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"Buddhism is a way of life through which we develop the qualities of our mind.
This way of life is very unusual, as it is a means to attain happiness without harming others.
THE 17th GYALWA KARMAPA
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Travel Log - In Nepal and India with lama Puntso
And the Buddha Is Born! - I’ll spare you the sixteen hours of bus travel from Kathmandu to Lumbini—the tire that needed changing, the axel-balancing, the road under construction—you get the idea. We arrived at 10:30 at night: all three buses of Lama Nyima’s pilgrimage group, in which I nabbed a spot. This morning we got up fairly early to head off to the Mayadevi Temple.
Travel Log - In Nepal and India with lama Puntso
The Retreat Concludes - We are concluding the Nepali step at Sharminub with a selection of metaphors and photos of the Amitabha offering feast that closed the retreat.
Since I didn’t know what to share with you from all the teachings that have been given, I decided to pull out all of the metaphors that Khenpo Gyaltsen and Jigme Rinpoche used. Some are traditional while others are more original. Happy reading…
Travel Log - In Nepal and India with lama Puntso
Kaleidoscope - Travel through the Photo Gallery
Travel Log - In Nepal and India with Lama Puntso
A Place of Great Purity - As I explained earlier, behind Sharminub Monastery, there is a retreat center where a dozen fully-ordained (guelong) monks hand-picked by Shamar Rinpoche live. They spent ten years in retreat dedicating themselves to Mahamudra meditations from the sutra tradition.
Travel Log - In Nepal and India with lama Puntso
The Children of Sharminub - Sharminub monastery was created with the purpose of study and practice as well as preserving the monastic vows and the vinaya. Of course, these projects are underway, but an unintended function arose: an orphanage and a school for children.
Travel Log - In Nepal and India with Lama Puntso
Khenpo Gyaltsen : His Life- The day of my arrival at the monastery, I saw a monk with a shovel energetically digging at the foot of a stone staircase. He was preparing the soil for the visitors, so that it wouldn’t be dangerous to walk there. I recognize Khenpo Gyaltsen, the principal of the monastery.
Travel Log - In Nepal and India with Lama Puntso
Day 2 : Mosaic- Jigmé Rinpoche continued his teaching. He reviewed the nature of Buddha and on the meaning of the visualisation. Then he spoke of the connection that we establish with the bodhisattvas during the practice by way of a particularly fitting metaphor.
Travel Log - In Nepal and India with Lama Puntso
First Day of Retreat - It’s eight-thirty. People arrive. Not only the one hundred and twenty from Nyima’s group but people who have come in small groups from different European countries. In all, there are nearly 200 of us (to be confirmed). The day before, we established the schedule: four sessions; two in the morning and two in the afternoon; the day begins at nine am and ends at five pm. It’s reasonable and leaves times for the rest (to each his own rest at various moments: some shop; some visit tourist sites; some practice…).
Travel Log - In Nepal and India with Lama Puntso
Arrival at Sharminub: Between Earth and Sky - Upon my arrival at Sharminub Monastery, the size of the place (it’s big!), its beauty (dare I say elegance?), and its location between the hillside and the valley (between earth and sky?) immediately brought to mind Shamar Rinpoche. This place is a clear expression of him.
Travel Log - In Nepal and India with Lama Puntso
Retreat at Sharminub: The Invitation - “I would like to announce that I will be guiding a retreat of the 14th Shamar Rinpoche’s guru yoga at Sharminub from December third to tenth of this year, and I would like to invite you to come join me if you wish to and are able to. You can take part in the full retreat or come for only a part.”
