The day started at 5:30 am - the Karmapa-ShamarNag Committee organized a massive relief effort to bring urgently needed supplies and aid to those who have yet to receive help in the most remote areas of the KTM valley. 8 trucks and 40 monks - a grand endeavor of truly epic proportions was to take place, starting from Shar Minub and bringing supplies to remote villages in the Yolmo region.
I was asked to accompany the caravan, to document the journey and to help in any way I could - a chance I eagerly accepted. Seeing that yet again Nepal was hit with a large earthquake today, measuring at 7.4 and shaking houses and causing havoc and destruction, the need to continue our relief support efforts is now even more important than ever. Bringing with us rice and dahl, and blankets and supplies for hundreds, our goal was to begin in Kathmandu and then split up along the way, sending trucks to separate locations, to cover as much ground and as many villages as possible in one large single effort. As we began loading the trucks I couldn’t have expected or even imagined what the day would bring, keeping in mind all the circumstantial problems with a project of this size, this would be a day to remember.
I have spent the better part of the last week in a truck, sun beating down on my tired and aching body, riding through the valley and mountainsides here in Nepal like a cowboy or some kind of Rambo army commando. I find myself surprisingly comfortable in these types of scenarios, but as the days start to blend together and each trip becomes more and more involved and energy consuming I have pushed myself and those I have been with to our limits. We spent over 7 hours to reach our destination, piled in the back of our cargo truck, myself and 12 others with the extremely heavy sun burning directly down on us as we slowly made our way up the mountain. I have experienced bad roads before, but this trip was taking it to the next level as these rural pathways up the switch backs would be daring and difficult in a two ton army truck meant for rock crawling. Holding onto the rails, lying on bags of rice and dahl, the truck rocked its way up the hill slowly, all of us being thrown side to side from the rough bumps and treacherous terrain. Then it started to rain and we quickly threw a giant tarp over us to protect the food cargo and ourselves. The devastation and damage in the villages we saw as we passed along the way was heart wrenching, so much worse than anything I have seen to date. Whole villages flattened, houses reduced to piles of unrecognizable stones and earth, it hit me hard in the chest as we passed one after the other. Seeing the village people simply camped out on the roadside, hopelessness and despair written on their faces. Some of the most remote areas seem to have been hit even harder than I expected, all of us in the back were consumed with this feeling and we made every effort to make wishing prayers as we passed by, mantras offered to the space with all our hearts. To be completely honest the destroyed villages were actually uncountable, I had thought to have seen everything already but this trip has shaken me to my core, and their disconnected and isolated location will only make enduring these hardships for their inhabitants that much harder, and more dangerous. All the smiles and camaraderie that was felt in Shar Minub as we loaded the truck - with our excitement to be able to do so much - had been whisked away in a single breath, to see the true face of this disaster is to have seen what we saw this day.
Reaching our first village in the late afternoon we brought the supplies to those who needed them, lining the villagers up and distributing evenly all we had for them. Afterwards the monks performed a puja with the whole village, something I hadn’t seen done before, and a truly wonderful idea. Seeing the whole village united in prayer, sitting in a circle around the fire, their hands brought together in the lotus prayer mudra. Their faces were such a deep display of courage. From the littlest children to the elders, one could tell that they were quite literally praying for their lives, and they were so deeply grateful for the monks to be there with them, to lead them in this practice. We headed up to the final village and once again were greeted with everyone so happy to see us - a friendly face, bringing much needed supplies, and all the hope we could muster for them. Situated at the very top of the mountain the journey to get here had been much more than any of us had expected, quite simply exhausting us and leaving us all dazed and needing rest - but there was to be no rest just yet. Coming to understand that the truck that had brought us all the way belonged to the village and wasn’t going back, there was no plan on how to get home. A few of the monks decided to stay the night but as myself and a few others couldn’t afford to be stranded any longer we decided to take action and try and figure out a way home. Bribing a local truck driver we managed to get a lift down the mountain, all of us piled in the back. However, this time there was no rice nor dahl to soften the blows of the road as we quite literally bounced our way down, several hours of bone grinding enjoyment and opportunity to say the least. As the sun went down, as the night enveloped us, we continued down the bumpy road nearly flying off each cliff edge as we passed by. Now it was dark out. To make things more fun, it started to rain again. This time without a tarp we simply weathered the storm, all huddled together holding on, yelling into the night singing songs at the top of our lungs to keep our spirits high. Once we reached the bottom we then needed a ride to Kathmandu, so we chartered a bus. This bus was ill equipped for the terrain ahead of us, and we managed to get stuck in the mud. Really stuck in the mud. Not once or twice, but five times. Getting out, pushing and pulling ourselves, covered in mud we managed to get the bus out each time, much to the relief and enjoyment of myself and my fellow travelers. These guys were amazing, even in this crazy situation they were laughing and yelling, hooting and hollering the whole time - something could be learned from this kind of energy and outlook. I found myself grinning from ear to ear despite being completely soaked and covered in mud, we were going to reach the city if it was the last thing we ever did.
An epic journey for sure. Epic from the moment it started in the wee hours of the morning to when we finally reached the city again, drenched, exhausted, our emotions and bodies pushed to the limits. If the idea was to deliver supplies to those who needed it, we succeeded. If the idea was to spend a day with amazing people, on an amazing quest, coming together in a large scale relief endeavor that was as thrilling as it was extreme, we succeeded whole heartedly. Though the places we saw and the events we experienced were heavy and heart wrenching, there were also great moments of joy and life. Sharing this day with these amazing monks and the incredible locals that joined us has brought me such happiness, each moment made more amazing by their generosity, kindness, humor and warm smiling faces. Shouting into the night as we careened down the mountain, giggling hysterically as we all ducked under the tarp avoiding the rainfall. Shaking and bouncing, flying and climbing, coming together in support of these villages in their time of need. This is a day well spent. And I would do it again tomorrow, without a second’s hesitation, not a single one. I love what I do, and those I spent my time with make it even better. The situation here in Nepal almost seems to be getting worse, we must stay determined and vigilant, there are many that need any and all the help we can send them. I will answer this call with all my body, heart and soul - and there are many, many more that will eagerly do the same. I am part of a team of dedicated people who have inspired me to push myself to any and all limits to reach our goal. With each success comes a new challenge, with each voyage comes new friends, and stronger bonds with existing ones. With each passing day I feel more and more that despite the damage and sadness, the incredible loss - we are actually making a big difference. From the work we did today or the incredible efforts with BIA Bodhisattvas In Action this past week, people are coming together from all over and making a huge impact, and a huge difference. This difference is measurable on the faces of each and every person we help, each child that can eat and be warm, a parent who can rest assured that their families have at least the bare essentials in a situation that is deeply problematic and difficult for so so many. I was blessed to be a part of this project, a grand voyage for the body, mind and soul, and this simply epic journey has changed my life forever.
I was asked to accompany the caravan, to document the journey and to help in any way I could - a chance I eagerly accepted. Seeing that yet again Nepal was hit with a large earthquake today, measuring at 7.4 and shaking houses and causing havoc and destruction, the need to continue our relief support efforts is now even more important than ever. Bringing with us rice and dahl, and blankets and supplies for hundreds, our goal was to begin in Kathmandu and then split up along the way, sending trucks to separate locations, to cover as much ground and as many villages as possible in one large single effort. As we began loading the trucks I couldn’t have expected or even imagined what the day would bring, keeping in mind all the circumstantial problems with a project of this size, this would be a day to remember.
I have spent the better part of the last week in a truck, sun beating down on my tired and aching body, riding through the valley and mountainsides here in Nepal like a cowboy or some kind of Rambo army commando. I find myself surprisingly comfortable in these types of scenarios, but as the days start to blend together and each trip becomes more and more involved and energy consuming I have pushed myself and those I have been with to our limits. We spent over 7 hours to reach our destination, piled in the back of our cargo truck, myself and 12 others with the extremely heavy sun burning directly down on us as we slowly made our way up the mountain. I have experienced bad roads before, but this trip was taking it to the next level as these rural pathways up the switch backs would be daring and difficult in a two ton army truck meant for rock crawling. Holding onto the rails, lying on bags of rice and dahl, the truck rocked its way up the hill slowly, all of us being thrown side to side from the rough bumps and treacherous terrain. Then it started to rain and we quickly threw a giant tarp over us to protect the food cargo and ourselves. The devastation and damage in the villages we saw as we passed along the way was heart wrenching, so much worse than anything I have seen to date. Whole villages flattened, houses reduced to piles of unrecognizable stones and earth, it hit me hard in the chest as we passed one after the other. Seeing the village people simply camped out on the roadside, hopelessness and despair written on their faces. Some of the most remote areas seem to have been hit even harder than I expected, all of us in the back were consumed with this feeling and we made every effort to make wishing prayers as we passed by, mantras offered to the space with all our hearts. To be completely honest the destroyed villages were actually uncountable, I had thought to have seen everything already but this trip has shaken me to my core, and their disconnected and isolated location will only make enduring these hardships for their inhabitants that much harder, and more dangerous. All the smiles and camaraderie that was felt in Shar Minub as we loaded the truck - with our excitement to be able to do so much - had been whisked away in a single breath, to see the true face of this disaster is to have seen what we saw this day.
Reaching our first village in the late afternoon we brought the supplies to those who needed them, lining the villagers up and distributing evenly all we had for them. Afterwards the monks performed a puja with the whole village, something I hadn’t seen done before, and a truly wonderful idea. Seeing the whole village united in prayer, sitting in a circle around the fire, their hands brought together in the lotus prayer mudra. Their faces were such a deep display of courage. From the littlest children to the elders, one could tell that they were quite literally praying for their lives, and they were so deeply grateful for the monks to be there with them, to lead them in this practice. We headed up to the final village and once again were greeted with everyone so happy to see us - a friendly face, bringing much needed supplies, and all the hope we could muster for them. Situated at the very top of the mountain the journey to get here had been much more than any of us had expected, quite simply exhausting us and leaving us all dazed and needing rest - but there was to be no rest just yet. Coming to understand that the truck that had brought us all the way belonged to the village and wasn’t going back, there was no plan on how to get home. A few of the monks decided to stay the night but as myself and a few others couldn’t afford to be stranded any longer we decided to take action and try and figure out a way home. Bribing a local truck driver we managed to get a lift down the mountain, all of us piled in the back. However, this time there was no rice nor dahl to soften the blows of the road as we quite literally bounced our way down, several hours of bone grinding enjoyment and opportunity to say the least. As the sun went down, as the night enveloped us, we continued down the bumpy road nearly flying off each cliff edge as we passed by. Now it was dark out. To make things more fun, it started to rain again. This time without a tarp we simply weathered the storm, all huddled together holding on, yelling into the night singing songs at the top of our lungs to keep our spirits high. Once we reached the bottom we then needed a ride to Kathmandu, so we chartered a bus. This bus was ill equipped for the terrain ahead of us, and we managed to get stuck in the mud. Really stuck in the mud. Not once or twice, but five times. Getting out, pushing and pulling ourselves, covered in mud we managed to get the bus out each time, much to the relief and enjoyment of myself and my fellow travelers. These guys were amazing, even in this crazy situation they were laughing and yelling, hooting and hollering the whole time - something could be learned from this kind of energy and outlook. I found myself grinning from ear to ear despite being completely soaked and covered in mud, we were going to reach the city if it was the last thing we ever did.
An epic journey for sure. Epic from the moment it started in the wee hours of the morning to when we finally reached the city again, drenched, exhausted, our emotions and bodies pushed to the limits. If the idea was to deliver supplies to those who needed it, we succeeded. If the idea was to spend a day with amazing people, on an amazing quest, coming together in a large scale relief endeavor that was as thrilling as it was extreme, we succeeded whole heartedly. Though the places we saw and the events we experienced were heavy and heart wrenching, there were also great moments of joy and life. Sharing this day with these amazing monks and the incredible locals that joined us has brought me such happiness, each moment made more amazing by their generosity, kindness, humor and warm smiling faces. Shouting into the night as we careened down the mountain, giggling hysterically as we all ducked under the tarp avoiding the rainfall. Shaking and bouncing, flying and climbing, coming together in support of these villages in their time of need. This is a day well spent. And I would do it again tomorrow, without a second’s hesitation, not a single one. I love what I do, and those I spent my time with make it even better. The situation here in Nepal almost seems to be getting worse, we must stay determined and vigilant, there are many that need any and all the help we can send them. I will answer this call with all my body, heart and soul - and there are many, many more that will eagerly do the same. I am part of a team of dedicated people who have inspired me to push myself to any and all limits to reach our goal. With each success comes a new challenge, with each voyage comes new friends, and stronger bonds with existing ones. With each passing day I feel more and more that despite the damage and sadness, the incredible loss - we are actually making a big difference. From the work we did today or the incredible efforts with BIA Bodhisattvas In Action this past week, people are coming together from all over and making a huge impact, and a huge difference. This difference is measurable on the faces of each and every person we help, each child that can eat and be warm, a parent who can rest assured that their families have at least the bare essentials in a situation that is deeply problematic and difficult for so so many. I was blessed to be a part of this project, a grand voyage for the body, mind and soul, and this simply epic journey has changed my life forever.
