#kopan monastery

[fourtwentylux]

kopan monastery // 12:36 pm

[foodreligion]

Fruits for lunch

[wonderlanephoto]

Among Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags, Kopan Monastery as seen from Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal by Wonderlane

[dowsetteer-blog]

Lessons in Karma

The young red-robed monks work in fours and fives around a solitary seated peer. At first, I fear for him. His companions are relentless in their questioning, pointing accusatory fingers and slapping their hands with every minor victory. But there’s no bloody end to this confrontation, only a clearer sense of how to prove a point, at least for those familiar with Pali and Nepali. Thankfully we are spared the sparring and can instead capture the action through our viewfinders, the stunning Gompa providing the perfect backdrop. This is a photo I will cherish, for more than any other it captures that aspect of Buddhism which gives the faith such appeal; its deference to logical inquiry.

I’m at Kopan Monastery, set on a ridge far above the sprawl of Kathmandu. Having been inspired by Vipassana at the beginning of the year, but lacking the discipline to keep up its practise, I've enrolled on a 10-day 'Introduction to Buddhism’ course. It’s a forty minute taxi ride from Thamel to Kopan, along pot-holed back-alleys and past horse-drawn carts, across broken bridges and up winding lanes. Forty minutes that take me from the rush of the capital to a world of contemplation. Panoramic views stretch in all directions, the soft chatter of students and residents drifts with the breeze, the Stupa sparkles at the centre of a fairy-tale garden with grass that’s pleasant to sit on. This will be my last experience of Nepal and I’m ready to savour every moment.

Soon enough I’m happily settled into a daily mix of meditation, teaching and discussion. Question times are particularly insightful as our teachers grapple with the practical concerns of 200 students from around the world. “How can I be monogamous whilst loving everyone and everything?” “Why are animals considered to occupy a lesser realm than humans?” “Why do you sell Coca-Cola in the shop?” We listen eagerly to the answers, ready to pounce on any inconsistency, to flag up any chink in the philosophical armour. At times it feels like an interrogation, verging on the disrespectful, but it’s all taken in good spirit; there's a rational answer to everything. It’s only when someone mentions the plight of Tibet that I notice a stiffening of our teacher, a hardening of her voice, barely concealed anger rising to the surface.

Somehow I find myself leading a daily discussion group which meets on the rooftop of the tantra studio and outside the room where the relics of former lamas are displayed. The group becomes a space for honesty. In one session we have to reflect on death, the focus of our guided meditation the day before. We hear from Luiz, a Spanish man of forty-something whose father died minutes after Luiz had told him he wouldn’t and snuck out for a cigarette. There’s Mateya who was never far from the horror of death during the Balkan conflicts of the 90s. Most moving is Ben, an Australian whose wife died just three months before and who he watched struggle with cancer for half a year. “It was only as she finally slipped away that she seemed to grasp for something, that there was something to resolve.” It takes someone with a stable voice to thank him for sharing.

We finish the course with two days of silence. There are still the aeroplanes purring above us as they head for the airport or leave it behind, still the barking dogs that fight for territory in the city streets below. But we move between the Gompa, the Stupa, the dining hall and our dorms without uttering a word. Walking meditation is also introduced to our timetable. We step at snail's pace, in time with our breath, a foot slowly descending with each exhale. Our eyes are fixed on an arbitrary space six feet or so ahead of us, our mind straining for every bodily sensation. The workers look on bemused, pausing from the gruelling rebuilding work demanded by the 2015 earthquake.

On the first evening of silence I find the resident cat happily curled up on my bed. I feel bad lifting it off and dropping it outside the door, making sure I deliver a suitably apologetic smile to my room mates before jumping into bed. I think nothing more of it until the next evening when I find my bed decorated with a juicy roll of cat shit. I can only thank the scheming feline – a lesson in karma that couldn’t have come at a better time.

[livetravelteach]

Kopan Monastery - Buddhist & Meditation Retreat

Kopan Monastery - Buddhist & Meditation Retreat #Nepal #ttot #tbin

Kopan Monastery is home to hundreds of monks and opens its doors to travelers interested in learning about Buddhism and meditation.  I joined a 1 week retreat focusing on an introduction to Buddhism and meditation in Kathmandu and absolutely loved it!  Kopan monastery is situated high above the chaos of Kathmandu with a beautiful view of the valley.  Crisp air and natural beauty of Kopan’s garden…

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[livetravelteach]

3 Months in Nepal

Live, Travel, Teach is back online! Backpacking Asia has been quite an adventure and there are a lot of updates coming soon. #travelblogger

Most of you already know that I left Korea in early March to embark on an epic backpacking journey through Asia.  The last 4 months have had their share of ups and downs, most recently with LiveTravelTeach.com being offline.  The good news is I’m back online and still loving it in Nepal.

I originally came to Nepal for just one month to trek the Annapurna Circuitbut somewhere in the mix of no…

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Kopan Monastery - International Centre for Meditative Studies!

Nepal has been an epicentre in reference to Buddhist monasteries and stupas. The place hosts various monasteries and nunneries thus maintaining the spiritual heritage of Nepal. One such elevated set up is Kopan monastery located at the outskirts of Kathmandu mimic the highly famed Boudhanath town. Kopan monastery was fixed in 1971 when 25 monks tortured away from Mount Everest Centrum to Kopan mole. This night, this dispose is an international centre for studying Buddhism. The courses free will from the monastery are a package relating to vegetarian diet, Lam Belted bias tire teachings, guided meditations and informal discussions about the learnings. For across the board those who have a spiritual connect must minimum-security prison this place on your wish list on a trip from Melbourne to Kathmandu. The highlight apropos of the monastery are the month long do-nothing policy courses byword the essence regarding Buddhism. Then, it has turn a recreational centre on weekends and visited by tourists and locals of Kathmandu. Beautifully decorated hillock and other gardens of the monastery are famed attractions forasmuch as the tourists. Closed on week days this through street is unroll to plebeian and tourists somewhat going on weekends. Knotty point have to you reside Kopan monastery??? Kopan has double harness monastery and nunnery giving holistic teachings headed for monks and nuns. It offers Buddhist teachings for foreigners. One of the most beautiful tourist sites in Kathmandu. An international centre for studies of Buddhism and meditation. Diverse courses by virtue of duration ranging from one week to a month. How to reach Kopan monastery??? First fly from Melbourne to Kathmandu. Kopan is located 15 Kms from Kathmandu and 5 Kms from the airport. Hiring taxi from the airport is the completely suitable full consent. Hopping on a bus to Boudhanath and then 40 minutes rut from there is collateral alternative. Special instructions to be followed: Reach the monastery within the office timings which are 9 to 11:30 am and 1 in order to 4:30 pm. If you are undertaking any underlayer plus previous booking is a must. If not the monastery stay is reserved for the monks and nuns only. Maintain the decorum with respect to the place by maintaining silence and discipline. On your piaffer against Melbourne en route to Kathmandu, visiting this place would foster you with loads as regards otherworldly knowledge while giving the sainted feel of Nepal. Doing the preoccupation course would be the finest way for spend time in the monastery. Exploring Buddhist teachings and participating corridor the informal discussions will take you to an inner journey which is extremely fulfilling and gratifying. Mightily, this vacation hour you discover a trip from Melbourne to Kathmandu, Kopan should be a high display destinations. <\p>