I have been one heck of a busy bee here at IBA.

To begin with, every morning from 8 to 9:30; I have a teaching with Khenpo Jamyang Tenzin on The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva.

Then at 10 I have Tibetan Language with Khenpo Jorden for an hour. Tomorrow is our first exam on Unit 1: This, that: Here, there: to be; You get the jest of it. I think I am ready…

Today I took a break from the 2:30 review class on The Way of the Bodhisattva to head out with two of my students, Thupten Phuntsok and Thupten Palbar, for a walk around the stupa and a juice run.

I thought that I would apologize for my postless blog by offering you a few photos and a quote from the text this week. I hope that it in some small way makes up for my absence.

In this quote by Shantideva, he condenses one of the most important principles of the world (to me anyway) in a few short but sweet four line stanzas:

All the joy the world contains

Has come through wishing happiness for others.

All the misery the world contains

Has come through wanting pleasure for oneself.

Is there need for lengthy explanation?

Childish beings look out for themselves,

While Buddhas labor for the good of others:

See the difference that divides them!

If I do not give away

My happiness for others’ pain

Enlightenment will never be attained,

And even in samsara, joy will fly from me.

And now for some photos and a trip to the juice stand…

I spent 10 days with over 300 people from over 40 countries studying the text and commentaries on Parting from the Four Attachments at the International Buddhist Academy.  The retreat morning teachings were with Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche and then the afternoon Calm Abiding Meditation sessions were led by Lama Chodak Rinpoche.

The experience was beyond amazing.  I am learning a little bit more every day about what it means to have faith.  After taking refuge with Khenpo Jorden in Chicago, that was one thing that I have yet to fully grasp.  I am feeling a little bit closer to understanding faith each day.

Go enlightenment.

Check out more photos on the flickr album page!

Today was a pretty event filled uneventful day.

I thought that I would narrate it for you and give you a little photo tour.

At 6 am I got up. I went to the kitchen and helped Tamdin make chapatis for breakfast. My chapatis are never round, they are either oblong or square.

I met Jane at the Tinchuli Chowk (intersection) to go with her to this Tamang family’s home where their grandfather, who is a lama, was doing pujas.

The grandfather of the Tamang family explains in Tamang about the puja and ceremonies.

They were amazingly hospitable and fed us breakfast. I will be returning there soon, I hope. In a week or so they will be having “lama dances” to celebrate the commencement of the months of pujas.

Fried up white chapatis, channa dal, and some sort of aloo are served up for breakfast, as I catch Jane off gaurd with her mouth full.

Then Jane and I left and met Belén near the chowk. We grabbed a taxi and headed to the Kumari Cinema where we went and saw Star Trek. Can you believe it? Star Trek… And right when it released in the states too. My how Nepal is growing!

Belén is a new friend of mine. Jane has known her for a while. She studies annually at the I.B.A. She is a yoga instructor from Spain. She has an amazingly loud and contagious laugh. I absolutely adore her. Surely one person to be blessed to meet in Kathmandu.

Stunning Belén, in her looks and her surprise!

On the way to Kumari Cinema, in the taxi, we passed the goat woman. So in honor of my previous travel partner, Allison, I had to pop a photo of the darn goats that are tied to the tree. Throughout the day, the goats become decrease. They become dinner. Not my dinner, but someone, somewhere in Nepal is eating them right now.

On the way to the cinema there are four goats tied to the tree. How many will be tonight's dinner?

Looks like no part of the goat was spared.

So after Star Trek, we went to Bhatbateni, a huge supermarket with anything you can think of craving. Most of the items are imported, they are comparable in price to the west. It’s not a daily do, but it is an outing to cherish.

Then we headed back to Jane and Belén’s house, had a little lunch, and watched an episode of Friends. Ahhh yes, I did say Friends!

From there I headed out in search of a protest rally to photograph, which I had somehow missed. Which led me to head to the café where I am now, Flavor’s, typing away on the internet, sipping on an iced tea, and contemplating my dinner.

the sunset I was waiting for…

Sunset over Kathmandu...

For those of you not in the “know”, loptuk is the Tibetan word for student.

Farewell feast as TG heads back to Sakya Center in Rajpur, India for the summer. Gonna miss him tremendously!!

Thupten Gongphel and myself; with a feast fit for monks and teachers!  It was a great afternoon send off.  Thupten Gongphel really has become one of my best friends here.  I adore him and always look to him for guidance and advice.  Though I often try to squash his ego and tell him that I am not going to follow his suggestions, though I really usually do anyway.

TG got on a bus to India today at 5 or so and then I had dinner in the now quiet and empty dining room of IBA.  It really hit me that he has gone when my favorite routine was once again gone.  Everynight TG and I would walk around the garden of IBA for an hour or so, just talking and chatting about this and that.  I really do cherish that routine and will surely miss it in the upcomming months.

So I guess that the smart thing to do would be to replace these routines with ones filled with studying my philosophy and Tibetan, learning to finally commit to mediation, and to go out and take some great kick butt photos! Ahh if only I could follow my own advice!

Its amazing that in just a few short months time I became so close to these guys. I really do love my students dearly. And I am already eager for them to return.

Tsering Norbu and Thupten Gongphel during our farewell lunch at The Garden.

Some of them will be staying around Kathmandu and I have elected them to help me study my Tibetan and philosophy. All the while it will be them studying English as well. What a great summer exchange.

Buddha Jayanti Bouddhanath Kathmandu Nepal 09 May 2009 - Images by Rene Edde

Sometimes life throws a curve ball. The full moon in Scorpio of Vaksha brought Buddha’s birthday festival at Bouddhanath. This festival brought out the pickpockets. They nabbed my phone. Then the mirror in my camera just fell out. It’s broke. Again in Nepal I have a broken camera.

But even with all the full moon hoopla, I am still happy. I spent the evening making photos and there are even a few that I have grown to love. That’s all I can ever hope for in the world. Just to make one photo in a day that I love. There’s nothing better in the world.

Baudha Protest 08 May 2009 - Images by Rene Edde

There are days, I have come to realize, that are all about lesson learning and experiences.

Since the announcement of the resignation of the Prime Minister, aka “Prachanda“, I have had the intuitive feeling that this is simply the calm before the storm. On the outside Kathmandu appears to be business as usual, and then add a little extra peace into the equation. I can’t decide if it feels false or forced.

Today I spent the afternoon hanging around my neighborhood, Bouddhanath. I went outside of the inner circle surrounding the stupa and out to the main road. There were huge boulders of concrete blocking the road and all the shops were closed. It seemed surreal and tranquil.

I decided to ask around, with a couple of questions coming to mind. What time did the blockades go up? Did people anticipate a protest? And lastly the general question; What’s going on? Though I thought that I knew the answer.

No one could tell me what time it began, though often saying that they will be gone in the evening. No comment about the protests, not even an indecipherable head bobble. But as to what was going on, I received one answer which I thought was truly priceless: “People don’t like the dust. It goes into their shops and it’s dirty. So they closed everything.” That had to be the best thing I had heard in weeks.

So I continued to sit around on the steps of shops that line the streets. About every half hour I moved to a new location.

I met an adorable shoe shine boy from Rajasthan. I also met his drunk and disgusting cousin, to whom I lied and said that I had a very large and handsome husband in the states. Then, of course, it was time again to move on.

The only excitement was when a police truck came zooming through the street and decided to go around the road block on the sidewalk, only to find that there was a motorcycle in the way. Since no one offered to move it, despite all of the commanding. They finally got off their rears, out of the truck, and decided that the smart thing to do was to deflate the tires. Though not moving it first. Someone finally took ownership and moved the bike. There was quite a bit of shouting, but not much else.

Two Nepal policemen deflate tires.

So after nearly three hours of sitting on the stoops with the locals, drinking chai, smoking a couple of cigarettes, and being hit on by a drunk Rajasthani, I grabbed my gear and headed back to the stupa and eventually home.

But not without taking time for one of the benefits of living in Baudha, I walked a few rounds of kora around the stupa, and took a little time to enjoy and contemplate all it is that I love about Nepal.

Sunset at the Bouddhanath Stupa

May 05, 2009 — Kathmandu, Nepal — Members of Nepal’s CPN(M) (Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)) take to the streets in a rally in Ratna Park on Tuesday evening. Following the news of the resignation of the prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as Prachanda, the communist party of Nepal is getting rallied up for widespread protests throughout the valley.

CPNM Kathmandu Rally (Maoist) - Images by Rene Edde

My journey thorugh India and to Nepal was easy going and uneventful.  I am back at the IBA safe and sound.

I am in the midst of preparing the monks for finals which they will have on May 9th.  Then I am off to India for a few days to work on a story with The Esther Benjamins Trust.

Then its time for a ten day retreat with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and the my first official Philosophy and Tibetan classes begin.
For now I will leave you with a few photos of my first night back with the students!  My how I missed them.  But Oh My, how hot Nepal has gotten already!  Bring on the summer monsoons!  As always, click on the photos for a larger view!