Ruminations on India

Since I can remember I have wanted to visit India.
Over the years I have read a great deal of Indian writers, mostly novelists but also non-fiction and poetry. I poured over these books for a number of years when I lived in Cambridge, Mass and had access to them through the bookstore I worked at.I was a voracious reader.
Now I have a lot of other reading to do for my work and research so it is not as focussed on India.
I wonder what it is about. I have still to visit but it looks closer than ever now.
I had a friend who had lived in Varanasi/Benares for a time studying sanskrit. I learned a lot from listening to the tales of that time.
Some close friends I know have been and repeatedly go to India and they return in some way changed each time. They practise Tibetan Buddhism and go to the centres in India.
I am still not sure what this fascination, interest and draw is all about, but I am sure to know more when I actually go.
Have you been? What would you like to share about your experience?

More balance

Rajasthan fetching water

Rajasthan dance music

Bombay floods

Holy Cows in Varanasi/Benares

Drying Bombay duck/fish

Dharavi slum in Mumbai with a population of 1 million

Plastic sorting

Balance

Kerala elephant

Kerala tea gardens

Kerala paadam

Kerala backwaters

I have posted images of India mainly from Bombay and I feel as though I need to balance those images with some from Kerala.

Samye Ling visit

Naga house in River Esk.


New Gate at Samye Ling.

Driveway with Stupas.

Peace Garden.

Clouttie tree in Peace Garden.

Johnstone House at Samye Ling the first one when the temple was founded in 1967.

A glimpse of the temple from the river Esk.

I decided in the morning to make a daytrip to Samye Ling near Eskdalemuir in Scotland.
It was a treat for myself, after a very long winter I felt I needed a small break. Since I have been taking this Mindfulness course I have known I have to, want to make a trip to Samye Ling.
So I drove through the Northumberland National Park its huge forests and big dam. Hardly any cars on the roads and the sky was sometimes grey and sometimes bits of blue.
Crossed into the Scottish borders and the architecture changes immediatley. The roofs become more mansard like and the houses look more austere, a bit French also.
I drove and drove through forests and river valleys and sheep on the fells grazing. They would just look up and note the small blue car going by. I love sheep! They are such philosophers.
Finally I found this remote track over the fells above the tree line and drove for miles in this stunning landscape with vast views. As I drove I felt as though I was almost flying above the land. There were no other cars on the whole journey until at the very end when I was almost down off the plateau of fells and a very red Royal Mail van ran into me! My first ever car accident and luckily we were both unhurt! The only thing was that the cars were hurt and I suffered shock.
When I finally arrived at Samye Ling I made my way to the Tibetan Tearoom and sat down into the colourful cushions and relaxed and recovered from the ordeal. Sipping hot cocoa and resting my eyes on all the colours around me.
I then walked down to the river Esk, picked up a reddish stone to take with me and listened to the water flowing by. A sheep walked through the river to eat on the other side!
I then walked around the Samye Ling grounds, the Peace Garden, the Stupa drive way, the Prayer Wheels, and the temple plus a visit to the shop to buy incense and prayer flags!
It was a really good visit and although it is still winter it was beautiful.
It is the oldest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Europe founded in 1967.