Auspicious Circumstances

By Anonymous -




One of my favorite terms in Tibetan is རྟེན་འབྲེལ་ (pronounced "ten drel"), which in Buddhist thought is often translated as "interdependence". In colloquial Tibetan, however, such a term signifies some manner of auspicious or fortunate circumstances, the coming together of wonderful causes and conditions. This is an appropriate term to describe my experience studying here in Nepal, because of all of the wonderful experiences and in particular the amazing people I have met here.
Nepal is a place where people from all over the world gather, and often with some very noble aspirations. Especially here in Boudha at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute, it is incredible how many inspiring people you can meet, all with amazing stories, backgrounds, and goals. Not only that, but the people who live here as well are remarkable.
Nepali and Tibetan people are generally very kind and humble, with incredible life stories and experiences and such inspiring faith in the teachings of the Buddha. After living here for some time, I have made so many wonderful friends, both locals and from abroad, whom I would surely never be able to meet elsewhere.
Walking down to the great stupa or to the monastery, I come across so many warm and friendly faces I cannot help but smile and reflect on how fortunate I am to make such connections. Of course, no need to mention the incredible circumstance of being able to meet with so many world-renowned masters, many of whom I never had the opportunity to meet back home in the States. Especially here in Boudha, their presence is so strong one cannot help but be inspired to apply oneself in study and practice. I can never forget the incredible opportunity I have here, and am constantly being reminded of how truly fortunate and blessed I am to be surrounded by so many amazing people.
Thankfully, here we still have very favorable circumstances for spiritual growth and strengthening our bonds with perhaps the most inspiring people in the world.
~ Joseph

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