Walking down from Tushita Meditation Centre just now, I passed by the big white stupa that marks its entrance. Circumambulating that stupa was a monk with his cellphone held to his ear, conversing loudly in Tibetan. The ancient and the modern mingle in India like nowhere else on Earth (that I've been to, anyway).

Watching my own mindstates, I can tell that I'm entering a time of transition. I finished teaching English yesterday. This Saturday, I'll begin a 10-day meditation retreat at Tushita. Two days after that, I'll take an overnight bus to Delhi, and then, after a few hours appreciating the a/c in the airport, I'll fly to Osaka, on my way to begin a visit with my brother P and sister-in-law C in Kyoto. I'll fly home to Seattle at the end of that visit--a fact that seems a bit incredible just now.

As for mindstates, for the past few days, I've noticed myself being more easily aggravated than usual by the unavoidable irritating aspects of life here--the heavy traffic and constant honking in the narrow streets, which usually amuses rather than irritates me; the truly annoying British tots clambering around this internet cafe; and so on. But even more, now, there's also nostalgia for the marvelous aspects of life here that I'll soon leave behind, especially good friends, some of whom live here and some of whom have already left or will soon leave. And there's particular sadness about finishing my teaching stint yesterday and saying goodbye to my students, whom I've adored working with. Tibetans are easy to love and admire. And I've so appreciated my chance to learn something about their lives and concerns during our weeks together.

Yet there's also, now, happy anticipation about my upcoming return home on July 2, which should coincide nicely with the beginning of the high mountain hiking season in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains (I did bear that in mind when scheduling this trip). And besides the hiking, I find myself looking forward to the small ordinary things about resuming life at home: first of all, seeing friends and family and resuming Tuesday evening meditation sessions with the Seattle Insight Meditation Society. And next, the many pleasures of summer in the Pacific Northwest besides hiking: e.g., farmers markets, evening bike rides, and the Shakespeare in the Park season, which will start up about the time I return.

Impermanence and constantly shifting mindstates! I'll have plenty of fodder for reflection during those 10 days at Tushita.