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Blissful Boudhnath Stupa
Posted by Dave on May 13th, 2008
After a few nights at the historic Kathmandu Guest House in the heart of Thamel (Kathmandu), I was ready to escape the live cover bands and honking taxis for some peace and quiet. I put my main pack in storage and grabbed a taxi east toward Boudhnath Stupa, an important site for both Buddhists and Hindus.
Upon catching my first glimpse of those all-seeing Buddha eyes, I knew I was going to spend my last few nights in Nepal nearby. From sunrise to sunset, Nepalis, Tibetans, tourists and all circumambulate the stupa in a clockwise direction. There is a palpable sense of energy created by so many people moving together. 108 prayer wheels are ensconced in the outer wall.
I booked a room at the PRK Guest House which is run by the adjacent monastery. My room overlooked their garden and had a view of the courtyard of a school. For half the price of the Kathmandu Guest House ($6/night), I had a better decorated room with a fantastic view and a sparkling clean bathroom. I was a VERY happy camper.
The stupa is surrounded by monasteries, restaurants, Tibetan souvenir shops and thangka schools which have grown up around it. Despite the occasional motorbike, it is a very tranquil space for pedestrians to stroll around.
I met up with two girls from my rafting trip, Natalie (Canada) and Sara (Australia), around 4pm. One of the first places we went was a monastery immediately opposite the stupa. A few monks took to us and I received a blessing and we all received khatas (a traditional scarf usually given to a lama or teacher who blesses it and returns it to the giver).
One monk in particular showed us a larger monastery nearby, and then a small orphanage he runs. While we got the sense we were being kidnapped by the guy only to be asked for a donation, we all knew it was going toward a worthy cause.
Dare Me to do something fun, weird, or challenging on the road!
The picture of cremations was presented tastefully. It is so important for Americans accustomed to the Judeo-Christian-Muslim ethic to understand that the world is comprised of people with many different traditions. Death rites provide some of the clearest glimpses into how other peoples around the world recognize the life cycle. I first saw something like this in the movie, “Baraka”, and, while jarring, it reinforced that there are many ways to comprehend one’s own temporal place in human history.
Thanks for the feedback Linda! Always nice to hear from you.
Those monks don’t look very happy to have their picture taken!!!
Nope, I think they were smiling when the girls had their photos taken with them though. My photo was probably just a courtesy!
You make me want to run back to the PRK Guesthouse and visit my friend Lama Peter.
Thanks for the memories