I still can't believe how quickly everything is going! Although I am so excited for our trekking week in Pokhara, that, too, will fly by very quickly and before I know it, I will be flying to my home in the States.
On Monday, Dai and I woke up at 6 am to hike to the Shiva Temple and, let me tell you, it is quite a climb! I consider myself fairly athletic, strong, with plenty of endurance, but Nepal has proven me wrong numerous times! I struggled to keep up with Dai, breathing heavily, sweating profusely, feeling like my lungs were going to fail me! I hate to admit it, but I felt some relief when I heard Dai breathing heavily as we started to climb the steps and, sadly, I felt some level of satisfaction that I wasn't alone in this strain of energy levels. Frankly, we were working very hard on empty stomachs and I wondered if I would collapse just trying to climb the 300 some steps to the temple, let alone the rocky hills and inclines we faced along the way!
It was the second time we had been to this temple, except this time it would be very much alive with Shiva devotees. You see, this month is dedicated to honoring Shiva. Women will wear green and yellow bangles (the colors that represent Lord Shiva), and green cloths. They will fast on Mondays and offer whatever fruits, flowers, rice, and water to the god in the temple. There are three or four stairways that lead up to the temple, each avenue about 300 steps toward the sky and there were long lines monitored by a Nepali police officer on each stairway. Even in times of humility, prayers, and offerings, devotees can be highly energized and become disorderly, eager to present their offerings to Shiva.
Men, women, children, elders come in their best dressed, women wearing stunning and immaculate saris, bangles, make-up, perfumes. There were little shops and makeshift stands to sell a collection of offerings on the holy leaf, including coconuts, flowers, bananas. I even saw a woman bringing one tiny apple. I wondered if that was her only piece of fruit she had at home and what kind of personal sacrifice she was making by offering it to Shiva.
Outside of the entrance to the temple, there is a pit where devout Hindus will set fire in the holy leaves and I asked Dai "why the fire?" to which he replied that those who expose themselves to the heat of the flames (without burning themselves, of course!) expel all of the evils and impurities from within before they enter the temple to present their offerings, say a few prayers, and head to the holy men, or priests, to receive tikkah on their forehead as a sign they have been blessed by Shiva before they leave and head home to conduct the rest of their day. Others will stop by a small statue (at eye level) of Hanuman (the favored monkey deity), placed tikkah on his forehead and also take tikkah from Hanuman and place it on their forehead. Others will do the same to a statue of Nandi, Shiva's bull and vehicle. Others light small lamps filled with oil as they offer prayers.
All the while, you can hear constant sounds of life such as chatter and conversations in Nepali, bells constantly being rung to command the attention and presence of the deities so their prayers may be heard, babies crying, mothers comforting their babies, fathers holding their children, excited to have a child in their arms and a part of this celebration of Lord Shiva. There was some Nepali music playing upon our arrival, but then one of the holy men took control of the microphone to organize the lines, keep people focused, keep the lines moving, etc. Since Dai and I weren't devotees, we were able to surpass the lines and at first we went to the temple's edge, where you really feel like you're on top of the world. You can see all of the villages below, rice fields, terraced lands, and on the outskirts of the villages, the huge city of Kathmandu and all of its tall buildings. From there, Dai and I found a bench and sat down, my weary body so thankful.
We observed for a while before heading back home for our morning chai tea, followed by dhal bhat and then rushed for showers and got ready. I needed to head to school, Dai needed to drive his motorbike into Thamel for his shop. It was a great start to the morning. So much to take in, religion-wise, and contemplate the depths of the belief systems that are so grounded in the Nepalese communities!
We will hike a local mountain one of these mornings, but will need to rise at 5:15 am to leave by 5:30- can't wait!! Oh yes, and watch out for those leeches!!
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!
Wednesday, July 30, 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
