starting a retreat

well, there is still much to tell about daily life here (i havn't mentioned the multicolored butterflies, nor the fireflyers - GACHLILIOT - that make the evening air sparkle all around you), but writing takes much time thought and energy, and i feel it is time for me to start pacifying my mind and practicing more seriously. so, i intend to stay away from the internet and stop writing for at least a week, and hopefully more.

before that i will tell that i live here in a humble hut, not much more then a bed, though i can practice yoga inside with some limitations on streching my arms. there are 3 vegeterian meals a day, quiet good ones, which are also the time of social mingling. in the morning there's porridge, at lunch we have a big meal of rice and many side dishes, there's a five o'clock chai break and soup for dinner. there's alway some kind of home made bread, either western or indian styled, and a lot of peanut butter... in the dining room, we visitors have our table at the balcony, with beautiful view to the valley and to the himalaya range (which is not snowy these days).

it's been a week with special buddhist holidays - his holiness the dalai lama's birthday, and the day of the first turn of the dharma wheel - so there were many ceremonies and events. yesterday there was a magnificent chanting in the evening. the monks were divided into groups (according to their levelof study) and each sat in some corner of the monastery and did its own chanting. you could walk around and hear different chants from all around, as if echoing each other in a very enchanting way.


a few day ago i had an appointment with the abbot (principle of the monastery), lama lhundrup - the monk in the picture, to recieve some advice concerning my practice. he encouraged me, and changed my focus to the cultivation of right motivation - the achieving of happiness by all sentient beings, and to renunciation - which means weakening the attachments and desires. not that easy... especially since patricia has arrived...

that's it for a while, take care u all, and talk again after some time...