Bardo for Keenan
The word bardo literally means "an interval between two things". 'Bar' means 'interval' and 'do' means 'two'. We can think of this interval in a spatial or temporal way. If there are two houses, the space between them is a bardo. The period between sunrise and sunset, the interval of daylight, is a bardo. A bardo can be of long or short duration, of wide or narrow expanse.
On September 17, we had a bardo puja done for Keenan at lama Wangdu’s monastery. The ceremony lasted from 10 am to 5 pm with a lunch interval.



Among those present were Yanik, Tsering, and Vidhea from Passage, Keenan’s Tibetan home stay family, Tsering and her teachers of Tibetan medicine, yoga and language. Other friends who had met Keenan were also at her ceremony
It was a beautiful, moving ceremony and, we hope, we were able to catch at least an essence of it in the video and the photos we sent her family in the US.
May Keenan’s next incarnation be blessed and joyous. I am sure that her indomitable, free spirit and passion will always exist.

Greg Ogden: Personal Passage



Greg participated in a Personal Passage for 8 weeks. A friendly, affable, easy-to-please young man, the focus of his passage was the Tibetan language. He managed to complete 104 hours and will be receiving 12 credits from his university. This will be the last of his graduation requirements with a BA in philosophy and he would like to pursue further studies in Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy. He says, “I've caught the Kathmandu bug and I'm sure I'll be back when circumstances allow. I'm forever grateful to Passage Project and everyone that helped make this possible and thoroughly enjoyable.”

Katrina Orcino: Personal Passage



Katrina arrived on October 7 to participate in a 9-week Personal Passage. Architecture is her focus but mainly on the psychology of human-environment interactions, or ways in which the built environment affects people occupying it, and vice versa. Her studies are in Kathmandu valley but, for a week, she went up to the Everest Khumbu region to work at the Sherpa Heritage House. She says, ‘For the past two-and-a-half weeks, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help restore and preserve one of the last remaining traditional Sherpa homes in the Khumjung village of the Everest region. I cleaned layers and layers of dust off of many of the home's household goods, tools, and art, such as wall paintings, statues, and woodcarvings. It was interesting to imagine how these items were used hundreds of years ago, and yet still retain their traditional charm today. It was an honor and privilege for me to work on this home because it belongs to the noted Sherpa mountaineer, Pertemba Sherpa, who has summited Mt. Everest three times and has led numerous expeditions in the Himalayas. With continued work on the house, Pertemba proposes to turn it into a center for preservation of the Sherpa culture, that will be open to visitors as a museum as well as for locals to gain insight into their own culture. I had a really great time being in Khumjung--living with my home stay family, working on the Sherpa Heritage House, going around the village and experiencing local culture--but the trek up there and back was an equally great experience. Although the trails were rough on my feet, passing through the most picturesque villages and meeting the friendliest people along the way was all worth it.”

Elle Friend: alumnus from Tibetan Summer 2005

Elle has been back in Nepal since September working with a small NGO called Solutions Benefiting Life (SBL). She works at their project site in Thimi in September at Madhyapur Clay Crafts. SBL trains local potters to produce ceramic water filters impregnated with colloidal silver which are sold locally to improve drinking water by reducing turbidity and removing bacteria and other pathogens. The model also helps the potters to earn extra income in a market that has suffered with the reduced tourism in recent years by manufacturing products for use in their own communities.



Vijaya Dasami, Dasain: October 9, 2008

The great harvest festival of Nepal, Dasain is a time of family reunions, the exchange of gifts and blessings, profuse pujas, ritual bathing and animal sacrifices. It is the most auspicious time for certain Tantric rituals and annual pageants. Dasain honors the goddess Durga, who was created out of the shakti energy of all the gods, armed with weapons from each of them.
Dasain is celebrated all over Nepal and is anticipated with the same eagerness as the Christmas season in the West. We celebrated at Gangi Didi’s house. There was a host of us – Passage students Greg and Katrina, a Boston U student Kaki, and Carolyn and Constantine from the US Embassy, Yanik and Vidhea.


Bhai Tika, Tihar: October 30, 2008
The last day of Tihar is Bhai Puja day, wherein sisters honor and worship their brothers. They thereby emulate the girl Jamuna, who in the myth delayed Yama from taking away her brother by requesting permission to finish her worship of him. Jamuna drew out the ceremony so long that Yama eventually relented and granted a long life to her brother. On this morning sisters paint a multi-colored tika on the brother's forehead, do a puja to him and garland him. Yanik received tika from Gangi Didi and a friend Shannon, and Vidhea tika-ed her older brother PK, Navin and Pravin, and Ghurna. A delicious lunch followed.
















Thangka painting
Most paintings are done on flat scrolls, easy to roll up and transport for use in teaching, worship, decoration, or meditation. These scroll paintings are called thangka in Tibetan, paubha in Newari. Though Newari artists produced both types, the two show distinct stylistic differences. Tibetan thangkas have finer lines and brighter colors, and crowd multiple figures into a small space. Paubha use more flowing, natural lines to emphasize the sensuous grace of a single deity, usually Buddhist but sometimes Hindu. Richly detailed miniatures on the border reveal minor gods and scenes of worship or court life. Thangkas are intrinsically religious paintings, meant to manifest any of the hundreds of gods. The same divinity may appear in fierce or peaceful form according to the situation. Or he might appear seated in the middle of a geometric mandala, a formalized design that serves as a meditative device and as visual guide to enlightenment. Other subjects include high lamas and lineage holders of the four main Tibetan Buddhist sects, assemblies of lineage deities, and various mystical beings.




A thangka begins with a white cotton cloth stretched onto a wooden frame, treated with gesso, then sanded until smooth. The central figures are outlined first, then outer scenes fill in the composition. Before the 19th century colors were ground from minerals like azurite, malachite, lapis and cinnabar, or obtained from plants. The expense and trouble of obtaining natural colors means tempera colors are generally used nowadays, resulting in a glossy sheen rather than the traditional smooth matte finish. As a final step, powdered 24-karat gold is made into paint and used to highlight the details of ornaments and robes.
As a final step the finished painting may be consecrated with a ritual to bring it to life. The mantra Oh Ah Hum might be painted behind the forehead, throat, and heart of each main figure to imbue them with the mystic essence of Body, Mind, and Speech. Thangkas are traditionally bordered in brocade and a piece of light silk protects the painting from dust, sunlight, and smoke.

Gai Jatra



Yesterday, August 17th, the festival of "Gai Jatra", the procession of cows, was celebrated in Nepal. The roots of this festival lie from ancient times when people feared and worshipped Yamaraj, the god of death. However, the satiricalsessions synonymous with the Gai Jatra came into tradition in the medieval periodduring the reign of the Malla Kings.











Many families who have lost a relative during the past year participate in a procession through the streets of the valley leading a cow. If a cow is unavailable then a young boy dressed as a cow is considered a fair substitute.

History says that when King Pratap Malla lost his son, his wife, the queen remained inconsolable. The king, sad to see the condition of his beloved queen, announced that whoever made the queen laugh would be rewarded handsomely. During the festival of Gai Jatra, the cow procession was brought before the grief stricken queen and when the participants began ridiculing and lampooning the important people of the society, the queen laughed.



Yanik, our coordinator, took these photos, an explosion of color and whimsy, on the streets of Bhaktapur

JESSICA DAIGNEAULT, PERSONAL PASSAGE: July 13 - August 24, 2008
Week 1
Day 5: Today is the day in which I bonded with my host brother, we talked about music and looked through my IPod having similar tastes in bands. We also played some card games, such as, UNO and a game he has which is called, “Solo;” a game very similar to UNO. Today was also the day in which more family showed up, my host mom’s sister-in-law and her eight-year-old daughter came to stay for a couple of days. It was really nice have the little girl for it was a good icebreaker for me, since I am still new to the family.



Day 6: Today was an adventurous day! Currently I wake up to the sound of the ringing of bells. Every morning and evening due to the Hindu religion, rituals are completed by the woman of the house, where she blesses the house. And the ringing of the bells signifies the awakening of the Gods I then have my morning meeting with Dr. Koirala and from there have two more treatments. First a spinal massage and then I have a Shiro Dhara, which is the continuous flow of a medicinal oil on your forehead. The spinal massage was amazing but the Shiro Dhara was the coolest. Once the oil drops onto your forehead, your entire face loses any tension it may be holding. This technique is quite messy and your hair is full of oil, but it is so nice.

Day 7: Lunch was nice, because just going anywhere outside of the house or just my room is an exciting adventure. Studies are crazy and wish I could interact more with the people of Nepal and visit the places of Nepal. Whenever I have the chance I go to the Nepalese people and do whatever custom they follow. At Vidhea’s house instead of hanging with the other students I went off and talked with the gardener and housekeeper along with playing with their girls. I find that they are so interesting that I want to spend as much time with them then other Americans, I feel like these Nepalese people are helping me cope with being away from home more than I feel that I am doing anything to them.
Once arriving at home, I felt a little down, not feeling I belong anywhere, but once I went and spent time with my family and laughed and played, I knew exactly where I belonged. Being at home and playing chess, cards, making jokes, and goofing around with my host brothers were the best part of my day. Seeing the joy and love filter from their faces and hearts was worth the loan and credit card bill that I will have to pay when I return home; that night I no longer was a stranger or guest staying in the house, I was part of the family.

Nepal Teachings #1
According to Dr. Koirala, my host father, in order to understand the fundamental understandings of Ayurveda, you need to know that life is constantly changing and to keep up and stay balanced, you need to attempt to change along with it. Along with the constant change, there is also a constant relationship of your body, inside and out dealing with the internal and external environments. Therefore, your mind is a major factor in whole body health, everything you have done or had happen to you or even your mother while during pregnancy can affect what illnesses may develop in your body; and dreams for the most part are at times your body giving you hints about your health.




Nepal Teachings #2
Wisdom is another important factor, in the United States we believe that with age you gain wisdom, but in Ayurveda everyone is born with wisdom but just don’t always follow it. Wisdom these days is lacking due the lack of love, with the inner growth of love and being loved we have the goal to do many great things. This reminds me of the Japanese scientist who is studying the function or change of water crystals do to the thoughts or even words of love versus hate, and how those feelings can change the water molecules. In his many studies of using water around the world, the feelings or words of hate damaged or deformed the water crystals where the thoughts and words of love made them into beautiful forms; the human body is ninety percent of water so you can imagine what hurtful words can do to the human being.



Week 3
Day 3: Today was pretty exciting, I asked mamaji to go with her to the market and she agreed! We walked to the nearest town where we purchased vegetables for the evening’s dinner. Then on the way back home we stopped at a shop where mamji bought me my Nepali bangles. (These are bracelets) Bangles or Chura are very common for the women of Nepal, every female wears them, and right now is the time to where green and yellow bangles, due to the fact that it is monsoon season or the time of green growth. The issue I had was none of the green bangles would fit my hand because they were too big, so I resorted to yellow and red. Mamaji bought me twenty bangles total, I love them all, oh so beautiful. The shop owner wanted us to come back tomorrow so I could get my teeka, which is a jewel placed on your third eye.
Life is good here, but every time a phone rings I hope it to either be my parents or James, I miss home and my family and friends; however, at the same time I am falling in love with Nepal, it beautiful scenery and warm hearted people. At times I feel like a movie star here, everywhere I go I am constantly stared at because of the color of my skin, and mostly the blondness of my hair. At times I am a little self conscious, but I have learned to look past that and smile and try and talk to the people.

Day 6: Today my host mom also did mehendi on my hand, you know it as henna, it was a really cool process. First oil is placed on your hand and then the henna paste is made into a design on your hand; however you have to keep your hand really tight and a certain way for quite awhile. Once my mom finished, I couldn’t move my hand for an hour and a half, keeping it tight and flexed a certain way; I was going through pain. The substance applied to my hand smells like menthol and it has a cooling, burning, paralyzing sensation at times. Once the hour and a half was completed, and the lines were dry, my mom rubbed off the surface things and at the same time gave me a hand massage which was really nice. And applied oil, and told me I couldn’t wash my hand for another half hour. The color is a bright orange and looks awesome; I believe I will be doing this again before I leave Nepal, and this will stay on my hand for about ten days or so.
The tradition for marriage in Nepal is that woman have both hands and feet completed and the longer the paste dries on your hands the darker the color, so for weddings it is supposed to mean that the darker you have the henna the longer your husband will live a longer life. Some women keep them on for hours upon hours to give their husband longevity to the God, Shiva.

Nepal Teachings #2
We talked about thirty medicinal plants which are commonly used in Ayurveda, some of them I knew but others I had no clue what they were. Before we were to learn about the plants, we would first have to know what the important facts are when looking and knowing the plants. We should know the plant’s name, both Latin and common names, and then we need to know its distribution or plant family; the properties of using the plant, the actions the plant performs, what the plant is used for and what part of the plants are used, how to prepare the plant, its dosages, how to preserve the plant, and the formulations of mixing different plants together (knowing whether they will be effective when mixed or may cause harm, due to a reaction). You also need to know everything about the medicine itself, and about the person who has the disease and will be prescribed a medicine, you need to know about the disease, and about the environment and any other factors that could affect the medicine or the person.

For out of nothingness we are not born,
and into nothingness we do not die.
Existence is a circle, and we err
when we assign to it for measurement
the limits of the cradle and the grave.
-Manuel Actuna


Keenan Fernandez, one of our students participating in a Personal Passage 9-week program, arrived in Nepal on June 20th, a day before her 19th birthday. She was doing a course in Tibetan medicine, yoga, and Nepali language, while living with a Tibetan family in Boudha, Kathmandu.

She stayed with us the first two days of orientation. The morning after she arrived, I woke up early and walked upstairs, quietly, as I wanted to let her sleep in. I walked into the kitchen and there she was – completely at home, helping herself to a bowl of mangoes and yogurt, saying, “Mangoes are awesome!”


I’m used to students being tentative, even shy, in the first few days. I was taken aback but immediately disarmed by her openness.

On August 1st she was due to start a 10-day meditation course at Kopan Monastery, a few kilometers from Boudha.
The day before, she decided to spend her "free" day with three Tibetan friends. They headed off to Sundarijal Reservoir around 3:00 pm. What we have gathered from her friends is that at about 5:30pm one of the group went in (or slipped into) a reservoir tank for a swim. It appears that an underwater current not visible from the surface may have put her friend into trouble, and Keenan, a strong swimmer and a lifeguard, went in to rescue him. She herself got caught in the current and they both tragically drowned.

Keenan's parents arrived on August 4th. What do you tell parents who have lost a child in such a tragic accident? How do you provide comfort when this has happened so far from home, on unfamiliar ground? As soon as we approached them, both Maureen and Frank came up to us and embraced Yanik and me in an enveloping hug, just as if we were family or long-time friends. In spite of their grief, it was extraordinary to feel their warmth towards us and their gratitude that Keenan had spent her last weeks in Nepal, with us, with her host family, with her mentors – because, in her phone calls and emails to her family, she had expressed what a life-changing experience it had been for her.








On the evening of the 5th we were all in Boudha, including the Popola (grandfather) of the host family and, since it was a very important day in the Tibetan Buddhist calendar, there were hundreds of people circumambulating the stupa and an esteemed Lama doing a big puja at one of the monasteries. Together, we lit butter lamps for the departed spirit and it was a transformative moment for all of us.


Maureen and Frank Fernandez left on the 6th, taking Keenan with them. I hope we were able to help them through this arduous process.

In the six weeks she spent with us, we had become close to Keenan. Gregarious, humorous, sometimes exasperating, she breezed into our lives like a firefly - spirited, incandescent and approaching life with abandon.

On September 17th, the 49th day of her passing, we will be doing the Bardo ceremony for Keenan. The bardo state is recognized as an opportunity for change; a starting point of transformation. It is understood as a gap between familiar boundaries through which beings can glimpse the Absolute True Nature of Reality. By fully recognizing this ultimate nature, the deceased is capable of breaking the afflictive cycle of rebirth, samsara, and achieving final liberation: Enlightenment for the sake of all sentient Beings.


A brief candle; both ends burning 

An endless mile; a bus wheel turning 

A friend to share the lonesome times

A handshake and a sip of wine 

So say it loud and let it ring 

We are all a part of everything

The future, present and the past 

Fly on proud bird 

You're free at last.
-Charlie Daniels

Friday, July 4th 2008

Tomorrow, Saturday July 5th, we are moving from Nagpokhari to Chapali near Budhanilkantha. It is a ways of of town but will probably be better for me as the air is fresh & clean & we will be surrounded by greenery. I can actually go for walks!
I don't leave the house much anyway and, as long as I have internet & phone access, I will be fine. Yanik has a motorcycle so he's mobile.
Naturally, there is a sense of regret about leaving this house. We've been here since late 1999 when Passage was not even created and we were still running Sojourn Nepal. Sam Chapin lived on one floor, I on another, and the ground floor was Vinapa Studio. There was a constant flow of friends & artists & musicians & ideas.
In early 2002, we created Passage here, beginning with one student - yes, one - David Hicks!
When many other study abroad programs were abandoning Nepal in droves, whether permanently or temporarily, we persisted & continued running programs here.
Sam left Nepal in 2003 but continues to be a part of Passage & since he is based in Kolkata, India, we are in constant touch.
In 2004 & 2005 we had the summer groups stay here during the interim periods.
My being diagnosed with cancer in mid-2006 has obviously put a damper on our situation to express it mildly! But, I'm still thriving two years later & although I don't have the kind of inexhaustable energy I had in the past, I soldier on (I'm not dead till I'm dead!) Yanik, my son and the main coordinator, is of invaluable help. I know he's here & working with me more out of default than choice but he's handling it with grace & dignity.
Change is the only constant & change is good. I am looking forward to living & working in our new house & the Passage base.
Please continue to promote our programs. The July online newsletter wil be posted in a couple of weeks.
Comin soon: News on Jennifer Quan's & Keenan Fernandez's programs

Our new Passage student, Jennifer Quan, arrived on June 10 and will be with us for 6 weeks. Besides leraning the Nepali language, she is volunteering at two organizations – RHEST and Sewa Kendra.

RHEST’s mission is to provide formal education for girl students from low income families, especially girls from marginalized groups such as low caste groups and from Jennifer will help help at the office, teaching conversational English to the local staff, writing promotional material for a brochure, and presenting case studies. She will also go on a couple of field trips in neighboring districts.

At Sewa Kendra, she will volunteer-teach the destitute kids. With funds that are mobilized from local and foreign individual donors, they study in a government school in the area and Sewa provides supplemental tutoring in the hospital premises.

For one week, she will stay in a Newar farming village, Panauti, just an hour’s drive from the city, living with a farming family and being involved in their daily activities including agricultural tasks such as rice planting, called Ropai. Besides the actual work of planting the rice seedlings, the activity can also be great fun! Since it is the rainy season, it is given that it will at least drizzle and everyone working in the fields indulge in splattering mud on each other in mud mock fights! Panauti is also a village of historical and cultural importance with some beautiful temples and traditional restored brick homes.


In the beginning of July, Jennifer will participate in a 10-day Buddhist meditation course in Kopan, just north of the ancient Buddhist neighborhood of Boudha. Kopan Monastery had its beginnings in the Solukhumbu region of the Himalayas. In 1971 Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama, a yogi of the tiny hamlet of Lawudo, fulfilled the promise of the previous Lawudo Lama to start a monastic school for the local children. The school was called Mount Everest Center. Twenty-five monks moved down from the mountain to Kopan in 1971. Now Kopan is the site of a thriving monastery of 320 monks, mainly from Nepal and Tibet, and a spiritual oasis for hundreds of visitors yearly from around the world.

Sunday, April 6
Who would have thought that a forty minute plane ride would make me feel worlds apart from the place where I took off? As I step off the plane in Katmandu I'm greeted with a cool, misty breeze, some drizzling rain, and a ring of mountains all around. I haven't felt the urge to put on a sweater since I left the Rocky Mountains two and a half months ago, and my whole body sighs with relief as the perspiration is replaced with goosebumps.
It only takes twenty minutes to clear customs and get my visa before heading into a familiar, yet entirely new scene. The same swarms of taxi drivers approach the tourists with unrivaled determination, the perennial honking and barking are no less intense, and the streets are equally chaotic. But, as I drive to meet my program director I can't help but notice the absence of discerning stares to which I'd grown so accustomed... I think I'm in love with this place already!
After a short drive from the airport I arrive at a beautiful home in the city where I'm greeted by my program director Vidhea and her 25 year old son Yanik. We get to know one another over tea, and the ease with which they open up to me about their own lives and perceptions makes me feel right at home. I discover that Vidhea has been battling cancer for the last two years and I am blown away by her contagiously positive attitude towards her situation. It is evident that this small but intensely warm family has been fighters from the beginning.


A lover of music and the arts, and a performer herself, it is amazing to fathom how she still manages to find time to devote to philanthropic causes as well as handling her own business, Passage Project. Here is someone who truly knows the meaning of freedom, both mental and physical, having overcome everything from the ties of tradition and political instability to the throes of a battle with cancer.

Wednesday, April 16
For a second I almost forget that I'm so sore I can barely move when I come out of the lodge and behold crystal clear skies and a rising sun splashing the white Himalayan giants with pink and orange hues. Then I suddenly remember I have a six hour hike ahead of me, nearly all of which is uphill. After slamming down some porridge we start the day with a steep drop down the opposite side of the hill from where we came up yesterday. It's difficult to fathom how all the kids in the surrounding villages have to mount one of these two death defying staircases every day to go to school in Chomrong.


The majestic panoramas of the Annapurnas are usurped by thick jungles of Bamboo and Rhododendrons. The myriad of bird calls competes with the thundering of waterfalls and streams which come cascading down steep cliff faces and trickle out in all directions making for quite a muddy track. Moss covered vines hang low over our heads and the numerous shaky rock/log bridges give me time to catch my breath while crossing streams. At times the narrow path hugs tightly to the Cliffside and the foliage opens up enough to reveal spiderwebs of waterfalls celebrating their release from winter's snow and ice traps.
Despite my battered body I'm awed by everything around me. I can feel the valley getting narrower and the jungle more tame creating an incredible window to the jagged peaks, vertical plummets, and raging glacial waters.



The crisp breeze on my cheek and approaching snow line let me know just how much elevation we've gained today, and although I'm gasping for breath, air has never tasted this good! Sure enough, the 2:30 thunder storms are chased by thick droplets of rain, and we reach the Hinku cave just in time to seek shelter. I peer up at the ledge of the cave where small white flowers reach out to catch the rain which seems to fall in slow motion before splattering my face. Vivek and I talk about life in the outdoors and what it means to be free while we let our feet take a load off.













Friday, May 2
I survived week one in the camp and am totally loving my situation here! The teaching is tiring but really fun, I’ve grown quite fond of our little one room house, and I’m slowly but surely making progress on both my Tibetan and Nepali language acquisition. I am so enamored with this country—the landscape is breathtaking, the cultures unique and diverse, and the people couldn’t be sweeter. The tourist season is coming to an abrupt halt, and while shop keepers and restaurant owners lament the loss I revel in the quiet, empty streets.


Thursday, May 8
Life in Nepal has finally smoothed out into a natural rhythm and I move from moment to moment like the beat of a drum. It appears the monsoons have come a bit early this year and the heavy afternoon downpours make for beautifully cool evenings. The rains have also lifted some of the heavy fogs, and during my morning jog I see for the first time the radiant snowcapped Himalayas as the sun awakens from behind them.
I return to camp in time for some perfectly ripened mangoes and Tibetan tea—a mixture of milk, tea, salt, water and butter churned in a giant ancient-looking wooden shaft. It wouldn’t be my first choice of beverage but it’s good for a meal in a small cup, and it’s easy to imagine how useful it must have been for Tibetans coping with such malevolent weather and geography. I dawn my new teacher uniform—a chupa, or Tibetan dress—and off to school I go.



One thing I quickly notice about all the students is how well they can read and write English with fantastic accents to boot. But take away their text book and they won’t be able to tell you the meaning of one of the 500 words they’ve just recited! Given the super-structured format of classes here and the fact that I’m not responsible for giving grades, I’ve been taking full advantage of a more hands-on approach—team trivia, scavenger hunts, coloring, and even a showing of Charlotte’s Web (which I probably enjoyed much more than any of them!). However, I discover this morning that my kindergartners can really boogie when I put on a tape of Nepali music and watch as a bunch of gyrating five year olds throw their hips from one side of the room to the other. Thank god I have my camera with me!

Friday, May 9
Maybe there are vast differences between the people here and in India, but perhaps my approach to them has just changed. In India I felt like such a target—like people saw me only as a dollar sign and not as a human being. It’s not that this perception doesn’t exist with people here, but for whatever reason it feels so much easier to communicate with them on a compassionate level. Some of it is obviously cultural difference, but maybe I’ve also learned to drop my own inherent tendency to view myself as an “other” in this foreign land. It just goes to show when you open the mind the heart will follow and the infectiously positive energy won’t be ignored by those around you.

Saturday, May 24

This morning the predictable weather breaks and the usually clear, bright skies are hazed over with fog and rain. My host sister and mother leave for the flourmill with a sack of barley to be ground while I await Thupten for our weekly Saturday tour. Conveniently the rain slows to a halt minutes before he arrives on a rental motorbike, so I hop on the back and off we go.
The rainfall and mild gusts have pushed distant clouds from their perch on the horizon revealing the ever-magnificent ring of white mountains. We follow the river along the highway zooming past lush green scenery and small village homes, their residents scrambling to make use of every drop from the recent storm.


After 45 minutes we come to a narrow rocky path jutting off the main road and disappearing into the river gorge. At the bottom of the hill we reach a narrow bridge crossing a depleted river revealing bulbous, corroded rocks. On the other side is Thupten’s native Tibetan settlement sprawling over a large alley with crop fields, and of course, strand after strand of colorful prayer flags.
The village is more than twice the size of the one I reside in, and contains a community store, school, old age home, and four residential areas. We stop at the store to pick up some butter to bring Thupten’s father—the perfect gift for a Tibetan. After all these years of living in exile the diet of barley and butter has yet to be replaced by more wholesome low altitude foods. When we enter his home, which is almost identical to the homes in my camp, we find the old man seated on the floor spinning wool on a rustic contraption. His knuckles are knobby and crooked and his back hunched over—evidence of his hard life as a guerilla fighter and manual laborer. The small room smells like spice and incense, the tables are littered with used dishes and raw buffalo meat hangs in the window to dry (for such strict believers in the divine principle of compassion I’ve never met greater carnivores in my life than the Tibetans!).



After a brief visit we walk around the green gardens and villages before coming to the retirement home. All the elders are gathered in a hall chanting mantras and spinning prayer wheels with their right hands, beads flicking vigorously through their left. Here the day revolves around prayer and karma building in preparation for the next life. There are few such places in the Tibetan community, but in today’s world of globalism and with no country to call their own, children are often forced to abandon their parents in search of brighter futures.
Though it’s a Saturday we make a stop at the school to visit Thupten’s sister whose husband is the cook there. The school grounds are about the size of my entire camp and boarding students from remote village areas are the only ones to inhabit it on this holiday. Small children smile at us over their construction project of paper made kites, and young girls pause their game of jump rope to stare from a nearby courtyard. The kitchen is like a furnace thanks to the wood-burning stove and we receive warm greetings from Thupten’s relatives. The enormous glass solar panels are typically the source

Wednesday, May 28
The day begins at 5:00 AM anyhow and just as I return from my jog four monks arrive for the annual household puja.
I help my host sister and mother prepare Tibetan bread, tea, and plates of rice, flower, and butter that the monks will need for their ceremony. They spend the first two hours setting up bowl after bowl of offerings—rice, butter, lamps, incense, water, flowers, and barley. Then they mix a ten-pound ball of dough before rolling and molding it into the most elaborate looking gingerbread type castle in the shape of a temple. Once all the preparation is finished they take their seats laying before them ceremonial objects, scarves (Khatas), and bells. One by one they begin to chant until there is a full chorus of deeply reverberating mantras crawling up my spine. I’m grateful for the last second schedule change or I would have missed this beautiful ceremony.

Wednesday, June 11
The skies were weeping when I left Pokhara on Sunday. My host family walked me to the taxi in the rain and bestowed me with Khatas (ceremonial scarves) to wish me a safe journey. Despite a road block in a village where someone was recently killed the bus makes it back to Katmandu. I will miss my Tibetan host family, the children, the lake, the friends I’ve made, but I’m happy to be back in the city indulging in the silly comforts I’ve always taken for granted.

Friday, June 13


My final day in Nepal begins with a tour of Patan, a suburb of Katmandu. Anil, our guide, is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the city and is somehow able to incorporate all aspects of geography, mythology, engineering, etc. into his lecture. He leads us through back streets past metal workers chiseling away in the tiny doorways that line the alleys. The architecture reflects the diverse and tumultuous background of the city with single courtyards containing three, four, or five different types of buildings from classical Newari, to French windows, roman arches, and of course, the ever present concrete boxes. The centennial earthquake that shakes the city is responsible for part of the destruction, development being the other culprit. Our guide also points out the visible division of single homes by color-coding and explains that since Nepalese aren’t considered citizens unless they own land, brothers often split inherited properties. The town is rife with religious shrines and relics, the idiosyncratic nature of different faiths clearly displayed in the mixing of Buddhist and Hindu iconography. Because the town is mostly Buddhist we are able to enter Hindu temples that foreigners would typically be excluded from in other parts of the city. I’m glad I get to do some last minute sight seeing.

The last week in Kathmandu has been a great way to unravel from my hectic schedule in Pokhara. I finally get to do all the shopping I’ve been holding myself back for, and I also get to see the city when it’s not half empty due to elections.
Most of the 27 million Nepalese have an income of $170 USD per year, but what they lack in monetary funds is more than compensated by cultural and spiritual wealth. Never in my life have I met so many hard-working, hospitable, optimistic people. In all of my travels no place has ever shaken my perceptions on what it means to live—really live. This is life without TVs and four-wheel drive cars, without Starbuck’s, McDonald’s, or even ovens, without running water or electricity, and without much more than rice and dal. This is life where communities stick together and all fellow Nepalis are considered part of the family, where no one is in a rush and everyone stops to watch the rain, where the office is the mountains and fields, and where a belief in the ephemeral nature of reality uplifts the spirits of all people with the conviction that this world and its suffering is not our final destination. Soon I will be home in the rat race looking back on my experiences in Nepal, its land and its people, and I will understand why they continue to smile despite their hardships, and some day soon I’ll again be here smiling right back.

Sunday, May 11
Thimi is a truly unique craft town which still retains its old glory creating ceramic utensils needed for all rituals, from birth to death. Mikaela, Caitlyn, Tais and Yanik went on a tour with Anil Chitrakar. The walk ended with the students trying their hand crafting with clay crafting with a local potter's family. They also got hands-on experience at making masks used for traditional dances.

Miki and Cait returned to Thimi on May 13 along with their Tibetan ama-la to buy some of the beautiful ceramic products.

Sunday, March 2, 2008
I should write this entry before I forget everything from before the trek. Yesterday was full of jazz and history. In the morning we had a walking tour of Kathmandu with Anil Chitrakar, and it was fantastic to see him again. The tour was a very different experience. Walking the streets of the city near where the old palace and the king's residence were, seeing the remains of the buildings owned by great families of high caste (Ranas, Thapas, etc.) made for a definitively non-tourist tour. We learned about the bloody history of dynasty change, and the legacy of political ineptitude that tends to continue when "power" comes before "politics". Then we had a very pleasant cup of tea with Anil and decided to make plans to go over some books and paintings, to get a deeper view of the history that so clearly explains the present and even in a way predicts the future.
After that we headed to the monthly Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC) concert, which was amazing. A trio called Soulution played, made up of the incredibly talented German pianist and singer Beate, and two Nepali musicians, a monster sitar player and a tabala player. They did some of the most awesome fusion work I've ever heard, totally fresh, keeping the best of both classical Eastern music and bluesy jazz. I'm determined to find a way to bring them to New York. Later, Yanik and I went to Upstairs, where we ran into Beate again (which is nice--she's leaving Nepal in a week). The group at Upstairs is definitely at a level where they should be touring in Europe or playing in NY as well. A few of the group members have such similar characteristics and mannerisms to people I've met or known before...it's a trip to see how true it is that there are "types" of people. At least physically! Nobody can convince me otherwise.

Most of the 6-hour ride to Pokhara was taken up with staring at the breathtaking views as we wound our way through the farms and into the foothills. It inspired the kind of wonder that we all tend to forget is possible. By the fifth hour, though, I wasn't romanticizing the views anymore--they were still awe-inspiring (since actually everything is if you look at it properly) but the puppyish eagerness had worn off. I could strangle myself for not bringing the good camera! Upon arrival I was feeling addled from the contrast of my noisy brain and the quiet of the mountains, so the bustle of Pokhara was a welcome opportunity to (attempt to) prepare for the intensity of two weeks spent climbing towards the sky.
Anytime I am around hills or mountains of such magnitude, something in my psychology shifts. Time spent in wilderness or solitude changes people...if we can bear it past the limit of comfort, or even sanity. I didn't prepare myself for these couple of weeks much, and the result must be that relative solitude makes a strengthened impression...an uncomfortable one.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008


I spent this weekend at a hunger strike by the Swoyambhunath stupa, with more than fifty Tibetans, and one other Westerner. These gatherings receive less attention from the media than active protests that quickly become provocative and violent. The people present there were about half from the monastic community and half laymen, and of the laymen, most were Momo-las (grandmothers). The strike has been going on for 24 consecutive days and will go on indefinitely, at least until the Olympics. The strike consisted of refraining from eating or drinking (besides one water break) for 24 hours, sitting together in a large tent, praying, chanting, and so forth.
There were a multitude of signs and banners in several languages: Nepali, Tibetan, English. They called for a UN fact-finding mission,for immediate provision of emergency medical services in Tibet, and forthe international community to press China to allow free movement ofpeople and provide access to daily needs for Tibetans. Aside from the inherency of the situation, there was nothing overtly political about the state of Tibet's state, so to speak: no mention of autonomy,independence, or the like.
Everybody there supported the struggle of Tibetans against the Chinese occupation of Tibet, but perhaps more relevant, they also act as representatives of the true strength of the Tibetan people and Tibetan Buddhism. They condemn violence, whether perpetrated by Chinese or Tibetans, not condemning the perpetrators themselves; at the same time, they recognize and want it to be known that there is a clear imbalance of power in this conflict. There is a definite oppressor and oppressed, a definite victim, though any can be villains. I was there because I do believe justice is on the side of the oppressed.

When we got home Tais and Phuntsok had made us lunch, which was very sweet and also thoroughly appreciated, since we were all pretty hungry by then--after the stupa we had gone to sit in Buddha Park, which is this fantastic place with three ENORMOUS gold statues of Avalokiteshvara, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). It was ludicrously sunny and hot, so the hunger caught up with us quickly, and even the chili in the tofu didn't bother me at lunch. Of course, Phuntsok readily admitted that his basic reason for cooking was what I'll call "karma by association"--if he and Tais made us food, they would automatically get some of the merit we got for participating in the strike, as Ama-la said, "without asking."

Monday, April 21, 2008

Yesterday was an amazing tour with Anil.


Saturday my dad arrived. The last week or so has been constant action...
Starting with the tour, which was maybe the fourth one I've been on with Anil: we went to two towns just outside of the city, one where most of the traditional woodwork is produced, the other where mustard seed oil used to be produced for the whole country. While the details of the tour were beyond fascinating, I would be doing him an injustice by trying to recreate the experience, so I won't; however, a few of the basic ideas he emphasizes in all his tours are finally so drilled into my head that I can put them down here. Since he's an engineer and an urban planning expert, he often speaks about how to make a city a functional, successful place for its inhabitants. There are four pillars of such a place. First, he says, you want a place to be livable, so that the people living there have what they need and some of what they want. In order to make a place livable, it needs to be managed. If the management is going to be effective, the people in charge need to be accountable. And the only way to get people who will be honestly accountable is to ensure that the place has something competitive to make it bankable.
So, say a place has a competitive product, like wood, and craftsmanship to work with it, making it bankable. There is the question of how to ensure that the artisans--who are the fundamental link in the chain--earn enough money from the natural resources to sustain their lives. Assuming they sell, for example, some pieces to Anil directly for his restoration work, they receive payment for that: P1. But that alone can't sustain their family, so they also do work making windows and decorations for hotels and commercial enterprises, which brings in a second income: P2. In addition, Anil and his wife run an organization called Crafted in Kathmandu, wherein artists' work is exported to Manhattan and sold through catalogues in small numbers, bringing in P3. With P1, P2, and P3 together, the families can support themselves and continue their work authentically. Authenticity is something Anil takes very seriously, and every craftsman learns about the history and reasoning behind the details of what it is they do. For example, they know why in the final scene on the wheel depicting the 12 scenes of the Buddha's life, the food shown is mushroom instead of pork; though there is debate about whether he was poisoned by one or the other, it is likely that he abstained from eating meat (especially pork) and thus it was mushrooms. The debate is cause by the fact that the word in the text from which the art is derived can translate as either food. This is the level of knowledge each artisan has....it's astounding.



He also speaks a great deal on the iconography of the Buddha, and one fundamental aspect of Buddhist iconography is the lotus. For those who aren't familiar, the symbolism of the lotus is the following; the roots of the lotus begin in the earth, which is material form. It then grows through the water, which represents illusion, in order to blossom in the air, or emptiness. This is the same path that the Buddha followed. Similarly, the symbols on the Nepali coin are meant to represent the attributes of a leader. On each side of the square mandala on the coin is a symbol, including a knife (ability to defeat enemies), wheat grain (provide for the people), staff (diplomacy for negotiation), and a conch shell (mobilizing the people).
So those are just a few tiny snippets of what Anil teaches us on the tours. I admire him immensely.

Leaving the academic nitty-gritty aside, I'm devouring all the writing of William Dalrymple, hunting his overviews for hints that lead into ever deeper waters. Even abandoning my searches, his travels make for great entertainment...I'm learning more from his retrospectives than I did in all of high school history
On an even lighter note, I've never been so into pop culture in my life. The charm of Bollywood movies has inspired me to take my insignificant base of Nepali language and apply it to learning Hindi (which is remarkably similar--all Nepalis understand Hindi, hence why Indian pop culture extends to Kathmandu movie theaters and CD players). If I ever do travel in India (probably to Kerala) it will be useful. In the meantime, I just want to be able to swoon about the "King Khan" in his own language.

Besides his movie-star attraction, I've also recently been introduced to the alleged "best dancer in the world", Hrithik Roshan, who totally knocks Wade Robson out of the picture; inspiration-wise, he inherited a great deal of Michael Jackson's legendary moves. The uniquely Indian hubris is fast becoming a leisure-time pleasure for me. Aside from the Indian, of course, there are some specifically Nepali cultural delights I've come across, such as the hit songs of Narayan Gopal, a classic Nepali old-timer whose music can be heard in taxis across the valley.

Friday, March 21, 2008




The clinic that I volunteer for is run by the most amazing lady I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Dr. Pradhan does a little of everything, yet starts each morning having a cup of tea with me and making sure that I am eating well and getting enough sleep and keeping up on my studies. She is a demanding person, but through her efforts she seems to move mountains …
It is awesome to be able to walk out of my house and in five minutes be at an ancient holy site. Despite my lack of religion, I love the feeling I get when I'm near the stupa. There is just something relaxing in the air …




Wednesday, April 2, 2008
April fools day
Yesterday was April Fools day, and Ama-la kept playing tricks on us. First thing in the morning she told Tais that Phunsok called to cancel class, and didn't tell her until a few minutes before Phunsok would be arriving that she was joking. For lunch she handed me a glass telling me it was juice, but when I drank it it was the bitter black tea. I didn't listen to a word she said for the rest of the day, except when she told us that we should play a prank on Yanik.
I called him to tell him that Miki and this boy who likes her, Sid, took off on a motorcycle to the mountains and that she emailed her dad to tell him that she was leaving and he called worried and said he was headed for the airport to come here and bring her home. Yanik seemed more confused than anything, but we all got a good laugh out of it.




I have to start this post out with an exchange I overheard between Tais and Phuntsok (Tibetan language teacher):
Tais-"In Tibetan, do you have the expression 'he could be my father'?"
Phuntsok-(confused expression) "you mean like in another life?"
Anyway, the other day Dr. Pradhan asked me to clean out the "surgical cabinet." It seems that things are cleaned on the basis of having someone tall enough to reach them, so often when I go to clean things, the top shelves are much dirty than lower shelves. It makes me feel useful. It was odd for me to be handling suction caths, lidocaine, amniodarone, and so forth in here. I'd gotten used to extremely simplistic medicine, so it was strange to see 'modern' medicine here gathering dust. All the time I've spent at the center, the only medicine that I've seen being given is salve and even that is just a mix of honey and turmeric that anyone could mix up in their own center. In America, those same patients would be packed so full of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, steroids, cardiac meds to protect their hearts from the steriods, and whatever else the drug companies could push the docs into pushing into the patients, yet everyday the patients here get better without all that crap.
It's such a ridiculous waste. I'll stand behind most paramedical pharmacology because it gives people the choice of coming back from the dead-which is cool (I'm only half joking), but when you have commercial on day time TV putting ideas of all the horrible things that people could have into the uneducated masses heads telling people to go to their doctor start popping these pills- it's no wonder that most of the country is fat with DIABETES and depression, because no one can take responsibility for themselves.

On April 20th, Anil took us on an excursion-tour to Bungmati and Khokona villages on the southern outskirts of Kathmandu valley. Mikaela is Passage’s first 2008 student and, since her father was visiting, he joined us on the tour. Anil traced the history of the Lokeswor heritage of Kathmandu valley, and explained the unique architecture of Nepal in Bungmati village. We also time spent speaking to and learning from the woodcarvers.


At the nearby village of Khokana we visited a family that is still using the age-old method of manual mustard oil extraction in the traditional way.

Kristen left for Pokhara on April 12th to start her program.
Paljorling Camp, where Kristen is living and volunteer-teaching, is the smallest Tibetan camp in Pokhara. It is located in the center of the city, and easy bus ride to the touristy Lakeside area or to the main shopping area. Inside its walls, the camp has the primary school (up to grade five), a monastery with 20 to 30 monks, a western clinic, a Tibetan clinic, a carpet factory, and a noodle factory. The camp location is great. Most everything one needs- internet and phone, school supplies, fixed price department stores- are within two minutes walk.

The Nepal elections that took place on April 10 saw more than 60 percent participation, it was generally peaceful and, although there were some “booth capturing” and poll rigging in some districts, it was considered largely fair and free by both national and international observers, including former US president Jimmy Carter.
So far, the Maoists are leading, far ahead of the traditional parties such as the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML). This has caught most everyone by surprise. While still a radical force, the Maoist party has been cleansed and legitimized through the electoral exercise. The hold of the Maoists' populist promise has been strong in a country whose workforce continues to migrate in massive numbers to India and overseas because of high levels of poverty. Against this backdrop, both the UML and the NC were seen as failed establishmentarian forces, while the Maoists projected themselves as true agents of change. The vote swept much of the political old guard entirely out of the picture. With the flexibility available to a new entrant, the Maoists also filled their candidatures with members of the deprived communities, the ethnic category and women. They laid claim, with justification, to having introduced all the salient issues that had been placed before the electorate, including the demands for inclusion, federalism, secularism, and an overturning of economic relations to serve the underclass.
Here is a country trying to push through a return to peacetime, a return to democracy, and a state restructuring exercise all at the same time.


Society is confronting demands for inclusion from myriad quarters in order to right historical wrongs. A party which developed using political violence as an anti-state rebel force needs now to immediately convert into an organization that can keep its cadre in check, reassure the international community and neighbors, and project a face of responsibility to the donor and business communities. Most importantly, it must rise to the expectations of the people and guarantee the personal security and freedom of citizens.

Kim, who arrived on April 7th, is doing an intensive Ashtanga Yoga course.
Ashtanga Yoga literally means "eight-limbed yoga," as outlined by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. According to Patanjali, the path of internal purification for revealing the Universal Self consists of the following eight spiritual practices:



1 Yama - universal ethics: Non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, sexual restraint and non-acquisitiveness.
2 Niyama - principles of self conduct: purity, contentment, intense dedication or austerity, study of self and scriptures and self-surrender.
3 Asana - practice of the postures.
4 Pranayama - breath control.
5 Pratyahara - withdrawal and control of the senses.
6 Dharana - concentration.
7 Dhyana - meditation.
8 Samadhi - a state of higher consciousness where the sense of self (ego) dissolves in the object of meditation and the individual self exists in its own pure nature.

The Nepal Jazz Jatra was held from March 28th until the 30th. This is a new Jazz Festival committed to promoting the wide ranging & diverse musical talents of the Nepali people. The musical community of Nepal boasts a richness and breadth of scope that is unique amongst such communities around the globe. With different cultural & musical influences colliding and interweaving in ever-evolving ways, Nepal is a country where music lovers can enjoy a truly unique experience. The Nepal Jazz Jatra understands and appreciates that all musicians benefit from interaction and exchanges with other musicians and, because of this, the Jatra featured both local and international artists. Spreading the anthem of cultural diversity, local and international talent shared the stage and the spotlight together, providing an opportunity for one group to learn from the other, resulting in high caliber and high-energy performance.

March 21, 2008
HOLI or PHAGU PURNIMA
This ancient Hindu festival, celebrated in India and Nepal, brings rowdy days when people -- foreigners as well as Nepalis - -may find themselves doused with colored powder or splashed with water. The religious significance of this springtime celebration is all but lost in an outburst of exuberance in which the throwing of color on all passers-by should be accepted with the same good humor with which the prank is performed.

The story told is that a fiendish demoness Holika was the sister of a wicked irreligious king. The son, Prince Prahlad, however, was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna and, despite the objections of his father and aunt, continued to be so. When all methods of punishment failed to shake his faith, the king ordered his son trampled to death by an elephant. The prince advanced chanting the sacred names of Krishna and the elephant humbly knelt before him. Next the prince was hurled from a rocky precipice into a swollen river but he was saved again. Finally the wicked aunt, believing herself immune to death by fire, snatched the boy and leapt into a blazing furnace. But Lord Krishna interceded again, for when the flames died, Holika had perished and the unscathed prince was sitting among the embers as if they were flowers in the forest. Now the antics of Holi are thought to celebrate her
extermination.

March 6, 2008
The Shiva Ratri festival is celebrated all over India and Nepal in late February or early March – this year on March 6, 2008. Shiva Ratri is a 24-hour exaltation of Lord Shiva, the God of Destruction in the Hindu triad and one of the valley's most important deities. The golden-tiered temple at Pashupatinath is dedicated to Shiva as Lord of the Animals and the patron god of Nepal. On the banks of the Bagmati River, opposite a wooded knoll, the temple is a complex of shrines, bathing and burning ghats, hermitages and the inner sanctum, which is restricted to Hindus only. The whole area abounds in shrines, linga, and scattered stone sculpture masterpieces. The 'one-face lingam' by the observation benches, the Buddha stele 100 meters past the burning ghats, and the Laxmi by the bridge are examples.

All year Pashupatinath attracts pilgrims, sadhus, devotees and mendicants, but on this day the visitors are in the thousands. Many are from India or the Terai and begin arriving a few days before, some camping out in the vicinity of the temple. Shiva's sacred day begins at midnight but devotees don't really begin to crowd the ghats till sunrise. Then the populace begins streaming in, past a tremendous variety of sadhus, mendicants of various types and deformities, devotees performing roadside penances, and merchants hawking everything from puja kits to kitchenware. Hindus pay homage to the sacred lingam inside the temple and then bathe, or at least splash a little, in the river. Some of the hundreds of sadhus in attendance camp in the courtyards of the temples of the opposite bank, where non-Hindus are also free to wander. The curious can witness some rather interesting yogic demonstrations there. It gets chilly in the evening, but there are usually several fires and lively scenes going on till at least midnight, when the consecrated time elapses.

March 1, 2008

Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC) is a recently-opened music institution where the students can learn how to appreciate and enjoy music. The conservatory will provide and start with classical western training.

The faculty, comprised of professional players and educators. comes from abroad and from the best bands in Nepali music scene such as 1974 AD, Stupa and Cadenza. The curriculum is designed to allow for the student to become a competitive musician not only in Nepal but also in Europe, the USA and around the world.

Students of any age (starting at 3 years old) and of any musical ability can join the school.


Beginning from February, KJC is holding a “Concert Series” on the last Saturday of every month, showcasing both students and professional musicians.

We attended the concert on March 1.

March 1
Mikaela, Caitlyn & Yanik went on a tour with Anil, this time in Kathmandu - from Sundhara to Bhim Mukteshwor.

The current state of Nepal and the challenges we face can be understood by learning about the political events of the 19th century. There are numerous monuments related to the reign of Bhimsen Thapa and Jung Bahadur and through their lives, we learn about the rise and fall of various families and factions and their demise. This walk gave us insight to Nepal's modern history. The walk began at the statue of Jung Bahadur at Tundikhel and ended along the banks of the Bishnumati at Bhim Mukeshwor.

February 23

Speaking of Swoyambhunath, it was a spectacular place. The stupa itself was impressive. More than that, though, is the insane history that is what makes it a spot equal in meditative power to Bodghaya to the Buddhists...all of the scholars and yogis who had a hand in making it the sacred site it is. We spent the most time in a smallish temple, not very fantastic looking on the outside (and even inside really, compared to others), called Shantipur. Under it in a locked chamber is supposedly buried a three-dimensional Chakrasambhara mandala, in which resides the spirit of the first Newari Buddhist, the Indian yogi Shantikar Acharya (8th century). Only five people--all of the vajra master caste--are allowed to enter this locked part of the temple. The place overall has a powerful atmosphere, but this temple was particularly peculiar. Atop Swoyambhu is also a small, rectangular building, the inner perimeter of which is lined with white shelves, protected from the visiting public by black iron gates. On the shelves are statues and carvings dug up from beneath the stupa and around it. All of them are breathtaking, but one work caught my attention--and it turned out to be the single piece not from the local area. It was a gift from a museum in Pakistan dating from Ghandara; a seated Hellenistic Buddha. My heart leapt! What a joy to see it...the only one in Nepal, from what Hubert said. And I would never have known! There are too many incredible things about these places to mention, and that's only of what I know, which barely qualifies as a fraction of a fraction of the history.

February
Today I went back to the clinic in the afternoon and had another lesson, this time with Dr. Koirala, who runs the clinic and is Kopila's senior doctor. The lesson was short and sweet, and I found myself in a profoundly calm state of mind throughout the time I was with him, no doubt partly because he is a man with a very strong ability to concentrate and a deeply intuitive connection to what he does. I got the feeling that academic study of medicine was more like finishing school for him--a refinement of manner and technique, while his practice was the source of most true understanding. We reviewed basics about Ayurveda, which he explained clearly and with care--he told me that after giving a lecture at a Western medical school, one student asked him to sum up in a sentence the difference between "his" medical system and "theirs". He said, "You believe in death--we believe in transformation." All of life is not static, it is a dynamic process.

He said that life is not only always moving, but is also uniting; that there is always movement towards cohesiveness in time and space. If we can learn to modify the elements of a process, we can change what is happening, i.e. illnesses. But how many people, including medical professionals Western or Eastern, can claim to have such an intimate knowledge of the elements? Knowing chemical properties doesn't give anyone the power to heal themselves. If something is wrong in the body, the flow of all things in the body is interrupted and naturally gravitates toward the disturbance in an effort to restore balance. This is part of why it is considered so important to introduce remedies that are taken wholly and not in part (active elements)--so the body can assimilate them naturally, without reacting to the healing agent.

The dynamism of life and health is the principle that emerged as most important to understand from this lesson. As in Tibetan medicine, the three doshas (representative of the five elements) are the basis of all wellness and illness. Vata is all movement and activity, pitta is all transformation, and kapha is cohesion. These three, in the nature of the elements--space and air, fire, and water and earth respectively--are mostly always in subjective process. Occasionally they manifest in an objective entity, and this is where we go wrong, in perceiving always an objective entity instead of a subjective process.

Dr. Koirala also spoke about vibration and the effects it can have on health. For example, he said that living in a place where there is excessive vibration from traffic--where the vibrations are incoherent and of different densities--can cause great neurological distress to the body. And most of all, he emphasized what sounds like a giant cliche to most Westerners--that love is the most powerful healing agent. His own observation of this came from working with rats, animal subjects, when he did work with brain modalities during his 12 years of medical education.

I'm looking forward to studying more with him. He and Kopila both have such (very different) lovely demeanors, so pleasant to study with, and such positive inclinations to help people. And I can't get tired of saying how impressed I am with the extent and depth of their knowledge. I aspire to develop that level of professionalism one day.

February 18
Caitlyn Hogan arrived to start her 12-week Passage program. She was supposed to arrive on February 17th but due to bad weather, she missed her connection from Pittsburg to Newark and arrived on the 18th instead. Her baggage didn’t arrive – left behind in Geneva or Doha. Ah, these airlines! Luckily, we managed to find some clothes that fit her.

She is living with a Tibetan family in Boudha and learning the Tibetan language (that she says is “intimidating – to which we said, girl you play cello and you are a paramedic – this means both sides of your brain work!). She will be doing an internship in Tibetan medicine, is learning dranyen (Tibetan lute) and will also be volunteering at Sewa Kendra. The organization is looking forward to her participation as she is a certified EMT.

February 7
The Gregorian year is 2008 but, beginning February 7th, the Tibetan people will see the start of the year 2135 – and the year of the Earth Rat.


Happy Losar!

The word Losar literally means New Year in Tibetan - 'LO' means year and 'SAR' means new. Losar marks the New Year for all Tibetan and Bhotia peoples in Nepal. It is a time for feasting, dressing up and calling on friends, and dancing. The occasion marks the unofficial end of off-season trade and business journeys, as it is traditional to be home for Losar.






The Tibetan calendar is made up of twelve lunar months and Losar begins on the first day of the first month. In the monasteries, the celebrations for the Losar begin on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month, the day before the Tibetan New Year's Eve. On that day the monasteries do a protector deities' ritual puja and begin preparations for the Losar celebrations.

Lamas and monks in the monasteries perform a weeklong Mahakala Puja first, an exercise designed to eliminate all the accumulated defilement of the preceding year.

Losar's ceremonies and celebrations are private and domestic for the next few days until the morning of the fourth day. Great crowds of colorfully garbed and ornamented people gather at Boudha Stupa. There, ritual homage is paid for the next half hour or so. The ceremony concludes with the hurling of tsampa, barley flour.

Losar is the best opportunity to see Himalayan Buddhist peoples in a great mélange of splendor.

January 26th

Anil Chitrakar took Mikaela and some friends on one more amazing walk from Patan Dhoka to Durbar Square. Patan city is ancient and intact and offers us a time machine with community spaces allocated for daily, monthly and yearly functions rituals that can be pieced together to trace back over 2000 years of history. Walking through the lanes and courtyards, Anil gave us insight into town planning systems, the teachings of the Buddha and his life.

Pokhara Passage Programs:

Vidhea and Yanik recently visited Pokhara to set up programs.

Pokhara is about 120 miles west of Kathmandu near the starting point to the Annapurna Trek Circuit.

Between 1959 and 1962 some 300,000 refugees came to Nepal from neighbouring Tibet. Four refugee camps were established in the Pokhara valley. These camps have evolved into settlements. Passage has programs setup in one of the camps.