WHOOOOHOOOO

Good News! You can now go and find info about rinpoche's publishing adventures. EnJoy....remember this is the whole reason I came to india in the first place...at Rinpoche's request.

how many can you fit on your mortorcycle?
This was back in the village near Haridwar that Mohan took me to vist.
I remember one man had just come from harvesting honey in a pail and I wished I had had a jar.



Back in Rishikesh this girl on a homemade
rope swing was having a good time.




On the way up the mountain to make a fire puja with Jigme.

around town

morning ani practicing


Harvesting the wheat before the rains
In the neighborhood


fire puja offerings




pilgrims on the way to the river and at the swimming hole



Last week was Kalachakra puja at the temple so I felt lucky to be here and participate in that. Also a bit interested to see what I remember from 5 yrs ago in Toronto. May all beings forgive me for what I've forgotten. Especially you know that one main deity...Anyway it was lovely and a number of us squeezed into the temple to observe and practice. This was a little weird as we were right below the main deity on the stage above the sangha...but I finally figured out how I could face both...
During this time I met a nun from the Houston sangha who is a friend of Christine and at the end we made a pilgramage to the river trying to follow the sand but the best we can hope for is that we got to swim in it as we never found the location the monks tried to describe to us.
The weather has been trying to turn hot even up here in the mountains but every few days I hear the horns of some puja happening somewhere and before long there is a deluge. I'm telling you it really works...Even during Kalachakra on the last days we were stranded at the temple for a couple extra hours due to heavy rains but the day we took the sand to the river it was perfectly clear and beautiful as you've seen.

do you have time to teach me english?

Ah cha...today was one of those days when every person I met wants me to spend more time with them to practice english...I say be careful what you ask for...Yesterday I got to meet with my very good friend Ani Tenzin Chogkyi...other wise known as "the really tall western nun" and I should be careful what I say to these practitioners with strong intentions because I did in fact tell her that I'm thinking more and more of teaching english here in asia...as there is a great need...and many opportunities to help in such a simple way...so now I'm going to have to get a calendar to write down all my appointments for teaching this week. It might be easier to just go to one of the organizations that offer classes...oh yeah, I'm already doing that. But really it was great to see my friend who I've had such great opportunities to meet and ask questions about long retreats, etc... yesterday she sent me on a quest up the mountain to visit the memorial stupa of one of the teachers of HHDL who's name I'm sorry to say I don't remember...
Ta...something...anyway quite worth the walk up passed Tushita and Dharam Kot to visit this place where many monks and maybe nuns are practicing in little huts in the woods. You know your getting close when you start to see the thousands of prayer flags hanging from the trees. The day was cool so it was a good day for walking and during my meditations a big clap of thunder announced the presence of dragons nearby with the lightest of sprinkles coming down like blessings. As I sat one of the monks came to make water offerings and I got a good example of how it's done...isn't that the chapter TCCW is reading now...preperatory offerings...
pouring the water into each bowl before setting it on the altar mindful of space, etc...I'm pretty sure there were more than 108 bowls but I didn't stay to count them...Though next time I go visiting I want to ask if I can help to offer and will report back.