Happy Buddha Jayanti!

Today is the full moon of the month of Vaisakh in the Buddhist Lunar Calendar, and is celebrated as the anniversary of the Buddha Shakyamuni's birth, death and enlightenment. As such, it is considered to be the most holy day in the annual Buddhist ritual calendar. Although the Tibetans consider this day (Saga Dawa'i Tsewa Jo Nga) to be next month, let us not split hairs and yell out a hearty Buddha Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge in the Buddha) if we feel so inclined, like the marching school kids have been this afternoon:

This morning for the full moon, we performed a feast offering ceremony at the monastery in Chapagaon. It was the first time many of the young monks participated in this particular ceremony, or even attended it. They requested me to sponsor it, and I heartily agreed, $60USD well spent, if you ask me, as I have a connection with the ritual: the Lama's Heartpractice Which Dispels All Obstacles, the Essence of Enlightened Activity (bla ma tugs sgrub bar che kun gsal sphrin las snying po gshugs), a short version of an offering feast to the protectors and dakinis combined with an essential tantric practice involving the meditation and recitation of Guru Rinpoche, Avalokitesvara (Compassion) and Amitayus (Long-life).

Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche (The Precious Master), was the historical Tantric super-adept who is credited with bringing the esoteric form of Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th Century. Many rituals in the school of the Earlier Translations (Nyingma) involve visualizations of him, who is considered to be inseparable with the Buddha and one's own teacher.

One of our twelve year olds, Jigme, reading prayers this morning in assembly.

A local Chapagaoni sitting calmly in meditation during this morning's rituals.

IN OTHER CHAPAGAON GOMPA NEWS, last week His Eminence Phagchog Rinpoche spent the night at the monastery. He had a nice opportunity to interact with the monks: Rinpoche gave some teaching, made offerings to the assembly, and had time to watch some evening futbol matches.
Phagchog Rinpoche meeting with the monks.

Phagchog Rinpoche chatting with the monks.

We also developed plans to give specialized language training to monks that show promise as translators for the future. We have selected two for Newari and Nepali language, two for Chinese, two for English, two for French, two for Spanish and two for German. It will be a challenge to find suitable teachers that can come to Chapagaon for the monks, but we will work hard now to plant the seed of these languages in their young minds, so that in the future they can become expert translators. That said, if anyone wants to come and live out in Chapagaon Nepal for a while as a specialized language instructor you are most welcome!

The annual Ngagso Drupchen at the White Gompa

The great boudhanath stupa on the fullmoon night last week.


On the run as usual, not much time for a post, but here's some shots from the annual Ngagso (Mending of Broken Tantric Committments) Drupchen at the White Gompa (Monastery) in Boudhanath. A Drupchen is a nine day 24-hour puja (prayer ritual), and carries great blessings.


THE LAMAS:

Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, the abbot of the White Gompa, giving out ngondrup (blessed substances) to the crowd at the end of the drupchen.

Phagchog Rinpoche and Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche amidst the crowd.

Phagchog Rinpoche giving blessings and looking cool.

His Eminence the Tsikye Chokling Rinpoche.

The Vajra Master Chokling Rinpoche giving out blessings to the assembled crowd at the last day of the nine day ceremonies.

A monk from the white monastery in ritual costume, performing a small puja on the last day of the drupchen.


THE CROWD OF LAYFOLK:

The crowd of thousands at the White Monastery receiving blessings at the end of the Drupchen.

Another shot of the crowd with the White Gompa in the background. Those in attendance consisted of many Tibetans, Nepalis (Newars, Tamangs, Manangis, Nupripas, Yolmopas, Mugumpas, and many more people of the Himalayan border region with Tibet), and Westerners of all flavours.

Hair, Lunar New Year, and Temples

I am headed back up to Chapagaon today after a few days in Boudhanath visiting friends and attending the Lunar NewYear festivities. Today should be a slow day of reflection and meditation, as it is Ash Wednesday, after all, the first day of the Spring fasting and planting season.

My birthday is on Saturday, and I plan on celebrating it with a Tara offering ritual (Female Compassionate Buddha of Liberation, who clears obstacles and grants long-life), and a feast with all the monks at the Chapagaon monastery. It is a nice way for me to give them a party. After the feast and some digestion, we will have a soccer tournament!



SEVERING HAIR, SEVERING ATTACHMENT:

As all things, my dreadlocked hair is definately impermanent. Phagchog Rinpoche decided to demonstrate this to me in a direct way last week with a quick haircut, my first in almost six years.

After my hair cutting blessing by His Eminence Phagchog Rinpoche. I have been offering my obscuration and defilement saturated locks to power places in the Kathmandu Valley with a prayer for purification.

Self portrait as of new haircut today.

But at least I didn't shave my head and become a monk, like this little guy, our youngest addition to the sangha in Chapagaon. Now there are 45 monks at the monastery!

Cute monks playing on a tree, photo taken by other cute young monks. They are pretty good photographers, sometimes.

More cute monks in front of a doorhang, taken by other cute young monks when I wasn't around.



LUNAR NEW YEAR PHOTOS:

May the New Fire Hog year 2007-2008 be auspicious for all, may our obstacles for selfless action be dispelled for the sake of all beings!

A charming little Tibetan girl eating some ice cream her own way. Since its Tibetan New Years, her parents have her all dressed up in a brand new red chupa (Tibetan ladies dress).

The great stupa Boudhanath, in the neighborhood I have lived in for part of the last three and a half years. A Nepali guy has shimmied up the pole in the foreground to hang some new prayerflags, as it was Tibetan Lunar New Year (Losar).

Some of the young monks I am working with in Chapagaon all dressed up in the ceremonial yellow robe at the Lunar New Year festivities in Boudha. Some of them have only been monks for about a week, at the tender age of six...

A monk dancing at the White Monastery in Boudha for the pre-Lunar New Year festivities.

The great Chokling Rinpoche, the incarnation of the last of the 108 major treasure revealers of Tibet Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa, presiding over the Cham Lama dancing last week at the White Monastery.

The protector dieties dispelling obstacles for the coming Lunar year.

Monks chanting in assembly at the rituals for anniversary of the death of Orgyen Tulku Rinpoche at the White Monastery.


RANDOM SHOTS AT TEMPLES AROUND KATHMANDU:

A bell in a traditional Newari Buddhist courtyard (Bahal). Before the 15th Century these courtyards were inhabited by ordained monks, but now they are used for lay rituals done by lay preists. There are a number of beautiful old chaityas (Buddhist devotional monument) in the background.

A nighttime shot of a Krishna temple in Hadigaon, east Kathmandu.

This statue of Nagarjuna (Phagpa Ludrup) in an old Bahal in Kimdol, is said to be about 400 years old, and is also said to be the only one of its kind in the Kathmandu Valley. The great 2nd Century Indian Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna developed the tenets of the Madhyamika (Middle Way) philosophical system, treasured by most Himalayan Buddhists as the highest and most subtle explanation of reality possible.

Happy Losar, Happy Mardi Gras!

Feb. 18 was the first day of the Fire Hog year, the Lunar New Year for the Tibetans and Chinese. Therefore I have been hanging around the Boudha area to visit old Tibetan friends, meet with some lamas to make offerings for an auspicious connection in the coming year, and attend some teachings on the BuddhaDharma by His Eminence Phagchog Rinpoche.

Today was also MardiGras, so I am missing my home in louisiana a bit and wishing that everyone has a fantastic time wherever they are, getting in the correct frame of mind to give up hard drinking for at least a little while. I went around and gave the mardi gras beads Chris sent me in the mail to my Nepali and Tibetan friends here, they all thought the shiny prayer beads were quite a novelty.

I am traveling to Dharamsala from Nepal from Feb. 28 til March 15. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is giving public teachings on the Bodhisatvacaryavatara by Santideva for ten days. It should be pretty rad, I'll also get to visit old friends who work for the Emory University Program, Dan and Amber. I'm stoked.

Research has started rolling, a few local Newaris have taken interest in what I'm doing and are helping me out a good deal.

Also working on a journal submission for the Buddhist Himalaya magazine. It will be an historical sketch of the great nonsectarian master Khari Rinpoche of Phadrug, South Tibet. I have until the India trip to finish, which should be a race. Of course.

Hoping all the best for all of you, whatever festival you are celebrating right now!