Sunday Smithy and I went to Boudhnath - the biggest Buddhist stupa outside of Tibet. It's one of our most favourite places in Kathmandu - a bustle of people all circumambulating the stupa in a clockwise direction, music pouring from shops, bells ringing and people calling out, but peaceful and relaxing all the same. Went up to the Himalayan View Cafe's rooftop terrace for lunch and had fun watching the passing parade, taking photographs and filming kids flying their kites from the stupa. After eating delicious meals of dal bhat and vegie burgers, we joined the throngs circling the stupa, visited a brandnew monastery that is still being built - watched monks applying gold leaf to huge bells by hand - became part-time photographers as an Indian honeymooning couple asked us to take their photo, then a monk asked us to take his photo with his friend, then his friend asked us to take their photo with her camera. Finally I asked Smithy to take my photo!
We were on the hunt for a Buddhist flag to buy. Lots of places were flying them but not selling them. We turned down an alleyway out of the stupa complex and found a shop in a row there that were all selling monkish and monastery paraphernalia and voila! one shop had a Buddhist flag to sell. Smithy bought it in a flash, then as we were having a quick drink of water a crowd of little boy monks came pouring down the street "Why do we never have the camera out at the right moment?" wailed a dejected Smithy. A perfect photo opportunity gone begging. I peered around the corner to see where they all went and discovered another monastery with a huge crowd milling out front. Seeing other westerners there we joined in and learned there was to be a Long Life ceremony - but for whom we still don't know. The only Long Life ceremony I have ever heard about is for the Dalai Lama. Anyway, we decided to stay and see what happened. Smithy went into the temple hall, but I stayed outside cos it was too hot and crowded for me inside. Many Tibetans and monks were also outside, so I wasn't alone. For the next two hours we took part in a fascinating ceremony that involved lots of trumpets and drums, chanting, rice throwing, sprinkling of blessed water on heads, wearing of red headbands, being blessed by various relics and receiving a personal blessing from the abbot, who tapped every single person in the monastery complex on the head with his dorje (a ritual instrument otherwise known as the thunderbolt of wisdom). A wonderful unexpected experience.
We were on the hunt for a Buddhist flag to buy. Lots of places were flying them but not selling them. We turned down an alleyway out of the stupa complex and found a shop in a row there that were all selling monkish and monastery paraphernalia and voila! one shop had a Buddhist flag to sell. Smithy bought it in a flash, then as we were having a quick drink of water a crowd of little boy monks came pouring down the street "Why do we never have the camera out at the right moment?" wailed a dejected Smithy. A perfect photo opportunity gone begging. I peered around the corner to see where they all went and discovered another monastery with a huge crowd milling out front. Seeing other westerners there we joined in and learned there was to be a Long Life ceremony - but for whom we still don't know. The only Long Life ceremony I have ever heard about is for the Dalai Lama. Anyway, we decided to stay and see what happened. Smithy went into the temple hall, but I stayed outside cos it was too hot and crowded for me inside. Many Tibetans and monks were also outside, so I wasn't alone. For the next two hours we took part in a fascinating ceremony that involved lots of trumpets and drums, chanting, rice throwing, sprinkling of blessed water on heads, wearing of red headbands, being blessed by various relics and receiving a personal blessing from the abbot, who tapped every single person in the monastery complex on the head with his dorje (a ritual instrument otherwise known as the thunderbolt of wisdom). A wonderful unexpected experience.
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