Ra Last Samye Day!

Monday 9:15 a.m.
This is the last day of my visit to the Samye Ling and the sun is beating down out of a clear blue sky.

Once when I was down here for a week in the summer, I felt real joy and true happiness. That hasn't been the story this time, but I don't suppose you should compare. This has been a wee bit like the heavy training boxers do at the start of a training camp. Lots of road work, heavy bags, getting totally knackered, etc.

Since I have been using these machines and drinking coffee, the "holiday" has cost me about £20 a day. For this you get the beautiful (wet) surrounding countryside, the use of the temple, and a chance to meditate every day with as close to a buddhist saint as I'm ever going to get. If you wanted a real holiday and had a motor, you could use this as a perfect base to tour the south west of Scotland. The food of course if beyond fabulous!

The meditation with the lama, which has just finished, was pretty serene. Today the back temple will be free and this is better for me since I can do tai chi sets in there and stand on my head, etc. I'll ignore the sunshine and go up there just now.

I've a feeling I may abandon this blog and start another one soon. I'll see after the conference this Saturday.

For almost a week I've done nothing bad excpet eat a few puddings! There have been thought crimes against my deep dear friends, some school teachers and other useless basturns, but that's about it.

I guess I'll go and meditate for the next three hours then!!

1:12 p.m.
There's a wee island in the middle of the river which you can reach and keep your feet dry if you're a good jumper. I've spent all morning on this island and I'll spend a lot of the afternoon and maybe some of the evening on it. This is a real treat!! You face upstream and just fix on some stone protruding from the river ... it's like heaven on earth this place if you want to meditate and the sun shines. And it is a glorious day!! Such wonderful times I have spent on that wee island. I'm away back now, but I may have to waddle due to the fabulous lunch I've just had. With another pudding! You've got to live on soup and home made breid to really really appreciate the grub here.