http://dalailama.com

With His Holiness the Dalai Lam at Tashi Lungpo teachings.

His Holiness gave a wonderful talk to the western audience follow the link below.


http://dalailama.com/webcasts/post/352-talk-to-westerners-attending-teachings-at-tashi-lhunpo

Great news on the getting attention to the situation in Kashmir.

This last weekend  the documentary Illusive Peace won another Best Documentary award.
The Freedom Film Festival was held in McLeod Ganj Dharamsala, India and was a hit with the local Tibetans, Kashmiries and Himachal Pradesh locals as well as the multitudes of Tourists  from all over the world. This small film festival has to be the most international for its size. Well done Lobsang  for your tireless efforts in promoting not only the Tibetan cause but many other issue that effect all of us.

Check out all the winners at the following links
http://www.freespiritfilmfestival.com/event/2013/awards.html

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/free-spirit-film-festival-ends-koan-of-spring-wins-best-film-113102400782_1.html

Also Dr Nyla Khan's book has another very posative review  and a must read for all interested in the regions, history, politics, culture and the effects of conflict.  Great work Dr. Khan

http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/edinjnNGsEYJyhfiUvrv/full#.UmlK2RDVvIU

Where am I?

The Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

Ever have days where you wake up and are not sure where you are? Well this has been happening quite a bit lately. Since my last post from DC I have moved back to Charlottesville VA where I did the undergrad degree. Of course I had no plan to be back here this year, especially since I am trying to get Noble Heart of the ground  but the universe has ways of working that are well beyond me. So here I am, in what has to be one of the most beautiful town in the USA  at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Everyone I meet is so relaxed, happy, polite and friendly or is it that I have just been in too long in a military/conflict zone or in a region of abject poverty, not to mention being often the only foreigners within miles. I do love India  and  miss it so much  but I have to admit the clean air, good food and being able to be lost in the crowd has its appeal for now. I had hoped to land a job in DC  but that city  is just to cut throat and political for me at this time in my life. It is a beautiful city for sure just filled with people who believe they can fix the world's ailments with politics alone. I was very lucky however to find work in Charlottesville and I am very happy to be back working at my previous profession. Yip, the reason I did all that education the past 10 years was to " not be a hairdresser at 50" and guess what, here I am a few weeks away for 50 and very happy to be a hairdresser again. Hmmm the universe is sure laughing it up just now. Last night I even had a dream that the Dalai Lama was rolling around in bed laughing his head of, hmmmmmm  So  I ask my self "so now that you are here, what is the plan Noble" and the answer has come that it does not all need to be done today tomorrow. I am taking time to lay a strong foundation for Noble Heart, which means gathering funds, making contacts, and fixing all the paperwork, business plan and web site. Which I cannot do alone and defiantly cannot do by tomorrow. I am so appreciative that I can be here in Charlottesville which is a progressive, inclusive, creative and alternative town, who knows who the universe will introduce me too.

I am also thank full to my new employer Lori  of " At Last A Hair Color Studio" for hiring me and being very interested in the vision of Noble Heart.
http://www.atlasthcs.com/home.html 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/At-Last-Hair-Color-Studio/195688870455717
 It is not every employer who would hire someone who takes off to India now and again but this shows that Lori has such a  big heart and empathy for the women of India. This is only my second day and she the staff have made me so welcome. At Last A Hair Color Studio is a new salon, bright, clean, airy  and  very relaxing and fun. The staff are also well trained and all great hairdressers, so it is great to part of a good team. I know I will enjoy being back behind the hair chair and am so happy that I can be hair creative again.

Here I also want to thank my previous employer Anne of Anne Marie and Company  http://www.annemarieandco.com for being so supportive and helping me in this transition time. This boutique salon on the down town mall is a fun place again with a great staff.

I also feel luck to be here as there is a small community of Tibetan refugees and 2 Tibetan Lamas who teach, one of which from The Dalai Lamas monestry.  The Jefferson Tibetan http://jts.avenue.org/about.htm
 Society is in the heart of Charlottesville  and I plan to become a regular at there mediation classes on Wednesday

 Tashi Choeling Buddhist Center Foundation is another small center just out side Charlottesville. The teacher there gives classes on many Tibetan Buddhist subjects and i look forward to re-connecting  with the group http://www.tcbci.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=2

Also in town is the Insight Meditation group who do group weekly silent meditations http://www.imeditation.org.  A lot to explore and re-visit in Charlottesville. It has grown a lot of the past 5 years becoming quite an international small city.

Review of new Book on Kashmir

Great Reviews of Dr. Nyla Khan's Book on Women in Kashmir and History of Kashmir. 

A must read for all interested in Kashmir, its history, politics, religion and society as well as the value of women's experience of living in this protracted conflict zone.
Nyla just nails it; her in depth research and understanding of the culture and people as well as her international perspective is of such value to all in the political arena, both domestically and internationally. Enjoy  I sure did



http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415803083/
http://us.macmillan.com/islamwomenandviolenceinkashmir
http://us.macmillan.com/theparchmentofkashmir/NylaAliKhan
http://worldliteraturetoday.org/2013/march/parchment-kashmir-history-society-and-polity#.USz3n-3TnIU

Washington DC or Obamaville  



It is August 2nd already how the year and especially this last month has flown by.

I left India at the beginning of July and after the adjustment to being in the USA with the pure shock of all the luxury's, setting up home again and getting a job, I think I am back to my normal self again. One thing is for sure I truly appreciate this comfort and love my simple wee studio in the sky  for the next few months. I did manage to sneak in a 6 day meditation retreat on Buddhist Philosophy  with the FPMT Guhyasamaja center in Northern Virginia. http://www.guhyasamaja.org/  That was great and so nice to spend time  with like minded Dharma folks struggling with the concept of emptiness.

So DC   is pretty much the same;  filled  with very busy  and some important people all thinking that politics will fix the world. Oh if only it could. It always strikes me when I come back here just how sad, drained, stressed out or puffed up people look. Everyone walks and talks  so fast but do they really get anywhere?  do they really accomplish what they think they can by going  fast? Do they even enjoy what they are doing?

Then of course there is always the judgments that people make of each other in DC. This is really quite funny and I have had this happen to me more than a few times. Maybe you know it too, the once up and down glance a stranger will give you on first meeting which is then quickly followed by either a fake smile grin with a "pleased to meet you"   and a limp handshake or a look of dismissal, as they turn their back. All because to there mind I am not dresses the correct  way, or made up enough or not with the important people etc etc etc. Whatever it may be it is just sad that people do that.  DC is a place  where people only want to get to know you if they can get something from you and that is usually a better job or connection to someone who can get you a better job or free labour. I never knew until I moved here that every congress man will have a least one  but may up to three unpaid interns doing all the research.  Hellish that the government has so much unpaid labour, I though slavery was illegal in the USA  but I guess white collar, striving to be upper class slavery for the 20 somethings is okay. What has also been funny in DC is that because I am under 5 ft tall this seems to gives people permission to treat me like a child, which is funny as I will be 50 this year.. hahhah  Yip  being tall means being important in DC, if only I could get platform shoes in size 4 I could get some respect... hahhaha
Anyway  it  is a complete contrast from the village life in India. I use it as a great anthropological study or an expedition through the concrete jungle and always use it as a reflection on the first Noble Trust of Buddha; that life is suffering and no matter how much comfort, possessions, position  or power people may gain, it is their inner happiness that counts. I am not sure just how much inner happiness DC folks have?

So the good thing about being in DC  is the access to info and all the government office. Since I am getting NobleHeart Charitable Trust on her feet all I need is right here in DC. I got the facebook page up  so Like It;  if you like it     https://www.facebook.com/NobleheartCharitableTrust

So I attend classes at the Foundation Center  foundationcenter.org  which is an amazing resources for non-profits and they also give classes all for free. So mornings I am there and then do my part time job in the afternoons. The web site is coming along, slow but sure  and thanks to Ashley  for help with that as I was getting in a pickle with that one. Roland is conjuring up a logo and it has been fun working with him again on designs, Ernie  has been a great help in referring me to business plan ideas  and I just have to say thanks to Susan, Kat, Melissa, Jonna, Christos and everyone else who has been supportive of my vision  for NobleHeart and helpful in giving feedback, asking questions  and making me think things through. Love yi all!

So this next month will be an adventure in tacking bureaucracy and I am sure I will encounter more than a few more dismissal looks  or surprises expression that question what is this small, unimportant person wanting? Will keep yi posted I am sure to have a few stories.

Beginnings of Nobleheart Charitable Trust.

So I have been a wee bit busy lately with a wee project that I hope will grow to be not so wee.
This will take a few years to get on its feet and of course I want to do a good job which takes some time in preparation of how to best benefit the local community in Bodhgaya. So no rush, have lots of research to do but I wanted to share this news and get your feedback and or ideas.

The Noble Heart Charitable Trust is based in Bodhgaya, India. The plan is to have a small meditation/yoga retreat center from which funds will be put into the community in the form of family and health education. income generation and environmental awareness.  The trust plans to work with the local community to improve their living situation. Anyway it is a small but sincere start and hopeful it will be well received and benefit those involved. If you have any ideas please do let me know.
I have to also say a huge huge Thank You to all involved in the creation of the trust for their time, effort, expertease and resources!


Have a wee look at the FB page and like it

http://www.facebook.com/NobleheartCharitableTrust?fref=ts

Teaching with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in McLeod Ganj

June 1st -4th His Holiness taught on Shantidevas text the A Guide to the Bodhisattvas Way of Life.

stupas

The teaching was sponsored by the ever growing Indian Buddhist community.
The following link gives the recorded webcast of the teaching;
http://www.dalailama.com/webcasts/post/286-a-guide-to-the-bodhisattvas-way-of-life---dharamsala-june-2013

The text itself, which is a buide on how to develop compassion and wisdom can be found at;
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Bodhisattvas-Way-Life-Santideva/dp/8185102597/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370522408&sr=1-3&keywords=guide+to+the+bodhisattvas+way+of+life

Thousand of people attended and the temple was packed full. His Holiness was in great health and gave a wonderful teaching. As he walked from his residence to the temple he stopped to talk with people, shake hands, play with kids and was just so open and loving with the crowd. It was such a pleasure to see everyone so happy in his presence.

He is only here in India for a few days before he heads off to Australia. Hard to believe he is 77 years old and able to keep up such a hectic teaching schedule, such is the kindness of the lama. We are truly blessed to have such a great person on this planet, or as Lobsang says;
 "His Holiness is the 8th wonder of the world."


Today I was also looking at this web site which has been inspired by His Holiness so thought I would share it with you. http://charterforcompassion.org/