Final post from India

There is one road rule: always drive around the cow.


This time tomorrow I will be on my way to the airport to meet Cathy in Thailand, so this is the last post from India. Coincidentally, it is also exactly 32 years since I first set foot in this ashram and the scope of the changes is hard to imagine. A small city has sprouted from fields of sugar cane and rice; grass thatched huts have given way to huge high rise apartments and languid lanes with the odd goats and donkeys have been replaced by bustling roads full of diesel fumes, tooting vehicles and shoulder to shoulder pedestrians. The essence inside the ashram hasn't changed, and yesterday I was fully reminded of why I come to this place. Without effort on my part there was an extraordinarily deep state of peace, which is of its nature Divine. That is why I put up with all the shortcomings of this country generally, and I can tell you there are many.
It will take some readjustment to the cold weather: it is about 35 degrees here at present and it feels relatively cool with a lot of cloud cover and fresh breezes. From what I can see in the paper it is much the same in Thailand.
Upon arrival back home I will reduce the large photo files in the camera and upload some photos onto this site, so if anyone is interested do keep an eye out. Om Shanti.