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White stupa dome and ornate spire rising beneath a clouded blue sky — Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal — May 13, 2015 — Boudhanath - Cracked But Never Broken — photograph by Tokpa Korlo
Photograph from Boudhanath - Cracked But Never Broken — Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal — May 2015 — photograph by Tokpa Korlo
Photograph from Boudhanath - Cracked But Never Broken — Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal — May 2015 — photograph by Tokpa Korlo
Photograph from Boudhanath - Cracked But Never Broken — Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal — May 2015 — photograph by Tokpa Korlo
Photograph from Boudhanath - Cracked But Never Broken — Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal — May 2015 — photograph by Tokpa Korlo

The great white stupa is still standing. It may be cracked but never be broken.

Boudhanath - Cracked But Never Broken

Like my undying love for this beautiful country, never faltering, never changing. The great white stupa may be cracked but never broken.

With birds casually playing in the sun, its shadow casting warmth and joy to all who stand in its wake. My mind is clear, my heart is open, in its presence clarity and space come more freely. The great white stupa calms my soul like nothing else in this world.

Ever turning around its base, those who experience its power, it is undeniable. Clockwise and moving, like a great clock and its infinitely turning gears, the motion is never changing and constant, the blessings continue for all time and in all directions. The great white stupa is glowing in the afternoon sun like a great diamond seated in a bed of pearls.

Through the suffering and pain there is hope, for the impermanence of life is unchangeable and unavoidable. This gives us freedom - the freedom to live each moment and each day as if it were our last. A precious gift of incredible fortune, this gift of life must never be squandered or wasted. As the great stupa is still standing so shall we, standing tall with our hearts wide open.

The stupa may be cracked but never broken, like my heart and mind, connected throughout time and space, this place is like home, much more than just home. From earliest childhood memories to the present moment, it is under these Nepalese skies I am made whole and complete. The great white stupa is still standing, as it has and as it always will be.
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