down under

well of course it's only down under if you are up there, so to speak.
am in auckland just now where it is, of course, high summer which is very nice indeed. i have just finished leading a retreat for the australasian dharmacharinis on the lojong training. the 7 point mind training to be precise.there were 30 of us and it went really well.
before that i led a week called healing self, healing world which is a sort of applied bodhisattva ideal retreat drawing on some of Joanna Macy's work that reconnects (see my entry on the retreat at dhanakosa for a bit more about the work.
there were 16 of us on that and it went brilliantly. it was over new year so we incorporated that as well with an evening of entertainment and then a ritual and puja up at the stupa which was stunning.
course it is a bit strange (for me) doing a new year ritual in summer.