RYI STUDENT BLOG

Now we are at the beginning of the “spring semester” in RYI (Rangjung Yeshe Institute), however in this  time is very, very cold in Nepal!!! Everyone are using all the warm clothes that is possible to protect from the freeze weather, thus we  have a huge variety of colorful and creative styles around. Even the nuns and monks display their warm  neckerchief and gloves as well different kinds of very warm bonnet, as me they do not have natural  protection from the chilliness… That way, despite of the cold weather everyone is very happy and with warm heart!!! All the students, teachers, staff and nuns and monks are very glad and rejoicing to see each other after  a short vacation of one month. When we meet each other the curiosity to know what we did during the free time is the first subject of  our talking. Some students went home, what means for some to travel for their countries - what mean all the  continents, as our Shedra – university, i...

The Yolmo Valley After a busy week of mid-term exams, it was great breathing the air of the mountains in Yolmo. Yolmo is about six hours from Kathmandu, and although the bus ride can be very challenging, the views on the way are fantastic! Once you arrive you’ve got to walk up the mountains, but this sacred valley is really worth the walking effort. Not being of very high altitude, few tourists go there, but its beauty and special sites make it a great place for hiking and visiting. As it’s explained in The Guide to the Hidden Land of Yolmo by Khenpo Nyima Dondrup, this valley was visited by Guru Rinpoche. One cave where he practiced is not hard to reach, in the lovely village of Melamchi, and close by is a place where he gave teachings. The most renowned cave, Yangdak Chok, is quite high up and difficult to reach, as there aren’t any lodges on the way, hopefully another time I’ll be prepared enough to reach it. Marpa, on knowing of Guru Rinpoche’s visit, and also of...

The highlight of the Tibetan calendar and also of living in Bouddha is the New Year, Losar , taking place in February. ( lo = year, sar = new) Already weeks before the actual date all kind of preparations are going on: People clean up their houses and specially the house-shrines, prepare huge amounts of special biscuits called kabse and give order to make new dresses chupas. The second last evening before the New Year according to the tradition the family joins together and eats a special type of soup called guthuk. ( gu = 9, thuk = soup) Not only does this soup contain nine different ingredients, but also small pieces of paper, covered by bread on which symbolic words are written. Every member of the family will receive one of them and the meaning can be quite auspicious. There are words such as sun, symbolizing a friendly and shiny character, salt which means being lazy, moon for somebody who dispels other peoples obstacles or chilly representing a rather wrathful char...