Stefan's adventures in Nepal and Trulshik Rinpoche's passing

My friend Stefan just recently started studying at the renowned Rangjung Yeshe shedra, which is kind of a mix between a traditional Tibetan shedra and a modern university. As you might know Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche is the mastermind behind a lot of it.

Stefan wrote a short story about his arrival and the first weeks of his study, which I thought some of you might enjoy to read [with his permission]. Here are some excerpts and also a short video about the passing away of Trulshik Rinpoche

Kathmandu, the studies begin:
The next days I was just filling out endless papers handing in 8 passport pictures :-) and trying to find accommodation in Bouddha. Luckily everything went well and I didn't face any major troubles. To my surprise the Bouddha Stupa was half green when I arrived covered with algae and smelling a little bit like old water. Apparently I rained for about a week before I arrived.

The program that is offered at the Rangjung Yeshe Shedra (RYS) is pretty amazing. I've 4 classes 5 days a week from 8 am till 12.30. Every morning starting with Colloquial Tibetan. For this class we have two teacher an American and a Tibetan. In addition to that we have so called “Drill classes” in which we repeat what a teacher tells us in Tibetan and language partner sessions with local Tibetans that have a basic training of explaining the language to foreigners.
Then I've History of Buddhism in Asia, Philosophy class in which we're studying the Bodhicharyavatara together with the commentary by Khenpo Kunpal and Classical Tibetan. I'm happy that I had Tibetan before, because we're going quite quickly through all the grammar.

One of my language partners, Drolkar-la offered me to stay with her, when she heard that I'm still looking for accommodation. So I'm currently living together with a Tibetan family almost in front of the gates to the White Gompa (RYS). I try my best to practice speaking Tibetan with them everyday and they offer me breakfast and dinner. My accommodation is quite cosy and I enjoy staying with them.

Never have so many westerners come to the RYS before, then this year. (Also a few Nepalis and Tibetans are studying with us.) I think we're about 100 students and in some classes in the beginning up to 40 students were sitting in one classroom. Not all of them are there for the BA or MA program, many are visiting students from all over the world and stay for maybe 3 months. So we're quite a mixed group from all over the world. The atmosphere is also good, because I assume students who just wanna have fun and are not interested in studying at all, wouldn't come to a country like Nepal. Thats why I would say that most of the students are open to new experiences and new cultures. Therefore it's also not so difficult to talk about more personal stuff, like spiritual background and so on with many of them. I'm surprised though, because a lot of students are not Buddhist and are quite new to what Buddhism has to offer.

My days I often spend practicing in the morning. Then going to all the classes, have lunch, then a short rest followed by studying till late afternoon or dinner mostly I do that while sitting in one of the many cafes around the Stupa having a nice cup of tea at the same time. At the weekend I usually do something with my friends.

Two weeks ago we went up to Nagi Gompa, had tea with several nuns with whom I became friends, talking a lot and showing everybody the Yumka Dechen Gyalmo recording from 3 months ago. It was a fun trip and my friend, who is a student from Boston college enjoyed it very much as well.
He is quite curios about Buddhism and so we spent most of the time discussing the idea of emptiness :-) and other issues. He is always curios about comparing it with the ideas Ekard Tolle wrote in his books.

Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche:
Unfortunately as many of you probably know, Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche past away some time ago. (I forgot the exact date). Since last Monday everybody was allowed to come and visit his Kudung to pay their respect. Rinpoche lived in a monastery called Situpala, that is still in the progress of being built near Swayambunath. I heard so far that they will keep his body there for 49 days and then bring it to his main monastery in Solu Kumphu, where it will be kept for one more year. We visited his Kudung twice. The last time was really special, because Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche invited us all to come with him instead of giving his usual Saturday talk. So on Saturday around 9 am we left Bouddha with 4 buses, around 100 students (not only of the Shedra) went on the trip. The buses of course couldn't make it all the way up the steep hill so we had to walk the rest up.
We queued about 30 Minutes and to our surprise not only CN Rinpoche was there but also Dudjom Rinpoche Yangsi, Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, Chokling Rinpoche, Phakchok Rinpoche and his wife. So it turned out to become a whole gathering of great masters. Afterwards CNR gave a shot talk about Trulshik Rinpoche and invited us to come with him visiting another monastery called Druk Amitabha, that is a 10 minute walk away from Situpala.

[A short movie including some of Rinpoche's remarks can be seen here: Pilgrimage to the Kudung of Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche ]

Druk Amitabha is mind blowing, its more like a paradise for retreat, it looks like a park built on a hill top. The air is free and clean flowers are everywhere. A huge Tsokje Dorje Statue in the main Tsuklhakang and a big Amitabha statue built on the highest point.

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso:
Thanks to my friends I found out a while ago, that Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso is currently living in Bouddha. Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso is as far as I know one of the main Khenpos of the Kagyü Lineage. Teacher of the 17th Karmapa and also of Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche. I don't know why but before nobody was allowed to see him. Now he is available again for short audiences in the morning. So anyway we went in a small group to get a blessing for our studies. We were asked not to ask him any questions. I've to say hes quite special and reminded me a little bit of Khandrola. He seems to be beyond this world and from time to time moves his arms through the air similarly then when you do debate :-). Can't really describe it but there is a lot of humor in it. Apparently I also heard that you shouldn't ask him any questions, because the only answer he gives is meditate on emptiness :-). Don't know though, whether thats exactly true, but when my friend couldn't hold back and said, that he had lung problems and what to do about it. Khen Rinpoche replied “Meditate on the illusory appearance of all phenomena.”

sayön – earthquake:
Probably you heard about it. We had an earthquake on Sunday evening around 18.00. The epicenter was close to Gangtok in Sikkim and 6.8. Everybody could feel it although KTM is about 270 km away from Gangtok. Luckily nothing happened except that the earth was shaking for about 20 seconds. After the earthquake whole of Bouddha was on the streets, discussing, texting and phoning friends. People got quite scared an we had an earthquake meeting on Monday. We're all hoping that this was it at least for a while and we won't face any stronger ones soon.

All my love and many greetings from KTM