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| Among mountain vistas, some choose to look inside Locals take spiritual journey to Tengboche Monastery in Northeastern Nepal Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 9:32 AM PST Story and Photographs By Lars Howlett Winded, but still managing to slowly put one foot in front of the other along the final, steep ascent toward Tengboche, Tim Sullivan of Half Moon Bay began to realize the commitment required for a group trek in the Himalayas. "We had seen the monastery along the trail all day so I thought it was within our grasp, but climbing up that last dusty 2,000 feet was quite a toil," Sullivan said. After passing by a small gateway lined with prayer wheels, Sullivan leaned his hiking sticks against a stone wall and rested as a caravan of yaks carrying the baggage for another expedition rambled by with the now familiar sound of ringing cowbells. It was the fourth day for Sullivan and a group of 14 on a trek organized by Half Moon Bay ecotourism and adventure travel agency, KarmaQuest. Seven Coastsiders undertook the journey, some of whom signed up hoping to find a sense of peace, perhaps even a level of enlightenment. Some, like Sullivan had a background in Buddhism and were familiar with the practice of meditation, chanting and prayer. Others were curious to experience the local culture and photograph the indigenous peoples. All were glad to have a day to rest their legs and bear witness to the festival of Mani Rimdu celebrated at the Tengboche Monastery. With the backdrop of Mount Everest illuminated by a full moon, Mani Rimdu has been held since the monastery was first built in 1919. This celebration in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition draws hundreds of Sherpa families to receive blessings from the incarnate lama and have the auspicious experience of watching ritual dances performed by the monks in silk robes and wooden masks. Surprisingly, this year the number of foreigners with digital cameras and brand-name jackets seemed to outnumber the locals in colored scarves and thin coats who crowded around together, angling for the best view of the festivities. "It was hard to feel the spirituality of it with all the tourists," admitted Sullivan. "The detail, intention and their spirit of generosity were impressive, but I didn't really feel connected." Curled up in his sleeping bag the next morning, with temperatures near freezing, Sullivan awoke at 4 a.m. to the sound of loud trumpet blasts coming from the monastery. It was a call to early morning meditation. While the other trekkers and tourists remained asleep or simply shivering in bed, he returned to the monastery which has an open door for people of all faiths and backgrounds. Removing his shoes and walking quietly to the corner, Sullivan sat on a small red carpet. He closed his eyes in a room filled with brightly colored wall paintings and about 30 monks dressed in deep red robes lined in prayer at the foot of a giant golden Buddha. "Instead of absorbing it visually, I closed my eyes listening to the bells, drums and horns being used to draw the monks into deeper meditation" Sullivan said. "It was so spiritually moving. I tried to focus on my breath and find calm as the prayers deepened and their intention became stronger." Hot milk tea was served including a cup for Sullivan. Other tourists arriving late were turned away so as not to cause distractions allowing Tim to be one of only two Westerners in attendance. Later that morning the leader of the expedition, Karma Lama of Half Moon Bay, was able to arrange a private visit to a monk's home for a question-and-answer session as well as the opportunity to receive a personal blessing from the incarnate lama, Tengboche Rinpoche. Another member of the KarmaQuest expedition, Mary Anne Chase of Frenchmans Creek bought ceremonial scarves called katas for the group. The scarves were handed to the Rinpoche who placed them over the heads of each participant in a simple ceremony. Receiving the blessing "was a little bit cleansing, a little bit redemptive and a lot humbling to be in the presence of somebody on that path," said Chase. "I wondered if there were ways in my own life to honor someone else with a celebratory gesture that honors their being," she said. After wearing the scarves for the day, some later tied them along with prayer flags over bridges or at overlooks to disperse the blessings in the wind. Chase decided instead to pass on her scarves to other family members or friends who have played an important role in her life. What impressed Chase most was, "being cold at night and experiencing the way the monks live in a barren landscape with squat toilets," she said. "Their focus, however, is not any of that external stuff but the inward as they peel off the layers and delve into their psyches getting closer to the heart of the matter, which is: Are they fundamentally good human beings? Are they taking care of themselves as they need to and still giving to others?" she said. "That was a lesson for me right there." While Chase and Sullivan had both studied Buddhism and practiced meditation earlier in their lives, recently they find themselves less engaged in the formal exercise of religion. "It's an eye opener to go back to the lessons I have worked on in the past," said Sullivan. "You learn these great things in life and then you put them on a shelf. It's like having a library where you tuck away your knowledge and all the sudden you go back and wonder why you ever let go of this or that. "Life is sometimes a circle that leads you back to those things you loved but let go for reasons that were circumstantial," he said. The next day the trekkers were led on a day hike up a steep ridge to help acclimatize to the higher elevations yet to come. On Day 6 the group would hike for six hours from 12,664 feet at Tengboche heading above the tree line to 14,468 feet at Lobuche, a hair below the elevation of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental United States. Quickly the focus became the excitement and anxiety of climbing of Kala Patthar, three days and 6,000 vertical feet in the distance, hopefully to share in the unforgettable experience of standing face to face with Mount Everest. |