on this trip to india i finished my time in the north with visits to two villages. the first was modinagar, where the local sangha gathered at a buddhist orphanage for a day's celebration. everyone was sitting in the grassy courtyard and there were songs, poems, and drama on a small stage, and an impressive potluck feast. the people there were so warm, and i particularly enjoyed meeting with the women and playing with the kids who gathered round to take turns taking group photos with their mobile phones.  

the second village was bharatpur in rajasthan, where i was the recipient of truly traditional indian hospitality. our hosts met us at the door with a plate of red roses, served us tea, and cooked us mounds of delicious food. definitely the best homecooking i have tasted in india. it was fun and relaxing for me to be in the home of an indian family, with kids everwhere, parents, aunties, uncles, grandmas, living together in an extended family homespace. got a tour of the local school where subhuti will be speaking, and found myself surrounded by a village full of shy, giggly children, who approached with curiosity, ran away squealing, then approached a little closer, ran away etc, until one brave little boy had the courage to come close and speak with me. then it was foto extravaganza! met the village families at the house of a local dhammachari, and gathered in the living room for a short dhamma talk. i also talked about my own interest in dr. ambedkar and buddhism in india, and my interest in practicing together as a united, international sangha. that meeting was unlike anything i have ever attended, and i truly imagined what it must have been like back in the buddha's day, people gathering spontaneously with spirit and commitment. this is the kind of work i would like to do in india in the future, meeting with smaller communities to build sangha and collaborate on community projects. i think grassroots english classes could be an important component of such work.

it was very foggy in bharatpur, and we set off that night late since our hosts would not allow us to leave with empty bellies. we got on the road and quickly realized we could not see anything and that it was way too dangerous to drive, so we turned around and returned to our hosts, staying up late into the night huddled over the brazier, talking about life in india and in the united states.