Dear Rachel,
Im sitting in Hyderabad airport waiting for a flight to Chennai and eventually a taxi to Tiruvannamalai and Tom Fethke, tnking of you with a special fondness today. Eighteen years have passed in a flash.
Yesterday was one of the greatest days of my life. I was invited by this remarkable Indian couple I met after the first Sarnath retreat to teach a one-day silent retreat at their beautiful home in a gated community in Hyderabad, and it went exceedingly well, with 17 participants. It was as if all my 45 years of involvement with insight practice came pouring out of me at once. The instructions in sitting, walking, and eating were helpful for participants, all of whom were Indian, friends and members of a meditation group founded by the couple. I gave a passionate dharma talk without any notes, straight from the heart. Afterward, unsolicited by me but described by the couple as traditional dana practice, participants gave me over 24,000 rupees in donations, a stupendous sum by Indian standards and testament to their generosity. A lifelong dream of mine to teach in this way has been fulfilled.
I hope you are well and would love to hear how you are doing and how the school is going.
Love, Bryan
Dear Bryan – as always lovely to hear from you on our anniversary and to mark the time with a number – 18, – unbelievable.
Your time in Hydrabad sounds remarkably affirmative and uplifting for you. You have been solid and focused with the Dharma all your life
and this has blossomed, given the right circumstances. Well done. How fine to be meeting Tom now. Send him my love.
All well here, although far too busy and not enough hours in the day. I was up at 6 this morning but still feel as if i am catching up
on the day.
On the vernal equinox we have an extravaganza in the woods – a Solar System and tour of planets – done by the kids.
A huge oak came down and almost smashed jupiter and saturn needs re constructing. These are the two largest planets
and so the most challenging. Some tall Dutch built jupiter and saturn is to be out of spent cycle rings.
https://kindaforestschool.wordpress.com/ – tells you a little of the build up.
Not enough yoga, walking, playing with the dogs. I had a small health scare end of last year, with pumlonary embolisms on my lung
and a warning from the hospital if i hadn’t called in i’d probably be dead!
All seems to be clear, a CT scan in a months time to check. Need to do more hanging upside down.
I attach 2 photographs I found of when you were visiting England. One with Bill Kitchener, who I have a feeling has died
although I cannot locate an obituary. The other with the nuns from my school. Gosh we did cover a lot of ground when
you came over. I still have that norwegian jumper.
Lots love
Kalikellett 