Boudha Stupa

    Stupa is a very sacred  place for all Buddhist. It is a very big dome like structure ( damaged during the big earthquake).
Normally all monks, tourists and general public go around the stupa moving the bells around. I observed them chanting with the help of their rosaries. It is said that the remains of all great Buddhist monks  are placed inside the stupa.(very few people are allowed to see inside the stupas).                      

Dinner and lunch the Monastery and the orphanage---

At  the monastery all children sat on a cushion and ate at a  low table. At the orphanage (the children's home) they sat on a thin carpet and ate. Food at both places was same (Rice and dal, lentil soup) Following are also the pictures of two hard working ladies who spend all day cooking for forty people in the monastery and eighteen people in the orphanage. They cook  breakfast, lunch and dinner for all.

 

 

My Photo & Video Blog

When I landed in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monk Smith came to welcome me. We took a taxi and headed towards Khawalung Tashi Choeling Monastery in the little town of Simaltar, Boudha-6.These are different views of this beautiful monastery where I spent most the time of my stay in Nepal. 

These are the residents of this monastery.(Monks) they are very young to little older and then young adults living in the place.

They are 6 to 8 Years age..

They are 9 to 11 Years old.....

Young adults....12 years to 20+ years ...

These are the children at the Orphanage starting from age 6 to 15 Years....

Here I would like to say a few words about the proud father of Khawalung Tashi  Choeling Monastery (where I stayed)—President Lama Jigme Dorje.

Lama Dorje as he is called by all the monks around the monastery is the soul of this place. Monastry’s day to day running and survival of its members (monks)  depends on him. I was lucky to be there at the time of his yearly stay in the monastery. Lama Jigme is taking care of this place monetarily and it’s administration. He is responsible for keeping the whole building safe for the monks and its keep up and repairs.

                          There are approximately 35-40 monks living here. A couple of appointed teachers who teach Tibetan and Nepali Languages to all these monks. There is a fulltime cook who is responsible for all healthy food preparations. There is also a regular flow of volunteers coming and going all around the year. Lama Jigme has to keep track of all these activities of the monastery and fund them.

                                        Lama Jigme is always on his feet travelling to Tibet, china, United States and of course Nepal (head quarter).  The sole purpose of all this travel is to raise funds to cover the expenses of this institution. His stay here comes during the time of the yearly big Pooja. He performs the Pooja in much disciplined way. He would attend all sessions of daily worship. At the end of each day all monks would get lots of fruits, candy and packets of chips and cookies. All children would be very happy. During his stay here he would attend the official and state business.

All monks in the monastery are very respectful towards him. I asked many of them about Lama and their response was “this is our Home, School and Temple and Lama is our Father and Mother”. Lama Jigme having travelled a lot realized the demand of the current time and needs. He once called us all and asked about his future plans of starting a regular school for the monks. Teaching them English, Math, Science and Social science. He wants to hire some part time or full time teachers. He said living in the monastery these children have no knowledge of the outside world. In case they are forced to leave due to some adverse circumstances, they should be able to 

survive.                                     Lama has lot more plans to improve the exposure of these monks to the world. He wants visitors to come and experience the monastery life, how these children live, thrive, learn and enjoy life.They are safe and secure under the umbrella held by this father.

to continue.......

बौध्द मठ में जीवन-

मेरा अगला दिन सुबह साढेपाँच बजे शुरु हुआ । प्रार्थना के लिये ठीक छै बजे पहुँचना था। इस वक्त बिजली नही होती थी तो इंटरनेट भी नही, यानि घर परिवार से कोई बातचीत भी नही। छै बजते ही जोर से घंटा बजना शुरु हो जाता था यह सारे भिक्षुओं को सुबह की प्रार्थना के लिये बुलावा होता था। एक एक कर के सारे भिक्षु मंदिर में आते थे और अपनी नियत जगह पर खडे हो जाते थे जब तक की उनके मुख्य भिक्षु उन्हें बैठने के लिये नही कहे । गर्भगृह के दोनो ओर कतार में बारह भिक्षु खडे होते हैं। मंत्र ओर श्लोक सब तिबेटी भाषा में होते हैं। लेकिन यह सब बहुत स्वरबध्द और शांतिदायक लगता है। यह सब  तुतारी, डमरू, झांज आदि वाद्ययंत्रों के संगीत के साथ होता है। ये  सब वाद्ययंत्र  पूर्व के मंदिरों ओर पूजास्थलों में आमतौर पर प्रयोग होते  हैं।

 यहाँ आने वाले सब प्रवासियों से मैं कहना चाहूँगी कि प्रार्थना का अनुभव एक बार

वे जरूर लें। यह दिन में दो बार सुबह छै बजे और शाम को चार बजे होती है।

स्वयंसेवक और अतिथि पीछे की दीवार से सट कर बैठते हैं। बैठने के लिये छोटे छोटे तकियेनुमा कुशन होते हैं।

प्रार्थना के तुरंत बाद नाश्ते की घंटी बजती है। सारे भिक्षु और स्वयं सेवक अपनी अपनी थाली और कप लेकर छोटे छोटे मेजों के पीछे तकिये पर बैठ कर नाश्ता परोसे जाने की प्रतीक्षा करते हैं। कुछ भिक्षु ही ये खाना परोसते हैं। यह भी दाल भात ही होता है। कभी कभी रोटी और आलू की सब्जी भी परोसी जाती है। खाने के पहले प्रार्थना की जाती है और फिर सब लोग खाना शुरु करते हैं। कोई भी खाने के बाद की प्रार्थना के पहले स्थान नही छोड सकता। यह भगवान का धन्यवाद होता है।

My volunteer work at the monestry

My volunteer work at the monestry was to be with the children and guide them at every step during lunch, dinner or in  their general behavior. This was apart from our teaching duties. We had total three groups of students. Level one included very young children (ages 6through11) then level two and three were older monks from ages (12through 18+) in the junior class 
(Classroom level 1 to Level 3). 

They were taught basic English.  I also taught them introductory science. I taught them about Atoms, Density, etc. Then I talked about the parts of a flower. At times many monks would go for the personal Poojas at a different monastery or to someone else’s house. Monks were very interested in going for these Pooja’s as they would be paid some money.  I do not know what the deal was with the monastery. I liked the way they behaved in the class and I observed that some of these children were very keen on learning new things in science.

We (all volunteers) arranged the classroom, hanged various posters, a world map, and asked children to hang their work (Diagrams etc). At the children’s home, they were dressed up in their uniforms and sent to school where they would study the regular curriculum of the state 

(Children studying at Children's home)

. Volunteers helped them with their homework after school, played with the little ones and read stories.

 Monastery and the children’s home were the two places where I was trying to help orphans. I was personally paying much attention in the monastery and attending the other site on the weekends. My son Ajay, made a good amount of donation so  that            Sujan, In charge of Children’s home could get the bunkbeds 

made for all the children. My main aim was to help as many needy children and as I could. I remember going to the sight where we saw hundreds of tents for the displaced earthquake victims (pic 17tents). These were supposed to be temporary settlements for them. These people are living in very poor conditions, four to five people living in one little house, asking for help from the tourists and strangers. Some of us visited a few people in the settlements, helped them with their basic necessities like sacks of rice, oil sugar etc.  It was very sad to see human beings living in such depressing situation. They all had good life once, A home, and also proper provision for their families.
Tent City for Earthquake devasted people

...............To be continued.......

Life in Monastry

My Nepal Yatra

It all started when Ajay and Aakash returned from their month long stay in Nepal. All those stories about sufferings and pain moved me from the core. It was kind of a big question mark in my mind how to do or what to do, how to do something. Ultimately I told my son that I would like to there personally and see how they are coping with the difficulties. I wanted to experience their way of life myself.

                              I tried to raise some money for donations to help them monetarily. I was very fortunate moderate amount with help of my friends and family. I also added self-contributions in the form of books, pencils and other things. With good wishes from all, I headed for my adventure trip.

                 My older brother and his wife who is my friend more than a sister in law lived in Delhi and were very helpful as I could take a break and recuperate after my 14+ hours of flight. Some four days after I left Delhi and a little two hours flight took me to my destination. My son arranged my stay in a beautiful Monastery

.There was no room in the orphanage as they had enough volunteers to care for the children for that period. A very nice young monk was waiting for me at the Airport (He called himself Smith)and we headed home, that was  my temporary home.

Week one of my stay was very interesting. All monks here(combination of age 6 through 22 welcomed me.

There were three other volunteers from Canada, Australia and South Africa. When I added my United States nationality, we became a nice International group. Monks wanted to know who am I. My name Vandana did not make impression but as I reminded them that my son Ajay and his son Aakash were here, they remembered them. It was very easy for them to call me dadi maa as I told them I am Akash’s dadi maa.(grand maa in Hindi) I instantly I became dadi maa for the whole monastery. Interestingly I was dadi maa for all monks, their teachers and even there big Lama Dorge.

My new day started by wa

          

मेरी नेपाल यात्रा

यह सब तब शुरु हुआ जब मेरा बेटा अजय       और पोता आकाश अपनी एक महीने की लंबी नेपाल यात्रा के बाद वापिस आये। उनसे भूकंप के बाद की वहां के लोगों पीडा और परेशानी का हाल जानकर  मै अंदर तक हिल गई। मेरे सामने यह समस्या थी कि मै कैसे और कितनी मदद वहाँ के लोगों की कर सकती हूँ। पर करना मुझे जरूर था। फिर मैने अजय से ही अपनी ये इच्छा जाहिर की कि मै स्वयं वहाँ जाकर और उनके साथ रह कर उनकी मदद करना चाहती हूँ। इस तरह वे सारी समस्यायें जो वहाँ के लोगों के सामने हैं, मै खुद अनुभव कर के  अपने स्तर पर समाधान खोज सकूँ।

मैने फिर इस दिशा में काम करना शुरु किया। अपने लोगों से मिल कर उनसे इस काम के लिये आर्थिक सहायता के लिये प्रार्थना की । और मित्रों और परिवार के लोगों ने भी अपनी तरफ से भरसक सहायता की। इस तरह मैने काफी ठीक ठाक राशि जमा कर ली।

मैने अपनी तरफ से किताबें कापियां पेन्सिलें आदि भी खरीद लीं। और सब की शुभेच्छाएँ लेकर मै अपने इस अभियान पर निकल पडी।

मेरे बडे भाई और भाभी जो कि दिल्ली में रहते हैं उनसे भी मदद मिली कि मैने अमेरिका से दिल्ली आकर उनके घर पर एक छोटा सा विश्राम ले लिया और इस तरह मेरी 17 घंटे के सफर की थकान उतर गई। कुछ दिनों के विश्राम के बाद मै एक छोटी सी 2 घंटे की उडान लेकर अपने गंतव्य काठमांडू पहुँच गई।

मेरे बेटे अजय ने मेरे ठहरने की व्यवस्था एक मोनेस्ट्री (बौध्द-मठ) में की थी। इस का कारण यह था कि वह अनाथाश्रम जहाँ मुझे बच्चों को पढाना था वहां और भी स्वयं सेवक रुके हुए थे। काठमांडू हवाई अड्डे पर मुझे लेने स्मिथ नामक एक नौजवान बौध्द भिक्षु आया हुआ था। और उसके साथ चल पडी मेरी सवारी मेरे इस अस्थाई घर की ओर।
मेरा पहला दिन बडा रोचक रहा। सारे छोटे बडे भिक्षुओंने (उम्र 6वर्ष से 22वर्ष) मेरा स्वागत किया। मेरे साथ तीन और स्वयंसेवक और थे एक केनेडा से एक ऑस्ट्रेलिया से और एक दक्षिण अफ्रीका से और मै थी अमरीका से तो हमारा यह एक छोटासा अंतरराष्ट्रीय ग्रूप बन गया।

ये सारे भिक्षु हमारा परिचय चाहते थे। मेरा वंदना नाम तो कुछ खास जम नही पाया उनको पर मै आकाश की दादी मा हूँ यह बात जम गई और मै वहाँ के सारे भिक्षुओं की दादी माँ बन गई। यहाँ तक कि वहां के गुरु और लामा दोरजे भी मुझे दादी माँ कहते थे। (क्रमशः) 


Life in Monastry

My new day started by waking up at about y time 5 .30 am. and getting ready for the morning prayers. Most of the times the power is out in the mornings so no internet and thus a problem about contacting family. Just at 6 am., the famous gong starts waking up all the monks to get together in the temple for the morning prayers. They enter the temple one by one and stand at their respective places, and wait for the head monk to sit. Usually there are 12 monks on each side of isle in a row. Chanting is all in Tibetans language. It sounds very rhythmic and interesting.  The prayer is always coupled with drums, tutari, Damru,  Pipani and  zanj. These are typical eastern religious instruments used in temples and other religious places. (pic & video)

                           My suggestion to all tourists and visitors is to take some time to attend this hour long prayer (puja) session and appreciate it. The prayer timings are 6 am and 4 pm. daily. Volunteers and visitors can sit comfortably near the rear walls. There are nice thick cushions for all to sit on.

(Join the prayer)

After Pooja, the breakfast bell rings,  All the monks and volunteers gather in the dining hall  and sit on the cushions near the low tables. Everyone is expected to bring their own plate and tea cup and sit and wait for the monks to serve food.  It is routinely rice and Dal (some kind of lentil soup.) Sometimes they serve roti (Indian rolled bread and potato curry. After each one is served monks say some prayer and then all can eat. No one can leave before monks say the prayers at the end  of breakfast thanking the God for giving food.  Feels very good.
(Lunch..)

to be continued.....

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