Now that we are leaving Dharmasala, en route to New Delhi, I have some time to think about what this was all about. I didn't come to India thinking someone would give me answers or a sense of purpose, which is a good thing because no one tried. :-)
But I was hoping that by seeing things new, getting out of my routine, meeting new people in a different country, maybe I'd start to get a little closer to the proverbial Truth.
I saw enough in Dharmasala to know that theres a lot of tension between the Tibetan population there and the Indian government and Indian people. It's not unusual at all for people to question the motives of any group owho move to a new land and insist on preserving their culture at the expense of easy understanding between themselves and their "hosts." And I'm sure not everyone's motivations are pure. But on an individual level, people are inherently good. We are lying to ourselves if we think we wouldn't do desperate or corrupt things if we believed our intentions were righteous.
I admire the Dalai Lama and feel amazed that I had the chance to meet him, but at the same time I would never follow him blindly. Buddhism is the ultimate exercise in critical thinking and you need to practice in order to reach any kind of understanding. It's not possible for me to see the business of the Dalai Lama as anything but organized religion, and therefore vulnerable to corruption. But the Dalai Lama has brought a lot of light and love to people across faiths and nationalities. I admire that.
The monastery and nunnery sort of reminded me of Catholic school, but since I'm really just an outsider, there's no way I can really grasp or judge any of this. All I can do is remember my thoughts are not the truth, and whatever I take away from the experience of this trip is what I created for myself, not something that was given to me. It's my job to do something positive and keep trying to let go of, or at least become more aware of, my misconceptions and attachments.
Well, I will be able to upload some pictures soon, I'll be home Friday morning (remember, it's 10.5 hours ahead here, so we are traveling backwards in time and arriving Friday morning Minnesota time ha!)-- I will have some little stories about each picture.
Today we hired a driver for about $13 each person for 8 hours so we see more of New Delhi and do some shopping. I would have liked to have not spent that money and just walked around and used it towards shopping, but it takes up a lot of time (walking) and it's really hot, I would have tapped out within a couple of hours and not bought anything anyway. I'm might hate winter, but I'm still a Minnesota girl, and can't handle this heat at all.
Love,
Steph
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Things I will miss a lot...and things I will not miss at all.
I'll miss the food. Haven't had a bad meal yet. I'll miss my classmates. They're sweet, smart and positive. I'll miss the mountains; I have to move to Colorado because I'm not sure I can live without them. And the flowers, trees, prayer flags, prayer wheels and temples. I'll miss the kindness of some of the wonderful people I've met here. Walking down the street and waving and smiling at one person after another. I am obsessed with the dogs here; they're tame- even the wild ones we meet in the woods- so friendly and everywhere. They join us for a little while on walks, visit us in the classroom, and keep the monkeys in their place. I will have to adjust to the fact I won't be seeing cows, buffalo and sweet little calfs wandering around. I'll even miss the crazy traffic. I'll miss the energy of this place. It kept me happy.
I won't miss the poop. I won't miss the traffic (love-hate relationship there). I won't miss being away from my family. That's about it.
I won't miss the poop. I won't miss the traffic (love-hate relationship there). I won't miss being away from my family. That's about it.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Last day of classes- my presentation is DONE
Today was the last day of classes. Hard to believe it's already been 16 days, and I'll be home in 4. It seems like it's been both much longer, and much shorter. Time is funny like that, I guess.
Today my class (16 of us) did our presentations for the doctors and students at the institute. Basically we talked about applying concepts of compassion, ethical behavior, mindful eating, and the like to certain populations, like for people with depression or whatever. Some really good presentations- my classmates are pretty damn smart and insightful. My topic was really broad, basically making yoga more accessible for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. I have more specific goals in mind (like doing a study on using yoga with deaf kids with EBD, or deaf people with chemical dependency, or as a self-care technique for sign-language interpreters with carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.) but the goal of this presentation was just to raise awareness about some of the language and cultural issues related to working with deaf folks. I think it worked, I got a nice response from my classmates and no one in the audience fell asleep. I got a pretty good round of applause, too. So, Mission Accomplished. I've planted a seed! :-)
Tonight at 6:30 we have our final dinner at the institute. Mutton momos and beer, here I come! :-)
Love, Steph
Today my class (16 of us) did our presentations for the doctors and students at the institute. Basically we talked about applying concepts of compassion, ethical behavior, mindful eating, and the like to certain populations, like for people with depression or whatever. Some really good presentations- my classmates are pretty damn smart and insightful. My topic was really broad, basically making yoga more accessible for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. I have more specific goals in mind (like doing a study on using yoga with deaf kids with EBD, or deaf people with chemical dependency, or as a self-care technique for sign-language interpreters with carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.) but the goal of this presentation was just to raise awareness about some of the language and cultural issues related to working with deaf folks. I think it worked, I got a nice response from my classmates and no one in the audience fell asleep. I got a pretty good round of applause, too. So, Mission Accomplished. I've planted a seed! :-)
Tonight at 6:30 we have our final dinner at the institute. Mutton momos and beer, here I come! :-)
Love, Steph
"What am I supposed to do?!"- Being loud and socially awkward pays off!
Ok, so last Thursday's blog mentioned something special might take place on Friday. It's taken me a few days to sit down and write about it, because when I try, I sound trite, or like I'm showing off.
On Wednesday we found out there was a possibility we could get an audience with the Dalai Lama (and before you ask, yes there's only one, and it's the one you're thinking of). By Thursday we were told this would actually happen. Friday morning, we were outside his residence getting checked in and ready to meet him.
Audiences with the Dalai Lama are pretty short and sweet; he's a busy guy, if you didn't know. So we just lined up and he approached. I saw his sweet face and of course, being who I am, I started laughing a bit. I was just so happy to see him. I think he looked at me and smiled. We all approached to say hello and line up for a photo with him. A monk (I'm sure he was highly ranked somehow, but we weren't formally introduced ha) put our khata (definition below) on in a rushed manner. Then apparently I said fairly loudly, "What am I supposed to do now?" I turned around and there was His Holiness, giggling and extending his hand. I did my little bow thing, and we shook hands and shared a nice smile (ok, so I probably shook his hand a little too hard and said "hi!" a little too loud), but he pulled me next to him for the photo. I started to bend down to pose, but he kept my hand and held it for the whole time. It was, for lack of a better word, lovely!
Let me admit, I am not a touchy-feely person. I think I'm pretty loving and compassionate, but actually touching people is only really comfortable for me when it's my kids or my husband. I'm not a great hugger (I want to work on that, though!!). But when with His Holiness, I felt peaceful and just fine. He has such a gentle presence and energy. I didn't feel uncomfortable at all, I didn't even feel like I was meeting someone famous. It was more like I was saying hello to a revered, loving grandfather (and, like I said, I don't know how to write this without sounding trite-- I hope I don't offend anyone, I'm just sharing how I felt on an emotional level, not a logical one).
And that's all I have to say about that.
Love, Steph
KHATA OFFERING: It is customary to offer white scarves (Tibetan: khatag) at this time, or at the very end, but this is not strictly necessary. If a khata is offered (held as in the picture) then it should be placed in front of the lama or at his side. Often, it will be returned to you (with the help of the assisting monk) as a blessing, but not always. They may be available for purchase before the ritual, but if you do not have one, you can offer a smile and a bow.
On Wednesday we found out there was a possibility we could get an audience with the Dalai Lama (and before you ask, yes there's only one, and it's the one you're thinking of). By Thursday we were told this would actually happen. Friday morning, we were outside his residence getting checked in and ready to meet him.
Audiences with the Dalai Lama are pretty short and sweet; he's a busy guy, if you didn't know. So we just lined up and he approached. I saw his sweet face and of course, being who I am, I started laughing a bit. I was just so happy to see him. I think he looked at me and smiled. We all approached to say hello and line up for a photo with him. A monk (I'm sure he was highly ranked somehow, but we weren't formally introduced ha) put our khata (definition below) on in a rushed manner. Then apparently I said fairly loudly, "What am I supposed to do now?" I turned around and there was His Holiness, giggling and extending his hand. I did my little bow thing, and we shook hands and shared a nice smile (ok, so I probably shook his hand a little too hard and said "hi!" a little too loud), but he pulled me next to him for the photo. I started to bend down to pose, but he kept my hand and held it for the whole time. It was, for lack of a better word, lovely!
Let me admit, I am not a touchy-feely person. I think I'm pretty loving and compassionate, but actually touching people is only really comfortable for me when it's my kids or my husband. I'm not a great hugger (I want to work on that, though!!). But when with His Holiness, I felt peaceful and just fine. He has such a gentle presence and energy. I didn't feel uncomfortable at all, I didn't even feel like I was meeting someone famous. It was more like I was saying hello to a revered, loving grandfather (and, like I said, I don't know how to write this without sounding trite-- I hope I don't offend anyone, I'm just sharing how I felt on an emotional level, not a logical one).
And that's all I have to say about that.
Love, Steph
KHATA OFFERING: It is customary to offer white scarves (Tibetan: khatag) at this time, or at the very end, but this is not strictly necessary. If a khata is offered (held as in the picture) then it should be placed in front of the lama or at his side. Often, it will be returned to you (with the help of the assisting monk) as a blessing, but not always. They may be available for purchase before the ritual, but if you do not have one, you can offer a smile and a bow.
Update on Deaf Tibetans
Well, I've been looking for some Deaf Tibetans. There's not a lot of information readily available, basically. Like I mentioned before, Tibetans take especially good care of their pregnant mothers and infants, so the rate of hearing loss is much lower than in the U.S. (not that I'm blaming American moms for all incidences of deafness in their children!!!- don't misunderstand- I love being Deaf!). Anyway, when I asked one of the doctors how they treat (medically) and educate their deaf children, I wasn't really satisfied with her answer. She basically lumped deaf kids in the same category as children with other disabilities; no different than many people in the U.S., so I'm not faulting her for it or anything. Just wasn't a satisfying answer.
Fast forward a couple hours later, my wonderful teacher Dr. Mim brought her good friend to meet me. I wish I could remember her friend's name, but she was the wife of one of the members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile. She let me know that there is a group of deaf children about 3 hours outside of Dharmasala who go to school with two teachers and an assistant, and all of them know sign language. They grow up together in a foster home as well (typical for most Tibetan children who are sent to the area while their parents stay behind in Tibet- some of the foster homes have up to 30 kids - but as I said before, they're well taken care of). I was really happy to hear this! I want to come back and visit the school and play with the kids, maybe write a little story about them for publication, because the culture of compassion in Tibetans is so wonderful and I want to see that in action with deaf children. :-) She reports they're really happy, normal, they grow up to do things that are similar to other Tibetans (Thangka painting, etc.). The woman was just clearly well-aware of the issues related to raising deaf children well, and I was so glad. There's another program for kids with special needs through the Tibetan Childrens Villages, and they have a couple of kids with some degree of hearing loss, I'd like to visit that program as well. I just want to learn as much as I can about how they educate the kids and practice Buddhist philosophy in those kinds of settings.
I feel really lucky that my kids go to the school they do; Madeline goes to a school with a classical education model. Honestly, I just picked the school because it sort of sounded good, she would wear a uniform, it's a charter so we could move to Minneapolis if we needed to, etc. But they diligently teach ethics and virtues as well, and I'm increasingly seeing some parallels with Buddhist teachings. And the more I learn about both philosophies and pedagogies, the more I realize that's pretty damn sweet.
Love,
Steph
Fast forward a couple hours later, my wonderful teacher Dr. Mim brought her good friend to meet me. I wish I could remember her friend's name, but she was the wife of one of the members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile. She let me know that there is a group of deaf children about 3 hours outside of Dharmasala who go to school with two teachers and an assistant, and all of them know sign language. They grow up together in a foster home as well (typical for most Tibetan children who are sent to the area while their parents stay behind in Tibet- some of the foster homes have up to 30 kids - but as I said before, they're well taken care of). I was really happy to hear this! I want to come back and visit the school and play with the kids, maybe write a little story about them for publication, because the culture of compassion in Tibetans is so wonderful and I want to see that in action with deaf children. :-) She reports they're really happy, normal, they grow up to do things that are similar to other Tibetans (Thangka painting, etc.). The woman was just clearly well-aware of the issues related to raising deaf children well, and I was so glad. There's another program for kids with special needs through the Tibetan Childrens Villages, and they have a couple of kids with some degree of hearing loss, I'd like to visit that program as well. I just want to learn as much as I can about how they educate the kids and practice Buddhist philosophy in those kinds of settings.
I feel really lucky that my kids go to the school they do; Madeline goes to a school with a classical education model. Honestly, I just picked the school because it sort of sounded good, she would wear a uniform, it's a charter so we could move to Minneapolis if we needed to, etc. But they diligently teach ethics and virtues as well, and I'm increasingly seeing some parallels with Buddhist teachings. And the more I learn about both philosophies and pedagogies, the more I realize that's pretty damn sweet.
Love,
Steph
Backing up a little bit....
So last week we went up to Dolma Ling Nunnery and Norblingka. I don't really intend to make this a travel blog (well, kind of, but it's supposed to be more like a narcissistic collection of my personal reflections). However, I do want to talk a little bit about both places, because they were part of a beautiful day up here and I don't know if everyone who wants to travel to India thinks about visiting places like this. So the link to some information about the nunnery is http://www.fpmt.org/projects/other/mongolia/dolma-ling-nunnery.html. It's a really beautiful place, and if I'm being honest it was also cleaner than the monastery (no offense, men).
It's a very empowering place; Tibetans really respect their women and educate them right alongside the men. Here in India, there's a dire shortage of women, with a ratio of something like 93 women for every 100 men (supply and demand, people...supply and demand). It's really obvious everywhere you look; at first I thought it was just because women stay home more often, which might be the case, but no. The women who are around are generally married off by the time they're 18. So, ladies, if you're looking for a husband and are willing to put up with some serious cultural barriers, head over to India. But my point is, that isn't the case for the Tibetans in the area, and all the literature I find supports this idea. So the nuns at Dolma Ling (and anyplace) are well-respected and well-educated in Buddhist philosophy. I love Tibetans! Here's a cool clip- worth watching, I promise!- of nuns doing their daily Buddhist-style debating in the courtyard over at Dolma Ling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSXAlwz8VtE
Now, Norbulingka was another terrific site. http://www.norbulingka.org/ The gardens are Japanese-style designs. Really relaxing and beautiful. We got to visit different workshops where they were learning to make thankga, bronze figurines and wood furniture etc. Josh would love this place. Check out the website for more information.
It's a very empowering place; Tibetans really respect their women and educate them right alongside the men. Here in India, there's a dire shortage of women, with a ratio of something like 93 women for every 100 men (supply and demand, people...supply and demand). It's really obvious everywhere you look; at first I thought it was just because women stay home more often, which might be the case, but no. The women who are around are generally married off by the time they're 18. So, ladies, if you're looking for a husband and are willing to put up with some serious cultural barriers, head over to India. But my point is, that isn't the case for the Tibetans in the area, and all the literature I find supports this idea. So the nuns at Dolma Ling (and anyplace) are well-respected and well-educated in Buddhist philosophy. I love Tibetans! Here's a cool clip- worth watching, I promise!- of nuns doing their daily Buddhist-style debating in the courtyard over at Dolma Ling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSXAlwz8VtE
Now, Norbulingka was another terrific site. http://www.norbulingka.org/ The gardens are Japanese-style designs. Really relaxing and beautiful. We got to visit different workshops where they were learning to make thankga, bronze figurines and wood furniture etc. Josh would love this place. Check out the website for more information.
Friday, May 27, 2011
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