This is the group photo from a just-completed ten-day retreat at the Tushita Meditation Center. Will write about this wonderful experience shortly.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tushita Retreat picture
This is the group photo from a just-completed ten-day retreat at the Tushita Meditation Center. Will write about this wonderful experience shortly.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Ah ha! Photo uploading works.
Just to prove I am here...There are few nicer little indulgences than a shave at the barber.
I'll post some more photos in the next day or two.
The first Dharam Blog
Greetings Blogamsalers,
I made it to Dharamsala early yesterday morning on a very "semi-deluxe" bus that was full of monks and nuns. It was surprisingly difficult to find a room, as the Dalai Lama just finished his annual ten days of teachings and the town is still full. I thought by arriving a few days later I would be safe, but it took two hours of asking around. Good thing I wasn't lugging my bag.
It is a little strange to be here again. John Diller, John’s brother Dave, and I were here briefly in August 2003. The main things I remember from that time are Dave roomed in a monastery for a few days and went on some kind of thin soup diet, and we all got super sick. We spent at least two days lying in bed, retching and diarhheal. (Is that a word?) I remember having a digestive emergency on the street and diving into somebody’s home to use the toilet. There is a little bit of déjà vu this time: I ended up in a hotel right next door to that one, and I am a little sick again. But nothing like before. A word to the traveling wise is, bring acidophilus tablets. It’s the main thing that I forgot this time. Every trip to a developing country that I’ve had acidophilus, I’ve been fine. Every trip that I haven’t, I’ve been sick. (Business idea: there would be a huge market for acidophilus tabs in developing countries.)
I got a knock on my door at about 6:30 this morning. It was my Aeroflot luggage courier. He must have driven all night. Everything looks intact…hooray! I gave him a walloping 200 rupee tip (about $4.50) for the night drive, which he wasn’t expecting and so he was very happy – but I still felt a little cheap afterward. Thank goodness especially for the toothbrush and some fresh socks and undies. Indian undergarments just aren’t the same.
Knowing that I’m going to be here (probably) for two months, it is a very different feeling than just passing through. Choosing a place to stay for that long almost seems like investing in local real estate. I’m still not sure how I’m going to spend the time, but there is no shortage of options. Two meditation centers do pretty much continuous ten day retreats, there are Tibetan philosophy and language classes at the Tibetan Gov’t-in-Exile’s library, there are week-or-longer full time yoga classes (and more exotic stuff like Reiki), and – an option I hadn’t considered before – a 14-day “adventure course” with the local mountaineering center where you learn to climb the neighborhood 15,000-footers. Plus there is the volunteering that I want to do, although I haven’t looked into that yet. So many choices!
Well, that’s all for now. Time to go shopping for some Buddha statues.
Love to all -
Marcus
I made it to Dharamsala early yesterday morning on a very "semi-deluxe" bus that was full of monks and nuns. It was surprisingly difficult to find a room, as the Dalai Lama just finished his annual ten days of teachings and the town is still full. I thought by arriving a few days later I would be safe, but it took two hours of asking around. Good thing I wasn't lugging my bag.
It is a little strange to be here again. John Diller, John’s brother Dave, and I were here briefly in August 2003. The main things I remember from that time are Dave roomed in a monastery for a few days and went on some kind of thin soup diet, and we all got super sick. We spent at least two days lying in bed, retching and diarhheal. (Is that a word?) I remember having a digestive emergency on the street and diving into somebody’s home to use the toilet. There is a little bit of déjà vu this time: I ended up in a hotel right next door to that one, and I am a little sick again. But nothing like before. A word to the traveling wise is, bring acidophilus tablets. It’s the main thing that I forgot this time. Every trip to a developing country that I’ve had acidophilus, I’ve been fine. Every trip that I haven’t, I’ve been sick. (Business idea: there would be a huge market for acidophilus tabs in developing countries.)
I got a knock on my door at about 6:30 this morning. It was my Aeroflot luggage courier. He must have driven all night. Everything looks intact…hooray! I gave him a walloping 200 rupee tip (about $4.50) for the night drive, which he wasn’t expecting and so he was very happy – but I still felt a little cheap afterward. Thank goodness especially for the toothbrush and some fresh socks and undies. Indian undergarments just aren’t the same.
Knowing that I’m going to be here (probably) for two months, it is a very different feeling than just passing through. Choosing a place to stay for that long almost seems like investing in local real estate. I’m still not sure how I’m going to spend the time, but there is no shortage of options. Two meditation centers do pretty much continuous ten day retreats, there are Tibetan philosophy and language classes at the Tibetan Gov’t-in-Exile’s library, there are week-or-longer full time yoga classes (and more exotic stuff like Reiki), and – an option I hadn’t considered before – a 14-day “adventure course” with the local mountaineering center where you learn to climb the neighborhood 15,000-footers. Plus there is the volunteering that I want to do, although I haven’t looked into that yet. So many choices!
Well, that’s all for now. Time to go shopping for some Buddha statues.
Love to all -
Marcus
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Arrival
Welcome to Blogamsala! (That's Blog + Dharamsala for those scratching their heads.) The first time I heard of blogs a couple of years ago, I thought, "Who would want to read Joe Schmo's thoughts about the world" - but there is me being critical and dismissive again. It is interesting to see what people post, especially the better writers and thinkers out there. They also seem to work well for travelogue sorts of things. So I'll try it out. If I get advanced maybe I'll figure out how to upload photos.
So...here I am in India again! With touchdown today in Delhi, I've now made it here each one of the last four odd-numbered years. The heavy, hot, humid air, the smell of stagnant water and unwashed bodies, the dust and flies, and the sounds of buzzing rickshaws and Tata diesels are all comfortably familiar. They virtually scream out "Welcome to India."
This time I had a little more excitement than usual. I flew lovely Aeroflot from LAX to Moscow to Delhi, and I got here fine (the Russian-built jet for the second leg rattled a lot, but it made it here no questions asked) but my baggage did not. Apparently it is still in Moscow. All four of us who made the LAX-Delhi connection didn't get our bags. This was the third time making this trip for one guy, and his luggage has been late (and pilfered) every time. He took this route again for the same reason I did - it's a cheap last minute fare. Anyway, unflapped, the Aeroflot guy at the airport promised us it would come tomorrow, and he told me they would even send mine in a taxi up to Dharamsala. So I am sticking with my travel plans and going to Dharamsala tonight. It's about a 12 hour overnight bus ride. I'm looking forward to that, actually, mainly because I know the alternative is a super-uncomfortable hard-bunk train ride - the kind of thing that can be fun the first two or three times but gets old.
Well, as it's been 36 hours since leaving the house, it must be time to go buy some fresh underwear and wash up.
Take care all. I'll post again from Dharamsala.
So...here I am in India again! With touchdown today in Delhi, I've now made it here each one of the last four odd-numbered years. The heavy, hot, humid air, the smell of stagnant water and unwashed bodies, the dust and flies, and the sounds of buzzing rickshaws and Tata diesels are all comfortably familiar. They virtually scream out "Welcome to India."
This time I had a little more excitement than usual. I flew lovely Aeroflot from LAX to Moscow to Delhi, and I got here fine (the Russian-built jet for the second leg rattled a lot, but it made it here no questions asked) but my baggage did not. Apparently it is still in Moscow. All four of us who made the LAX-Delhi connection didn't get our bags. This was the third time making this trip for one guy, and his luggage has been late (and pilfered) every time. He took this route again for the same reason I did - it's a cheap last minute fare. Anyway, unflapped, the Aeroflot guy at the airport promised us it would come tomorrow, and he told me they would even send mine in a taxi up to Dharamsala. So I am sticking with my travel plans and going to Dharamsala tonight. It's about a 12 hour overnight bus ride. I'm looking forward to that, actually, mainly because I know the alternative is a super-uncomfortable hard-bunk train ride - the kind of thing that can be fun the first two or three times but gets old.
Well, as it's been 36 hours since leaving the house, it must be time to go buy some fresh underwear and wash up.
Take care all. I'll post again from Dharamsala.
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