There are few events as rejuvenating and rewarding as meditation retreats are for us, and our 10 day retreat couldn’t have been better. Our days were spent in sitting, walking, standing and lying down to do meditation practice, interspersed with yoga, lectures, meals, work periods and sleeping. About twenty people on the retreat opted for tents, including Pete whose tent is the green one with yellow trim:
Bathing was done with a bucket of hot water that was poured over the body with a dipper, which worked quite well. Meals were prepared by Indian cooks over an open fire and consisted of hearty breakfasts of porridge, bananas and chai and tasty lunches as shown here of eggplant and stewed tomatoes, salad, dhal, rice, carrots with green beans and chapatti (which are like tortillas).
In keeping with the Thai Buddhist tradition, food is not eaten after the noonday meal so the two meals we had were quite large. In the evening we had tea and fruit. Since our primary activity was meditation, we didn’t need a large number of calories. The teacher of the retreat, Christopher Titmuss, was wonderful. His personal knowledge and engagement with us really helped us to learn and grow. Here’s a picture of the temple where we listened to his lectures and meditated.
We left Bodhgaya and took a plane to Delhi, closing the first chapter of our trip, which focused on Buddhist pilgrimage. It has been 22 years since we were in Delhi, and it's incredible how much it has changed! We visited the Lotus Temple, which has 27 "petals" which are covered in marble, giving it a glowing, cleanly curved shape.
We enjoyed meditating in the awe-inspiring interior. They don't allow pictures or any talking. The resonance was unbelievable when there was any sound, like a cough; we imagined what a din a handful of marbles would create if dropped on the floor.
Nearby was the Hare Krishna temple, so we checked it out.
We were happy to connect with our friends from San Francisco, Anurang and Bulbul.
We met up in Khaz Haus Village, where the old serpentine streets have been taken over by new artsy shops and restaurants. Anurang treated us to a delicious lunch of Kashmiri foods.
From Delhi we will go to southern India, to the state of Kerala, which is known for its natural beauty. After a few days of sightseeing in Cochin, we will ride bicycles on a tour for two weeks, so that we can really see the landscape. We have wanted to visit Kerala for quite awhile, so we are excited for this next part of our trip!
Bathing was done with a bucket of hot water that was poured over the body with a dipper, which worked quite well. Meals were prepared by Indian cooks over an open fire and consisted of hearty breakfasts of porridge, bananas and chai and tasty lunches as shown here of eggplant and stewed tomatoes, salad, dhal, rice, carrots with green beans and chapatti (which are like tortillas).
In keeping with the Thai Buddhist tradition, food is not eaten after the noonday meal so the two meals we had were quite large. In the evening we had tea and fruit. Since our primary activity was meditation, we didn’t need a large number of calories. The teacher of the retreat, Christopher Titmuss, was wonderful. His personal knowledge and engagement with us really helped us to learn and grow. Here’s a picture of the temple where we listened to his lectures and meditated.
We left Bodhgaya and took a plane to Delhi, closing the first chapter of our trip, which focused on Buddhist pilgrimage. It has been 22 years since we were in Delhi, and it's incredible how much it has changed! We visited the Lotus Temple, which has 27 "petals" which are covered in marble, giving it a glowing, cleanly curved shape.
We enjoyed meditating in the awe-inspiring interior. They don't allow pictures or any talking. The resonance was unbelievable when there was any sound, like a cough; we imagined what a din a handful of marbles would create if dropped on the floor.
Nearby was the Hare Krishna temple, so we checked it out.
We were happy to connect with our friends from San Francisco, Anurang and Bulbul.
We met up in Khaz Haus Village, where the old serpentine streets have been taken over by new artsy shops and restaurants. Anurang treated us to a delicious lunch of Kashmiri foods.
From Delhi we will go to southern India, to the state of Kerala, which is known for its natural beauty. After a few days of sightseeing in Cochin, we will ride bicycles on a tour for two weeks, so that we can really see the landscape. We have wanted to visit Kerala for quite awhile, so we are excited for this next part of our trip!
