Monday, May 27, 2013

Buddhist studies in Kathmandu


Dear readers,

I have had several requests about what Buddhist studies are available in Nepal, here is the result of my research:

(Kagyu lineage)
The center offers BA and MA and is recognized by Kathmandu University (www.ku.edu.np).
The course take place in the Rangjung Yeshe Institute  (www.shedra.org). 
Where: in the Bouddhanath area of Kathmandu, a very lively Tibetan community

(Sakya lineage)
Several "one month" options from May to September
Where: Bouddhanath area

(Dzogchen, Nyingma lineage)

They have a 3 month winter-spring program (already full for 2013!)
Where: In Pharping, a small village a few miles west of Kathmandu

(Gelup lineage)
Many option but the most popular is the one month Lam Rim course in November each year. 
Where: A few miles north of Bouddhanath

(Kagyu Lineage)
A very popular 2 month program from Jan 7 to March 7 but also a 5 year philosophy program for the more advanced students!
Where: In Tinchuli, a few minutes walk East of Bouddhanath

(Nyingma lineage)
A 9 year program (MA and PhD equivalent), for serious students!
Where: In Bouddhanath area

Let's turn the Wheel of Dharma!
With Love and Light

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Gosaikunda, the power of the Himalayas. By Gaby

Bharaivkund lake frozen


It is difficult to express fully the experience of walking to Gosaikunda and my experience may not be that of everyone as I have cultivated a life long relationship with the mountains but with the Himalaya and its connection to yoga even more so recently. 



Gosaikund is not like any place, it is a sacred place and has been fed with people's faith, imagination and myth as much as with water form the glacier of the Langtang region. 

Gosaikund is born from the Trishul (trident) of Lord Shiva, after he had swallowed the poison liberated from the churning of the Ocean of Milk (see Samudra Manthan) Lord Shiva felt so thirsty that he needed fresh water immediately, he poked his Trishul into a mountain and drank from the water springing forth. The same spring created the lake known as Gosaikund. It is believed that both sacred river of Kathmandu Valley the Baghmati and the Vishnumati, originating form the Sivapuri hill, north of the city, get their water from Gosaikund. It is also said that the area has 108 lakes...

The lament of the lakes in their prison of ice echoes the lament of my soul in its prison of flesh
In December the lakes are frozen. At dawn or dusk, with change of temperature the ice dilates or retract and cracks. As a result, the lake is chanting and the sound is like the chants of the whales or a musical saw. The first time I heard I was struck: the complaint echoed in the mountains around, something out of this world. I had to listen many more time to figure out what it was. The next day we walked to see as many lakes as possible. We reached a point were we were surrounded by 4 lakes, Gosaikund, Bharaivkund, Kyumachkund and Chandrakund. In the early morning, all the lakes were chanting like talking to each other, each with a different voice. As I sat in silence listening, feeling the vibration deep inside my chest, I had the feeling that the lakes were speaking to me. Not me as an separated individual but me as a part of the universe. The moment was powerful and emotional, at this moment he above words came to me: the lament of the lakes in their prison of ice echoes the lament of my soul in its prison of flesh.

Silence is one, undivided, eternal
Beyond the lament of the lake their were few noisy distraction: the place was amazingly silent. Almost no wind which is rare at this altitude and season. They were moments of silence so deep that your breath and heartbeat became the most noisy part of this universe. I started to listen with concentration to the silence and here too I heard these words: "I am the silence, I am you, you listen to me with your ears but I am also inside of you. The silence you hear now and the silence you seek in meditation are one. Listen to me and you will know what to look for. Listen inside you, you will find me there too."

Between Infinitely big and Infinitely small
Nothing seems to be at human scale in the Himalaya. The sky and mountains are humbling in their size. Almost nu human or animal life, like an invitation to turn toward the small. It is a feast for all the senses here, we walk on plants called Sunpati (the Tibetan burn them in honor to the Gods) and their spicy smell is entrancing, the symphony of color is amazing bright yellow, orange, red, gold... the lichen, moses, flowers, grass offer all kind of textures for the touch from the smooth ice, the rugged rock, the soft cotton like flowers. All these details seems to tell you to turn away from the gross and to focus on the subtle, another form of inner journey.

A dip in a holy (and icy) lake is always a transformative experience!
Spiritual inclination
All through the journey I had this quote from Albert Einstein in mind: "Do not look for miracle, your entire life is a miracle". From the lake echoing the lament of my soul looking for freedom, to the silence mirroring the silence of meditation, the infinitely small grabbing your attention to look inside, all these messages made the trip so magical. My meditation up there was like the lakes, profound and still, it was different, there was a deeper clarity about it.

If the mind is talking but it cannot resist the transformation process that is taking place, much beyond the mind, it is making an ultimate attempt to resist but it already knows the silence that is coming.


Love and Light from Kathmandu!