Today is: International Women's Day (March 8th)

My last month of India is unplanned and I love it that way!!!

I ended up staying in Bodhgaya for 2 weeks. It was amazing and if I ever go back, I'll stay for months.

The day before I was leaving for Varanasi/Sarnath, I overheard an English girl (Claire) say she was also going to Varanasi, so, I turned around and asked her if she'd like to travel together. We've now fully bonded and have been staying together for 4 days! We been staying in Sarnath (where I saw HH Dalai Lama & where the Buddha attained enlightenment), but we're currently in Varanasi (11km from Sarnath) for the weekend. Varanasi is a tourist magnet by the Ganges river, with tons of shopping and restaurants.

Tomorrow Claire will head to Goa and I have decided to stay in Sarnath until the end of the week for a Dharma teaching at Thrangu Rinpoche's center in Sarnath. (http://www.rinpoche.com/) Thrangu Rinpoche is teaching in the mornings, then, after lunch, there is a discussion group with the English translator, then a written Tibetan language class, and then, one of the Khenpos (abbott, in Eng.) teaches in the evenings. It's an amazing opportunity and the woman (I'm guessing Canadian or American) teaching the Tibetan writing course is fabulous! So clear and easy to follow.

I'm staying at the most amazing guesthouse in Sarnath. It's called the Jain Paying Guesthouse, but they don't have a working website. It's in a family home and Mrs. Jain makes all the meals, which for lunch and dinner are thali (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thali). They are an amazing family. Dr. Jain started funding local schools about 15 years ago and now funds over 200 students. Many of his guests donate time and money to the project as well.
Every meal everyone eats together around the family's table next to the kitchen, it's quite a homey atmosphere!

I'm slowly making my way to the Nepali border, which I MUST do by March 16, because my time will be up! I have a long visa from the States, but you have to leave every 180 days. I want to spend some time there and then come back to India for my last week.

Oh how fast time has flown by.....I've been in India for both Daylight Savings Days in the U.S.- how bizzare!

Yesterday I woke up and meditated next to the stupa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhamekh_Stupa) that commemorates where the Buddha reached enlightenment, then I mediatated at the edge of the Ganges river during sunset...

I'm still living in gratitude for each moment I'm here.