Still Journeying through India

Some of us have returned but some of us still remain. And my second journey through India leaves me with a similiar impression from my first visit — India is a land of constant contrasts.

Waiting until the fourth week of the trip to record any thoughts at all is a mind boggling experience as hundred of images start to move through my mind much like a video viewed on fast forward, so to keep things simple I will only relate some experiences from the last couple of days.

Here in Amaravati we have been woken up by the beautiful sound of chanting at 4 am in the morning Currently, we are at the Kalachakra enjoying a chaotic carnival like atmosphere along with a throng of Buddhist practictioners, saffron dressed Tibetan monks speaking on cell phones and his Holiness himself the Dalai Lama. In the last couple of days, I have discussed photography and his project of recording Tibetan refugee life with a former monk turned photographer, have been graciously welcomed into the tent of a large Tibetan family to enjoy a dinner of noodles and discussion, have been pushed and shoved in a throng of foreigners trying to enter a private audience with the Dalai Lama, have enjoyed a concert of a combination of hip/hop fused with Tibetan music at a concert and coincidentally bumped into my mediation teacher from Los Angeles who is also traveling through India. When I speak of India most of my discussion consists of relating our wonderful experiences at Manav Sadhna. I know my time there has changed me for the better and so too I feel India has guided me along my path, and helped my heart to open even wider.

I luckily have the opportunity to journey back to Ahmedabad tomorrow and I find myself really longing for some time of reflection, but I have discovered that in India one does not ever know what the next moment will bring and acceptance of this is really the key to a happy existence. See you all soon on the 18th.

Namaste,
Stacey