Try again

Hello everyone...
writing from Bodgaya, the home of the Bodhi tree where Buddha Shakumunyi first was enlightened....but more of that later....

I am sorry that this is my first blog...actually I had a fairly lengthy one done that "disappeared somehow" when I went to send it....so this one will be a little long....please read or not as you choose...some of the other contributors are much better writers and they are worth reading ...and some one has sent some photos.....so check them out.....

Also I am going to attempt to do 100,000 mantras on this trip, so with everything else, I will be a busy guy...I think it will take about 100 hours or so of chanting, provided that my mind and throat hang in that long....we will see...so please read others descriptions on this amazing country and it's people and our experience here....

I will back track a bit....my plane from montreal on boxing day to Amsterdamn was cancelled, so I spent an extra day in Canada cooling my jets in a hotel in Montreall....mind you I did get to see Canada juniors beat the US in a very good game....and it was the first of several tests of my Patient Acceptance....that this trip has produced for me....
Anyways got off to Amsterdamn a day late and missed my Sangha in Amsterdamn and as it turns out....my luggage was lost as well and I still don't have it back....but, it has been good for me to travel light...buy some underwear, socks, a shirt(now I have two) and away I go....in my luggage was 200 toothbrushes that my dentist kindly gave to me to distribute....the first thing I had to do when I arrived in Delhi was to go buy a toothbrush.....!!!!!
So I arrived in Delhi at midnight and by 2;30 I gave up on luggage and started off in a cab to the Tibetan quarters to find my hotel an dfriends.....after about 1/2 hour, I was sure the driver had no idea where he was going, but miraculouosly he finally dropped me off at the highway with him pointing down a alley to the tibetan quarters to where my guest house was suppose to be.....so with a little trepidation off I went....I walked down a long narrow alley to be met by 4 locals all carrying tall staffs...I had faith and in the end they where very friendly and pointed me down another alley....I met 6 more men the same and as I found out hte next day they are a soret of vigilanty group to keep the streets safe in the Tibetan quarters.....so I finally found my guest house at about 3:00??? in the morning to find it locked with a big chain from the inside....I knocked loudly an dpersisted and finally woke someone up who did not want to let me in, but finally he did and sure enough there was aroom saved for me....so Welcome to India......

In the morning I found some of my Sangha that I recocnized....as it turns out I knew about 1/2 of the 25 people on the trip.....and although with no luggage....felt that I was about to be gin my pilgimage....

That night our Teacher, Domo Geshe Rinpoche, gave us our first teaching and it seems relevant to us all, so I will give a very brief synopsis of it....
"Nature of Personality"

-the human mind(which we buddhists place in our heart, not the mechanical head) is a mass of perceptions.....
-our perceptions have to do with our view of the world, but we all interpret the masses of input that we are faced with every moment in a unique way....
-there is a "receptor" that we call the Mandala Matrix....which very simplistically takes these perceptions as input created a pattern of these perceptions, that then creates our "personality" and tends to define to both ourselves and others how we respond to various imputs.....and creates a dynamic between our perceptions
-this mandala matrix defines our expression of person hood...out likes and dislikes...our talents...basically interprets the data that we receive....
-we tend to think that our personality is defined very young and that basically we do not change....
-from a buddhist perspecive...who we really are ...is not the outer personallity, but something we call our "Actual Being"....this is our true self that enters into our body at conception ... is influenced by our Mandala Matrix and how we conduct our lives(Karma)....but then again leaves when our body is done with this world and then enters into another rebirth and carries on for Aeons....So, we are not really who we think we are....we really are much more then the physical body and our perceived"personality"
We tend to get stuck in our perception of our selves and the perception others have of us and feel that basically we never really change....but this is not true....personality becomes a craving of habit.... 'but we can change our behavior....how we perceive things and how we respond ....
-When we make changes a few things happen
-both ourselves and others tend not to believe that we can really change and so tend to keep us from realizing change
-by accepting that we want to change and by making change we are accepting the fact that everything in our lives is not as good as it could be and we sometimes have problems with facing the fact that maybe there is some thing wrong with us or how we respond to this life
-we tend to say and accept that "well, this is just who I am and what I am like"

This kind of thinking can be very limiting ..... as there are lots of things in all of us that could change to make us better people for ourselves and for the benefit of others.....

So we whould use our personality "lightly"....play it like a fine violin, not a drum.....
Personality should stand more lightly like a marang on a pie that stands by itself and does not push out on all sides.....personality can limit our growth by being too stiff...like a crutch....as compared to Actual Being that is free from personality and open to change...
-we tend to crave for power and then loose the true source of our power.....
-it becomes a very fine line...like a ship that heads off in the wrong direction by only 1 degree can end up in the wrong place in the end.....which can easilly lead to self satisfaction and self cherishing....

So, enough already....but if we can acknowledge that we are not where we could be and that everything is not okay....and accept the fact that there is work to be done and take responsibility for this .....then we can realize our full potential....and become the best that we possibly can be both for ourselves and for the benefit of all....Just accept that we can really change.....and become bettter people from day to day and year to year.......

speaking of year to year....let me take you back to New Years eve day and back to Varanasi on the banks of the holy river Ganges....

It has been quite a day....I awoke this morning at 3:30....had a good meditation...it is such a luxury to be able to meditate whenever I like and for as long as i like...I know my practice will only get stronger as the pilgimage carries on...anyways then i went out on my balcony of our current 1 1/2 star hotel.....to listen to the day awake....we are perched about 50' or so above the bank of the most holy river ganges....but we are completely fogged in so i will not be able to see the sun rise over the ganges this morning....but i canhear the river waking, with early bathers(ganges is the one of the most toxic rivers in the world...with 0 oxygen content, but people bath in it every day...amazing)....sellers crying out their wares...Hindus chanting their morning offerings...muslims chanting their morning prayers...oh the sounds of asia are so full and alive....the only thing missing here is the sounds of horns going off everywhere as there is only foot traffic and motorcycle accessibility down this close to the river...uneven stone stairs every where we go...

I went for a long walk down the river bank ... all people very friendly and respectful of each other.....had a good conversation(english everywhere in India) with a Hindu man who gave me a new years long life blessing for me and my family....he annointed my head with water from the ganges(and my hair did not sizzle off)... he wished good health, happiness, financial success etc....had me write down all the names of my family members in his "blessings book" ... he had me repeat after him many Hindu holy names and words to protect me and bring me luck...it was a very nice way to start the day ...and was very kind and genuine...no differentiation for religion, race, or economic background....just genuine blessings from one to another....

a few hours later i went out with a very nice local guy who insisted on taking me to help me find socks, underwear, etc as my bags are clearly not going to be accompanying me on this trip....where we ended up first after walking down several narrow back alleys was in the home and workplace and showroom of a very nice family who have a silk buisness....so instead of buying socks and underwear, i bought a silk duvey cover, a silk shirt that they promised to make and deliver by the end of the day(it did actually arrive, is beautiful, and increases my stock of shirts from 1 to 2....doubles my wardrobe)...it was a very pleasant experience and much better then out in the massive noisy crowded markets....then we went and bought a few basics....

so that was the beginning of Newyears eve day...

early afternoon we went to witness the burning of the Gnats.(a Hindu service)...many people retire to Varanasi so when they die they can be creamated and there ashes put in the river Ganges...so we walked about 10 minutes down the shore to witness this most holy process.....all along the shore there where about 20???? people being burned at the same time....piles of wood(that are very expensive) with bodies draped in coloured cloth(depicting whether old or young etc) so that they can be purified and sent on to a better place.....as we watched "new" bodies would be carried past us on bamboo stretchers down the narrow alleys....and we soon where all covered with ashes from the burnings...it was quite amazing to witness....and a very good lesson in the Impermenance of life.....back to the teaching....we are not really who we think we are and death is not something to be feared as our Acual Being will carry on....

i will now jump to the evening....we had a teaching from Rinpoche at 11:30 PM(I managed a couple of hours of sleep in early evening)...the sounds of ASIA again where alive and well>>>>to our left a few buildings over on a roof top restaurant was an Asian dance club with music pumping...to our right was a traditional Indian live group with tablas etc ....basically music and sounds and laughter everywhere.....we met to gether(all 25 of us) and read prayers for world peace from different people from around the world, representing various views and different religions....we started with a very beautiful prayer by Jane Goodall, the chimpansie lady....then christian, muslim, african, etc and of course several buddist prayers...ending with a wonderful prayer from Shantideva, one of the most famous buddhist "poets" of all time...it was very moving.....then we all lit candles and sang to gether John Lennon and Yoko Ono's song...."all that we ask...is to GIVE PEACE A CHANCE"....we walked out of our room with the candles glowing and our voices and hearts singing and walked up to the roof top restaurant area and contined our song for quite some time...with the moon shining above and the ganges flowing and singing below...it was very moving and very beautiful.....then we all wished each other happy new years....about half of us, after some fresh tea....did a group meditation together...so by the time I hit the sack it was 3:30...24 hours after I started my day....a marvelous way to begin the New Year in this very Magical Place.....

So that was a few days ago....and a 7 hour bus ride away(quite a story in itself) and now we are in Bodgaya.....
I am getting weary so I will just say a few things about this magical place....
The first morning we all walked to the Stuppa and Bodhi Tree where the Buddha attained enlightenment 2500 years ago .....we did several Koras(clockwise circling of the Stuppa)...the area is alive with many many monks and pilgrims from all over the world....lots of people chanting etc.....My heart was filled with amazing energy and I stayed and meditated for many hours.....I will spend many hours there in the next 8 days.....
Please read some of the others accounts of this place....no need for me to repeat them...

Time to go ....
Much love to all....
May this new year bring you all health, peace and happiness.....

Pema Dorje