detwiler adventures: Bodhnath Stupa

It is hot walking around the stupa. I've read that one needs to walk around 108 times to ensure prayers are sent.

Prayer wheels

Puffed rice, fruit and candy waiting to be blessed and then given to the monks.

Window of Shechen monastery.....gorgeous.

Bodhnath stupa is my favorite place in Kathmandu. It is the largest stupa in the country and the spiritual home for many Tibetan Buddhists who fled to Nepal when the Chinese invaded Tibet.

I find myself drawn again and again to the stupa and the monasteries that are clustered there. The area is an oasis of calm in the chaos, dust and racket of Kathmandu. When you first arrive, you are immediately dizzied by the crowds of people walking clockwise around its base. Some are turning the prayer wheels to send their prayers to heaven. Maroon robed monks, one legged beggars, topi-topped Nepalis, striped apron wearing grandmothers, jet black pigtailed and red tasseled nomads, safari clad tourists, suited businessmen, tight jeaned youth, calloused forehead prostrators, and your average mantra reciting local all gather together and walk, pray, prostrate, offer, light candles, gossip, and shop around this stupa day and night.
There is a sense of this place being tethered to the earth from all this walking around, mixing spiritual obligation, devotion, and everyday affairs into one roundabout cauldron.

Yesterday I was drawn into Tsamchen gompa by the sound of the chanting monks and the beat of their drums. I first removed my shoes and then sat cross legged on the soft cushions and listened as they chanted their prayers. I find the chanting calming and soothing. A Tibetan family sat next to me with their prayer books and were solemnly turning the papers one by one. I noticed that the stack of prayers is about 2 inches thick and they appeared to have completed only about a quarter inch. How long does it take to get through the entire prayer book? Are you supposed to do so?
Respectful visitors are welcome. During my hour of sitting, various groups of tourists wandered in and stood quietly absorbing the sounds and colors.
After some time, a few younger monks walked to each of the seated chanting monks and offered a large round bread and a lump of something wrapped in wax paper. I was curious to see if the chanting would stop for this snack when all of a sudden a monk came to me and presented me with bread and the lump. I politely nodded thanks and let the food sit in front of me. By then the chanting had stopped and the Tibetan man next to me smiled and gave me a poke and motioned that I should eat.
Now I am very careful here in Nepal about what and where I eat, but I did not want to offend the gracious monks...especially since I had been sitting there for almost an hour enjoying the calm. So I watched what others were doing and squeezed a bit of the lump (spicy potato...actually very tasty) on my bread and took a few nibbles. It tasted great since it was almost lunch time, but I was cautious and discreetly put the remaining food into my bag. The monks gobbled and quickly resumed their chanting. The after-snack chant added finger snapping and various hand waves along with the cymbals, drums and horns. Just as I was planning a graceful exit from my cross legged position (my legs had gone to sleep!), everyone stood up and walked out the door. That was the end of that session.

Eyes are on all four sides.

I learned that one should walk three times around the large wheel....once for the past, once for the present and finally for the future. "Praise to the jewel in the lotus" is inscribed on the wheels.