Today marks the festival of Makar Sankranti, the much loved kite-flying festival celebrated across India.  Last year we enjoyed watching the preparations leading up to the festivities.  You can read more about the festival and see some colorful photos by checking out this post.

So, what do we do?   

I say we because I do believe the solution lies in our collective efforts.  The world needs activists as well as scholars.  We need teachers and doctors, selfless service and financial commitment.  We need spiritual leaders who stand up and denounce terrorism and violence in its many forms.   

More than ever, we need compassion.

Yesterday Sam and I celebrated a non-traditional Thanksgiving with a quiet sushi dinner for two at a  local restaurant.  We needed a break from the constant news coverage, but sitting at  the dinner table we found we could think of nothing else.  We remembered everyone directly affected by the tragedy.  We speculated about a resolution to the stand-off.  We were grateful beyond words for the blessings in our own lives that are too numerous to count.  Our reflection certainly was a true Thanks-Giving.  

We also wondered aloud about our social responsibility.  What can we do to promote tolerance?  How can we work for social justice?  How can society be transformed?  Right now I have only questions, not answers.  I welcome your comments and suggestions.  How do you work for social justice?  What do you think needs to be changed?

 What is your vision for a better world?

Om Mane Padme Huum.  Spinning these prayer wheels accumulates the same merit as chanting the mantra.  

Buddhist mural paintings adorn the exterior walls of monasteries in the northern region.

On Holy Ground.  Monks and visitors to the monastery remove their shoes as a sign of respect.

Candles and other offerings are laid in front of images of the Buddha.

Young monks enjoy a simple breakfast of sweet potatoes, rice, and milk.

A statue of the Buddha is central inside the monastery meditation hall.

Diyas burn brightly in front of sacred images.

Buddhist tablet outside Pemayangtse Monastery in Pelling, Sikkim.

We arrived in Darjeeling at dusk, creeping along narrow roads winding through a tea plantation.  The road was so narrow that we had to back up into a turnout whenever we encountered another vehicle.  Darjeeling district is famous for its tea, and tea gardens are visible along every mountainside.  Sam and I toured one nearby garden, where we plucked some tea leaves, flowers and berries.