Tushita Pure Land - McLeod Ganj

We are volunteering at Tushita Meditation Centre from Feb to the end of May. It is associated with the same meditation center that we went to back in Bunno and is set in a beautiful forest, in the foot hills of the Himalayas. My job is to work in the office and Rob is helping with the construction of the new meditation building.

It snowed! and I was so happy. This was the first time I have experienced snow falling. It was beautiful and really looked as if the sky was falling when I looked up.

I was so happy it snowed.... I couldn't smile any bigger. And look how much my hair has grown. I'm standing in the driveway at Tushita.

I love the snow but it was so cold!! No central heating and the heater I did use was one of those small bar heaters, if the power was strong enough or on at all! Really I love the snow!


Watching the snow

And then the sun came out..... These photos were taken outside my office overlooking the pine forest.

A monkey in the mist at Tushita. This part of the forest is more natural that the pines.


Tushita's old gompa that is soon to be knocked down.

This stupa contains the relics and ashes of Lama Yeshe, the founder of Tushita and the FPMT

Rob, (Saka)dawa and Kalu watch the rain outside the library and Directors office

Kalu means 'black' in Hindi and Dawa was born on Sakadawa, a holy Buddhist day. They are well know all around the area, especially at the local pizza shop. Dawa always runs away at bed time (they are kept in a dog house so snowleopards don't eat them).

This is the view of the plains they were admiring


Rob and I in my room


Rob painting in his 'pinks'. He painted rooms - white - for the first three weeks.


This was taken in McLeod Ganj and is the view from His Holiness Dalai Lamas temple


Me walking around a stupa at HHDL temple


Endless knot, representing interconnectedness of all things (amongst other things)