This trip has enriched my life and presented the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of the Indian, Tibetan, Newari and Nepali cultures while uncovering a deeper understanding of myself. For this, I am humbled, inspired, and grateful.
Studying Hinduism, and the Yogic practice provided a window of understanding some aspects of the diverse cultures present in India. I learned about the overall organizational structure of Indian culture and the observed how they process their experiences. Indian's are both very logical and linear in their thinking; all occurrences have a traceable reason. Paradoxically, because Hindus have a strong relationship with lord Brahma, and all of His manifestations, often, the reason for the occurrence can be traced to the ordained action of God. Hence, all of the rituals and temples dedicated to each god and goddess, or aspect of Brahma. Logical yes, but also very mystical.
In addition, this experience has helped to lay the foundation necessary to integrate Buddhism into my daily practice. I connected ease-fully with the Tibetan culture and found myself naturally in alignment with their way of being.
We have so much.
Thank you for joining me and for your loving thoughts and prayers. I look forward to seeing your beautiful faces.
With Love and many Blessings,
Tashi Delek, (May you have good fortune)
Michelle
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Agra and Boda Gaya
I took the train from Varanasi to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. The Taj is a beautifully constructed marble mausoleum that is adorned with traditional Mughal (Muslim) patterns that have been etched into the marble. Some of the etchings are painted recitations of Muslim prayers, while other etchings have been inlaid with coral, lapiz, jade and onyx stone. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to commemorate his late wife. The mausoleum was built after the death of Shah Jahan's third and favorite wife. A large garden and fountains extended out from the Taj Mahal and behind it lies the Ganga river, tranquil. A large Mosque and the living quarters of the Shah's other two wives are built around the Taj. The Mosque is still active. The architecture is exquisite, and revealed in the construction are several optical illusions. Inside the Taj is the burial site for both Shah Jahan and his wife. The monuments I saw are replicas; the real tombs lie underneath the main quarters of the Taj Mahal.
This trip also included a tour of other important Mughal temples and burial sites of Muslim emperors. I saw the tomb of the great emperor Akbar, who conquered most of northern India and later converted to Buddhism. Akbar is known for exercising religious tolerance. Akbar's tomb is also adorned with intricate geometric designs characteristic of Mughal empire.
Boda Gaya is located in the India's poorest state, Bihar. My friend and I, whom I met at the ashram, took a taxi from Varanasi to Boda Gaya, where Siddhartha, while sitting beneath the Bodhi tree, attained enlightenment and became Buddha. Boda Gaya is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhist and is considered the center of the Buddhist universe, the Navel of the Earth. The Bodhi tree sits behind the Mahabodhi Temple and is encapsulated with numerous stupas ( carved statues) that honor the Buddha. I made an offering at the Mahabodhi temple in front of the Buddha and then sat in the garden near the Bodhi tree to meditate. All around me were Buddhist practitioners making full prostrations in front of the temple. It was so peaceful and calming. I felt honored to be there. As I stood beneath the great Bodhi tree, a leaf fell from it's branches. I picked up the leaf, recognizing it as a great gift and blessing.
This trip also included a tour of other important Mughal temples and burial sites of Muslim emperors. I saw the tomb of the great emperor Akbar, who conquered most of northern India and later converted to Buddhism. Akbar is known for exercising religious tolerance. Akbar's tomb is also adorned with intricate geometric designs characteristic of Mughal empire.
Boda Gaya is located in the India's poorest state, Bihar. My friend and I, whom I met at the ashram, took a taxi from Varanasi to Boda Gaya, where Siddhartha, while sitting beneath the Bodhi tree, attained enlightenment and became Buddha. Boda Gaya is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhist and is considered the center of the Buddhist universe, the Navel of the Earth. The Bodhi tree sits behind the Mahabodhi Temple and is encapsulated with numerous stupas ( carved statues) that honor the Buddha. I made an offering at the Mahabodhi temple in front of the Buddha and then sat in the garden near the Bodhi tree to meditate. All around me were Buddhist practitioners making full prostrations in front of the temple. It was so peaceful and calming. I felt honored to be there. As I stood beneath the great Bodhi tree, a leaf fell from it's branches. I picked up the leaf, recognizing it as a great gift and blessing.
While in Nepal
My time in Nepal truly touched my heart. I met wonderful people who extended such loving kindness and generosity toward me. May this generosity continue through my thoughts and actions.
Instead of living at the nunnery, which was outside of Boudha, and too far to travel from daily, I had the opportunity to live at the Odiyana Buddhist Center with Brandon and Andy, two Dharma practitioners, and Lopan Kelsang. The Lopan is a teaching monk who has his Ph.D equivalent in Buddhist philosophy. The Odiyana family opened their hearts and their living space to me; when I arrived in Boddha, my initial living arrangements changed and because of the re-enthronement ceremony, it was difficult to find a reasonably priced room to let. Knowing my situation, Andy, Brandon and the Lopan offered me a place to stay. What a blessing. The Lopan said to me with his loud gruff voice and broken English: "You did not know, but this was the best thing", with gratitude agreed.
Following the re-enthronement of Tulku Rinpoche, which was so incredible, (you'll see in the pictures), I spent my days receiving transmissions of the Buddhist teachings from both the Lopan and from Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Pakchack Rinpoche at the Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery. Rinpoche means precious one and it is a title that refers to an incarnate of the lineage. I am studying within the Niygma lineage. There are four lineages of Buddhist thought: The Nygma, the Sakya, the Kagyu and the Galuk.
The Ka-Nying-Shedrub Ling Monastery is affiliated with the Kathmandu University where many Western students are studying Buddhism. I was able to attend a class at the university with a professor who is currently conducting research into the neurological affects of meditation. I spoke with him after class and explained my interest in this project in regards to the cognitive benefits of implementing meditation in the classroom. He agreed to provide me with his research and additional resources. Further, I met a friend who is studying at the Shedrub and she is a student of another professor who is spearheading the Mind life Project; this project has similar goals and is sponsored by the Dalai Lama. These contacts are important as I continue to pursue my professional goals in Education.
I visited two important Buddhist pilgrimage sites: Sankhu and Parping. Sankhu is a Newari village and is home to the Vajrayogini temple, a tantric goddess that represents sthe powerful female aspects of the Buddha. The Vajrayogini is also a pilgrimage site for Hindus as the incarnation of the protector goddess, Durga. The temple was beautiful, and the Varrayogini was dressed in gold and red cloth and draped in silver. The temple is ornately decorated with hand carved, stone statues. I went with two Russian friends, one I met on the bus from Varanasi to Kathmandu, and her friend who was also attending the teachings at the Shedrub. We were lead around Sankhu by an old LLama who lived in a small house near the temple. In addition to the temple, he walked us to view the meditation caves used by four Buddhist Yogis: Tilopa and Naropa and Marpa and Milarepa. These Yogis meditated for several years in these caves, completely isolated from the rest of the world. The Yogis attempted to reach states of enlightenment through both the meditative practice and Tibetan Yoga. The Lopan is trained in Tibetan yoga, and he showed us this ancient and highly demanding practice. The practice was designed to dissolve karma as well as generate heat in the body and keep the body healthy. These caves are amazing- they are not tall enough to stand upright in and are wide enough for me to lie down in, in one direction. Silent and isolated retreat are still a major part of the Buddhist tradition. The Llama also walked us to a rare statue of Nagarjun, an Indian poet who became a Buddhist monk and traveled across India to lead many political awakenings before and after India's independence.
Parping is also situated in a Newari village outside of Kathmandu and is home to one of the meditation caves used by Padmasambhava (Lotus born). Padmasambhava is responsible for bringing Buddhism to Tibet from India. He is highly revered and is referred to as Guru Rinpoche. It was here in this cave that Guru Rinpoche attained enlightenment. I went with the Odiyana family and we sat in Guru Rinpoche's cave and meditated. I could feel the sacredness of this cave and the lingering power of peacefulness.
I left Boudha for one week to trek through Pokhara. Pokhara is beautiful; situated on what remains of Fewa lake, surrounded by the Annapurna Himalaya mountain range. Initially, I was going to hike part of the Annapurna circuit, which is part of the Annapurna Conservation area. The full circuit takes between 16-21 days, but htere are portions one can hike in 10 days. Because I only had one week, I opted to hike a small loop trail around Pokhara called Panchase Danda. The hike covered about forty miles and ascended and descended through Nepalese villages and offered spectacular vies of the Annapurna's and the Pokhara valley. It was so beautiful and provided an opportunity for me to digest much of what I had learned as well as process much of what was surfacing as part of the process of dissolution. The Lopan always said that in meditation, whatever comes to the surface, whether thought or emotion, has come rushing, like a waterfall, in order to be dissolved. I had the opportunity to practice detachment when I realized I had lost my camera! My guide and I were preparing for a steep ascent and I was quite tired. I set mt backpack down and my camera next to it and organized what I would need for the next hour. I was so focused on only the essentials, that I packed my backpack, drank some water and forgot to pick up my camera. It is interesting how at the time, it did not seem essential, otherwise I would have remembered it, but how essential it became as soon as I realized I had lost it. I recognized my frustration at loosing the pictures I had taken of the Himalayas, my friends and of Boudha, and of the money lost, and let go. It was only material and I didn't lose all of my pictures, and here I met an important lesson about attachment.
I learned so much from my time in Nepal. I now have a strong foundation for practicing Buddhism. Rather, it feels like I found the memory of something I had always known, and found myself in a kinship with the Dharma and feel that I have found the beginning and the continuation of something so innate and inherently transformational. I am so grateful.
Instead of living at the nunnery, which was outside of Boudha, and too far to travel from daily, I had the opportunity to live at the Odiyana Buddhist Center with Brandon and Andy, two Dharma practitioners, and Lopan Kelsang. The Lopan is a teaching monk who has his Ph.D equivalent in Buddhist philosophy. The Odiyana family opened their hearts and their living space to me; when I arrived in Boddha, my initial living arrangements changed and because of the re-enthronement ceremony, it was difficult to find a reasonably priced room to let. Knowing my situation, Andy, Brandon and the Lopan offered me a place to stay. What a blessing. The Lopan said to me with his loud gruff voice and broken English: "You did not know, but this was the best thing", with gratitude agreed.
Following the re-enthronement of Tulku Rinpoche, which was so incredible, (you'll see in the pictures), I spent my days receiving transmissions of the Buddhist teachings from both the Lopan and from Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Pakchack Rinpoche at the Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery. Rinpoche means precious one and it is a title that refers to an incarnate of the lineage. I am studying within the Niygma lineage. There are four lineages of Buddhist thought: The Nygma, the Sakya, the Kagyu and the Galuk.
The Ka-Nying-Shedrub Ling Monastery is affiliated with the Kathmandu University where many Western students are studying Buddhism. I was able to attend a class at the university with a professor who is currently conducting research into the neurological affects of meditation. I spoke with him after class and explained my interest in this project in regards to the cognitive benefits of implementing meditation in the classroom. He agreed to provide me with his research and additional resources. Further, I met a friend who is studying at the Shedrub and she is a student of another professor who is spearheading the Mind life Project; this project has similar goals and is sponsored by the Dalai Lama. These contacts are important as I continue to pursue my professional goals in Education.
I visited two important Buddhist pilgrimage sites: Sankhu and Parping. Sankhu is a Newari village and is home to the Vajrayogini temple, a tantric goddess that represents sthe powerful female aspects of the Buddha. The Vajrayogini is also a pilgrimage site for Hindus as the incarnation of the protector goddess, Durga. The temple was beautiful, and the Varrayogini was dressed in gold and red cloth and draped in silver. The temple is ornately decorated with hand carved, stone statues. I went with two Russian friends, one I met on the bus from Varanasi to Kathmandu, and her friend who was also attending the teachings at the Shedrub. We were lead around Sankhu by an old LLama who lived in a small house near the temple. In addition to the temple, he walked us to view the meditation caves used by four Buddhist Yogis: Tilopa and Naropa and Marpa and Milarepa. These Yogis meditated for several years in these caves, completely isolated from the rest of the world. The Yogis attempted to reach states of enlightenment through both the meditative practice and Tibetan Yoga. The Lopan is trained in Tibetan yoga, and he showed us this ancient and highly demanding practice. The practice was designed to dissolve karma as well as generate heat in the body and keep the body healthy. These caves are amazing- they are not tall enough to stand upright in and are wide enough for me to lie down in, in one direction. Silent and isolated retreat are still a major part of the Buddhist tradition. The Llama also walked us to a rare statue of Nagarjun, an Indian poet who became a Buddhist monk and traveled across India to lead many political awakenings before and after India's independence.
Parping is also situated in a Newari village outside of Kathmandu and is home to one of the meditation caves used by Padmasambhava (Lotus born). Padmasambhava is responsible for bringing Buddhism to Tibet from India. He is highly revered and is referred to as Guru Rinpoche. It was here in this cave that Guru Rinpoche attained enlightenment. I went with the Odiyana family and we sat in Guru Rinpoche's cave and meditated. I could feel the sacredness of this cave and the lingering power of peacefulness.
I left Boudha for one week to trek through Pokhara. Pokhara is beautiful; situated on what remains of Fewa lake, surrounded by the Annapurna Himalaya mountain range. Initially, I was going to hike part of the Annapurna circuit, which is part of the Annapurna Conservation area. The full circuit takes between 16-21 days, but htere are portions one can hike in 10 days. Because I only had one week, I opted to hike a small loop trail around Pokhara called Panchase Danda. The hike covered about forty miles and ascended and descended through Nepalese villages and offered spectacular vies of the Annapurna's and the Pokhara valley. It was so beautiful and provided an opportunity for me to digest much of what I had learned as well as process much of what was surfacing as part of the process of dissolution. The Lopan always said that in meditation, whatever comes to the surface, whether thought or emotion, has come rushing, like a waterfall, in order to be dissolved. I had the opportunity to practice detachment when I realized I had lost my camera! My guide and I were preparing for a steep ascent and I was quite tired. I set mt backpack down and my camera next to it and organized what I would need for the next hour. I was so focused on only the essentials, that I packed my backpack, drank some water and forgot to pick up my camera. It is interesting how at the time, it did not seem essential, otherwise I would have remembered it, but how essential it became as soon as I realized I had lost it. I recognized my frustration at loosing the pictures I had taken of the Himalayas, my friends and of Boudha, and of the money lost, and let go. It was only material and I didn't lose all of my pictures, and here I met an important lesson about attachment.
I learned so much from my time in Nepal. I now have a strong foundation for practicing Buddhism. Rather, it feels like I found the memory of something I had always known, and found myself in a kinship with the Dharma and feel that I have found the beginning and the continuation of something so innate and inherently transformational. I am so grateful.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Rajastan
Greetings from Pushkar, Rajastan. I took the train from Delhi to Jaipur where I met my friend, and from Jaipur, we took the bus to Pushkar. Jaipur is a metropolitan city, like Delhi, but it is smaller and less populated, and therefore, it feels less frantic and less aggressive. I like Jaipur; traffic laws are actually enforced! It is quite a change from most of the other parts of India I have visited. I must be becoming a city-girl because I was very much relieved to be treading on pavement, noticing the cars, buses, auto and pedal rickshaws flowing in an organised manner via round-abouts. My friend, who is from Varanasi, says that Jaipur is a well-mannered city. He is an engineering student at a university in Jaipur. We went to city park and it was a real park-with grass, trees and stone walk-ways. It was so peaceful. There were moments when I forgot I was in India, it felt like a park in the U.S. During one of these moments, I saw three women dressed in saris, carrying bundles if firewood on their heads and remembered I was in India. My friend and I went to the Central (historical) Museum, and artifacts dating back from the 19c A.d. The silver craftsmanship exhibited by the Mughal empire is extraordinary. The were made of silver and jade and hand carved in varying patterns and the eating ware was equally ornate. In addition to Mughal artifacts, the museum also displayed hand-carved, stone statues of Hindi gods. Further, the museum had halls dedicated to carpets, pottery and painted murals that depicted Hindi myths. I will see the pink city and the myriad of palaces when I return from Pushkar.
We took the bus to Pushkar and spent the day visited the various Hindi and Sikh temples. From the bus window, I could see huge marble slabs sitting in front of store-houses; marble and other stones and gems are mined from the Snake mountains and neighboring hillsides. Pushkar is a holy city, situated on Pushkar lake and is home to the only Brahma temple in all of India. Like Varanasi, ghats surround the lake, and the city is built up from these steps. We prayed at the Brahma temple, then made an offering of flowers, turmeric, sugar and rice to the ghat;praying for the well-being and prosperity of ourselves and our families.
The architecture of the buildings and temples has more of a Middle Eastern influence, and although the primary religion remains Hinduism, the Rasjastani people have their own unique customs, language and dress. The women's saris are bright oranges, and fluorescent yellows and pinks. The women also wear a large hoop earring in their left nostril and belts made of silver. Rajastan has a desert like climate and is full of sage brush and strong winds, but there are also palms and coconut trees growing here. It is common to see camels roaming the streets, and each year, there is an enormous camel festival held here. While tourism is apparent here, the city feels very calm and relaxing.
Tomorrow, we are going to catch the sunrise at the Savitri temple that is set on a neighboring hill, looking over the city. Savirti is the first wife of Brahma and there is a long story here, but I'll have to ask my friend about the story, again.
I only have six more days here in the Bharat, the Chariot of Wisdom. Bharat is the Sandskrit name for India.
We took the bus to Pushkar and spent the day visited the various Hindi and Sikh temples. From the bus window, I could see huge marble slabs sitting in front of store-houses; marble and other stones and gems are mined from the Snake mountains and neighboring hillsides. Pushkar is a holy city, situated on Pushkar lake and is home to the only Brahma temple in all of India. Like Varanasi, ghats surround the lake, and the city is built up from these steps. We prayed at the Brahma temple, then made an offering of flowers, turmeric, sugar and rice to the ghat;praying for the well-being and prosperity of ourselves and our families.
The architecture of the buildings and temples has more of a Middle Eastern influence, and although the primary religion remains Hinduism, the Rasjastani people have their own unique customs, language and dress. The women's saris are bright oranges, and fluorescent yellows and pinks. The women also wear a large hoop earring in their left nostril and belts made of silver. Rajastan has a desert like climate and is full of sage brush and strong winds, but there are also palms and coconut trees growing here. It is common to see camels roaming the streets, and each year, there is an enormous camel festival held here. While tourism is apparent here, the city feels very calm and relaxing.
Tomorrow, we are going to catch the sunrise at the Savitri temple that is set on a neighboring hill, looking over the city. Savirti is the first wife of Brahma and there is a long story here, but I'll have to ask my friend about the story, again.
I only have six more days here in the Bharat, the Chariot of Wisdom. Bharat is the Sandskrit name for India.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Kathmandu to Delhi
Hello! I am in Majnu-Ka-Tilla, a Tibet refugee camp in northern Delhi. I arrived via bus, yes, I took the bus again, today around 1pm. This was one stinky, comical, frustrating, squished, unbelievable and valuable 36 hour ride. We had two flat tires, two children puking out the window while the bus was in motion, a man who while asleep, fell face forward through the window of the door-he was rescued by two other men who grabbed hold of his legs and pulled him back into the bus. He decided to sleep on the floor in the aisle instead. I traveled with my friend Flavio from Switzerland and we had some wonderful conversations and helped each other laugh through the ridiculousness of the ride and advocated for regular pee breaks.
I am going to write more in the next couple of days; I have much to say. On Sunday, I am going to Rajastan, via train, to visit a friend for the final leg of my trip.
I am going to write more in the next couple of days; I have much to say. On Sunday, I am going to Rajastan, via train, to visit a friend for the final leg of my trip.
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