France
There are [0] photos and [19] stories about France
Thursday, 3 Mar 2011 | Views [527] | Comments [1]
We are in this lovely place in Tamil Nadu where many thousands of pilgrims come to walk around the mountain ( old volcanic plug) on the full moon. The place is full of Ramana Maharshi devotees, wearing white and generally very peaceful.There are also ... Read more >
Thursday, 3 Mar 2011 | Views [459]
We were planning to begin our adventures in Tamil Nadu with a quick visit to Mamalapuram to catch up with a friend and see the ocean and the World Heritage 6th century stone sculptures. However we should have been warned by the fact that our friend ... Read more >
Sunday, 6 Feb 2011 | Views [548]
Rigon Thupten monastery in Orissa is stunningly beautiful. It is three hours from the nearest train station, along terrible roads, up into the Eastern Ghats, past hot springs and through the 'jungle'. Despite the difficult journey to reach the Tibetan ... Read more >
Sunday, 6 Feb 2011 | Views [327]
I am writing from our 2AC carriage ( two comfy bunks with sheets, blanket and a pillow provided) on the Bhubaneshwar Express, heading east towards the Orissan coast. The journey is scheduled to take 17 hours (only two hours late so far) and could ... Read more >
Sunday, 6 Feb 2011 | Views [442]
Sponsoring a child in India is a totally humbling experience. For 7000 rupees, about 120€, it is possible to pay school fees and a uniform for a village child for a year. This Sunday morning we walked with Dr Jain through the fields of newly planted ... Read more >
Saturday, 1 Jan 2011 | Views [455]
Morning tuk-tuk ride through dusty streets and busy vegetable markets. Carts piled high with cauiliflowers, and fat chewy peas which we have had often for dinner these days. Delicious Gobi Mattar. Four nervous cows blocked the road, then one ... Read more >
Saturday, 1 Jan 2011 | Views [488]
Twenty four Shambhalians arrived in Bodhgaya to practice Ngondro for a month, joined by four more after two weeks. We had a guest house arranged with breakfast and dinner provided and bicycles for the intrepid who cycled into town past rice ... Read more >
Saturday, 13 Nov 2010 | Views [402]
After the 16 hour journey to Manali we made a promise to take it easy on these wild roads and so we took a few taxis and felt more relaxed, although equally shaken by the poor suspension on most cars. But after a week in mellow Tso Pema we tested out ... Read more >
Friday, 5 Nov 2010 | Views [458]
We booked this room weeks ago by email because I remembered that the retreat rooms at the red Drikung Monastery in Tso Pema were in demand. Tashi Dolma, the Rinpoche's wife offered the slightly more expensive one with wooden floor and I liked the ... Read more >
Wednesday, 3 Nov 2010 | Views [520] | Comments [1]
We are up in the magical foothills of the Himalaya where we came in search of the Rigden Kings. Above the river valley in Kullu lies the Shambhala Art School run by Noedup Rongae who is painting a thangka of the Rigden Lineage, central tothe SHambhala ... Read more >
Wednesday, 3 Nov 2010 | Views [390]
We had three sweltering days in the heavy pollution and raw humanity of Delhi. We bought some bright kurtas, ate South Indian dosas, made some new friends, got a new pair of prescription spectcals (Indian spelling) and calmly meditated in the Buddhist ... Read more >
Wednesday, 3 Nov 2010 | Views [445] | Comments [1]
Snow in the mountains: we escaped sweaty Delhi on a 14 hour bus journey which was hair raising- first eight hours on the plains with blaring Bollywood on the video and crazy scenes out the window- dogs , cows and more traffic than I could imagine possible.... Read more >
Thursday, 16 Apr 2009 | Views [611]
Thirty five of us gathered from around the globe to create our own version of enlightened society, and the first ever Shambhala Buddhist Sutrayana Seminary in the Asia Pacific region. We had a Swiss man, a Pole, various North Americans, Brits and even ... Read more >
Thursday, 6 Nov 2008 | Views [689]
This question arose after my second visit amidst the crowds on ' free Sunday' when this ancient palace opens its doors to the masses. And the masses come - mostly on a pilgrimage to see the Mona Lisa it seems. On my first visit we had just wandered ... Read more >
Thursday, 6 Nov 2008 | Views [648]
Beware the streets are full of it. Sadly you have to keep your eyes down when walking amidst the beauty of Paris, due to the number of chic doggies who also walk the streets and use them as a toilet. So I asked my French teacher about this strange anomaly ... Read more >
Tuesday, 4 Nov 2008 | Views [643]
After the summer in central France where I spoke almost no French ('international centre' which means English is the common language) I decided actually sign up for a French course in Paris. Also I didn't have time/energy to visit Paris for most of ... Read more >
Friday, 3 Oct 2008 | Views [497]
Another glimpse of the summer circa June 5th: We have been blessed with incessant chill and damp, and occasional rays of sun. I am now relaxing after the most hectic month you could imagine. Hundreds of people coming and going for different bits of ... Read more >
Wednesday, 1 Oct 2008 | Views [586]
Here is something I wrote for the Shambhala Europe newsletter: see www.shambhala-europe.org
My impressions of summer since the Gesar Festival have been of flowers:
the wisteria dripping purple blossoms for almost a month before fading
and beginning ... Read more >
Wednesday, 1 Oct 2008 | Views [451]
As you may have noticed I haven,t posted anything since I left India. I spent four months at a retreat centre in France but can,t claim to have been in holy silence for all that time. In fact after the first month when I did an intensive retreat (this ... Read more >
