The highlight of my trip so far!!

I've seen the Dalai Lama!

I attended one of several teachings that the Dalai Lama has been doin in Mcleod Ganj. His schedule has been cut right back cos of health, so as well as seeing him again next tuesday I came today as well and ditched my teaching.

I was less than 1 metre away from him on a couple of occasions...he's only a small guy, but seemed to me to be pretty strong in body as well as mind. He talked about various states of meditation adn how to achiev it eetc...

It was pretty cool just being there bymyself sitting amongst the Tibetans rather than all the westerners clogged on one side. They translate his teachings onto radio but then sometimes he talks English. The thing that makes him so special is his humour, he's a funn guy, not like all the f'ing Catholic heirarchy in Rome.

I was sat next to a couple of really old tibetans, and it was ..not wierd....but surprising how they hold him in awe. This old guy next to me was pretty much comatosed through most of it, but when the Dalai Lama walked past his eyes opened so wide and his jaw dropped.

They even serve butter tea to everyone...something I've tried and not really enjoyed..but again it was good to see everyone wait till he drank some before they did. He is a living God after all...the bodily re-incarnation of Buddha. The mind is re-incarnated in the Paancha lama. But strangley enough they hold the body as higher in Buddhism...

Security in there is pretty tight...your not allowed any camera's phones etc...just the bare essentials. There are guys walking round with sub machine guns as well...which is a little of putting when the Dalai Lama is talking about Karma!!

What an experience though, still coming down from it...one I'm gonna do again next tue.

One more thing...

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY BROTHER AND SABINA ON THE BIRTH OF MACY!!!!!

Pete