om mani padme hum

After spending five weeks at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal--- has something changed?  This is the question. 

In the last five weeks I..

 -meditated for five hours each day        

 -sat cross-legged on the floor for eight        

-did yoga twice a day         

-honored silence from 10pm at night until 2pm the next day (or at least tried to ;)       

 -constantly discussed life and buddhism.        

-and took the  8 Mahayana Precepts for the last ten days.. no stealing, no lying, eating only one meal a day, not dancing or singing or listening to music (okay I might of broke these last ones ;)

I can say it was a beautifully challenging experience and that indeed I have learned.

Although I still wouldn't consider myself Buddhist, this course has opened my mind significantly.

     

What do I believe? I believe in compassion, in unity-- something that Tibetan Buddhism emphasizes greatly. I also believe in karma, and the basic science that our actions will have consequences, and at some point there will be repercussions. I can also see how all of our problems stem from three poisons: ignorance, attachment, and anger.

It truly is such a logical belief system, and although I'm still quite the critic, I appreciate that Buddhism wants me to be. It wants me to question, it wants me to analyze. It doesn't want to tell me what to believe, to tell me that its system is right and every other system is wrong. It emphasizes unity, allocates acceptance, and encourages getting to the peak of the mountain taking which ever path best suits you. 

And there is no question in my mind that meditation and compassion are key to which ever path one chooses.

Truly it's a ship I'm willing to board. I just don't think my bags are fully packed.

I will continue to raise questions, but I can say I've opened my eyes and my heart quite a bit.

Ten things I've learned, realized, or been reminded of:

1) Mindfulness and awareness are key to everything. Even love can't reach it's full potential if your not being mindful. (meditation is key)

2)You can learn things intellectually for years, but until you realize them for yourself and understand them with your heart, you'll never fully understand. (Meditation helps with this too)

3) You can never fully change another person's mind. Only your own. BUT being in control of one's own mind is a very powerful tool, as...

4) Your mind is everything. Everything we perceive, everything we see and understand. It all comes from the mind. It is all projected and it is all empty of inherent existence. While emptiness is an impossibly complex concept to grasp, as well as a terrifying one. It is a hopeful concept, as it brings the truth that we do have the power to change our reality, because our minds create our reality. So change your mind. simple, right?

5) (Not one of my favorites, but nonetheless true) Impermanence is real. Death is real. It's better to confront it than avoid it. If we don't confront it, eventually it will confront us. If it hasn't already. 

Everyone we love is going to suffer, everyone we love is going to die, as are we. All we can do is enjoy the time we have, spread love and compassion, and try and enjoy all things beautiful. Happiness is there, it's fleeting but it's there.

6) Everything is indeed constantly changing, on such a small subtle level as well as a vast one. The art of loving through impermanance is realizing that the people you love most- you'll never entirely know. They are constantly changing and forming, as are you.

Using the analogy of a dear friend, we are all infinite onions- layers and layers yet to be revealed.  We can never fully know a person, but there's always room to learn.

Time is limited, wisdom is scarce, but love and compassion have endless potential. And in the end that's all that matters.

7) My perspective and your perspective will NEVER be the same. We will never see the world the same way as our minds have completely different mental imprints and projections. Our histories, every single moment, every memory in this life has affected how we see the world. This is different for everybody, thus NOBODY see's things the way I do.

7.5)  Acknowledging that nobody see's things the way you do and that we all have our own perceptions, we must also acknowledge our unity - in wanting happiness and not wanting suffering. We are all human. We are all the same.

8) Anger is never worthwhile. "Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die"

9) It is a mistake to thing boredom comes from a particular person, situation, activity. Boredom doesn't come from the object of attention, but the quality of attention. If you're feeling bored while talking to someone, it means you should listen more carefully. If you're bored in meditation, it means you should bring your attention closer to the object.

"How can meditating on the breath be boring? Each breath is sustaining your life"

And finally. A significant realization for me:

10) Unpleasant feelings, experiences, encounters. These are necessary. These are key. As without experiencing the negative, we can't appreciate the positive. Without the "bad", we wouldn't realize the"good" (not that there is good or bad- these are all projections ;)

This is something I've most likely heard throughout my life, but for some reason it finally registered. I finally understood it on a whole different level. Appreciating the pain, the people who've hurt me, who've hurt those I love. Seeing their suffering. Seeing them as "precious wish-fulfilling jewels".. because they've allowed me to practice patience, allowed me to develop my compassion, my empathy, to fully appreciate the beautiful things in life, by seeing, by knowing, what is not beautiful.

This is one I still can't fully grasp, nor put into words.. but it's a start.

All in all. If I had to pull out the most significant, life changing thing I've learned during my weeks at Kopan, these past four months traveling...

I'd have to say it's something I've known all along. 

But it's never been so clear.

Kindness and compassion are of MOST importance. Our sole purpose of existence is to help others, to spread kindness, to reflect light. 

If I could only know one thing, I would know this.

Real peace and happiness has to come from the heart, from within. So therefore, to eliminate wars and destroying each other, to eliminate famine, disease and earthquakes, and to eliminate all other disasters and unfavourable experiences, all this can be stopped by having loving kindness toward each other. From having a good heart with loving kindness, negative action cannot arise.  -Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Peace and love to you all<3

namastay or namastgo

Namaste my loves,
I'm on the plane to home.
It's Christmas Eve Eve.
It was a tough goodbye but I'm definitely ready to be home.

But not so ready for the cold weather and lack of sun!

Listening to She & Him and Sufjan Stevens Christmas albums.
And trying to contain my excitement.
I am beyond excited with the prospects of holiday cheer and decor.
It's just so much more exciting when you don't have to see it for two months in advance.
I'm also pretty pumped to see family, friends, and Winston!
And to watch the latest season Parenthood :)
So much love. See you all soon<3

poverty

Children begging for money is a sight that always breaks my heart. And it's very real on the streets of Kathmandu.

This of course is a reality I’ve faced many times, especially during my time in Africa. Poverty is real. I accept this. The most difficult for me is knowing these children wont have a childhood.

Walking down the streets of Kathmandu it's very common to see children sniffing glue, sitting on the side of the road, begging for money. Many times children who aren't poor (well those who are better off) automatically see a Westerner and adopt this sad look on their face and begin to ask for money, candy, pens. 

And you know that some of them really truly need it!

So of course you want to give them something. Hell, I want to give them everything! But is it really helpful to support the system, to reinforce this idea that foreigners come in the their country and are there to give money. 

I’ve learned to just play with them. Children need to play. So what do I do when a mother and her child walk up to me with the saddest of eyes and say, please ma’am I need some money for milk. Please, please!

          I chase. I tickle. I squeeze.

             They smile.

Yes they are poor and they could most definitely use some money. But would me giving them a few dollars truly change their situation? I can at least allow them to play for a few minutes. To have a childhood. That for me is enough.

Sonder

sonder

n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk

"The stories we walk by"

I read this comment once on one of HONY's images, and it's a sentiment that has stuck with me.

Every human has a story. One we cannot even begin to know or understand. 

Every time we meet someone or simply walk by. Our mind fills with these assumptions, projections. We think we see them, know who they are. But we have no idea.

Traveling to a different community, a different country, a different culture, this has become more and more clear.  All over the world, every sentient being is living a life that is uniquely their own.

Though we can't ever fully understand others stories, there is a beauty in trying, in making connections. The most cherished thing I gain from my travels is always the connections I make.  I truly believe we meet people for a reason and that we are all interconnected on a much deeper level.

 No matter how far I travel despite the vast difference in cultures and lifestyles and the diversity between two unique people, there is so much similarity. Walk in any city and you can see it. The way a mother smiles at her child, the way a dog looks at you with pleading eyes, the wisdom of a grandmothers eyes, each wrinkle, another line in her story.

But it's a story we can never fully know, at least not just by looking at her. We can try to understand, to have compassion, to have empathy.   

                                                   

                                                      

                                                   

It doesn’t matter where we are. We are all sentient beings. We are all beautiful.

Trough giving back. 

Realizing empathy. 

Seeing the similarity in all of us. 

Through understanding. 

Through being.

There is always room for love. 

Namaste

The light within me bows to the light within you

My love for Nepal

As one of the poorest countries in the world, the culture of Nepal is unquestionably rich. The colorful warmth of the people and the breathtaking landscape are reason alone for anyone to go. But it is also an incredibly beautiful setting to explore Buddhism or find some peace whether it be through yoga, osho, or various other retreats. And then of course there's trekking!


Tibetan Buddhism however, is the icing on the beautiful cake that is the Himalayas. With beings such as the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the forefront of their school inspiring loving kindness and compassion in all of their followers, it reflects in this country through local Nepalese and Tibetan people alike. I've met some of the most beautiful kind locals and wish I could have met more.

I wasn't able to teach as planned, thus my stay was much shorter and I didn't get to interact with locals (okay children) as much as anticipated, but I was so blessed to get to spend the time that I did in such a beautiful region and to meet the people that I did!

Kathmandu itself is quite dirty, polluted, dusty, fast, and super over-populated- having grown immensely in the last decade! And while it is still incredibly beautiful, Kopan Monastery was a much needed retreat, to escape from the noise and dirtiness of the city. 

It's truly been wonderful.

I love Nepal. I love Kopan. I will be back.

I have to anyway because the canyon swing was shut down and I didn't get to jump! ;) And of course- I never got to play on one of these:

Flashes of Nepal

Bodhi Tree<3 

My favorite place in Kopan :)

The main gompa (meditation hall) 

Boudhanath

Swayambhunath (The Monkey Temple)

Keren spreading joy 

Lama dancing at Kopan 

Pokhara 

Shantideva's Prayer

May all beings everywhere
Plagued by sufferings of body and mind
Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy
By virtue of my merits.

May no living creature suffer,
Commit evil, or ever fall ill.
May no one be afraid or belittled,
With a mind weighed down by depression.

May the blind see forms
And the deaf hear sounds,
May those whose bodies are worn with toil
Be restored on finding repose.

May the naked find clothing,
The hungry find food;
May the thirsty find water
And delicious drinks.

May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy;
May the forlorn find hope,
Constant happiness, and prosperity.

May there be timely rains
And bountiful harvests;
May all medicines be effective
And wholesome prayers bear fruit.

May all who are sick and ill
Quickly be freed from their ailments.
Whatever diseases there are in the world,
May they never occur again.

May the frightened cease to be afraid
And those bound be freed;
May the powerless find power,
And may people think of benefiting each other.

For as long as space remains,
For as long as sentient beings remain,
Until then may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world.

Just got my stitches out today and wisdom teeth are almost totally healed :)

Spent the last few days in Laos visiting one of my co-worker's sister-in-law, Mocky. Vientiane was amazing and so much quieter than Bangkok, which I loved. I met some of the most amazing people at my hostel and had so much fun wandering around the night market and different street shops with them.

In the mornings Mocky took me around to see some of the main attractions, which included some major temples and shopping markets. It was so hot, though! In the day I was forced to limit myself to the air-conditioned movie room, for my own leisure and honestly.. survival!

I had the most wonderful stay in Thailand and Laos and can't believe it's over!

Now I'm off to Kathmandu, Nepal to stay at Kopan Monastery and do a four week meditation course. 

I don't think I know what I'm in for... but hey who ever does ;)

I do know it involves no outside contact with the world, aka no facebook, no email, no phone calls. Nothing.

In case of emergency you can email kopan@mail.com.np and they will notify me.

Here we go!

Wisdom teeth woes

Before:

Tomorrow morning I'm getting my wisdom teeth extracted.  I'M SHAKING IN MY BED.

What am I thinking?  Well I was thinking: I'll be saving money, BIDC has amazing reviews and wonderful service, and I really can't put it off any longer.. so it must be done.

But now I'm not so sure. I mean I'm a million miles away. If I die I wont even be able to speak any last words because they're will be knives in my mouth. They could be discussing selling my organs and such, and I won't even know because they'll be speaking in Thai. and GAHHHHHHH. What am I going to survive on, coconut milk??

We've invented skype, facebook, whatsapp.. the virtual world has created an endless range of opportunities to contact loved ones at a distance, but WHY ISN'T THERE A VIRTUAL HAND HOLDING APP. I need my mom's hand. Like really. 

Yeppp. send me some prayers. THIS IS THE END.

After:

Okay, so I thought I might need to apologize for my dramatic post, but it truly was very dreadful, so my fear was quite appropriate. Yes, the service was amazing and they were so nice. But, apparently my teeth were really complicated and the roots were curved, so it was a really difficult, TIME CONSUMING procedure. It was supposed to take around an hour and it took over THREE hours!

How do I know this? Because I was awake for the entire procedure. They had local anaesthetic, but they didn't have access to any type of sedation. Which for out of all people, they probably needed (I'm sure they wanted me to have it more than I wanted to have it). I was on the verge of kicking and screaming. But hey at least I couldn't FEEL any pain. Just immense pressure and pulling. I was seriously terrified they were going to break my jaw, they were pulling, pulling, pulling!

Thank goodness for my ipod and Paper Kites, or I might not have made it.

They did at least give some decent pain pills, so even though directly after I was rocking on my bed, the pain has eased up. 

Now 24 hours later, I am still alive. But am living in fear of tearing my stitches or getting dry socket. 

And truly the most impossible part, is being here in Thailand and being restricted to my bed when there is SO much to see and do. These Thai commercials and soaps are driving me insane and a girl can only watch so much BBC. 

On the bright side, they do bring me chocolate ice cream and other western wise tooth delicacies straight to my door. So all in all, I think I'll be okay. 

chocolate ice cream, tomatoe soup, and mashed potatoes

day by day. day by day. Soon I can go out and play.

Elephant Nature Park

The days I spent volunteering at Elephant Nature Park were truly some of the most amazing. I've never been to such an incredible place, nor met such an incredible women with such a massive heart!

The lady who started ENP, Lek Chailer, is very passionate about animals and wanted to save elephants who are maltreated during tourism. 

 Lek founded Elephant Nature Park in 1996. Elephant Nature park aims to provide a sanctuary for elephants to live in a peaceful natural environment. A veterinarian from the park also provides medical care to sick elephants in remote areas. The park's current herd includes disabled, orphaned, blind, and rescued elephants of all ages. These elephants are rescued from street begging, logging, or tourism.Elephant Nature Park has rescued over 37 distressed elephants throughout the country and has received numerous awards from institutions including the Smithsonian.

And trust me, some of them are truly maltreated. Some of the elephants we met had their eyes stabbed out and were blinded, while others were severely neglected. One elephant lost her baby while being forced to carry loads while giving birth, and she was so devastated she refused to work, so they beat her and starved her until she would work again.

 I will never understand how anyone can be so cruel. 

It is truly sad, as elephants are such a big tourist attraction and so many of the common treks taken by visitors in Thailand include elephant rides or elephant shows. It's understandable as they are truly such amazing creatures. But these elephants many times live in really harsh conditions and suffer quite a bit.

Lek has dedicated her whole life and all of her money to this cause, and she has done some seriously amazing work! Not only does she provide a shelter for abused and rescued elephants, but she has also rescued water buffalo from the slaughterhouse, and even taken in stray cats and dogs.

Baby Ellie!

Elephant who stepped on a landmine :( 

As a matter of fact, she has over 400 abandoned and abused dogs at the park many of whom remain in a different shelter. It is so sad to hear all of their stories, and many of them can't even manage being around people because they were so mistreated.

Of course, most of the dogs love the attention and long for nothing more than a belly rub and some cuddles. 

I was constantly surprised by the amount of dogs lying around by the dinner area, yet none of them begged for food. Winston would have been in heaven begging each patron to drop him some treats!

I really can't even fathom how someone couldn't love these creatures. I could have stayed and watched the elephants and cuddled the dogs and cats all day everyday.

 

While volunteering, I met Zoey from London who had quit her job and was taking a year to travel all around Southeast Asia. We spent the most time together as others from our group were older or didn't speak English.

The dog and cat waiting outside
the door with me and Zoey

After having a few beers by the bonfire set up for various volunteers, we were heading back to our bungalows. Zoey stayed two bungalow's down from me, so since I had the torch, I walked her to her place and then went back to mine. However, before I even made it back to my walkway, she shouted, "Nat, I might have a problem, can you come have a look?" I of course, hurried back not knowing what to expect-- and what did I find? A cat had made it's way in to her bungalow and was snuggled up on her pillow!

Adorable yes, but of course we have no idea where the cat has been. And even though they seem very well taken care of, it still isn't recommended to open up your doors to all the strays, as in the words of Hemingway "one cat leads to another". And then you wake up feeling like Snow White.

While attempting to lure the cat outside the door, two more cats and a dog came up to the balcony and attempted to enter the room! It was seriously the sweetest yet saddest thing ever, as of course I wanted to let them all in and snuggle them forever. 

The dog followed me back and entered my own room as I unlocked the door. I really wanted to let him stay and snuggle-- and if I had a few more beers I probably would have just left my door open entirely for infinite love all night-- nonetheless, I forced myself to say goodbye..

To both the pups and the Elephant Nature Park. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I definitely have plans to come back and spend more time with all of the amazing creatures and individuals!