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Namo buddha nepal monastery9/8/2023 And it was still possible to visit while people were in retreat there, at least where the ngöndro drupkhang was concerned. We got stuck in some of the washed out bits in the taxi I used on more than one occasion. The roads are not much better than in your time, Cone, except for where the monastery has paved just before the entry to the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse itself. Obviously Thrangu Tashi Yangtse is by far the most eye-catching, but if there are other places to visit, it would be nice to know for next time. Tingdzin, do you know what happened to the forest gompa and the lone ngakpa? I wasn't aware of any other gompas while I was there either time. At the site it's said that this is what put Shakyamuni Buddha over the top with his merit, getting him to train as a bodhisattva in Tushita. That's always been my favorite Jataka tale. Maybe I'll post some of them here for others to enjoy, and to give you a look at how it's changed over the years. Managed to get the photos off of it before that happened, though. Someone stole it not long after I got back, so I guess my smartphone will have to do. The only thing that I had on my 2010 trip that I wish I still did was my camera. I mean, at least wait until it's stopped before you get up there, right? all while it was still moving! Maybe that's more normal than I realize, but it certainly shocked me. IIRC, on the way back down we saw a guy in the bus in front of us get out of his seat, climb out the window, and get on top. There's certainly a road going up to Namo Buddha now. Being from the States and disillusioned by how built up everything is here thanks to consumer culture, I'm sure I'm romanticizing it quite a bit, but still. Seeing pictures from the '70s & '80s, even Boudha looks very different - with much less city around it - and of course that's downtown Kathmandu. I can only imagine what things were like back then. It's such an amazing place, and I think more people deserve to know how truly special it is. Otherwise, I'd love to hear any stories the lot of you might have about this place or see any photos you may have. If anyone wants me to sponsor any pujas or do prayers on the behalf of them or their loved ones, feel free to PM me with details. This year I am blessed to be participating in a 9-week-long program at the monastery, so I'll be staying there and fitting in as much practice as I can in between studying Tibetan language. And Rinpoche's monastery is the most amazingly beautiful gompa I've been in, hands down. Some friends and I raised lines of prayer flags and helped with the scattering of paper lungta during a smoke puja. By far the best photos of my trip were taken there. I only got to go there on a day trip back in 2010, but it was one of the most memorable of the whole 2 months I was in Nepal. I personally feel that Namo Buddha is especially important as a place of pilgrimage, and that any practitioner of Chöd in particular should put it on their bucket list, as it's kinda the place to be for lujin.
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