I thought I might describe Kopan Monastery and the hill that it sits on. I was going to ask you to close your eyes and try to imagine this special place as I described it but after thinking about it, that wouldn’t work so well since you need to be able to read this. So just close one eye and read with the other one.
Kopan was started in the late 60”s. The hippie’s that were traveling around India, Nepal and the rest of Asia had a lot to do with it’s inception. They were seeking alternate ways of life, living and different spiritual paths. In Nepal they came across Tibetan Buddhism. There were many Tibetan Lamas and Tibetans in the area because when the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1959, Nepal was one of the closest countries they could flee to. Although they had to cross the Himalayas to get here and many didn’t make it. Many did make it and some made Nepal their home. I will abbreviate the story of Kopan but in general it goes like this: Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa met in a camp for refugees in India. After they left the camp they met a wealthy Russian woman that wanted to help them build a place where they could teach westerners Tibetan Buddhism. They found a place on a hill overlooking the Kathmandu Valley on one side and another valley on the other side. It used to be where the astronomer for the king had a small house and telescope. They purchased the land and that was the beginning of Kopan.
My first time here was in 2001. But only for a few days as I was on a month long trip exploring Nepal. Since then many improvements have been made to the accommodations for westerners. Back then there were a few rooms that had instant hot water. All of the rest had solar hot water. Which was warm for only one or two people. Now almost all of the rooms have instant hot water. They have also just finished a new block of rooms for the younger monks. The building they were in has been falling apart and is due to be torn down and replaced soon.
The hill Kopan sits on is very peaceful and quiet. The only noise you here from the valley below is an occasional bus horn and sometimes Hindu music and what sounds like a marching band. But it also on the flight path for the airport. So depending on which way the wind is blowing you either get the sound from the planes landing or taking off. There are trees all around the perimeter and a beautiful stupa garden behind the main Gompa. I have posted photos of the 2 stupas in the past. They are both very elaborate and both were built from funds donated by students of Lama Conchok and Lama Lhundrup whose relics are in the stupas. There is a Chenrezig fountain that sits in front of the large stupa but it never seems to be on. There are also many beautiful flowers that have been planted and always seem to be in bloom. There are Magpies, Blue Jays, Pigeons and other small birds happily singing away. And in the early morning and at sunset you can see birds of prey flying overhead on their way to hunt and returning in the evening.
The road from the valley passes the Nunnery and winds it way around the hill to the top where Kopan sits. It isn’t the tallest hill around but has a good view of the valleys below and is usually above the smog below. There is a small Leper Colony just below Kopan but it is gated and I have never seen any of the residents. The monastery is an active place of learning. Meaning there are over 300 monks here studying Buddhism, Math, Social Science and Chemistry. Some of the monks study here then go to southern India for further studies. After teachings in India some return to Kopan to teach here and others go to either various centers to teach or to do long retreats. In the evenings you can sometimes see the monks debating, which looks like they are fighting but they are challenging each other to produce the right answer and to back it up with the reasons why they think it is the correct answer.. You can also here them memorizing texts out loud and chanting mantras. The chant master came for a talk last night and demonstrated what the deep bass chanting sounded like. It was amazing and hard to believe that the sound was coming from him.
Many people come here during the year to do retreats on their own. And as long as the November Course isn’t going on, there are plenty of rooms and the price is right.
I hope this gives you a little glimpse into my version of Kopan.
Peru - The Amazon 