"Yo, these cats are holding it down for the rest of us." Welcome to the most devoted show on earth! It's 4:30 AM, barely the break of dawn, and the band next door, which we've come to call "When In Robes," is already practicing. Monks chanting, horns blowing, bells ringing, conch shells howling, drums beating... Did we mention it's 4:30 in the morning?! Our guesthouse rests among three Tibetan monasteries in Boudha, Kathmandu home to the world's largest stupa (a Buddhist structure designed to hold Buddha's relics) and where Tibetan culture thrives, untouched and accessible. Hundreds of pilgrims circumambulate the stupa holding prayer wheels with their right hand and beads in their left every single day. With each footstep, another mantra uttered, another prayer wheel spun the Boudha stupa is like church on steroids! The spiritual devotion we've seen so far is unparalleled. It's easy to be swept away by the energy of everyone offering prayers of peace and compassion to all beings. According to Buddhists, every loop made around the stupa cleanses your karma ten thousand fold. So for all you sinners out there this should be your next destination.
The essence of this place is enchanting to say the least. Being here for only a week we already feel a sense of community and have met people who we know will be lifelong friends. No sooner than we sat down in the courtyard at a nearby monastery a monk sat down next to us to strike up a conversation. Meeting Tashi has enriched our experience in so many ways. Everyday with a cup of Tibetan butter tea he helps us to understand and unravel the mystery of both Nepalese and monastic life. Tashi being the middle child, devoted his life to the robe as is customary in the Nepalese Buddhist culture. At lunch one day we mentioned wanting to go to Pharping to explore the Guru Rinpoche's cave where he became enlightened and of course to meet the infamous, Jutral Rinponche. Hearing stories all week about THEEE seemingly quirky Rinpoche and his plight to save the fish had us hooked. Coincidentily, Tashi had to take a trip there as well to make an offering on behalf of his monastary. So about the fish... The sign in front of his monastery said it all, "We do not kill animals to simply fatten our flesh." Thousands of monks and laypeople visit him every year in order to give offerings, but he refuses to accept them. Instead this 94 year old monk travels to Calcutta every year buying fish at the markets and setting them free into the ocean. Apparently, Steven Seagal, the American action hero... paid him a visit and offered a donation, but Rinpoche told him to go back to the U.S. and use the money to free fish there. And, he did! Unfortunately, the Rinponche was on retreat in India, so we left a donation in honor of our beloved gold fish, Sashimi, who's back home. While in Pharping, we visited many of the other magnificent gompas (Tibetan monasteries) tucked away in the picturesque hills outside of the Kathmandu Valley. While there, Tashi described how monks come to these hills to retreat for 2 to 3 years in complete silence with no human interaction at all. Wow.
While our romantic notions of Nepal have come true, the reality is that it's still one of the poorest countries in the world. The most difficult aspect of our journey is having to see children and women with no adequate shelter, clothing or food. As a Hindu Kingdom, Nepal still holds true to the caste system which in many ways breeds oppression especially toward women. Sadly, women are only recognized as part of society when they bear their husband's a son. Bearing witness to all this suffering has humbled us, and most of all strengthened our resolve to help. Needless to say, in just 7 days Nepal has given us a lifetime of memories and this is just the beginning of our journey...
We leave tomorrow for Pokhara and the beginning of our 3 week trek along the Annapurna Circuit. We'll be eating clouds as we traverse the mighty Himalayas at heights of up to 17,000 feet. When we return to Kathmandu in June it's off to a 10 day meditation retreat at the International Buddhist Academy with Khenpo Appey Rinpoche and all of his venerable Tibetan Buddhist teachings. With all this and a bag of Masala chips we probably won't post again till mid-June. We'll miss you. Tashi delek!
