A Vengeful Goddess and where is my pet goat?!

Unfortunately Monday morning dawned even earlier than Sunday morning - all thanks to the three extremely loud men from Bangladesh in the room next to me. Dad and I had met them earlier in the day, and they seemed pleasant enough. This must have been before they drank their weight in who knows what, because I was awakened by them at 0200 getting back to their room, turning on loud music, and then proceeding to sing along to their music and laugh at what must have been hilarious jokess that they were telling one another. This went on for about 45 minutes until they finally succumbed to their drunken state. Let the record show that we are staying in a very small town, and our hotel is outside of the town, and we just have the one bar with the very kind local bartender. That poor man must have been at his wits end taking care of them until 2 in the morning!

I managed to go back to sleep until about 0430 - progress! Then when I woke I ran outside to look for stars and mountains. I was a bit too early, so went back inside and read. I went back out around 530 and was treated to a lovely sunrise. I met my parents and the group for breakfast, and learned that my parents had suffered from these drunk men as well, even though they were two doors down from me. Apparently when the men came back from the bar (and I think its amazing that they didn't fall down the four steep uneven flights of stairs we have to navigate down from the main lodge) they were walking in the gardens outside of each room, and they shined a flashlight into my parents room! We think that they were trying to find their room but couldn't remember which one it was (because they were HAMMIED) and so decided this was a great idea. After a fair amount of bellyaching by all of us, Dad went and talked to the front desk manager, who told us he'd had many complaints and would speak to them when they emerged. We went on to enjoy another amazing breakfast (I had cappucino this time - so delish) and then said goodbye to the hospital group for the day. Dad and I made plans to hike to the Kali Temple at 9, and went back to our rooms to get our gear together. Kali is the mother goddess in her most terrifying form. She sounds so friendly! 

The Kali Temple is located on the outskirts of Duhlikhel, and is a prime place to see mountains during the sunrise. Obviously we were not going to be there during sunrise, but we wanted to do the climb and enjoy the view. We set off and walked up the hill to the Arniko Highway. Walking along that for about 1/2 km, we crossed the road into Old Duhlikhel. We walked down past the bus station and up a hill. We saw so many children of all ages walking to school in their uniforms, and I think they were watching us just as much if not more than we were watching them. We reached the base of hill leading to the Kali Temple and began our ascent. To reach the hilltop and  temple you must climb 1000 steps. It was actuallly a very beautiful climb and mostly shaded by large trees. We wound our way ever higher, crossing over the road that also leads to the summit. We decided to walk on the road for one section, which was a great idea while it was paved, but about halfway it turned to large rocks and dirt. Not so great to walk on! At one point we encountered a man walking his goat on a leash! I'm sure that this poor animal was bound for a sacrifice of some sort, whether religious or for dinner, but my first thought was "I want a pet goat!!!!" To those of you that know me well, this will not surprise you in the least as you know that my dream is to open an alpaca, goat, and herb farm (with some free range chickens thrown in there). It was so cute! About halfway up we saw a closed gate that said "Shanti Bao" that led to a courtyard with a huge golden Buddha behind it. I decided to walk up and investigate if the area was open or closed. I rattled the gate to see if it was locked, and sure enough it was. Dad and I retreated to a bench to sit and catch our breath, when I saw an old man approaching the gate from the inside. Dad and I agreed that he would probably let us in if we offered him some rupees, so I pulled a 20 rs note from my bag and walked up to him. I stuck the money through the gate and he opened the gate for us! Success! We entered the courtyard and removed our shoes. From the back, it was evident that the Buddha had suffered earthquake damage. Portions of his golden robe had fallen off in the back, revealing the brick that comprised his form. The view from the platform in front of the Buddha was gorgeous - what a lovely view he has! We spent a few minutes taking photos and enjoying the peace before taking our leave, giving the kind gatekeeper another 20 rupees and a granola bar on our way out. 

We resumed our climb with new energy (thanks Buddha!) and quickly made our way to the top. We climbed another short staircase and then climbed up into a hideous concrete building that was really just a platform with a view tower, and there we found the temple of Kali. I think that Kali must have asked the earthquake to smite that area particularly becuase her temple was quite small and squalid. The platform upon which it was built seemed mostly solid, but the view tower, while standing, was a mess. I foolishly decided to climb up to the top. So.... I have this fear of heights. I don't let it stop me from doing things, but it often strikes me when least expected and ALWAYS makes my feet tingle. I had to climb this metal spiral staircase to the top of the tower (where the walls had all fallen off, by the way!) and my feet were going CRAZY! Yikes. Scary. I took a few pictures and made my way down as quickly as possible. Which was actually most likely quite slowly. 

I made it safely back down and with relief went up to Dad. We drank some water and decided to head back down! We were getting hungry and it was getting hot. On our way down we ran into Lori and Sally, from the hospital group, making their way up. We had told them about the hike and were happy to see them! We walked back through Duhlikhel towards the hotel, checking out a restaurant that we had heard was decent on the way. It was not decent. It smelled like urine, was filthy, and we did an immediate about face to head back to our hotel restaurant. After a great lunch on the balcony overlooking the Himalayas, I prepared to visit Namo Budd. I've copied and pasted the history of Namo Buddha below because its really long!

The Ancient Story of Namo Buddha

A long time in the past, many immeasurable eons ago, our teacher the perfect Buddha was practicing on the path of learning. Below is the story of how he was overcome with compassion when he saw a tigress tormented by starvation and offered his body to her without a moment’s hesitation.

In the distant past, there lived in this world a king named Great Charioteer (Shingta Chenpo) who ruled over a small kingdom of some five thousand subjects. Due to the king’s accumulation of merit, all his subjects enjoyed happiness and well being; rains came at the right time while crops and livestock flourished. The king had three sons: the oldest was named Great Sound (Dra Chenpo), the middle Great Deity (Lha Chenpo), and the youngest Great Being (Semchen Chenpo). Powerful in the martial arts and radiating confidence, the two elder sons always helped the king in governing the kingdom. From his earliest years, the youngest son, Great Being, was very bright and endowed with spontaneous kindness and compassion. He gave freely and generously to others as if to his only child.

One day when the weather was fine, the king along with his queen, sons, and ministers left the town for a relaxing time in the country. The king and queen rode upon an elephant while the sons, ministers, and retinue were mounted on beautiful horses. After half a day’s ride, they arrived at a place of thickly wooded forests resonant with birdsong while nearby blossomed a tapestry of flowers in rich variety. The king was pleased with the scenery and ordered a large encampment to be prepared for everyone’s enjoyment. The servants immediately unpacked everything, set up tents, and laid out a hearth of stones for cooking. Soon the ground was covered with tents as clouds billowed in the sky above. The servants bustled about, preparing a variety of foods and offering tea and liquor to everyone. Then the young people began to sing, dance, and play, transforming the encampment into a celestial realm. The king, queen, and ministers watched the entertainment while enjoying an eighteen course meal accompanied by wine and sake.

Then the three princes, in the full flush of their youth, picked up their bows and arrows and headed for the forest. As they walked along, they noticed a den in the dense woods. They crept up to it and saw inside a tigress sleeping beside her cubs. Great Sound and Great Deity laid arrows on their bows, making ready to kill the tigress, but Great Being stopped his brothers, saying that killing was completely wrong. When he looked into the cave again, Great Being noticed that the tigress was not able to move, for she had just given birth and she also feared that if she left to hunt for food, another animal might harm her cubs. Tormented by hunger, she lay on the ground unable even to lift her head. Great Being was moved to tears with compassion that arose from the depths of his heart. He asked his brothers, “What
kind of food would save the tigress and her cubs?” They responded, “This kind of red Indian tiger eats the warm flesh and blood of a recent kill. So if you want to help her and the cubs, you must find flesh and blood that are fresh.”

Great Being thought for a moment: “It’s indeed true that to save the tigress and her cubs, warm flesh and blood are needed. But then I’d have to kill another living being, and that would mean killing one to save another. What else can I do?” He thought for a long while but did not find a solution. Then his brothers said, “We came out here to have a good time. It’s pointless to worry about this tigress and her cubs. It’s time to return to our parents.” And so they left.

As he followed his brothers back to the encampment, Great Being thought, “For a long time, I have been cycling in samsara, wasting countless lives, sometimes due to excessive desire, sometimes aversion, and sometimes ignorance. I have rarely met such an opportunity to accumulate merit. What real use is this body if not for the Dharma?” Finally he decided, “This time I must be truly generous.”

Before he had gone very far with his brothers, he said to them, “Brothers, you two go on ahead. I have something to take care of and will catch up with you soon.”

He took the path to the tigress’s den quickening his pace. When he found the collapsed tigress, she was so exhausted
that she could not even open her mouth. Great Living Being reached out his hand to touch her face, but she was so weakened she could not even bare her fangs. So the prince sharpened a splinter from a nearby tree and cut his body to draw blood, which he allowed the tigress to lick. Not long after, she opened her jaws and stood up. With a roar, she pounced on the prince and devoured him.

The two brothers waited a long time, but the youngest prince did not come, so they set out to find him. Reflecting on what he had said earlier, they had no doubt that he had returned to the tigress’s den. When they arrived and looked inside, there was nothing left of their brother but blood, bones, nails, and bits of clothing. The tigress had consumed him. At this sight, Great Sound and Great Deity immediately lost consciousness; it was a long time before they recovered their senses. The two gathered up the pieces of their brother’s clothing and, sobbing with deep sadness, set out for their parents’ encampment.

During this time, the queen was taking a nap and in a dream saw three doves flying high in the sky. As they fluttered around, a hawk struck and carried off the smallest one. Waking in terror, the queen immediately related her dream to the king. He replied, “Hearing your story, I believe the three doves are our three sons. The youngest of them, carried off by the hawk, is my most beloved son. I’m sure that something dreadful has happened to him.” So saying, the king immediately sent out servants to look everywhere for his son.

Soon, the two princes arrived and the king asked, “Did something bad happen to my beloved son? Do you have any news?” Choked with sadness, the two were unable to speak or even breathe for a while. Finally, they sighed deeply and told their parents that the tigress had eaten Great Being. Upon hearing this terrible news, the queen fainted right away. The king too was overwhelmed with immense sadness and tormented by sorrow. After a long while and with profound sighs, the two princes, the king, and the queen rushed to the place where the youngest prince had died. When they arrived at the opening of the den, what met their eyes were the bones and rivulets of blood left behind by the tigress. The queen recoiled, overcome with sobbing, and did not recover for a long while.

Meanwhile, the prince had been reborn as Great Courage (Nyingtob Chenpo). He wondered, “What did I do to be reborn here in the celestial realm of Tushita?” Through his divine eye, he thoroughly examined the five realms. Great Courage saw that, gathered around the bone fragments he had left behind, were his parents and two brothers. They were sunk in lamentation and completely miserable. He thought, “My parents are experiencing such unhappiness, it could threaten their very lives. To lighten their spirits, I’ll go talk to them.” He descended from space to the lofty sky and spoke words of encouragement to comfort his parents: “I’m the prince Great Being. After giving my body in generosity to the starving tigress, I was reborn in the celestial realm of Tushita.” With tears in their eyes, the king and queen said, “Son, you who are like our very heart, offering your body to the tigress was certainly most praiseworthy. But whom can we tell of our suffering in missing you?”

Great Courage replied, “Please do not be unhappy. The end of birth is disintegration, and the end of gathering is separation. No one can transcend this for it is the nature of things. It is the same for everyone. If you perform evil actions, you will fall into the hell realms; if you perform virtuous actions, you will be reborn in the higher realms. Therefore, diligently pursue virtue. Make aspiration prayers, and in the next life we will definitely meet in a celestial realm.” After a few more words, he disappeared. The king and queen became a little happier and made the commitment to pursue virtuous activity. They created a small casket covered with seven kinds of jewels in which they laid the bones of their son and a stupa was built over the place in which it was buried. 

So there is now a shrine and a monastery built on this place, and it is on top of a mountain and SUPER BEAUTIFUL! I was really excited to go there. A jeep from the hospital picked me up, and I found that Susen, the wife of the new CEO at Scheer Memorial Hospital, would be accompanying me. We bounced along the usual mostly okay roads until we came to the not so great dirt roads. It was quite apparent that this road had most likely washed away completely during the earthquake and its aftermath, and it was being rebuilt. It was a great drive up there! We wound our way ever higher, climbing through small villages. The first view of Namo Buddha, took my breath away. It looked like an eagle majestically resting on its perch. Appearing to be at ease, yet so powerful at the same time.  Our driver deposited us at the base of the monastery, and we set off on foot to explore. Walking around this monastery was an adventure in itself. Narrow pathways leading to secret shrines, winding staircases taking you to towers festooned in prayer flags, and breath taking views whereever you look. The monks were all in class when we were there at first, so we had free run of the place. We walked up a steep pathway that led to a chaitya, which is a small Buddhist monument that often has images of Buddha at the four cardinal points. There is a tea house atop this area, we stopped and ordered masala chai. I met a very nice kitty at this point -  some might say that he was the Nepalese Frank! He of course was following us around meowing. I wanted to cuddle and feed him, but both of those activities are on the no list! I'm sure he has a very nice life compared to street kittens in cities. We began to walk back toward the monastery, and encoutered a nice stupa of Buddha on the way. Once we approaced the monastery, Susen suggested we try to see if the shrine was open. It was and as an added bonus the monks were dismissed from class! They began to enter the shrine as we walked up the steps to it. No photography was allowed inside, but it was an overwhelming array of the colors of the rainbow. Blue, green, gold, red, covering everything! Filled with prayer wheels and bells and gongs and flags and beginning to teem with monks from age 5 up to who knows how old! Most of them were quite young. It was a beautiful site to see. When we began to descend from the shrine, a monk had begun the call to prayer with a gong that he had picked up and was carrying around. I would have loved to just sit in a corner and watch all the monks stream in to worship together. Alas, our time was short and we made our way back to our jeep and fearless driver. 

We bumped our way back down the road, and reached the hotel where Susen and the driver dropped me off before continuing on to the hospital. What an incredible experience! I loved the contrast of visiting a temple of a wrathful Hindi god in the morning, and a tranquil monastery focused on peace in the afternoon. 

After a shower and a small rest, Dad and I made our way up to the bar to wait for the team to return. We started talking with a Rotary Group who were mainly from Australia. They were all opticians and were in country doing eye clincis and glasses fittings. Several of them had been to Nepal more than 15 times.

It is truly wonderful to see these people that are so willing to give to others. We have met so many people while we are here that are either here for disaster relief to help with consequences from the earthquake, or to continue ongoing missions that have been established here for years. 

Global Health Initiatives has programs in Nepal, Rwanda, and Peru. The project in Nepal is focused on uterine prolapse. Women play a very important role in Nepali society, yet are given a very low status. Not only do Nepali women give birth and raise children, they also spend their days working in the fields, cooking, cleaning, and spend hours every day carrying water to their families, often touting urns weighing 30 pounds.

These cultural and gender traditions contribute to the high frequency of uterine prolapse in rural Nepal.

Uterine prolapse is a painful and debilitating condition. Many women suffer in silence in a nation that struggles with extreme poverty, only seeking help when symptoms cause them significant distress with their families.

GHI has undertaken an ambitious project in Nepal. In partnership with Scheer Memorial Hospital and ADRA-Nepal, the Nepal Women’s Health Initiative works to address complex issues surrounding the reproductive health of Nepali women with a specific focus on uterine prolapse. 

My mother has been to Nepal 11 times. Initally she was on the trips as a scrub nurse in the Operating Room. Over the years her role has evolved, and she is now focusing on women's health projects outside of the Operating Room. She is such an inspiration and role model to me. 

When she came home on Monday evening, she told us that Doctors Without Borders had come into the hospital today with a prolapse patient for them. This was amaazing for several reasons - first and foremost, the GHI project has been successful enough that a world renowned organization is aware of them and bringing them patients. It is also amazing because it means that others are paying attention to the plight of these women and working to help them as well. What an achievement and WAY TO GO MOM!

We had a nice dinner of Nepalese cuisine before calling it a night. Oh, and excellent news! The hotel had asked those obnoxious Bangladeshi men in the room next to me to leave! I happily settled into the peace and quiet of my room with the door to my garden open and the lovely night sounds coming into my room and soothing me to sleep. I was just drifting off when suddenly I head what sounded like 6 giggling girls walking down the hallway towards the room at the end of my hall. Sure enough, they were in the room next to me! They were loud, listening to music, and singing. They did quiet down rather quickly, much to my relief. Early next morning I was up drinking tea in my garden, when they came pouring outside into their garden and started walking and talking all over. They began speaking to me and I asked where they were from.... anyone have any guesses?!

If you guessed Bangladesh, you win all the prizes! Which includes buying me a pet goat. Haha!

Namaste, my dear friends.