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9/20/10

Monday

Back in Thimpu, we have a couple of luxurious hours off, so several of us go for a hike above town.  We start at a radio tower high above the village and soon are surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of prayer flags.  The air is magic.  Pure magic.

The hike that follows is straight up.  We set off at a good clip, and I'm huffing 20 minutes in.  It feels amazing to back in the body after so much mind work.

We arrive at an old stupa with moss and grass growing from all sides.  Then on to the monastery that sits on the peak of the mountain.  It is attended by a small group of monks.  We enter and climb stairs to a loft where a giant Buddha sits.  It was tiny and perfect.  Outside, two monks are conducting a ritual with subtle bells and drums.

Endorphins run through my veins as I descend (ascend) into meditation.  It was sublime, and beloved.



Monday Night--Atum Teaching

Life is change, always changing.  Don't cling to a constant.  Release the expectation that things will always remain the same.  Release the expectation.

Attachment + Dependency
Attachment - Dependency

Sufism is purified attachment (think of the swans);
Buddhism is purified detachment.

How to balance the first noble truth, "life is suffering," with the Dalai Lama's "Art of Happiness" (latest book)?  I open myself to suffering in order to offer compassion.  I learn to live with suffering so that I am not overwhelmed by its presence, so that I can continue to hold the center.  Only then can I be happy.
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