Author Archives: shutterbugjj

entrance to Tibetan Monastery outside Lumbini

After arriving late in Lumbini, I spent a few hours in the morning looking around. Then hit the road again for a 6 hour trip to Kushinagar and a border crossing. It was foggy most of the day, so not much to see outside. And most photography inside is frowned upon.

newer Tibetan Monastery outside site

woman collecting wood

boy collecting firewood

structure covering 5th century BC spot where Buddha born

monks under tree, Lumbini

Be careful when you get behind the elephant

oops!

Blow horn? I don’t think anybody needs to know this, they all do it all of the time!

1 mile line of trucks waiting to get into Nepal

puja offerings for women

sunrise over Kathmandu

We had been on the road for 2 hours, when going down another mountain, we heard a clunk. I thought it might be a flat on the left front, but since the bus wasn’t leaning, I ruled that out. Upon further investigation the problem reared it’s head. Apparently someone had recently put new brake shoes on and didn’t do it correctly. The brake drum had gotten red hot and cracked. And stayed so hot for the next 45 min. no one could touch it. In true Nepali fashion “Anything Possible Nepal”, they proceeded to remove the cracked drum and all of the brake parts. They then closed off the airline to this brake, put the tire back on and off we were again with only three brakes. Who would have thunk it!

cracked brake drum

the culprit

earthen cook stove

King of the Road

drying clothes

9 hours by tourist bus

Hello all. I’m not sure how the last month has gone for you but my month flew by. I’m going to  call this course Psychology 101. Venerable Gyatso was a great teacher and most people enjoyed his teachings. As is usual, about ten percent left before it was finished. He has published a few books and he read from a forth coming one. One of his books “A Leaf in the Wind” is about his life up to when he wrote it. I haven’t read it but it’s supposed to be  good.

I’m off to Lumbini (the birth place of Buddha) tomorrow by bus. 10 hours! I’ll post some photos now and again when I get somewhere with internet.

this is where the teachings will take place. The main gompa at Kopan. I will be sitting in a chair on the left side

Well I thought I should write a little for those of you who like to read.
After a long flight to Singapore via Korea (18 hrs) and a 10 hour layover at the Singapore airport. And a 6 hour flight to Kathmandu. The Himalaya’s and Everest came into view above the clouds.

Kathmandu airport hasn’t changed in the 12 years that I have been coming here and probably hasn’t changed since the 70’s. It’s simple and has no frills but seems to work for the thousands and thousands that come here. If you ever plan on flying into here, get your visa ahead of time. It will save you an hour or more of waiting in line with your visa forms that you have just filled out.

It was like coming home when I arrived at Kopan. It has been 4 years since I have been here. There has been some changes made since my last visit. More accommodation has been built, they finished the new school for the monks and the stupa for Lama Lhundrup is being built. The nunnery gompa still isn’t done, but there is a lot of finish work going on inside, so hopefully it will be done soon. They are also going to build a larger stupa here for Lama Lhundrup in the style of the one in Bodhgaya.

I’ve included a photo of the gompa we will be using as our classroom. It’s beautiful! And will hold all 250 of us easily.

If I can slip out during the course I will post some photos of the monks and ?

I hope you are all well. I am and I’m happy!

Well, the time draws nearer for me to catch the big metal/carbon fiber bird of the sky. So I thought I would test this site out to see how it will look. I’ve included a photo taken 100 feet from where I live. In the background is Mount Diablo and of course,the sun.

Singapore airport is where you will probably hear from me next.

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