Trip to see His Holiness the Dali Lama

The overnight sleeper bus finally make it to Dharamsala.  The 12+ hour bus ride was anything but pleasant.  The passengers for whatever reason started playing musical chairs and a young Indian man sat next to me who insisted on resting his bony head on my shoulder.  The bumps, horns, twists and turns made an awful nights sleep.  Thankfully the last 20 minute ride from the main part of Dharamsala to McLeod Ganj was worth the agony.  On the left an extensive valley opened up  and a baby blue backdrop  set the scene,  on the right was a steep hill covered in pine, rocks, and eroding cliff line.  With every turn and switchback a successively more breathtaking scene came into view.  

Finally the Frenchman in front of me pointed out the town of His Holiness's main temple and exiled home.  The jagged start of the Himalayas cast a shadow over the small town clinging desperately to the hill, just as the snow clings to the rough powerful cliffs thrust into the clouds.   McLeod Ganj only has a few streets with shops, restaurants and hotels catering to the many people visiting for the teachings.  Apparently His Holiness is only here for teachings once or twice a year.  Our impulse decision to come here was one of the greatest decisions of my life.  

Free roaming cows and well-fed stray dogs mingle with little tibetan children, who run past their robed parents, on their way to school.  We where lucky enough to find a room on such short notice, the accommodations are nice enough and cost 500 rupees for a double.  We arrived in time for the last two days of the first session of teachings and will probably stay through for the second session.  Even though we are exhausted from the bus ride we follow the herds of robed monks and file inside the temple.  An Australian man that has lived around here for many years helped us through the lines and showed us where to sit.  I was bubbling with anticipation as we by-passed all the Tibetans and Western woman.  Don't ask me why but foreign men are the biggest minority so we don't have to wait in line for very long.  Eugene, the Australian chap, let us use his radio so we where able to hear His teachings in English.  The temple was anything but lavish and we sat in the little courtyard in front of the steps leading inside.

Hundred if not thousands of Tibetans and foreigners sit cross-legged with all eyes fixated on the T.V. screen that is the centerpiece of the crowd.  Behind that is a large statue of Buddha.  I am immediately surrounded by some very nice Americans.  Susan and Sharon are two older women who stand out particularly.  They are in the process of becoming bodhisattvas, which are outstanding Buddhists that forgo the ending of cyclical existence and instead come back each life cycle to help others.  They are wonderful and smart people who study Dharma and send many blessings to my family.  

For the most part, the courtyard was filled with Tibetans both young and old.  Toothless men thumb through their prayer beads and gaze blissfully at His Holiness on the T.V. screen.  Tibetan grandmas have wide smiles as adorable little kids scurry around.  The monks inside chanted Om Ma Ni Ped Me Hong in a beautiful melodic rhythm.  On top of that bugs buzzed in the background in a chanting way that merely added to the powerful drone.  I listened intently when His Holiness spoke and took notes.  It was very hard to hear because the radio was not great, it was painful to sit, and it was very complicated.  The experience itself was still fantastic and the sense of community unreal.  My first day of teachings was an overwhelming success but the fatigue was starting to set in.  Later in the blog I will summarize the notes and write on what I learned from His teachings.