Immediately after breakfast we jumped back in the bus, and set off for the 3000 year old Durga temple, one of the oldest living temples in India. After purchasing our prayer flags/offerings, we began our ascent up the 490 stairs to the temple. The stairs to the temple had been remade since my prior visit and were now even with a new railing and a canopy all the way to the top of the mountain. The old temple remained the same: brightly painted, majestic views all around, two priests in attendance. I was able to meditate under Lahiri Mahasaya's tree at the tiny Shiva shrine, and am bringing home two prayer flags blessed there, for Tom and myself. The young men working on continuing the canopy up to the temple proper insisted that I take their pictures, and they took one of me in true Indian fascination with swapping photos! Westerners are still rare here.
And the snow capped mountains are still visible!
From the temple, we continued on to the YSS ashram in nearby Dwarahat, where Swami Nirvananada gave us a tour of the new retreat rooms and remodeled dining area. The eye clinic begins tomorrow and they expect to be housing over 80 people including both medical staff and surgical patients. My cough cut my meditation in the chapel short, so I went outside, sucked on some hard candy and continued my meditation on the porch. When I opened my eyes, I saw a huge (chimpanzee size) wild monkey sitting on the wall directly across from me and about four feet away, looking back at me. We looked at each other about a minute, and I swear he nodded at me before he turned to walk away along the wall. A little unnerving but wonderful all at the same time.
Meals outside under the canopy again. The food is so good here that no one misses heat and hot water!
And the snow capped mountains are still visible!
From the temple, we continued on to the YSS ashram in nearby Dwarahat, where Swami Nirvananada gave us a tour of the new retreat rooms and remodeled dining area. The eye clinic begins tomorrow and they expect to be housing over 80 people including both medical staff and surgical patients. My cough cut my meditation in the chapel short, so I went outside, sucked on some hard candy and continued my meditation on the porch. When I opened my eyes, I saw a huge (chimpanzee size) wild monkey sitting on the wall directly across from me and about four feet away, looking back at me. We looked at each other about a minute, and I swear he nodded at me before he turned to walk away along the wall. A little unnerving but wonderful all at the same time.
Meals outside under the canopy again. The food is so good here that no one misses heat and hot water!
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