Haven't written for ages, but there are good reasons - Bodhgaya swallowed me with all my internal and external life! Phowa 12 hours per day, two Greek Sofias, Temple, Tree, dust, beggars, handicapped children, goats, "Indian spa", being detached, eating a lot, talking even more, monasteries, prayers, meditation... Ok, let's take it easy and start again (viva Goenka-ji!)

10 days in the Holy City... more than 10 months of Marseille-life. Well, I'd almost say more than 10 years, but you wouldn't believe me. You know Bodhgaya? Cmon, you know it - Buddha attained enlightenment there, under the Bodhi Tree, once in the history. The Real Tree is not there any more - it was cut by King Ashoka's crazy wife, but one of his daughters managed to safe a root and plant it in Shri Lanka, and they say that the present Tree, standing at THE place, comes from the saved root. I believe it. Close to the tree there's a temple. HUUUUGE Temple. 

Around the Temple there are PEOPLE - everywhere and at any moment of the day, the sea of monks in different colors of robes, Buddhist rainbow, mostly deep red - wine bottles! Pilgrims, Indians, Europeans, dogs, children, army... Praying, eating, taking pics, fighting, spinning the wheels, prostrating 100 000 times. Nice place for anthropological studies. 

Moreover, the Kalachakra has just finished, so picture a land after a tsunami - they say around 500 000 people came to Bodhgaya to see Dalai-Lama. And voila, Dalai-Lama is gone, but the dust has still not settled down. The dirt, the excitement and the prices as well. I went to the Kalachakra maidan 3 days after it was over. A sad sight - like when you take away the Christmas tree. Still smelling the party, but so much trash after... And you know it's not gonna be back for a year or so. With Dalai-Lama they say it was the last time he gave this teaching (well, they say it every year, man!)

I came to Bodhgaya to attend Phowa, the teaching of Lama Ayang Rinpoche on meditation in the moment of death, 10 days of impressive and intensive empowerment. Couldn't finish it, too strong for me, too Buddhist, too spacing out. Anyway, used to come to the tent every day to meditate, Lama Rinpoche is very powerful and you feel it once you enter the field. Well, and Tibetan bread they served with tea - this very special Tibetan bread, you know... 

Ok, instead of doing Phowa I managed to jump into a sea of other types of meditation. Too much to write here... I also met the very best people, thank you, David! THE family - two Sofias, Francoise, Dragos, Raz, Anni and many others. It's karma, pure karma. Inspiring, turning me upside down, tuning in, loving unconditionally and sharing their knowledge so freely and in such an unexpectedly easy manner - over a plate of momos or a ginger-apple cake. Oh, food is a separate topic - you know how much I love Tibetan food! What to say - here it was my momo and chowmein paradise! Thukpas, thentuks, fried or steamed momos, Tibetan bread... And all the other types of food - got some hummus, pizza, brownies, olalala!  Ok, stop this float of hedonistic fantasme!  

I am full of love and new horizons after Bodhgaya. The energy is AMAZING (yes, John, I understand you!) and I still have lots of things to digest...

Sorry for the disorder in the pics, Inet is slow and I am sooo tired... 

PHOWA FROM HERE...

TO HERE

LAST DAY OF PHOWA, THE OFFERING TO THE BUDDHA AMITHABA

WITH RAZ, LOVELY!