its only the end of day 3 and already we have been here for a lifetime

Day 2 in Bangalore was beautiful... went to a party of Matthew's friends where he was a cherished and honored guest, beloved by everyone present and honored as a teacher who gave them not only a beautiful technique, but valued knowledge. Matthew, of course, is so humble about it all, but it was amazing for us to experience him the way others here do. Mom and Dad would have been so proud. It was quite moving and the way he answered questions with Maharishi's knowledge was so simple and yet profound... a great refresher for us all. We were invited into the homes of many, and had a profound experience of what it is to be a Guest here: Namaste (seeing the divine in others) is not just a thing that is said, or a thing of history, but it is deeply and truly real, here. We were honored guests, driven everywhere, fed, and truly from their pleasure. In the US we have no idea, really, what it means to be a host.

Then Matthew, the kids and I flew to Madurai while David stayed back. He spent the next day (Monday) having a very successful meeting with ComplianceOnline -- both on the personal and professional level.

And today/Monday for us? What can I say except that it is the first among what I am sure will be many, many days that will change who we are as people profoundly. Have no pictures of the places we were at (they don't allow cameras inside) but will try to take some maybe tomorrow at least of the outside.

Eliana and Hezekiah have been sick on and off -- fine at one moment, then vomiting and sleeping the next... and still amazing troopers as they don't want to miss a thing and so deal with the intensity and the heat and insist they want to go. Dania has been incredibly present and rolling with it all with Matthew and I... just there and taking it all in.

We went to the Sri Meenakshi Temple -- at first they did not let us in and Dania, Matthew and I spoke with pundits, cried...and we ended traveling with a pundit to the center of town/village and walking away with certificates that we were officially Hindu, and went back with Eliana and Hezekiah. We were able to go in easily... not necessarily because of the certificates but only because this is India: sometimes things are easy and sweet, other times intense and not easy, and made offerings... it was powerfully hot and we found ourselves in the inner, inner sanctums of a temple where the aspect of God that is the Divine Mother has been worshiped and has lived for thousands of years. It is impossible to describe the power of it... we were all completely immersed and swimming in the energy and intensity.

After 6, Eliana and Hezekiah slept while Dania, Matthew and I went to a second temple, this one to Kartikeya, the powerful little boy aspect of God. This temple was softer, and less intense, but still very powerful. And it was night, and dark, and we took it all in. We were blessed by a 46 year old temple elephant, who touched our heads.

Madurai is deep into India. We get many stares, being rare foreigners, in our Indian garb thank goodness, with a guide who speaks Hindi, although the language here is Tamil, which Matthew does not know, at least he knows India and temples and how to navigate that world. They wanted to let him inside but for us to be left behind... he refused, of course. Here there are cows, and traditional dress, and food. No MacDonalds here. Will for sure take some photographs tomorrow. And bless Matthew for picking hotels for us that are "western" and comfortable, a little place to find refuge and "home" while we are in the intensity of it all.

And today was a day completely without shoes.