Tushita Experience

The 8-day retreat on Buddhism was an awesome experience, as all of my travels through India have been. The silence part was easier than expected. We did get to meet in daily 1-hour discussion groups to talk about various aspects of Buddhism, and we could ask the teacher questions. Our teacher, an American who moved to India 40-years ago as a hippie. He never left! He learned Buddhism, became a monk, left the monkhood to get married, and now is divorced. Quite an interesting fellow! He was always kidding about sex, drugs and rock & roll. It was interesting to hear his personal stories about the Dalai Lama, before he won the Nobel Peace Prize. So even though I did not get to hear the Dalai Lama speak, I still have satisfied. This was one "to do" thing on my long bucket list!

We had 38-people in the class (a small one for Tushita)from ll over the world and ages 18-70 years old! I was impressed with the young ones who were part of a youth group on a gap year between high school and college.

I did not understand all the profoundness of Buddhism,and they talked a lot about suffering. I think mostly it's about suffering in your own mind. But I do feel connected about the "compassion" to others aspect of it. Emptiness is form, form is emptiness". It took me a few days to figure out what that was all about. Everything in life is interdependent and impermanent.

We were all given jobs around the monastery. My job was to ring the "gong" in 5-places, 3-times each around the monastery. Starting at 6 am for a wake-up call and then the other two times were for class sessions. I had fun with it, gonged with a smile, enthusiasm, and took my job seriously! I really tried to make the gong sound pretty. Several people came up to me the last day of class when we could talk and thanked me for waking them up every morning!

I left with a better impression, appreciation and understanding of the Tibetans and their plight. We got to meet a pretty famous lama and oracle. He talked to our small group during our discussion time. We also had a re-incarnated llama toddler staying with us. He would see me and say "ding, ding"! The nuns were a bit talkative around the toddler and the staff apologized as it is suppose to be silent there for everyone. Lama means teacher. Dalai means "ocean of wisdom". Our timing was also during a special Buddhist holiday so I attended one of their ceremonies in the gompa, a temple. I didn't understand a dam So I left and thought, I'll watch it from the outside looking in. Shortly after I left, everybody got a bag of goodies, with food. I wanted to go back in and grab a bag, as dinner was pretty minimal that night. But I thought it would be pretty rude to do so, so I went to bed hungry! n thing and it was too loud and intense for me with all the chanting. I'm glad I went for the experience though.

Coming back to Rishikesh, I took an all night sleeper train. A lady from Quebec came with me as she was a bit frightened to take a train alone her first time in India. I slept okay, but 1st Class was not available, so it was jammed packed and dirty and we got tons of stares.

So I am back in Rishikesh and taking another class. This is my favorite thus far! It is a one month long yoga program. More later......... I'm starving!