I wanted to give a quick trip update as the internet has been down for the last few days in North India for some reason (possibly election related, not sure) and I did not let anyone know where I was headed.  I was going to go to Varanasi and Sarnath in north India but instead took a little detour to Darjeeling (check the map and it is more than a little detour) and might go a little further into the Himalayas before heading back down and over into Nepal (birthplace of the Buddha) to Lumbini and possibly Kathmandu for a little excitement.  I have been visiting many monasteries and hills and caves and gardens and even the Darjeeling zoo.  I love this part of the world for some weird reason.  Even amidst the poverty and filth the people have a quiet persevering spirit.  We humans have quite an amazing resilience to the adversity , big or little, we face each morning we wake up.  Even those sitting on mountain tops contemplating their own amazing nature.  Surely we can overcome all the difficulties we have faced over the many generations we have traveled and learn to get along with eachother.  Or perhaps we have given into the mind control of the few powerful and greedy minority who want nothing more than to sap every last bit of hope from our wartorn and bloody history with a few more last bashes in the name of democracy, liberty and freedom as if to spit those precious words out as political capital. 
Gandhi said something to the effect of, “You must become the change you wish to see.” and Lord Buddha said something like, “Work out your own salvation (slavation) with diligence.” Do not expect the ‘leaders’ to have done their personal homework in this department.  I like working on my own nature and hope you do the same.  Enjoy the journey.  Enjoy the website (plug: http://www.buddhapowers.org) and please stay happy, healthy and peaceful.
Love and compassion to you all.
Ven Adhi
from India