Co-Minister's Blog

May 2009

March 31, 2009 (excerpted from uucbsabbatical.blogspot.com)

Hindus view Buddha as the 9th incarnation of Vishnu. It's been powerful to witness devotions and all the lives influenced by the Buddha's teachings and to feel the impact on us as we experience the places where he was born, enlightened, taught, and died.

It was challenging to travel in a minivan and see similar size local vehicles and even smaller packed with two to three times as many passengers with more on the rooftops and holding on to the back rails. We constantly confront our privilege and struggle with how to deal with people trying to offer a flower, beads, blessings, postcards for money, how to tip with people continually offering little services, and how to be with people asking for money. There have been many friendly, fun times, talking with children and adults. Some people asked to be photographed with us.

April 2009

March 13, 2009 (excerpted from uucbsabbatical.blogspot.com)

How fortunate we are to stay with a family in Kolkata. We're grateful for the conversation, delicious meals, looking at old photographs, learning family history and stories, and the way they weave together with the larger history of India. How great it is to be in a neighborhood and walk to the market to shop for fruits and vegetables. We're able to wash out our clothes and hang them on the line outside on the balcony. One evening we all sat together in front of the television eating dinner and watching a weekday nightly drama on Partition. Good to experience normal life.

We've talked with the elder of the household. She is 84 years old and her wedding was on the rooftop terrace of this house. She gave birth to her two children in the bedroom in which she now stays in a hospital bed. She has many stories to share.

March 2009

February 10, Mt. Abu

We've spent 10 days at Mt. Abu. It's been good for us not to be in a huge city, but more than that Mt. Abu is a beautiful, magical place. In ancient times it was known as the place that increases joy. After Republic Day week-end, life quieted down here. The air has been clear, the skies blue, the mountains beautiful, the lake lovely, the sun warm, the evenings cool.

We've walked a lot around the lake, early morning when the monkeys also sit bathing in the warm sun, afternoon, sunset; little lights reflect across the lake in the evening. People rent horses, paddle boats, and feed the geese. We've hiked with the young couples and Gujarati youth tourists and families to sunset point and honeymoon point. We've walked to temples. One temple alongside the lake has a little manger of cows and a calf; another has 365 steps.

February 2009

We've taken steps back from the regular day-to-day church work and feel in touch with the big picture and what's most important. We've been flooded with gratitude. Your faces come to our awareness, and we feel much appreciation and love.

We've had the time to visit Spirit Rock Meditation Center for a dharma talk and sitting meditation. We spent New Year's Eve at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland where we received a teaching and joined in an evening of chanting and meditation. One Sunday we worshiped at the Sacramento Unitarian Universalist Society and another with the Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalists in Walnut Creek.