Kathmandu
Yesterday afternoon, we briefly visited Swayambhunath stupa, the holiest Buddhist site in the valley. To help us understand the temple grounds, we were accompanied by Andrea, an American woman who has lived in Nepal for about 20 years and is a nun at the Swayambhunath complex. She told us several legends about the origins of the valley over hot chai. In the legends, Swayambhunath is the source of a dazzling light, which is now enclosed in the stupa. Nepali stupa are painted with the eyes of the Buddha, which look curiously angry. Around them many smaller stupa and shrines are clustered, so many you worry about stepping on something holy.Around the stupa are prayer wheels, and prayer flags in five colors fly everywhere. The wheels hold the sacred mantra, printed in tiny script thousands of times on a tight roll of paper. The flags are printed with prayers specific to each of the five aspects of the Buddha. By spinning the wheels or flying the flags, prayers are sent out across the valley. The flags are mounted as high as possible so the prayers fly far. Pilgrims and worshippers walk clockwise around the stupa, turning the wheels and touching the shrines. Swayambhunath is on an enormous hill, and covers a huge expanse. A rich donor recently created a walkway up the hill to the entrance -- easily a mile, maybe more. Prayer wheels line the walkway the entire distance. A constant stream of people, some Nepali, some Tibetan, toil up the hill, their right hands brushing the wheels as they go.
Today we continue our Buddhist exploration. First, we visit Mother Teresa's mission in Kathmandu, settled next to one of the holiest Hindu temples in Nepal, Pashupatinath. The convergence of religions seems to work well. Next, we have an audience with a Rinpoche, a high lama. Choye Nyima Rinpoche is very fluent in English, as he teaches in California from time to time. He is a funny and delightful host, moving swiftly from Buddhist principles to American politics to the perils of New York streets. A couple from California joins the audience, and by their behavior we realize how very impressive this genial man with his active cell phone must be. They are in awe, bowing and scraping. Taking the hint, we back (no doubt incorrectly) from the Rinpoche's presence.
Over lunch, we admire the Boudhanath stupa. This stupa is right in the midst of the city, and is surrounded by shops and restaurants. Across from prayer wheels and shrines, one can buy film or Nepali music on cassette. It is a bit troubling, to be honest. It has a "moneylenders in the temple" feel. After lunch we climb into the hills to visit a 4-year-old abbot, the latest incarnation of an important lama. Unfortunately, he is in India, but we enjoy a glimpse of the monks at daily prayer. On the way back to the hotel, we drive by what looks like a small political rally outside a movie theatre.