earth is balming us. A wonder moment.
Nearly reaching the village Barsam another shower.  We rush to another temple. So villagers are sitting already under the veranda. But still, shoes off, that much time has to be, even in the middle of a heavy monsoon rain, bowing to the temple God, then sitting down. Wonder-ful moment again. Harmony with all. A water body in front of Barsam. Greenery. Bathing children. Wow, there to the right, this is a superold Bodhi tree. Rain is a bit lower, I switch my telephone on to make a photo, astonishing. What a beauty.

As I more often in this area witnessed, suddenly a wave of anather emotion arises. It’s more or less exactly 1 hour before the night arises. Fear – Corona fear
I get escorted out of the village area. Ramin is desperate, but because of 50 other people he is helpless. Ok, he says, back to Mangwar. ‚But what to do in Mangwar, same situation will arise there, and it will be already dark‘ He is willing to walk me all way back. ‚The situation will be exactly the same there, so I will stay here‘ just realising that I stand only 10 meter away from the bamboo shelter with the nice smell. I try to make the people understand, that I don’t go anywhere, I will stay here. I would only like to know, to whom the shelter belongs, so I can ask the person for permission. On a higher level, I already understood that this shelter with the inviting smell and the bamboo leave nest is prepared for me for this night (and I would not be surprised, if the construction had been finished today) Some of the village people understand and help me to install my mosquito net above the bamboo nest.
At least 70 people are standing around there now. But I will not go anywhere. Also I would not be surprised, that the stucture of the nest is so, that I immediately could find a comfortable sitting position (without using a cusion) I sit down there, and let them discuss, and I meditate for two hours. This is there problem. They are not willing to have a peace walker, a guest, in there village, because they are overwhelmed with fear. So they have to deal with the situation, that the guest sleeps outside the village in a open shelter. At least 70 people stand for 4 hours around my shelter. The police is informed and comes after 2 hours. They are so sorry that I have to sleep like this, but I ensure them, that I am really fine. It’s nearly impossible to talk and understand a word here, because the frogs make enormous sound. After another hour a second police car arrives with the Superintendent police officer (SP). He is responsible for the whole district. Also he is ok, that I sleep here. The lady owner is informed. Papers get controlled and the SP orders two village people to secure my night, by guarding me.
It’s feels a little bit like a village-police-frog-monsoon-party and luckily my earplugs help me sleep for 4 or 5 hours. The two guards are talking all night long loudly. Most villagers went to bed before midnight. Ramin also disappeared without saying goodbye. Hope he is not to unhappy with the situation.

From Khagaria I walk northeast. Soon after coming out of the town, life becomes beautiful. Small street. Fresh air. Nature.

After 10 to 12 km at a fork in the road more or less under a big Bodhi tree stands a lonely policeman with his motor cycle. He wants to control me but he is not sure what to do. He calls me a few times back. Finally he follows me and gives me signs that I should go south to another police station. I refuse. My way is after a while north. At another crossroad I call Tabish, to explain the policeman, what I am doing. But no success. A police car with 6 comes, 3 armed and two more wepponed with bamboo sticks. No chance for a explanation there, so I have to get in the police car.
At the head quarter the commander in charge speaks English and has a lot of questions. He wants to bring me a bit further on the main road and let me walk a route along the highway. After a lot of explanation, he understands, that I have to continue my way, where I stopped.
A lot of other people show up in between to have some papers signed.
Suddenly he shows respect and says ‚I salute you‘. ‚Do you want a saftety guard in your way?‘ ‚No, it’s mostly a hinderance, why?‘ ‚There are some criminals‘.
After another while, a policeman on his bike brings me back to the place, where they picked me up nearly 2 hours before. But, what I did not know,  he is the safety guard.

He followes me the next 8km and pushes a lot on my speed. We walk over some railway bridges. Partly there is a driving way for vehicles, but super muddy. But the main and only walking way is in the railway bed, which is also used by some motor cycles. The bridges are crossing a river and several side arms and dead arms of the river. And it is just gorgeous. Lots of women and men walk this way, carrying gras or goods on there head. Silent waters everywhere around. At one point, at the last bridge I miss to use a very unique wooden ferry. But the police man has arranged, that I can cross the last bridge, which is in construction, through the metallic grid, just before the cement gets filled in.
I am so happy that the safety guard has fulfilled his job (not forgetting to ask me for money, but I refuse), so I can have a rest at the river bank. It’s already 2.30pm and I had only a brief breakfast. But in the other side, two further police men where waiting. One of them has also a bamboo stick. I have to insist, that I need a break. Soon after a crowd of 15 including the police is standing around me. This is not a situation where you really can rest in….. so….after some bites…. getting up…. continue to walk.
Lucklily the both let me go my way by myself after some km.

Between two ditricts there is often, beside the bigger highways, not such a good infrastructure. So, here I can benefit. It’s just a sooo beautiful scenery. Waterholes with buffaloes with there shepherds are bathing. Silent lakes or other water sources. Greenery everywhere. No traffic and even zero rubbish. Fresh air and paintready sceneries. Simple villages with bamboo hats and cows or buffaloes in front of these homes….. Everything is just a photoshot.
Now, I still have no time, because the day is coming to an end and I have still a long way to go. Also I don’t know how to catch the scenery best. But I enjoy with every step, very much.

In days like this I somehow walk as in trance, my body produces some adrenalin or other chemical substance, what makes me manage the day. In the end it will be 36 km,  which I planed to walk in 2 days. It will take me hours in the evening to come down from that ‚drug‘ and let me sleep late. Maybe it can be also discriped as some spiritual power.

I meet so many people on the way. Short conversations. Where you from? What are you doing? Can I have a selfie?
And various different emotions fly to me, also because of Corona time. Sometimes people are rushing quickly away, because of fear. ‚Why you are coming here, (bringing the virus)‘ someone said to me. Then again happiness to see a foreigner? Couriosity.
Lots of different emotions slosh to me. Within minutes often. And often with a lot of people involved.
Bihar people always develop some strange feelings, about an hour or so before the night is coming. They have fear in there eyes and behaviors. It’s quite uncomfortable.

Also with the Indian way of talking it’s sometimes intense. Indians learn at school a type of command tone in some cases. For example when the say ’sit down‘ ‚come here‘ or ‚go‘ or ‚you can go‘.  And it’s even sometimes or often ment nicely, but for me it feel often close to unfriendly. It’s just in the culture. It’s not a bad intention at all, mostly, but sometime it feels rude. I have always to be aware, not to judge.

The last kms to Sonbarsa are crazy. It did not rain to much yet. But some ways are overflooded. Walking through lots of mud I finally reach a better street to town.
But, in town, not to believe how horrible the street condition is. People have to walk through mud and water, even in the market area. Rubbish everywhere…. just really horrible conditions, can’t be much worst.

In Sonbarsa 3 nice young men help me. All day long, nearly no-one could speak english. Sunil, Prem and Ananda, and others speak good english, help me to find a place to stay. It feels somehow, there where ordered to help me, so quick that they came my way. I end up in a accomodation at a temple area.

I started to write about the Vipassana technique in the ‚Bihar‘ article some days ago. This is a technique, which was preserved in Myanmar, in some monastery/ies for 2500 years in its pure form. Only since the 1950th/60th it came back to the ‚people‘.
It’s a very scientific approach to understand, on a experience level, the mind and body system. Step by step, as the practitioner gets more and more open, he/she understands what lies behind mind and matter.

So the five given rules are also called ‚morality‘ and they are the base of the Vipassana teaching.
Morality is the foundation
Concentration the second step and
Wisdom is the final step.

Today I write about concentration.

Concentration means to reach a stage of equanimity. Equanimity is a stage, where the practitioner does not thing about the future, nor about the past. Further the practitioner should not be attached in any craving or aversion.
Our mind likes to think, and it’s always the future or the past where it’s entangled. Equanimity is reached, when we can let go of the future/past thought and can dwell in the ‚Here and Now‘.

Then. Mind is not only the interlect, but also the so called unconsciousness. The unconsciousness is also a ’storage mind‘. The mind stores here memories. These storaged memories are from attachments.

Every time we have a positive feeling and we are attached to it (we want it to stay/we want to have it) we accumulate craving defilements. Every time a specific craving arises again and again, the accumulated storage of this cravings ’support‘ the actual craving. As a result the storage gets bigger and bigger. It becomes so big, that it turned into suffering. I want this or that so much, but it’s not happening, so it becomes craving and suffering.
The same with aversions. Something I do not want to have. For example anger. Something is happening in the outside, what makes me angry. Because anger is not a comfortable feeling, I do not want to have it. But, when I am angry and I express my anger, all the storage ‚anger‘ also supports the actual anger. Anger becomes bigger and bigger and in the end the ’storage anger‘ grows. The anger that I do not want to have is an aversion and turns into suffering.

Concentration has to be reached by not thinking of the past or future. And not getting intangled in cravings or aversion.

Concentration can be reached by only Observing without interacting with it.

The object of Observing will be the breath. Breath has naturally no thoughts not any aversion or craving. It is just what it is. Breath. It can be observed.
Any time thoughts or feelings of aversion or craving are showing up, the practitioner needs to come back to the observation of the breath.
In Vipassana the observation of the breath is be done at the nose area, observing he incoming and outgoing breath.

This is a very difficult task in the beginning, but excersising makes the master. The practitioner is advised not to judge him/herself if any disturbance in the practise is arising. If the mind takes you away, as soon as you realize, you come back to your breath. No judgement to yourself has be done. Just accept the fact of what happened and come back to your breath.

Then concentration is arising.
Concentration of being in the here and now.
Just observing
Just observing the breath.
Equanimity

Walking from Begusarai towards Khangaria I realize, now finally my body is fit. No new blisters. The most places are healed no wonderfully. The feet don’t become swollen anymore. They just behave normal.
Also swopping from my old slippers to the new ones don’t make any real trouble. I still keep the old once for two more days – just in case…. But I still a bit away from walking barefoot all the time – another goal to come.
My whole body has more or less joy now, to walk with me.
I have to stay somewhere one night, because all the way is 42km. No hotel on the way. After a lot of tries here and there I sleep on a uncomfortable wooden bench in a Dhaba (Indian restaurant). Also my host is not really supportiv, its somehow uncosy to be in his presence (he hit one of his employees with a bamboo stick at the food sole, while he was resting, to wake him up). Also he could have given me a mat, which was lying around unused on a chair to give me some comfort. Anyway I could hang my mosquito net. Some hours sleep I got.

In Khangaria I have a rest day. 100km since Aloks are walked.
Searching for the best route to go, I decide to take a direct northeast route, leaving the main roads for 140km. The route will lead me through Sanbarsa, Mangwar, Murliganj, Raniganj to Araria.
I guess there will be no hotel on the route. In myself there is a calmness and confidence, that I am ready for this now. Even in Bihar during corona times. I have been always guided and protected….and because of this good feelings I can relay on it. I want also to see more of nature in Bihar and look forward to leave the main roads.

During my time in the Vipassana center and with all the Visa requests I always have to name my ‚real‘ age 58. But this are the years I love with this body on this planet. I don’t agree what this body does, for example getting swollen feet, feeling older than I feel inside, having all this walking and muscles troubles…..
After coming into my power again, which took me nearly 3 weeks, I realize, that I come back towards the ‚other‘ truth. Earlier in this blog I mentioned, that I count my age since my 54th birthday backwards. Reguarding this truth, which is also real to me, I am now 49. And that’s how I feel now.
On the way to become again 27!!!! (or let’s say the third time 27) I am in the 3rd decade (one decade is 27) in the forth year. This feels so good and empowering and my body mind system has to follow. ( And I don’t care, that my skin does not look like this (the skin can also follow) but my bodily fitness and my mindset has to continue to be flexible)

Bihar

Is it possible, that a state get punished, because they don’t follow universal rules?

The short version is: yes

We as human being have to follow the Law of Nature, or the universal rules.
Such as
– no killing
– no lying
– no stealing
– no drugs or other intoxicants
– no sexual misconduct

Or we also could say
Avoiding any action which harms other or ourselves
Perform actions, which supports the life of humans, animals, plants, minerals

If we follow universal rules, we get also support from the univers….

Actually very simple. And logical.

I started thinking about this topic, because Utthar Pradesh and Bihar are known as the poorest states in India.
And I thought. How is that possible, when Buddha himself got enlightenment in Bihar and taught in both states so much.

But if people are not practicing in a proper way…..
univers can’t support

As the univers supports people who practice in a prober way the univers also supports groups, who practice in proper way.

……
……

And…. sure, these 5 rules are not enough, but a good start

A good way to practice is to calm your mind and then meditate….

All will fall into place after a while

China

The Indians have a ongoing conflict with China. Some border lines in the high Himalayas are not clear. From time to time something is happening these.
I only know the Indian side. In the newspapers they write about 20 martyrs who died. Not sure, how many died at the Chinese side (40? But i am really not sure)
Because this is happening again and again, Indians run out of patience now, they want to boycott China.

But earlier the hate with China got some more fuel because of Corona Virus. I could feel the impact even before the virus reached India. It was in February when a Indian coughed in the face of Xi, my Chinese friend who walk with me that time. The media is strong in India for ‚China topics‘ and sometimes they are not responsible enough withbthere power.

I say: The both countries have to continue or intensify there talks, event though a result maid not to be seen soon. But you have to stay in talks on high political levels to minimize the risk of this happenings at the borders. Hate is no answer.
And it must be possible to negociate a agreement reguarding the unclear border lines in high Himalayas. But it needs good will and effort from both sides.

Boycott
I have also thought about boycotting China earlier. But for other reasons. Even before corona.
China is going to far mistreating the human rights.
1) Slowly the world hears more about the Muslim minority in China, the Uiguries in the far west. 100thousands of Uiguries are in re-education camps. Some days ago I read, that the government of China commands Uiguri women even to abortion…. a silent genocide
2) Relegions can’t be practised freely in China. Not only in Tibet, in the whole country, there are in front of every mosque, church, temple, any religious organisation, offices of the Chinese government. (I guess it has old history. When Tiananmen place (Platz des Himmlischen Friedens) was stormed in 1989 Chinese government learned in the same year, that revolution could start at a religious place (as in eastern Germany some month later))
3) Falun Gong, a very peaceful movement, practised also as Tai Chi with exercises in parks all over China, with 100 million followers is a enemy of the state. Falun Gong members, known as healthy, not drinking alcohol or taking drugs, are used as living storages for organ transplants!!!!
4) what is happening with Hongkong.
5) what will happen to Taiwan.
……
This are the main reasons

I admire on the other side what Chinese government did for the economy.
What they did for infrastructure,  especially building up a working High speed train system in such a short time….

(I don’t like the production of pics for China in Germany, and the slurry of excrements of all these pics are polluting the soil and water there – this I find extremely ugly – but it’s only a personal note)

But we are not allowed to mix up a boycott with hating people. The most people don’t have to do anything with this, they may even not know this all.