Hello good people!
From Dharamsala , India , the seat of the Tibetan government in exile, we traveled to Nepal . The Hinduism we experienced throughout India and the Tibetan Buddhism we experienced in Dharamsala have blended for 2000 years in Nepal . What a wondrous surprise for us to discover temples with images of Buddha and Ganesh!
We visited temples, monasteries, and nunneries in Kathmandu , Patan, Pashupatinath, Bodhnath, and Bahktopor. We witnessed a wedding celebration, a funeral procession, cremations, masked costumed dancers at a temple ritual, puja prayer offerings, pilgrims circumambulating Buddhist stuppas, and daily living. Even on short walks around the town squares, there was so much to take in. Amazing sights!
Church member Megan Fouts recommended our trekking in Nepal . Our daughter Sarah and son Ben were able to join us for a week trekking in the Himalayas . We hiked from Lukla to Phakding to Namchee Bazar to Kumjung to Tenboche and back. We hiked up to elevation of just under 13,000 feet with glorious views of Mount Everest . The trek exceeded our expectations—the beauty of the land, the people, the mountains. We hiked under clear blue skies, sunshine, rain, hail, and snow. We didn’t know that all along the hike there would be stones chiseled, carved, and painted with Om Mani Padme Hum, prayer wheels, water mill prayer wheels, prayer flags, glorious gates and monasteries.
In Khumjung we visited the school established by Edmund Hillary and maintained by the Hillary Foundation. We learned more about the work of the American Himalayan Foundation which has over 130 projects—schools, daycare, hospitals, reforestation of hillsides, wildlife protection, restoration of ancient monuments and monasteries. And in a small village we visited the world’s highest dental clinic.
We celebrated Buddha’s birthday at the monastery at Namche Bazar and then processed around the village with others who carried a statue of the Buddha, played horns, drums, and cymbals, chanted, and carried banners proclaiming “Let peace prevail on earth.”
Throughout these months we have had opportunities to experience a wide variety of religions: Bahai, Brahma Kumari, Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Muslim, Sufi, Jain, Unitarian, indigenous tribal religion, Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, Tantric, Interfaith, ashram and utopian community. The time has been enriched by the variety of experiences. We have been fortunate to share meals and stay in local people’s homes and to visit service projects which do such good work. We have visited sacred places, sites, and shrines. This has been an amazing opportunity. We are full of gratitude.
We are excited now to visit family across the country as we make our way back to Berkeley . We will arrive and have a few days at home before driving to General Assembly in Salt Lake City . We’ll be back at church Sunday, July 5. We look forward to seeing you and hearing what has been going on in your lives.
With love,
Barbara and Bill
