I dreamt that I was giving a lecture to a group of evangelical Christians about the merits of Buddhism. I was … But the audience drifted off and I was left in the embarrassing position of talking to no one!

Today we took a taxi for half an hours drive out of Manali to Nagger where the International Roerich Memorial Trust is situated. The Trust is in memory of Nicolas Roerich who was born in Russia in 1874 but eventually settled in Nagger. He is still celebrated in his homeland as an influential cultural figure. His thoughts combined his native Russian Orthodoxy with an interest in Eastern Religion, even Pantheism. His paintings of the Himalayas are definitive and superb. His art is a great inspiration to me. My own skill is very limited, but I find the act of painting gives me intense pleasure.

During his time Roerich’s thoughts were very popular and garnered him numerous Nobel peace nominations. However he is now almost forgotten outside Russia and India, but his mountain-top traditional home and garden is still a haven of peace.