a quiet day

after 12 days of non stop activity we are having a quiet day at the homestay with funny tummies both. missing chenrezig initiations and bodhisattva vows today apparently. i think we kind of have these already with our ordination - the line of acceptance 'for the benefit of all beings' and joining the order that on a mythic archetypal level is considered as the thousand armed form of avalokitesvara (chenrezig in tibetan). i don't feel i am missing out. i am enjoying a day of rest. its an interesting experience connecting with our brothers and sisters in the dharma from other traditions. surrounded by maroon robed monks and fans of tibetan buddhism it could be easy to feel an interloper. we are doing 7 fold puja daily - connecting fully with the subject of the dalai lamas teaching on the bodhicaryavatara. its not possible to hear the same dharma teachings too many times. it just goes in deeper each time. last night a southafrican woman, kerry, joined us in our room for the puja. great to be able to connect so easily with a new person in this way. We have a tip for possibly renting an appartment in bodhgaya for the duration of our stay there. We'll see. things rarely seem to be what we expect or hope for since we arrived in india. it really is the going forth we invited. letting go all the time.