Happy Earth Day!
Yesterday I arrived back in Ubud, after being at a Buddhist Monastery for five days. My time at the monastery was an invaluable experience for both my research project and my personal life. During my time spent here, I met the Buddhist monk who has been living at the monastery for decades as well as a Buddhist nun who has been residing there since September. I was expecting to only meet a Buddhist monk and felt very lucky to be in the company of a nun as well. I only met the monk once for an interview as he was recovering from surgery do to being ill. Despite him not being well, I could still sense his profound wisdom and tranquility. As for Sayalay (the nun), we spent most of my days with her. She provided my friend and I with some great sources on Buddhism and meditation and also joined in us in our 5 AM meditations every morning. Although we only spent a few days with her, she left a memorable impression on me.
I felt slightly sad upon leaving the monastery, but I am looking forward to my other endeavors, including interviewing Balinese Yoga gurus and students. Tomorrow I will interview a Yoga teacher here in Ubud and then Monday I go to a village in Tabanan to meet the students. I am also in the midst of writing my research paper that shall be 50 pages long. So far I am about half way through!