Our destination was Namo Buddha, where the Buddha in a past life gave his body to the tigress so that she could feed her five cubs more than 6000 years ago. It is one of the most sacred places of Kathmandu. The monastery of Thrangu Rinpoche sits next door with perhaps the most spectacular view of the Himalayas I have ever seen, on this day completely visible as their snow tipped peaks jet out into the crystal clear blue sky. Afterwards I had a tour of Lodro Rinpoche’s new retreat center, settled in equally beautiful surroundings, where we happened upon its newest resident, the one and only Khenpo Chunchok now doing a six month retreat. I have known him for years since he used to come to the US and stay with my family, and seeing him here, bright eyed and so full of life makes me very happy indeed.
After the wild ride back through rush hour traffic I began my trek to Bodh Gaya with friends. The plan being that we hop in a jeep and make our way as fast as possible. Of course, as it always is, the great pilgrimage powers above held different plans for us instead. After only three hours of driving we were stranded in the middle of nowhere, with a broken jeep and out of gas to boot. After several attempts our only option was to spend the night there, on the side of the road, underneath the stars, camping with seven in a jeep built for four. I find myself laughing out loud, grinning from ear to ear. The hilarity and great splendor that is a spiritual pilgrimage is never lost on me. Nowhere else do we get such wondrous opportunities to build patience, grow comfortable in the harshest environments, and become closer to friends as we etch another “15 hours trip becomes a 30 hour trip” into our memory banks of gloriously painful Indian journeys. As always, it is a day to remember, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Gaya will still be there when we get there, the most important part now is to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Lodreu Rabsel Rinpoche
