RYI STUDENT BLOG

The Lonely Mango or ‘How to share a terrace with three dogs, cockroaches, ants and other little critters and experience Boudha with eyes and ear, nose and mind.’ August 2014. Close to Boudha, on a roof, a 5th floor, between monasteries, views, a panoramic view, the Kathmandu valley view. Green hills, grey sky, green-grey, lead-grey, silver-grey, black-grey, dark  blue-grey. Light blue holes within the clouds allow a moment to realize infinity. It is the rainy season. The scent of sandalwood, cinnamon, patchouli, cloves and undefined herbs, drifting smoke, deep-fried  pastries, vegetable fried rice mixed with the odour of urine and burning trash are passing my sense of  smell. Peals of bells, garlings, couch shell trumpets and drumming noises swirl through the air, adding to the chanting of  monks and nuns. Birds are screaming, babies crying, dogs barking. One neighbour’s water pipe is  running and running and running....The bladder is calling. ...

  Being back in Lhasa for summer holidays after one year’s study outside the country was very  different. I worked as tour guide during this summer holiday just as I did before when I was in  Tibet. The good thing is that the holiday was very joyful and meaningful. Thinking about what the  cause is for that joyful period, I came to realize that it is the dharma classes I am taking at  Rangjung Yeshe Institute. Dharma Studies made me look a lot like an authentic Tibetan and made  me a busy tour guide this summer.   Being a tour guide in Tibet requires a lot of experiences and information on Tibetan history,  culture, politics, geography, and so on. On top of that, it is never enough to provide the tourists  with explanation on Buddhism since Buddhism plays the key role in Tibet and most tourist  attractions are monasteries. The explanation within one particular monastery differs from guide to  guide. Some focus more on history,...