Tag: nepal

Yes, my start today – early kora, I was out by 5:45 and wished I’d started a half hour earlier. A balance with going out in the pitch dark and yet having some space when walking kora.

But back to what I’d written for the day:

Up at 3:30 with my back spasming, managed to take Tylenol and stagger back to the bed to lie flat, luckily a platform bed. Finally got up and went to walk the Stupa – We’ve committed to doing 113. So far, no one knows why 113, it’s usually 108. I walked 17 more, so 25 down. And what a morning. At one point, I was trying to surreptitiously video an old man doing full prostrations with wooden blocks when he just stopped, got up and answered his cel phone! Such a juxtaposition, I loved it, wish I could have caught it. Instead, just enjoyed.

The sensory inputs as you walk the huge circle, whether you can get a stride going or not, moving around different groups, the Yogis still with their huge tent and practice to one side. So many different presentations of Buddhist practicioners. Beggars in polite lines along the circle. Different groups of monks, people with disabilities – primarily blind, other small groups that I wasn’t sure what the defining characteristic was.  I could see that what people gave were small paper amounts and I didn’t have any change. I know I’ll be walking for almost two weeks, so the time will come when I have change and can give. Some people would have a handful of 5 bills and would walk down the line giving to each person.

Many people are carrying malas, the prayer beads, ticking them off, some singing, some reciting mantras. No one is on ear buds. Some are in small groups chatting, but that seems to be more later in the day. In the morning it’s a devotional walk. Or it seems that way. Plus people are selling chai, malas, one woman had wads of money on a table. I assume making change. Really? Guess it is safe.

Oh and dogs. I’ve traded cats for dogss. No fights, generally seem pretty fed, many asleep. People take care and even if the dogs sleeping on the walk outside the stupa, people walk around them. Even though I’ve only seen 2 (out of 100?) with collars, there seems to be a place for most. At least, you start to see the same dogs in the same place. If there’s a duo, they stick together. I’ve seen a few who’ve clearly had some kind of medical care – can’t imagine, but there’s something here. I also realized in the early morning, you don’t see that many. So behind gates/doors? Unlike Bhutan who has spayed/neutered all dogs, that’s not happening here. Definitely some puppies.

So I walked the stupa, so happy to be having the experience. So very lucky. I then returned to the hotel and had a group breakfast and then we were off! There are 7 of us now and we went up to the Pullahari Monastery which opened in March 1992. The third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche consecrated the lineage shrine hall, appointing the site for their 3-year retreat. It was so beautiful. The flowers, the shrine hall, the space. It’s about 30 minutes outside Boudha and up the hillside. It wasn’t until someone remarked on the air that I realized in fact, it was defintiely clearer air. But we’ve been really lucky with the weather in Katmandu – high 70’s during the day, 50’s at night. So the early morning walks are great. I’ve heard that between 9 and 10 it’s also really nice, quiet, cool. But I can’t imagine having energy at that point. And the air has been fine.

Katmandu laid out with the mountains behind. Yep, the air isn’t so great over the city, but it could be way worse. I’m missing the entire city in this experience and I think that’s ok.

The 3rd Jomgon Kongtrul Rinpoche was a remarkable teacher so early on and beloved. His predecessor, the first Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé  Kongtrul was a prolific 19th-century polymath and key Rimé movement master. He compiled the “Five Treasuries” (including the Treasury of Knowledge), preserving nearly lost lineages across all Tibetan Buddhist schools

We refer to his writings frequently. The 3rd Jomgon Kongtrul Rinpoche was heading towards that same brilliance, but sadly was killed in a car accident in India when he was 37, only 2 months after opening his monastery. His body is in the kundun here. We looked through the window, but couldn’t go in. Another beautiful room.

Kristina found a monk who let us into the shrine room, no photos of course, but the outside was spectacular too. The paintings! We couldn’t stay, were lucky to have even gone in. We sat for 20 minutes outside and then did a singing practice. We came back to the hotel and then went over to what was supposed to be a bakery and it was, but also a whole restaurant. Bueatiful garden place that Rosa knew. I did not expect things like this! We had a great lunch and then I was going to write up Nepal, but Maurice said Christian had gotten the ok to go to Tekchokling even though visitors were supposed to stay away since the nuns (littles to maybe 14 – 15? )were preparing everything for the stupa consecrations.

Painting of Padmasambhava behind me. Incredibly vivid.

The monks were running, playing, at one point had put all their shoes in a line and were playing some game. And then, coming to a standstill to watch us sing.

Tek Chok Ling – Khenpo’s nunnery. Christian offered to lead a practice so we went over and practiced for maybe 45 minutes then Rosa and I got up to go meet Amy and try to go back to Shechen, something Amy had wanted to do. Instead we ran into Amy at  Tek Chok Ling – with Sasha – who was showing her around. We got to go up to all of the shrines – bottom was the most decorated with instruments and the nuns doing a Malakala practice. The second floor where visitors usually practiced – where we’d been. The third for Khenpo and sometimes splitting visitors, Chinese on the 3rd floor, westerners on the 2nd floor. Then all the way back down and then back up the stairs in the middle of the nuns’ dorm to the 4th floor where they had a butter lamp room by itself perched on the room.

Evening scene on the circle around the stupa, and then one of the many stores on my way back to the hotel.

I was running out of gas and so were the others. So we walked a bit more and then came back to the room. I was so hungry I went down by myself to eat, but others were also ready and we gathered with eventually 13 people for an amazing dinner. This hotel is SO much more than I expected!

I arrived after a perfectly fine all night flight. I slept at best an hour, but i was determined to be awake. However, clearly I wasn’t because others talked about the giant buddha at the airport. I didn’t see it. I did see the machines to get your visa  that others seemed to be visiting with success. I went through 2 machines plus a QR code and finally got someone to help, he went to a machine and it stopped working. Hmmm, my tech brown thumb hadn’t really been in operation for a while. Not a good time for it to happen since between group messaging flying in from different WhatsApps groups and maps, I wanted it to work!

I did finally get through the airport, couldn’t get a cash machine to work, happily, finally found one that did. You can’t operate in dollars here and a lot of times the cost is so minimal that there isn’t an option for card of tap, you need Nepalese Rupee. There are so many to the dólar that when I did finally get the max I could at a machine which equaled $230, it was wads of money. And such interesting designs!

The hotel had sent a driver that I’d arranged previously which was great. Later I saw and incredible  amount of messages coming from the general group about trying to get taxis, how to tip, what was fair, getting lost, oh thank goodness.

I walked into the hotel at 8:30am and immediately saw a friend from Nalandabodhi. And I was off and running. Not literally, but that’s how it has felt for the least three days. I’m writing retrospectively because there hasn’t been time before now and it’s been wonderful!.

Turns out there are 5 of us from Nalandabodhi staying here, I’d thought I’d be alone because I’d had such a hard time finding a hotel, everyone else I knew was already set. Kristina has been with Rinpoche for many years, and has been in Nepal several times, and has a gift for organizing and making things happen with such joy – usually breaking into song since singing and choir directing is her life. I put my things in my room, joined them for a great breakfast and then we were on to the day’s adventures.

I tried to figure out from maps where we were and going, but it wouldn’t give directions. That wasn’t just me, others couldn’t get Google Maps or Apple Maps to give directions, just stated the place and gave info about it. Weird. So we walked hither and yon and I had no idea where we were. I knew I was going to have to walk my on my own to figure it out because it’s all very walkable.

I’m in the Boudha area of Katmandu. It’s almost all Tibetan buddhist, different dress, different groups, but in general (according to those who know), this area is cleaner, kinder, and safer. It’s really wonderful. The people and surroundings are so interesting that I see people tripping on the cobble stones and rough places all the time because it’s hard to keep your eye on where you’re going. It’s not just me!

I had expected it to be kind of a rougher India. It definitely is reminiscent, but it’s its own place for sure. I can see why people want to come back. I was in sensory whelm – not overwhelmed, but there was so much that I decided I couldn’t really take any photos – or not many.  I was walking tired after no sleep and so happy to be in the midst of friends getting a safe intro to this great place. So not what I’d thought I’d be doing my first days which was wondering mostly alone 🙂 So smells, textures, visuals, noises – so many inputs. Impossible to really describe.

We started off walking to the stupa. The  Boudha Stupa or Boudhana Stupa is a  major spiritual landmark seen as the embodiment of the enlightened mind of all the Buddhas. The stupa is said to have given birth to Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. Its layout as a massive mandala makes it the largest spherical stupa in Nepal and one of the largest in the world. And we’ve all made a commitment to circumnavigate it (or do kora) 113 times. My first day, I did 8, my second 17, my third nothing. Today I wanted to start by 5:30, but started writing. So – I’m going now and will keep trying to get these past 3 days done by the end of the day.

The next thing we went to was Shechen Monastery related to Dilgo Khyentse RInpoche (1910-91), a revered teacher who continues to inspire. His photo is one that is on my shrine and many others. His complex includes the monastery, guest house, many shrine rooms. There’s a particular one that is open to visitors, with one room holding the kundun, where relics, sometimes whole bodies are kept. In Dilgo Khyentse’s case, there are relics of body, speech and mind to inspire all who enter. You can meditate in this room, but most continue to the next and that’s where we practiced for an hour. There’s a huge photo of him, as well as a statue of him and a photo of the Dalai Lama on the shrine. And it’s the most serene room. Even with some whispering prayers, clacking beads, making prostrations upon entering, it doesn’t matter.

We continued on to explore and see different areas and ended up at the Himalayan Cafe that’s on the circle around the stupa. It was great! Clearly invites westerners, but some locals as well. Again, we could eat and drink safely. We also went to the Rokpa Guest house. The Rinpoche there was wonderful, and his mission was to educate street children. They had a cafe and trained the kids to do all things related as well as getting a regular education. At this time, the cafe is run by the people who’ve graduated from there. As we walked up the four flights to the roof deck, the stairway was lined with photos of many of the kids with their names, from little to grown up. Their lives forever changed.

Up on the stupa, see those eyes at the top? They’re on every side and incredible.

I got a text from one of my Nalandabodhi friends, Amy and ended up leaving the group and joining her and Darcey to do kora, going around 7 times talking the whole time. I didn’t realize you could do that! Thought it had to be in silence. We climbed up onto the stupa – I’d thought you could walk up there, albeit in your socks or bare feet, but nope. At least not enough to do kora. So just got some photos. There’s a Vajrayana Yogi group who’s doing a huge practice – all day long praying, reading text, incredible that the leader can do it sustainably for hours. They’re raising money for the flood victims of the last two huge floods.

Then went to dinner with those two and two others which was great – they’re the people organizing everything and it’s a huge undertaking. There are nearly 200 people for the Nalandabodhi functions and then nearly 400 for the Karmapa 16 group’s pilgrimage later next week. So a treat to be with them and catch up and chat since it might be my only sighting in a casual way.

When I got back to the hotel for the first time since I’d arrived, I thought it was about 11pm. Turned out to be 7:45!