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Usually I keep this kind of post till the end of the year but heck I thought I should respect the swarm of events and respect the time and submit my surrender and dedication.

So I have been considering myself to be quite blessed I must say that even with all ups and downs, I have never had to step into a hospital for anything serious and I would keep praying that let that be so for as long as it takes. Oh what vanity I say I had an what a prejudiced way of looking at myself.

I always refer to my body as my temple but even as I say that I do know I give in to so many temptations of the palette and have overdone it so many times, knowing that my time will come and well when the time comes, I know I would have tasted all that was there.. without any remorse..

And by jove the time of reckoning has finally come.. and am glad in a way, its come sooner than I expected…. so that I can plan my exit better buhahahah !!! well I do want a smooth exit finally…

So where was I ? Dedication

Yeah, I dedicate 2011 to hospitals, medicines and all kinds of ailments, sprains, injuries, you name it…

So I bow down and surrender and accept that my body is a mere machine and it does start making you aware that life as I know it has to be lived with so much more awareness and thankfulness and every second is taking me closer to my final destination and the joy has to begin… with the whittling of self as I perceived it in my imagination. Not that I was unaware of it all, have been in and out of ailments but one at a time or a year but this beats it..

And I must thank the universe as it pushed me with various messages to start with it all.

So I abhor hospitals, needles, the wait , the tests, blood and the bit…

Interestingly, as you know with law of attraction, what one loves one gets and more than that what one fears also one gets..

Now, I think I have passed my examination… all that I hate have become my friends… close friends I must say

My fear of needles is gone as I get to prick myself and be pricked so many times that I welcome them as my best pals… LOL

Clinic 1 - well this is comfortable and the wait is very interesting if I take a book, find a corner to nap till my name is called. And also be like that still camera which takes in all that is going in and out.

Dalals who usher in rich shiekhs and their burkah clad wives for some or the other treatment.

A naughty child, Krishna,  who comes in with his pregnant mom and Dad. Dad has to run around behind the child. He peeps in near me and longingly looks at my phone and makes cute eyes at me just in the hope that I give him to play with it. When he is bored, he goes to the reception and starts picking up the phone there and says hello puts down the phone and then picks it up again. The father, exasperated just wants to be done with it yet has to keep him but Krishna is not in the mood to oblige.

The lab assistant, who is convincing someone on the other end of the phone why the blood tests are what it was and how she knows best.. Then preening about her knowledge to the juniors.

The receptionist who tells me that my own report is confidential .. GAWK.. I am like its my report and my body, my tests… so what is confidential about it.. and finally getting an answer that the doc will get the inside report… so that I can proceed… well thank god for small mercies..

The gentleman arguing about medical insurance… and then talking to his wife to get the papers which is missing from the cupboard and after half an hour of arguing and searching for it via the phone with the help of his wife, deciding to quit and go… in a huff since he will not get a discount..

All this while, yours truly, quietly observing and thinking.. its all temporary… and waits for her turn…

The end at one is worth it since the doc is really good.

Clinic – 2 

I get a notebook and a file. I feel like a child going back to school. Have to fill in my particulars all over again.. Do I get up in the middle of the night, do I have this, do I have that.. I do heave a relief that most of the questions are “No”.

Yet this is a tricky one.

So I wait and I wait and I wait and maybe an hour and a half later, inspite of an appointment, I get to meet this good doc, who seems to be very good. She comes highly reccomended. I notice that I have to take leave because it took up more than half of my day. I think maybe its because its my first time there.

I come back after 2 weeks and I wait and I wait and I wait and this time the wait is so long… I lose it… 2 and a half hours… and its dawning on me that this is a trend. I am not wasting another leave and reschedule and never mind the fact that I lost my way and spend another half an hour just finding the clinic which is just under the nose yet… when days are bad, they tend to be worse..

So next time I quickly adapt with some observation that some buttering and some nudging is required to get to see the doc early.. so I go in early, make sure I am there before many and finally have to wait maybe half an hour to talk to the doc..

observing myself I was going through the throes of rejection by the doc depression syndrome..  when I saw the ladies there ignoring my file since I gave all of them a piece of my mind the other day.. yet I am stoic and steady… telling myself that its all fine.. and I need patience..

Finally, the receptionist, asks me to go inside and sit. It almost brings tears to my eyes when I see the doc.. .. I never thought that getting to see the doc would bring such a relief..

Clinic 3 

I rush to this eye hospital and as instructed by Rocks, I stand in the queue fill in my forms and since I have been here before with my Dad, for his operation, I am ok with the scene. I wait and wait till my name is called. My name is called and I am taken in… and when they know I have contact lenses, they ask me to open it and wait for another half an hour.. I am like… why did you not tell me this before… I am getting pissed slowly  but I smile and i do it.

I am blind as a bat without my lenses and I curse my inability to see.. after I remove my lenses, wishing that I wore my spectacles inside.. .but I had to do this.. so I wait and read my book.. I can read without my lenses, thank God for that.. so as I am going deeper into the plot,  turning off the crowds, irate patients, etc.. and an excited Bengali patient pointing at the TV and commenting on the bear who is climbing up a pole and is stuck there.. some Animal Planet stuff and I smile at her amusement.. Humor always makes me feel good..

I get called finally by the intern and I get the sight tests done and my power is the same … so I feel another relief…

Finally I get to wait for a while before I meet the doc… the same one who operated on my dad’ s eyes and she is talking about dilating my pupils…

NOOOOOOOOO !!! I realise my folly. I have driven by myself and I have to go cook for Dad and with Dilation, I will be stuck for like another 5 hours without anyone to drive me back….

this after 3 hours.. I tell the doc my predicament and reschedule.. which I have not met out of sheer unwillingness to get into the hospital again..

Clinic 4

I sprain my wrist picking up some heavy vegetable bags and walking through smelly slushy vegetable market…. YUCK I so hate it.

And wake up to an excruciating pain… knowing that I have to go to the hospital YET AGAIN.. And I am not able to move it at all. I fear something is broken as the pain is unbelievable..

I expect something similar, wait, wait then do some tests then wait…

BUT VIOLA !!! I must say this was a smoothie.. and it made me happy.. I sailed into emergency, got an attendant Geeta who bless her soul, took me very speedily to the X RAY dept and got me quickly to the attending ortho.. and in a jiffy I have a splint and me feeling much better..

Clinic 5 

Since I was having a good day, I decide to go to my favorite Dentist.. I had a broken tooth.. but was scared that I had to do another root canal which was like I did not want to revisit until sometime… but the result was just another filling and some clean up..

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Points to ponder 

• i would really like to thank the souls who have been very encouraging via emails, via chat, via just one word…… who have been consistently showing me the positives even when I fell through the cracks of helplessness.. but it helped to ever hear the encouraging nudge and to keep at my belief that all things are temporary and it all has a positive result at the end of the day.. 
• I know even though I like to think I am strong but I hate being sick and words of encouragement really helps me go the extra mile. 
• Rocks has been my pillar and could not have done without him.. muaaahhh to you… 
• its always nice to share, am not one to share my downs… except with the very few.. but that very few made my day… its nice to share.. without prejudice…  
• It has pushed me to live more consciously and welcome this with lot of acceptance and the will to live free of this.. at the same time.. some Huna here and some positive visualisation here.. helps me go forward.. 
• Because of this, the sloth in me has disappeared completely and its not me but my small family who are getting fitter with me.. 
• Morning walks with Dad and Rocks is the best time of the day.. Walks, meditation, ground me and keeps me light… I love the bonding time. 
• Food is still a favorite but I eat with more awareness.. I gorged on the beautiful bday cake and I am ok… buhhahaa !!! 
• My food preferences have changed for the better… 
• And my reading has picked up speed. I finished 4 books this whole period.. and 2 more to go… The best part of this is that its reconnected me to the world of words and stories which I so love.. 
• I am glad for the whole experience since its with prevention, that I will know how to lead a good life.. and then have a smooth death.. ( remembering mom here ) 
• And I remember all my friends who were fighting some battle of the body/health in some way or the other and appreciate their resilience and patience and the perseverance. All their thoughts make my experience very inconsequential and I am humbled… and even though I have always respected their stand and have supported them, I do so even more now…  I pray for them even more now… its an immensely internal experience and it needs lot of fortitude.. 
• its a phase we all have to go through… and how we do it matters, what lessons we learn matters, because there is a lesson in all experience.. patience, tolerance, the whole bit…  
• I am so glad now that I got to do all this now… when my bones are still holding me up… ( touch wood !!! ) so though I am not looking for more,… have enough to deal with on my plate, I would say, that if I can breathe smoothly, sleep peacefully, and eat with care, I am going to be ok for now…
• I know not what the future brings but I know, the present is what I need to take care… moment to moment to moment  

@ http://www.buddhadharma.org/EightVerses/

Composed by the Buddhist Master Langri Tangpa (1054-1123), Eight Verses for Training the Mind is a highly-revered text from the Mahayana Lojong (mind training) tradition. These instructions offer essential practices for cultivating the awakening mind of compassion, wisdom, and love. This eight-verse lojong enshrines the very heart of Dharma, revealing the true essence of the Mahayana path to liberation.

As we practice these lojong teachings in daily life, we train the mind to embrace reality in a completely wholesome, wise, and compassionate way. These excellent practices help us purify our negativity and awaken the heart by giving us a way to transform adversity and hardship into a direct opportunity for spiritual growth. In this way, rather than perceiving difficult people or adverse circumstances in our lives as an obstacle, tragedy, or punishment, we now meet these experiences with deep compassion, wisdom, and skill, using them as the actual path to enlightenment.

By way of these treasured practices we eliminate our competitive, selfish, and reactive nature, as well as our false and exaggerated concepts of self (also called self-grasping and self-cherishing). It is important to understand that the greed, jealousy, anger, pride, selfishness, and attachment, which cause us so much suffering, are actually misperceptions of reality, not inherent conditions of our mind. Therefore, these precious lojong practices can purify our misperceptions and delusions completely, revealing the natural radiance, clarity, wisdom, and compassion of our true nature.

With the heartfelt desire and determination to attain enlightenment
For the welfare of all living beings, who are more precious than a
Wish-fulfilling jewel for accomplishing the supreme goal,
May I always cherish them and hold them dear.

Verse I – Cherishing and caring for others is the source of all happiness. Cherishing ourselves over others is the source of all suffering and negative conditions in this world. Therefore, our determination to attain enlightenment should always be motivated by our heartfelt desire to serve the welfare of all living beings. The attainment of enlightenment is the supreme goal. Our enlightenment comes from the cultivation of bodhichitta (the awakening mind of love, compassion, and wisdom). Bodhichitta arises from our deepest compassion. To develop this compassion and reach the supreme goal, we need others. In this way, all living beings are the principle source for our spiritual development and for accomplishing the supreme goal of enlightenment. In addition, at some time each of us has been, and will be, a source of great kindness and benefit for one another. The immense kindness of all living beings is integral to our own human existence. Considering this, we can understand how living beings are even more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel and that we should always cherish them and hold them dear.

Whenever I am with others
May I think of myself as the lowest of all
And from the very depths of my heart
May I respectfully hold others as supreme.

Verse 2 – This verse calls us to train the mind in proper humility, eliminating our habitual arrogance and pride by ‘thinking of ourselves as the lowest of all.’ This is certainly not suggesting we belittle ourselves; we should have self-esteem and self-confidence. Rather, a practice is being offered for taming our exaggerated sense of self-importance and for cultivating true humility and respect for others. The afflictions of arrogance, superiority, pride, and competitiveness create disharmony among people and prevent us from learning and evolving. Therefore, by respectfully holding others as supreme, we become more humble, gentle, and open. This naturally brings harmony and compassion into our relationships and helps us to achieve great qualities, virtues, and spiritual realizations.

In all actions, may I closely examine my state of mind,
And the moment a disturbing emotion or negative attitude arises,
Since this may cause harm to myself and others,
May I firmly face and avert it.

Verse 3 – This verse calls for the sincere practice of mindfulness, closely examining our state of mind throughout all our actions. Through this practice of mindfulness, the teachings encourage us to firmly face and avert any disturbing emotions or negative attitudes the very moment they arise. The reason for this is that our delusions, disturbing emotions, and negative attitudes can provoke us to think, speak, or act in nonvirtuous ways which may cause harm to ourselves and others. This behavior brings karmic consequences and perpetuates our delusion and suffering. Therefore, throughout the day, while working, driving, walking, studying, talking with others, and so forth, we should closely examine our state of mind and heart. By training our mind in this skillful way, we will be able to firmly face and avert disturbing emotions and negative attitudes as they arise and before they develop any further momentum or power.

Whenever I meet people of unpleasant character
Or those overwhelmed by negativity, pain or suffering,
May I cherish and care for them as if I had found
A rare and precious treasure difficult to find.

Verse 4 – When we encounter unpleasant people, or those overwhelmed by negativity, pain, or suffering, we often prefer to ignore or avoid them rather than cherish and care for them. We may consider ourselves to be more important or more evolved than such beings, and we usually turn from them, as we do not want to be bothered, hurt, or contaminated by their condition. This verse suggests reversing our usual self-cherishing attitude by learning to cherish and care for such people, being joyful and grateful as if we had found a rare and precious treasure. To overcome the delusion and egoism of our self-cherishing, we view this encounter as an opportunity to serve and bring happiness to others, rather than a nuisance to be avoided. In this way, our self-cherishing mind diminishes and our compassion deepens so as to embrace all living beings without exception.

Whenever others, because of their jealousy, treat me badly
With abuse, insult, slander, or in other unjust ways,
May I accept this defeat myself
And offer the victory to others.

Verse 5 – Learning to accept loss and defeat for ourselves and offering gain and victory to others is the very foundation of the bodhisattva practice. Although it may appear, at the worldly level, that we suffer loss by way of this practice, ultimately the practitioner receives the greatest benefits of spiritual wealth and virtue. In learning to accept harsh or unjust treatment, we should not allow ourselves to react with anger, behave in the same nonvirtuous ways in return, or to abandon others because of their actions toward us. This is the essence of accepting defeat and offering the victory, and the accomplishment of supreme patience and kindness. By accepting defeat and offering the victory to others, with the pure motivation of heartfelt compassion, we destroy the ignorance of our self-cherishing at its very roots.

When someone whom I have benefited
Or in whom I have placed great trust and hope,
Harms me or treats me in hurtful ways without reason,
May I see that person as my precious teacher.

Verse 6 – When we are kind to people, helping them, giving them our trust and hope, we naturally expect to be treated kindly in return. When people repay our kindness and trust by harming us or treating us in hurtful ways, we often react with anger, hurt, or disappointment. After such an experience, we may find it difficult to give them our love and respect. This type of ordinary love is conditional and impure. As practitioners, we want to embrace a situation such as this with skillful wisdom, compassion, and unconditional love. Therefore, it is essential that we have a way to transform these difficult experiences into the actual path to enlightenment. To accomplish this, we learn to see a person who harms us or treats us in hurtful ways, as our precious teacher. This person becomes our precious teacher because of the priceless dharma lessons we receive. Through their kindness, we also receive the ripening and purification of our own negative karma, which is the inevitable result of our having done a similar thing to someone in the past. In this way, we can see how even our worst enemies can be our greatest benefactors and precious teachers.

In brief, may I offer both directly and indirectly all help,
Happiness and benefit to all beings, my mothers,
And may I secretly take upon myself
All of their harmful actions, pain and suffering.

Verse 7 – This verse refers to the essence of Tong-len practice (Giving and Taking). We are to offer, directly and indirectly, our help, happiness, benefit, skills, and resources in loving service to all beings who certainly, at some time in the past, have been our own mothers. In Tong-Ien practice, with strong compassion, we visualize taking on the obstacles, problems, illnesses, and suffering of others. We then visualize giving them all of our happiness, comfort, love, virtue, prosperity, and great insights. In this verse the word ‘secretly’ suggests this particular practice of compassion may not be suitable or may be too difficult for beginning practitioners. It also means that this practice should be done discreetly, and not openly displayed or spoken about so as to gain praise or recognition.

May I keep all of these practices undefiled by stains of the eight worldly
Cconcerns (gain/loss, pleasure/pain, praise/blame, fame/dishonor),
And by recognizing the emptiness and illusory nature of all existing things,
May I be liberated from the bondage of attachment and mistaken views of reality.

Verse 8 – It is essential that our spiritual practice not be defiled or stained by the eight worldly concerns. For example, engaging in these practices hoping to be recognized or praised as an excellent dharma practitioner is not the right motivation. Nor should we practice with expectations of gaining something special or pleasurable for ourselves. Our motivation for practice must not become polluted or obscured by worldly concerns and attachment. The right motivation is to act exclusively and compassionately for the benefit of other beings. Our mind training practice must also be unified with our direct perception of ultimate truth—emptiness. As we gain realization of ultimate truth, we understand the empty, illusory, and impermanent nature of all existing things. With this realization, grasping or clinging to external appearances, or being deceived by them, diminishes, and we gain liberation from the bondage of attachment and mistaken views of reality.

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Walking the path of a mind quest from a very early on, there came a time when I was drawn to a particular Buddhist deity . I started to follow on the information and started to search for a master who knew more about this.

There are certain phases in my life where different energies have drawn me for different purpose and off I went attaining some kind of mini realizations.

My big picture was to bring all the same into practical life which would help the people connecting with my being  into getting some of that and practicing it in the same way as breathing.

Well I have not found that ease of practice for everything  and I dont think I will in this lifetime but I am still journeying and I am happy with the baby steps I make.

I was somewhat familiar with the idea of Buddhism but had not gone too deep since I was working with different energies and techniques and it held me quite steady and still does depending upon who needs what if they are guided to this little ol’me. This time I wanted to delve deeper with human emotions and also enhance what has worked for me and just like an answer, Tushita came along.

I really liked what I saw and as usual something told me that I would at least start to find some source of what I was looking for.

My quest was to understand the delusions of life and also to work with attachment with worldy dramas which our human mind is so accustomed to and so much relish in it.

Here I was all set to start my spiritual retreat. My goal with some questions in my mind, I planned my trip meticulously all the more so, as I was setting off on my own and it was extremely personal trip as well. I had a feeling that it would not be easy but well who said anything in life is easy ??? Specially if you are on any kind of a spiritual quest. Well at least that’s how it has always worked when I got into the next practice of learning something on the path always. Its like as if I am burned by the actions and memories of a many lifetimes and the suffering and pain always brings forth some profound realizations. I call it the rising of the Phoenix everytime I go through this.

The journey and the experience started when I reached Delhi. Was to go to Palika Place to wait for the bus. It was pouring like it was nobody’s business. I had to walk with my suitcase and my bag which became heavier and heavier. I walked for a while to see where the bus point was. It took me a while to find out since I don’t know Delhi well. Thankfully, in the midst of all that, I remembered to see the ticket and called the bus guy. He came there shortly and told us to wait at a point. I did not want to miss the bus so I stood near the pavement.. Silly of me I know but well I was too tired to go anywhere and it was better to stand in the thick sheet of rain waiting for it to abate. Even the umbrella could not shelter me.

A bus came along and though the people were kind enough to invite me, I decided to wait till others came along and then boarded. But it did not seem the end. It was full of travelers from abroad and well I was wondering if I was in the right place. Then it was announced that this bus would go to Manali. And this would just go to Majnu Ka Teela to transfer us to another bus. My ticket was for AC bus. Well I kind of just thought that any bus will do as long as it took me to Mc Leod Ganj. I was pretty peaceful.

Patience.. and lots of perseverance. I was focusing on my goal. To reach Tushita safe and sound. We boarded the actual bus and by this time, finding the bus was manna. I could already see that the bus was leaking. I somehow bargained for a seat that would be relatively less drippy. Outside the rain had stopped but I somehow knew it will catch up with us soon. I settled myself in and prayed that we started on time and reached at a reasonable time in Tushita. It was tough trying to sleep with a constantly rocking bus but well the destination was important.

I think there were loads of lessons in patience for me. And acceptance and making the best of the situation. It was 2: 00 AM when the bus stopped. I was having an urgent call of the nature and well so did some of the passengers. The toilet was far and it was dark. I realised that when the nature calls, no matter how far and what time, a good toilet keeps the fear away. Hahaha.. Looking at moi, some ladies followed me as well. There were no lights but Viola !! there was the torch.. My ultimate savior. Who could stop me ??

Anyway, I came back with a relieved empty bladder. The driver and the handyman were having a chai. Some passengers were stretching their legs. On asking the driver, he said we have 4 to 5 more hours to go. I had hot chai breathing in the relatively cool weather. After that we were back on the road, jittering, shaking and lolling this way and that on the bumpy road.

After sometime, it did not matter, the rain, the cold, the jerks, everything, it was as it the mind shut down and I woke to a very cloudy morning at Mc Leod Ganj. A fellow retreater was in the bus and we shared a cab to to get to Tushita. It was early morning and Tushita had not yet stirred. We went to the dining hall which is near the reception and it was time to wait. I put my head in my hands and went to sleep. I woke up time to time and then saw my colleague reading and then he too slept on one of the benches. It was breakfast time soon and then lunch. I paid about 90/- for the lunch.

Registration started at 1:00 PM. Finally !! I thought.. I waited and waited and waited between sleep and waking up sitting on the bench. Finally, they set up the tables to call people. The room was full of people from all over the world and well at first, I was stumped. Suddenly it was like I was in an alien country or something. At first, I could not believe I was the only Indian woman on this course. There were three more Indian men and well, I saw that the third man, was too shocked and left in a very short time. Time ticked on one hour, two and my name was not called. I waited and something in me told that my name was not there.

There was a little flutter of panic inside me. I had booked this course so well in advance. And, my name was not there in the list. Well, I calmly asked for them to write it down. By this time out of some 48 people, only 6 were left. But hey there is always a reason why something happens. We were all given Karma Yoga jobs as per our registration calls.

Karma Yoga jobs were part of our stay. We were each given a Karma Yoga job to do which could be cleaning dishes, sweeping the monastery floors in different areas, sweeping the monastery ground of the debris, cleaning the showers and And since I was so way behind, I could thank the Lord that I was not going to clean the toilets. Well at this point it was all about me and my happiness of course.

The ego of making the self happy was predominant and I rejoiced in that fact that I was happy since I had to sweep the corridor of one part of Tushita and clean the basins. Which was better than cleaning toilets. Well well well, little did I know how humbled and appreciative I would be of the same by the time the course ended. Right then, my main priority was to get myself to a dorm.

This body and mind just needed her butt to be settled somewhere before she could think. The international colleagues had a fixed price. But Indians could give some donations and get a seat. I decided to go for the 5220/- dorm with 4 occupants. I am led to about three levels up and I wonder : Good heavens, I have to climb up and down all the ten days even to go to the working toilets which were three level down. Sigh.. Well so be it.

By this time.. I am kind of in a state of acceptance, my main thought being: At least I will not be cleaning toilets… ( sheesh, how selfish could I be !!! but huh I was being human and honest to myself) We had to report back to the Gompa by evening so that we went through the introduction and the practicalities of what went where and the rules.. I entered my dorm and I saw that there were already two occupants there.

Sharyn, a beautiful Irish sprite who first gave me the impression that I have known her before.. and it was a happy connection. Anna, a polish lady living in London. And later the last occupant was Kaitlin, an Aussie working as an English teacher in Abu Dhabi.

I was happy that there was a good vibe in the room. Sharyn told us all upfront that she talked in her sleep. Kaitlin said she spoke too but in foreign language. Anna was quiet. I shamefully burst out that when I was really tired I would snore.. (blushing) But I saw that we took it very humorously and had a good laugh. We did chat a while introducing each other and some inconsequential stuff. We knew we would be in silence the next ten days. The room was comfortable and it was a cozy one. I rushed down to the Gompa and without thinking tried to appreciate the view before we went inside, I sat on a chair to relax.

And EEEEPSSS.. there was a pool of cold rain water which totally wet my backside to my skin.. I was like ARGHHHHHHH.. It was evening and I had just changed.. I felt like jumping up and down.. I tried to sit on a stone to dry myself but the weather was very damp and well no way was I going to sit in the Gompa with a wet backside.. I rushed upwards and changed again and by this time we all quietly went inside. On entering the Gompa, I felt a feeling of stillness and immense dedication to the retreat that I committed myself to.

I just knew that my purpose of coming here was very well connected and it was time for me to be here and I was beginning a new path of many many realizations in my life.. which would open up slowly but surely.. So all the chaos that I went through from the time I reached Delhi, the bus journey, the registration, being the only Indian woman there, the dorm distance, my wet backside… et al… ALL was forgotten in that moment.

I was content and I realized I had no regrets.. I was finally here and looking at so many intent faces around me, I was happy I was part of a group.. We went through the introduction process and we were told to select our meditation cushions and Buddhism has a comfortable way to meditate I must say. They have all kinds of cushions to make the sitting easy. I was glad for that. I chose a cushion next to the wall somewhere in the middle row and soaked in the atmosphere. The Gompa was in itself a beautiful place with old cupboards.. and we faced the 8 medicine Buddhas looking serenely at us. It was a place of the divine energy and it brought in a lot of stillness to the mind just by being there. We had dinner which was Tibetan Thupa.

We had an introduction to meditation in the evening and retired for the night.

I was at peace.

Scientists have pinpointed a reason why people with Indian ancestry may be more prone to weight problems.

They have found this group is more likely to carry a gene sequence linked to an expanding waist line, weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

The sequence, discovered by a team led by Imperial College London, is carried by 50% of the population – but is a third more common in Indian Asians.

Read more…

This is depressing..

Then I came across this

Half of Britons have said hello to fewer than half a dozen people in their street in the last week, a survey for BBC Breakfast has suggested.

But one in ten of those questioned for the programme by ICM Research spoke to no-one.

More than a fifth (22%) of Britons believe that the UK’s neighbourhoods are becoming less friendly.

However, the survey does suggest that about a quarter of people (24%) will have said hello to anything up to 10 neighbours in a week.

Read more…

I think we are much better in this sphere.. so much so that the neighbors would not mind becoming family.. keeping both good and the bad in mind.. buhahaha !!