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!

Preparations: Introduction to Buddhism

Today is my last day in Mcleodganj. Tomorrow I leave for Tushita for my introduction to Buddhism, an 8-day residential course done in silence. Tushita is about a 10-minute richshaw ride up the hill and located at about 700 feet above sea level. tushita.info

I am re-reading their extensive website to make sure I have everything in order and what to expect. I won't be able to have any communication for 8-days. I am mentally preparing myself for living in a dorm room as single accommodations are hard to come by. Although, being over 50 in this case has its advantages. Being silent is a chance to shut-out the distractions of everyday life and come face to face with yourself. Buddhism is about compassion and kindness!

I have not enjoyed the town of Mcleodganj as much as I had hoped. Generally, the Tibetans are not as warm and friendly as the Indians. I think it is culture. I have rarely found any Asian that gives me the warm fuzzies!

My room here smells of mold and mildew and the streets smell like a sewer. It has been hard to meet people. I think if I where here longer I would like it more.

I was looking forward to going to yoga yesterday. When I got there, I realized it was a 2-hour class. Yikes...........I had to go to the toilet and knew I couldn't make it two hours. It was a long walk straight up the hill. I had also wanted to attend a film on the "Yogis of Tibet" which interfered with the longer yoga session. So I bolted before the class started!

I think I have missed Rishikesh/Laxman Julia as I know where all the yoga places are and where are the best toilets! Here, I am centrally located and can usually walk back to my room pretty easily. Me and my teeny bladder! At least I have not had issues with diarrhea. Knock on wood!

I'll write more when I return from silence!

Mcleodganj visit

As I sit in this internet cafe typing in my blog, I am reminded of the land of contrasts in India. Looking out the window, I just saw about 6-cows stroll by. Across the street, is an Indian man repairing shoes. Backpackers walk by. Dogs are sleeping everywhere. They outnumber the cows by ten to one I am guessing. The poor still beg. Monks walk by in their maroon colored robes. A contrast from the sadhus in Rishikesh who wear orange. It's quieter here. I read that 16-people were killed in Haridwar, not far from Rishikesh. They were trampled to death in a religious festival. I saw a documentary in a coffee shop about all the Tibetans who trek for 6-weeks without enough provisions over the Himalayas through Nepal and India to reach freedom from persecution from the Chinese.

I hired a taxi for a half hour beautiful drive out of town to a Tibetan Cultural Center. It was peaceful! I visited the Dalai Lama Temple and have strolled past all the tourist shops. Later today and after my yoga class, I'll get a Tibetan massage. I have enjoyed a couple of Kingfisher beers too!

I took some pants to be altered to an older Tibetan. It is hard to tell how old he is, but I am guessing in his late 70's. I love his demeanor and smile. I think he is quite taken when I disrobe in his little shop area! You should see his smile.

I have not really met anyone here, which is always a struggle. But in a way, it is good, as my 8-days of silence is coming soon.

Hello Mcleodganj

I have finally left Rishikesh after spending most of my time there since late August. I will return in 2-weeks though. My guest house manager who has been so sweet took me and my luggage by motorcycle across the Laxsman Julia suspension bridge. It was wild! The bridges are about 4-feet wide with lots of human foot traffic. Cows camp out on the bridge and it is impossible to get by. They should really not allow motorbikes. My luggage kept knocking people over due to narrowness of the path. There was a troop of monkeys on each side of the bridge at about eye level traveling in the opposite direction as us so I had a clear view of their eyes. Many were moms with their babies on their backs. The babies hang onto the mother's belly.

I took a 10-hour train ride in the night, then a 3-hour private taxi ride to Mcleodganj. It is not a good idea to arrive anywhere without a reservation at 5:30 in the morning! The train ride was good, thanks to Tylenol PM! The only place open was a dive with a not so friendly guest house host. I crashed for a few hours and just woke up and had a delicious breakfast next door. I'll explore the town shortly. So far I don't see any cows,(probably won't see many, not sure what the Hindu population is here). But I see lots of dogs, mostly Tibetans and some tourists.

My last few days in Rishikesh were nice. I was a bad girl and drank vodka tonics on my deck with an American neighbor I have seen several times for dinner. I pulled out the laptop and we listened to "The Police", while drinking and viewing the holy Ganga River!

A highlight was a crowded yoga class. During the relaxing portion of the class, at then end where you lie in Shivastana, corpse pose, the instructor starts playing the Sitar. It was priceless!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my classmates from Italy, was also taking additional classes in Indian Relaxing Massage. She wanted to practice on me. My first time to get massaged outdoors and on concrete! I had brought my laptop, but you couldn't hear any of the music because of the loudness of the taxi stand across the street! But I enjoy just about any massage and for free is even better. She did a good job for her first ever massage!

My last night in town I went to the Ganga Aarti Ceremony (religious Hindi ceremony held nightly on the river) with the American lady who takes care of the animals. There was free entertainment after the ceremony by a Colombian Sikh who was here for the expensive Kundalini Festival. He was playing his guitar and singing about 4-people away from us. All the sudden my friend yells, "Toni give me some biscuits". I looked down, and some how a dog she had tried to find earlier to give medicine to sneaks past security and finds her sitting in the crowd. Security guards come over and pull out a stick to beat the dog. She gets in the middle of them so they can't. She starts yelling at them and we get the dog to follow us out with the biscuits as a ploy. I thought we were going to have an international incident over it! But thankfully the dog will be okay. His ear was almost bitten off my another dog in a fight and she is giving him antibiotics. I saw him in the road asleep earlier and he looked pretty pitiful.