After speaking with many of the Nepalese communities, I have come to understand that there are careful decisions when naming a child. The child cannot be named until an astrologer sees the order of the planets and constellations and then they will give the parents the first letter of the name to which the parents then decide what name their child will have. This is a very serious and careful process as every name has a very significant meaning.
After speaking with my level 12 students today, I told them to ask me any questions; nothing is too personal for me. I will not be offended by their curiosity. So we started talking about family and questions like 'are you married? Are you dating? Are all of your siblings married? Do they have any children?' came along, which made me very delighted to speak of my lovely niece and nephew. I told them their names and they asked what the names mean. So, I told them I would need to look them up and share with them tomorrow. So I did some research and to my pleasant surprise, my niece's name, in Greek, means "helper and defender" and my nephew's English name means "God has been gracious" and it made me smile because, not only do they exhibit those meanings and so much more, but the naming of a child is so important, no matter the culture, no matter the location. He/she is a child and we shall always raise them up to become and to share their significance with all they meet along their journey called life!
NamoBuddha Pilgrimage
Have you ever heard of the story about the King Bayan Deer? It tells a story of sacrifice, compassion, generosity, and even suffering as the King discovered empathy through the actions of others. There are so many symbolic icons and representations in the Buddhist and Hindu faiths, it is extraordinary and inevitable to examine our own thoughts and actions.
Buddhist Prayer Flags
Traditionally, Buddhist prayer flags can be found in the Himalayas Mountains, along rooftops, even embedded in the flora of a country. They are hung to bless the countryside, those that are living nearby, and serve many other purposes. They traditionally come in five colors, which represent the Five Elements: sky (blue), air/wind (white), fire (red), water (green), Earth (yellow). Tibetan Buddhists believe that once all of the elements have reached a balance, good health and harmony will follow. Although many believe that the flags carry prayers, that is a common misunderstanding. In fact, there are mantras written across the prayer flags and in addition to saying the mantras, prayers are offered up for those that hang the flags for lifelong blessings. The best time to hang the flags is in the morning, preferably when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing; therefore the wind can carry compassion and good will to all within its reach. After traveling through Buddhist communities, I noticed that some prayer flags looked brand new while others were old, tattered, and faded. Just as Buddhists have accepted the journey of life through aging, so the flags are treated the same. Alongside of old, faded flags will hang new ones. The old ones are not taken down, burned, or thrown away because of the sanctity of the mantras and symbols. Each colored flag has an image or a name of the four powerful animals, better known as "Four Dignities". Perhaps you can see them on various Buddhist flags, but they are the dragon, garuda, tiger, and snowlion. How colorful and beautiful!
One-horned Nepali Rhino Mother and Calf
Truly an opportunity! Rare, but this is why you ride an elephant through the jungle because the elephant can navigate through dense jungle pathways and conceal the human scent in order to capture this wonderful occasion of observing one of Nepal’s species that are on the rebound in re-populating numbers, previously close to extinction!
Sunday, June 29, 2014
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My Parting Gifts
A parting gift from two of my students that worked so hard to create this beautiful piece of art that I can't wait to hang in my room next year!! Thank you so much for a wonderful year! You have touched my heart immensely!
Ganesha Chair
What a gorgeous expression of art! Thank you so much!
Map of Nepal
