Grateful in India

Last updated on: November 29, 2010 at 5:11 am by Justin Whitaker

Grateful in India 2010-11-29T05:11:00-07:00 Justin Whitaker

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A bit of a late “thanksgiving” post…

Dharamsala (McLeod Ganj) has been wonderful thus far. And tomorrow I switch hotels to a place around the mountain in another little village called Bhagsu. Everything around here has filled up – with Russians – for H.H. the Dalai Lama’s public talks later this week. So I’m off to some sort of resort (we’ll see) for my last two nights in the area. I will see the first day of H.H.’s talks, but then it’s off for another 2+ day journey across India, this time all the way to Kolkata (Calcutta).

There I’ll see an old friend, Soorjya, from my MA days in Bristol that I haven’t seen in over 5 years now. The very thought of so much time slipping by, and yet holding so many great memories of those days as if they were only last week, has a perplexing effect. It’s not the only factor at hand of course, but lately I have been feeling an immense amount of gratitude. Grateful to be alive. To see an old friend. To realize that time does slip by… Take heed.

Grateful to be living in India. Getting paid to live in India (!?). Grateful to my employer, colleagues here, and amazing students.

Grateful for the space. The space of mind, for the most part, of being relatively unattached. Free to wander at will and to rest as needed, to simply dwell in silence and listen to the rhythms of my own inner world.

Grateful, on the other hand, for the family and friends – the community – to whom I really am attached. That said, despite people’s worries and woes over facebook, I am glad it’s there and glad for some of the things I find there, such as:

A truly excellent lecture about the studies of North American Buddhism today by Charles Prebish, via my friend, Danny.
This gorgeous video, a performance at TED by Miwa Matreyek, via my friend Grace.
An inspiring blog/art project, spreading love and gratitude across the country, embarked upon by my friend Kerri.
And the Charity Navigator, something we should all be thinking about this season, from my friend and teacher Lama David.

These are just a few from the last day or so that have stopped me in my tracks.

(Giving in to a bit of nostalgia) Thanksgivings over the years:

2004: spent in Bristol, England with many new friends. I remember making some sort of mashed potato dish and bringing it to class – yes, no day off – to share at tea time in the middle of our Sanskrit class.
2005: In Montana, ranting about the systematic ills of our consumerist society.
2006: spent in Helena, MT with family. One of my favorite posts about the holiday, family (with photos of my grandfather and father), and friends, people to whom I am forever grateful.
2007: spent in the ‘burbs of Washington DC.
2008: also in Helena.
2009: exploring repentance, renunciation, and Buddhist-Catholic road maps to awakening/salvation.

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November 27, 2010

Destination Dharamsala

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December 4, 2010 Tantric Giving, or Social Justice in India

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