ahhh bodhgaya

Just when the last leaves had fallen and been harvested by every greedy hand that could reach one this amazing tree after one day is blooming new red leaves. Leaves that are as small as your pinkie nail to the size of a silver dollar. Unlike the older ones that are thick and brown and dead these are still alive and delicate. If you dare you can put them in your salad. I had a handful of the little white curls that drop as the leaf emerges in a tea and stayed up all night in front of the tree feeling my stomach gurgling...it's said they are good for difficult births...trouble reaching enlightenment? So yes I spent the night in a mosquito tent under the boddhi tree with a korean friend from australia who arrived on her way from 3 mos. in lumbini on her way home and she was inspired to spend the night so I tagged along. The great thing is that this is the season when puppies are learning to be dogs...so the barking and yelping go on deep into the night. Yes, great because just when I was falling asleep a dog fight breaks out inches away...I can't tell you how many times this happened. Everytime greatful to "wake up" and think "oh yeah, I'm supposed to be practincing".

So of all places bodhgaya is where I've purchased my first "puker". Supron left it with me for the work I will supposedly be doing in Dharamsala. Of course the electricity here in Bihar killed the power box on the plug so now I'm waiting for the dealer to get me a refurbished one as he already tried to repair mine but it's to burned up. So now he says deffinetely he can have it day after tomorrow in the morning if not tomorrow night. But still I will not purchase my train ticket because this is India...and it could be next week...

The days now are too hot to be outside in the middle of the day. So most practice is coming to the main temple about 4:15 am. Return to Wat Pa for breakfast at 8:00 to serve the monks. Then living in the room with the fan on inside the mosquito net my korean friend left for me until about 4 pm when its nearing the time when it will cool down...dinner, etc...then to the temple till 9pm when they lock the gates. It's a 5 min walk to Wat Pa and all the ladies selling butter lamps know I wont buy any by now. Though I've already decided I'll do it as I'm leaving.

I stopped by the Mongolian temple which is under construction and the man I met told me major construction has stopped now due to Bihar regulations...paper work...he of course knows who Rinpoche is. I hear it over and over again about all the paper work in Bihar and how it's really important to go through the process before you begin your project...some sites seem to have been sitting unfinished for year. So we must pray that the obstacles for the mongolians will be cleared away...Time to go now I hear the metal gates being closed next door for the night.

p.s. the blog says sunday but for me it's now monday.

Bodhgaya cont.

So for all of you waiting for amazing pics....keep breathing.
I am after all in India. Where even if I can hook up my camera it's another thing to download...
o.k. so I write. Yesterday Supron and I walked across the river bed to the Thai wat and had a relaxing visit there...the air is so much cleaner and there's very few people about except for buses going to Suchata's house. ON the way back we stopped at a Hindu temple and got a tour from a man called Siva. He took us out to the gardens in back...this house was once owned by the raj who built the main budha stupa. The grounds here are very quiet maybe 2 visitors everyday. Really lovely to walk around and explore the ruins where one sees signs of budha everywhere. Even in the walls as support for brick archways.
Once again Wat Pa surprises....after chanting last night the head monk didn't move an inch...many of the thai people were a little confused as we usually get up right after...they were looking to see if he fell asleep...but no, we did sitting medition for about half an hour. Afterward one monk asked him about it and all I understood was something about america. So I guess it's known that we are helped by sitting meditation.

Bodhgaya

First day at the maha stupa as I was leaving I met Supron, of thai massage in Mill Valley fame, and was invited to stay at the Thai wat just behind the main temple. Literally a 4 min. walk to the tree from my room and I can see the stupa from our front door! It's also wonderful to be practicing with the thai monks.
Yesterday morning we walked over about 5 am and met up with the bhutanese monks that are doing puja everday during losar which ends tomorrow. So we've been coming to help fill the 3.960 water bowls. This morning we started at 4:30 as we will the rest of the week. They were really surprised to hear me speak to them....Kuzu tsampo la....etc.
I'm very happy practicing here for now and so will continue till it feels right to leave for Dharamsala. Will try posting photos later....

Kolkata

Hi all,
Was about to leave here knowing I was missing some pretty great stuff when I met this kind gentleman who worked at one time with Mother Theresa with the dying and he offered to show me some places that I still wanted to go....plus other stuff....if anybody is thinking of coming here I can deffinetly recommend that you get in touch with him....
So I've spent the last 3 days going to Ramakrishnas Kali temple and mausoleum which is really incredibly a peaceful place. As soon as I walked through the gate it was as if all the energy was dropped into the ground. Sitting in the mausoleum is also truly incredible....just sitting there...sitting, sitting...then the guards start telling everybody to scoot forward and sit between the pillars and all of a sudden the doors to the shrine open and everybody is up and prostrating and bowing and I'm just sitting, sitting...and hearing the shuffling of bare feet and there is still such a stillness with all these feet rushing forward past me....ahhhhh. Then just as suddenly the doors close and the lights go out and everybody is headed for the door and guards with bells are telling everyone it's time to leave the grounds....ohhhhhh.
Then its time for the ferry ride back to town...on the river it's cooler you know. The humidity is really beginning. Again with global warming. Fishermen mending their nets, kids diving into the river from the ferry, herons flying past, dead dog floating by, people asking me where I'm from, school children laughing and smiling at me and the occasional "hello, how are you?" I'm fine. How are you? "ummmm I'm fine! ahahahahahaha"
Today we went to the Jain temple...my what a gorgeous place. all tile and mirror. like candy inside. We also visited the area where all the sculptures are made. One master sculpture let me sit and watch him for awhile....he was deffinetly a master at 65 y.o. and could totaly impact the expression of his figure in about 1.5 seconds. Everything is made with bamboo structures, rice shearings and clay. Left to dry and then the final clay layer is put on and sculpted with small wooden spatulas....the newer houses are using fiberglass molds....worrisome....no one was using a mask. Finally my favorite restaurant here is run by a Sikh guy...no surprises there....if anybody gets to Sartaj back home tell Basi and Balbeer I love and miss them.

So for now that's it...I'll be in bodhgaya tomorrow...till then take it easy.

Kuzu Tsampo la

view of tigers nest w/ puppy

claire after the fall

kolkatta market by day

and by night

rowin on the river
So I have discovered the hard way several times now how easy it is to accidently delete everything so you now get the abbreviated version....

Climbed up to tigers nest and hung out with guru rinpoche in his cave....and then the talking statue...this is the one that as his piggy back carrier bumped his knee on the wall he said ouch...

there is a dent in the rock wall where this is supposed to have happened....

So I've gone from the pristine to the chaotic....luckily in my wandering through the small narrow street's I've found this haven of technology....I'm also waiting for Mother Theresa's house to open up at 3pm. Today was an auspicious Kali day...lot of people going to small shrines to worship...I stopped at one and basked in the uncanny silence that was present up to 10 feet away....Tomorrow I will try to go to Kalighat...of course it may be gory...but what the hey...

sorry you missed the one I erase it was allot more explicit...

Staying in Howrah...which will be convenient tomorrow night when I leave for Bodhgaya... I found it auspicious when I went to get my ticket that there were two monk also getting tickets...they were very kind and helped me fill out my first form. You need a form for everything here....have you heard that one before....

welll try try again....funny Rinpoche started me on this journey to work with pukers....mu nemesis...of course...hopefully by the time I get to Dharamsala I'll at least know not to press the back button