Stranger in a strange Land

I am starting with my last memory and that is being in the Amsterdam Airport making our final leg (why the word leg and how does that fit, funny thought) of the journey home. I am hearing this continual broard cast overhead. It is a sweet and calm voice. I am starting to hear the words in reference to the dhamra. The first repeated sentence is "mind your step". This occurs in my mind like a mantra. I have often heard Rinpoche refer to careful practice and in this world of inner and outer reality's I am reminded of this in the continual repeated phase..........mind your step. The next repeated phase I would hear over head is first they would start by saying someone name so I will use my name: "Tsering you our delaying the Flight. We will preceded to off load your luggage." The delaying the flight, the flight to our true nature. Then the off loading of your luggage that I am remined of obsurations that we our invited to disolve in our journey to presents. So..............mind your step and start off loading your luggage and begin your flight home.
Tsering

Shiny place

I was just staring at a shiny marble-like bathroom counter, huge round sink and shiny chrome faucet here in the bathroom at Schiphol Airport. When I turned the water on using the swivel handle -- a nice, long, elegant swivel handle, perfectly clean, a luxurious stream of instant hot water -- I thought to myself, "Things are no longer the same."

Perhaps only the people who have been through something similar can understand, but there appears to me no greater contrast than the dirtiest bathrooms in India and the cleanest ones here in Schiphol.

Things have changed again, and so have I.

Note: I'd be just as happy in either bathroom. This entry is about having the soft gaze that observes change from a point of satisfaction. And a kind of child-like delight and surprise when things become even more beautiful.

And you can find really clean dust free bathrooms in India, but that would not describe were we have been -- roadside tea houses on twelve-hour rides through remote mountain areas for instance.

In Amsterdam for the first time

Hello from Amsterdam! We have arrived here safely for all who are wondering about our progress and will be heading out on flights in just a couple of hours.

I am not the same person who set out on this journey of pilgrimage.
I hope you will allow your new eyes to see me as I am now. Different.
Always, on retreat I have an experience of shedding skin. On this pilgrimage I earned a callous on my mala-feeding thumb. On the bus ride making my way to an eventual destination of the airport the old, tough, dried out, calloused, dead skin started to peel away and there is fresh, new skin peeking out on the end of my mala-feeding thumb.

I am not the same person.
I do not wear the same skin.
My eyes are the eyes of a pilgrim. My skin is the skin of a pilgrim.
May you, too, allow yourself to shed the old and rise up in the powerful, new you!

Guess what

Guess what we are here and here to rock! Rocking blog, rocking on our process!

Oh ya I'm bloggin'

I cannot think because I left my brain in chicago and hoping it catches the next flight.

Halfway to halfway around the world

I'm tired and anticipating wonderful things.
halfway to halfway to just where I'm not yet sure, but the anticipation is delightful and the enthusiasm is rising!

Half Way!

Hello Family & Friends,

We made it to Amsterdam! I am hoping to get a quick shoulder massage at the airport. My back is doing well so far!

Kathy / Gyalmo

Running joke for my father

I flew business class to Amsterdam, what did you do today?

Much love,
Pemalita

Amsterdam, the bleary-eyed shiny place

Here we are again in the bleary eyed shiny place, Amsterdam. Harbinger of great retreat. We are awaiting the arrival of Rinpoche and the California contingency and then we are headed to the meditation room for a short teaching. Then on to Delhi. If you are in Schiphol Airport, don't forget to stop by the meditation place. It is wonderful for prayer or meditation of any faith.