Update from Dharamsala

Hello TMS friends and Family-

On Day 4 here in Dharamasala we have had a busy but very interesting day. We had the honor of a visit with His Holiness the 17th Karmapa this morning where we had a chance to sit and ask questions to a revered young Tibetan lama who holds a position of enormous respect in the Tibetan Buddhist community. He fled from Tibet at age 14 when I was teaching a Tibetan Studies class at TMS about ten years ago! Little did I know when reading about his escape at that time with my class that I would be visiting him with TMS students some years later.

This afternoon we visited the Norbulinka Temple and Arts Complex in lower Sharamsala where we got to see artisans learning the classic Tibetan arts, thangka painting, applique, metal work, wood work, and more. Upon our return to Upper Dharamsala (where we are staying) the students got to meet and move in with their home stay families. All the families have children and the TMS students have been very eager for this opportunity to build connections with local people through a direct experience living in a local home.

Some students have started individual courses (like yoga and thankga painting). We also will be starting a mural repainting project tomorrow at a local school where students can spend some time in the classrooms as well.

I have lots of pictures to share

I think it is fair to say that Dharamsala is our favorite place so far- it is a treat to be here. We are learning a lot and having fun too. Last night we saw a film about a Chinese govt attack on Tibetans escaping over the mountains and this morning we passed one of the Tibetans who appeared on the film on the street- the students were so surprised but also pleased to see that the man had made it safely into exile and to have a chance encounter with him as he walked his young daughter to school (at the school where we will be painting murals... ) There are so many unique opportunities here. It is a gift to be able to help these unfold.

-Michelle

The Golden Temple in Amritsar

We visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Golden Temple is the most important religious site for the Sikh faith. In Sikhism there is a belief that everyone is equal. The Golden Temple provides food and lodging 24-7 for anyone who wants or needs it. The temple serves 50,000 meals a day. Anyone is welcome to come and eat for free, not just Sikhs. Many people volunteer in the kitchen each day cooking and cleaning. We helped sort Chapatis into stacks and then put them into big metal buckets. We also helped roll out chapatis and shaped dough into balls. Chapati is a whole-wheat flat bread similar to a pita.
There are five symbols of Sikhism.
1) Long Hair- the Sikhs believe that hair is the gift of God. Cutting ones hair would be destroying God's gift. Men braid there hair and keep it wrapped in a turban. They also tend to have a lot of facial hair. Women only have to cover their hair when they are in a temple.
2) A Comb- to keep the long hair neat and to remind one of good hygiene. All of the Sikh people I saw were very neat and clean in their appearances. It's a big part of the faith.
3) Undershorts- Sikhs wear a pair of undershorts under their clothing as a representation of chastity and faith to ones spouse. Sikhism is not a religion that encourages or accepts polygamy. The shorts also remind one of that.
4) A Sword- Sikhs carry a small sword to represent the duty to defend those in need. Some Sikhs carry big swords, but they are purely symbolic.
5) Silver Bangle- A simple bangle is worn on the working hand to remind Sikhs if their faith and the responsibilities that come with it. Sikhs do not drink or smoke, they are accepting of others.

We arrived in Dharamsala two days ago. It is the home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There are also thousands of Tibetans living in Exile here. Many people flee over the Himalayas out of Tibet seeking religious freedom.
Yesterday we met with a woman named Ama Adhe. She lives on the top floor of a building that houses newly arrived refugees and helps them get on their feet. Ama Adhe spent twenty-seven years in prison in Tibet and China. She stayed in a work camp with three hundred women. All but four people died of starvation there. They were only given three cups of broth each day and they were worked to death. Ama Adhe came to India in the eighties(I think). She told the Chinese that she was going to visit her sister in Nepal and that she would bring her sister back with her, Once in Nepal she asked for asylum and then went into India. She has been telling her story for many years and had a book written about her life called "The Voice That Remembers".

Five of us students are going into home stays tomorrow. We will be living with a Tibetan family for a week.This is a wonderful way to get to know Tibetan people and to understand the culture better.

-Moon

Pictures from the India Group

A highlight of our time in Varanasi was visiting the Little Stars School
for orphans and street children , we sang , danced and played with the
kids there and fun was had by all!




















Ron Adam and Michelle on a boat ride on the Ganges just past sunrise














Mani and Becca enjoy a cycle rickshaw ride from the old city of Varanasi
to Assi Ghat.



















The Bodhi tree of Bodh Gaya



















After 20+ years of marriage Ron and Michelle renewed their wedding vows in
Bodh Gaya on the Mahabodhi compound, near the temple and tree at the site
where the Buddha was enlightened. Luke, Adam and Nathan all helped with
readings... :) Their 21st anniversary will be on March 6 and Michelle will
still be in India then and Ron back in the US.
















Always the trickster, Luke catches the sunrise over the Ganges in Varanas




















Moon with a prayer candle on the Ganges boatride















Mani visits with an older student at the Gurgaon School for the Blind ,
near Delhi















The Group at the India Gate

Another Check-In from the India Group

Hello

The city of BodhGaya is considered by many to be a sacred place, but it appears the computers here are not so blessed. I have twice now written a long letter describing our past few days on the Ganges in Varanasi- twice my message disappeared before I got to the send button-

So, here is the short version:

We spent three interesting days in Varanasi, doing yoga, listening to classical music concerts, walking a bit on the ghats, enjoying a sunrise boat ride, going to visit and help out a bit at a school for street kids, and a whole lot more. We also spent a day in Sarnath at the Main Buddhist temple there and also at the famed Deer park where we fed the deer so many carrots they did not want all of them! The students also shared some smiles while befriending some local street kids there.

Last night at 3:15 am we got on our train to Bodh Gaya and arrived in time for a late breakfast. This town is known as the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree-this afternoon at sunset we visited and circumambulated the Mahabodhi temple, built beside the location where the Buddha sat and we also saw the"daughter" of the original Bodhi Tree. Most of the group were too tired for more exploring but Moon and I also snuck off and explored the Thai Wat here, which was quite beautiful and unique. There are people here a pilgrims from all over the Buddhist world and it is interesting to see and meet such diverse people and to see their places of worship as well that are designed in each host's traditional way.

We have three days here before we get back on a train and we are all grateful for that.

Hope to send some pictures soon if we can get technology to cooperate.

Much love ,

The TMS India Intersession group

India Intersession Group Checks In

The Indian Intersession group arrived safely in New Delhi, India, yesterday, after a 14-hour flight from JFK in New York. Special thanks to Heather Brown for hosting Michelle overnight and to Luella for hosting Mani and Becca for two days, then driving them, along with Nathan, Adam, and Ron to JFK. After meeting Moon there, we all said our good-byes and had a wonderfully uneventful flight full of a combination of excitement, movies, naps, and reading. Our first evening, we strolled a bit near the hostel before returning there to dine. Today, we went to the inspirational and architecturally magnificent Lotus Temple of the B`Hai faith, where we learned of their powerful and optimistic teachings about tolerance and the beauty as well as unity of human religion and experience. We made our way to the lovely Lodi Garden, as huge public space for quiet in the midst of the busy, jostling traffic of cosmopolitan New Delhi. Impressions include amazement at the efficiency of the chaotic New Delhi traffic, the outstanding food and hospitality here, and the sensory grandeur that is India. A friendly hostel visitor named Rajiv has lent me his laptop for the moment to write this, and I really should return it now. We are all very happy to be here, enjoying excellent health and taking good care of each other. Namaste - Ron