Monthly Archives: June 2012

To spare the Defence Colony driver another round trip to the airport at 3 AM, I joined Bennett at the airport although my flight left later that the morning. We parted in a daze, still feeling under the weather and … Continue reading →

It’s just another day in Dharamsala. For us, it’s departure day. We say goodbye to the view from our porch, to the Archive and the monument just outside, the monastery, the temple and its unceasing crowds, Rabzay at the security … Continue reading →

It all moves quickly now. The teaching is over and the staff invites us to the Korean restaurant for one final meal. Waiting for Bennett outside the apartment (taken by Bennett, which is why we’re waiting) So much has happened … Continue reading →

Avalokitasvara (“he or she that looks down upon the sound (cries) of the world”— Chenrezig in Tibetan) is the bodhisattva of compassion, embodying the compassion of all Buddhas. Chenrezig vows to free all sentient beings from suffering. …the approach [that … Continue reading →

Teachings in Dharamsala, HP, India from June 7 to 9: His Holiness will give three days of teachings on Introductory Buddhist Teachings which will include Kamalashila’s The Middling Stages of Meditation (gomrim barpa) at the request of Indian Buddhists at … Continue reading →

The moon is almost full. Inside the Archive, Lobsang prepares an interviewee for a Skype call with Voice of America. Five days until the plane leaves Delhi. All of the important events in Buddha’s lifetime occurred on days when the … Continue reading →

Fires burn day and night on the hillside. On hot days and on sick days, the smoke can be oppressive. It seems like we’ve been lying here forever. Who knows how many days have gone by? One of us says … Continue reading →

As long as there are Destructive Karmas, the soul is caged in a body and will have to experience pain and suffering in many different forms. (Jainism: Concept of Karma) I can no longer fight it. Bedridden for several days, … Continue reading →

The Namgyal Archive database is “massively retroactive,” which means a lot of data entry and structural design is happening in parallel. It’s like building a hotel and checking in the guests simultaneously, or designing the bridge as you’re crossing it. … Continue reading →

Imagine: four hands. Four! If we could have maintained uprightness and four hands, consider the possibilities! There is no end to the fascination one can have watching these rhesus monkeys. It’s like looking in a mirror that reflects back 25 … Continue reading →

When people return from Asia with their monkey travel stories, I sometimes detect embellishment. Did the monkey actually rip the backpack off your shoulders and chase you through the temple? Did it really steal the woman’s underwear and then jump … Continue reading →

Sometimes, your head is so deep in the trenches that you forget why you’re there in the first place. Today, the Dalai Lama makes his first appearance in town since we arrived, and it all comes together. Choeyang from DIIR, … Continue reading →

There is always an ongoing monkey subplot in McLeod. They gather around the apartment in early morning and at dusk. They come for water and general mayhem: climbing the electrical lines, exploring the construction sites, and facing off with territorial … Continue reading →