Hello again.\u00a0 Every time I think I have told you all, I think of more things I want to share.\u00a0 Still it is easier this way.\u00a0 Maybe when I get ‘au fait’ with the computers – (or get my laptop), it will be easier still.<\/p>\n
It is still very hot, and my snowy mountain I can see from the balcony has disappeared with the haze.\u00a0 More and more, Indians in particular are arriving in their large groups.\u00a0 Unfortunately the other 2 rooms on the floor have been let and the lock taken off the stair-door.\u00a0 I am in between one of these Indian groups (with at least a dozen kids of all ages), and a group of 4 monks, one being a fat child monk about 12 years old.\u00a0 If the Indians are not screeching (normal talk), kids crying or running up and down the verandah at the front, the monks are parked outside my door with numerous visitors, the boy monk has his head around the dividing wall of our balconies.\u00a0 They have also set up a kitchen in the room and seem to crash pots at all hours.\u00a0 I will be pleased to move into H****’s place this week-end.<\/p>\n
K***’s neighbour H**** wants me to mind her place for 6 weeks.\u00a0 Then K*** will be going to Spain, after 2 weeks in Mongolia – will be gone until late September.\u00a0 They have both been here a few years, so are well set-up with Western conveniences and they tell me they are never out of water for the bathroom.\u00a0 The units are next to HHDL’s residence and the The Temple.<\/p>\n
It’s a bit of a walk to the market area, but very pleasant with the Kangra Valley below.\u00a0 It will be nice to have a decent light to read by too.<\/p>\n
No, I am not getting sick of the place.\u00a0 I could live here forever quite happily in a place of my own, and my mind is continually running on those lines.\u00a0 I have to come back to Australia every year, and it seems easy enough to get a visa.\u00a0 If I sold the villa, I could live very reasonably here, and have money for holidays to see you all.\u00a0 Anyway I have yet to survive the ‘Wet’, which from all accounts is no worse than Innisfail.<\/p>\n
I am still keeping well, but I would like to weigh myself to see if I am still losing weight.\u00a0 I look like the Saggy, Baggy Elephant.\u00a0 If that is the price to feel healthy – ‘Inshallah’ as my two proteges say.<\/p>\n
Teaching started yesterday.\u00a0 It was a long day and so hot.\u00a0 Monks are here from Southern India and Tibet.\u00a0 The Gompa courtyards and surrounding areas were packed.\u00a0 Saw HHDL quite close, going to and from the Gompa, despite the 14 guards surrounding him, 2 with machine guns.\u00a0 I understand it, but it seems to be so wrong for it to be necessary for such a man of peace.\u00a0 What a world!<\/p>\n
I’ll space out the teachings.\u00a0 It is just too much for my back to sit without a back support for 3-4 hours at a time.\u00a0 Getting up is even worse in the confined space allowed.\u00a0 The radio reception for the translation was poor and the text a very hard one.\u00a0 Even the knowledgeable ones said so.\u00a0 Getting to the Heartland!\u00a0 I find it hard to accept many of the rituals, closely allied with the old Bon religion as they are.<\/p>\n
Maybe I will just have to forget a structured path and just try to do some good where I can.\u00a0 I was appalled yesterday at the monks actually coming to fisticuffs when the texts were being distributed.\u00a0 There seemed to be plenty to go around, but some were grabbing 3 0r 4.\u00a0 The new breed is everywhere!\u00a0 Nevertheless I had a lovely day with Yeshe Thopgyal last Sunday.\u00a0 We managed very well despite his little English, and my ‘no Tibetan, Chinese or Hindi’ all of which he speaks well.\u00a0 We had lunch and walked, and later Nazu andAltof joined us.\u00a0 As they speak Hindi well and some Tibetan, they all got on famously with lots of laughter.\u00a0 Yeshe is quite mischievous.\u00a0 He is going to Nepal for 1 year after the teachings, so I’m glad we had that time.\u00a0 He is hoping to that he can get into Tibet to see his family.<\/p>\n
I went to the convent to see Choe-la but got a very off-hand response.\u00a0 Met a wealthy South African woman, who has now gone back.\u00a0 She is dead keen for me to have a holiday with her in Johannesburg.\u00a0 She was good fun.\u00a0 We went to the old Moghul fort cum palace.\u00a0 Parts are being restored, all by hand, using old tools.\u00a0 It is situated up high, with a river below and beyond and around, mountains – absolutely impregnable.\u00a0 The palace itself had nearly 3 foot thick walls, and a moat as well.\u00a0 There is such a rich history here, and all mixed with surrounding countries.\u00a0 Kashmir, which is mostly Moslem, was once Buddhist and sent the first Buddhists into the East.\u00a0 Of course, Nazu an Altof will not have that.<\/p>\n
I always thought that Japan had the worst electrical wiring.\u00a0 it looks like someone has put the wires into a mixer and thrown the tangle into a power pole but India has that and<\/strong> the apes.\u00a0 Saw them having a lovely game playing in the tangle.\u00a0 No wonder the power is erratic.<\/p>\n A new volunteer group has started – ‘Keep D’sala Clean’ – plastic bags have been banned because the wandering livestock get them caught in their throat.\u00a0 People are being urged not to throw rubbish out the window or over the balconies.\u00a0 What to do with it, I don’t know as there is no garbage department.\u00a0 But it is a start, especially the plastic bags.\u00a0 We get things wrapped in newspaper.\u00a0 Some of the places are even making it into proper bags.<\/p>\n The police post had its first duty, apart from trying to direct traffic – total mayhem -.\u00a0 The out-of-town beggars were removed.\u00a0 They really were agressive and had a well-organised crime ring.\u00a0 I had a bit of a set-to at the Temple gates.\u00a0 Women, kids surround you, pushing against you, so I pushed back , and got through.\u00a0 Hard when the women are nursing young babies, but that is part of the ploy.<\/p>\n HHDL’s birthday is in about a week, and the locals are constantly practising their dancing and music.\u00a0 I have a clear view from here, are they practise on the roof of the next building.\u00a0 Whilst on the subject of birthdays, I am sorry I am not up to date.\u00a0 One day blends into another, but you are in my thoughts, and always in my heart.<\/p>\n Love you all,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello again.\u00a0 Every time I think I have told you all, I think of more things I want to share.\u00a0 Still it is easier this way.\u00a0 Maybe when I get ‘au fait’ with the computers – (or get my laptop), it will be easier still. It is still very hot, and my snowy mountain I … Continue reading