Tiger's Nest Monastery

It’s been another really busy week and taken me until Friday to have time to post this blog about last Sunday’s adventure.   Ugyen and I drove to Paro and made the climb up to Taktsang Lhakhang, commonly known as Tiger’s Nest Monastery.  And what a climb it was!  Reaching the monastery requires an arduous climb up a narrow winding path that takes you from an initial 7,000 ft up to 10,000 ft in the clouds. The views and the climb are both breathtaking.  I thought I’d brave the entire climb on foot, but partway up I opted for a passing pony and rode it to a point about 2/3 up.  No ponies are allowed beyond that point because the last section of the hike takes you up and down some 850 steps to the temple itself.  Along the way we passed tall waterfalls and several small temples, meditation huts, and prayer wheels.

Vendors at beginning of the trail

One of the waterfalls on the way

It's going to be a loooonnnggggg walk!

Deciding to take some help from the pony

Even the pony needed a drink to make it all the way!

Monk at prayer wheel on the way up

The monastery itself is indescribable.  Here’s a link if you’d like to read more detail about this amazing place (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paro_Taktsang) that was first built in 1692. The wonder of how they built this temple that literally hangs on the side of a cliff is enough to make you believe the many legends surrounding the place.  It is said that Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) flew here from Tibet on the back of a tigress.  Rinpoche is a highly revered  guru, sometimes referred to as the second Buddha and is credited with bringing Buddhism to Bhutan. The many temples are built around a cave where he meditated for 3 years, 3 months, 3 days, and 3 hours. The temples are connected by various winding halls and stairways.  No photos are permitted inside, so you’ll have to take my word that, inside and out, this was the most impressive monastery I have visited so far.

We began the ascent at about 10:30 am and were back on the bottom around 4 pm.  No ponies can be ridden for the steep walk down.  My hips and knees complained every step of the way, and my muscles were sore for nearly three days after, but it was worth every step.  

Meditation hut tucked in the rocky cliff

Taktsang perched on the mountainside

Getting closer

Looking back after a very long walk

Perched way up at 10,000 feet!

Two days in Punakha

Friday was an Auspicious Day, one of the most sacred Buddhist holy days commemorating the Buddha’s birth, death, and enlightenment.  I took advantage of the long weekend to go to Punakha, one of the 20 dzongkhags or districts of Bhutan.  Punakha was the country’s capital until 1955, when it was moved to Thimphu.  It is still a major administrative center, especially in the winter months because it warmer than Thimphu.  This time of year it is quite hot.

Punakha is only about 50 miles from Thimphu but it takes about three hours to drive there because of the road conditions.

Line of cars waiting for road to open

The road is extremely narrow and winding with sheer drop-offs that had me holding my breath for much of the drive. The road is undergoing major repair and widening and so it is closed off and on for hours each day.

Our first stop was at Sopsokha, the village where Drukpa Kunley’s temple, Chimi Lhakhang, is located.  You may remember this revered lama affectionately known as the Divine Madman from my previous blog post. Most houses in this area are proudly decorated with painted phalluses (phalli?) and childless couples come to this so-called fertility temple to receive blessings to become pregnant.  The temple is reached by a 20-minute walk through rice paddies where we saw many people bent over planting rice and singing as they worked.  It truly looks like backbreaking work.

Rice paddy workers in field on path to Chimi Lhakhang

Just a typical house in Sopsokha village

Carved wooden phallus in handicraft store window

Woman lighting butter lamps

Sign at entry to Chime Lhakhang explaining history of this temple

From there, we visited the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery.  It is perched high up on a hill overlooking the Punakha Valley.  Because of the holiday today, all religious sites are crowded with individuals coming to pray and picnic.  At the nunnery, the temple hall was filled with nuns (both women and girls as young as seven) chanting, and playing dungchens (traditional Tibetan horns) and drums.  The sound was mesmerizing and beautiful.

Approach to the temple at Punakha nunnery

Prayer wheel and flags on hillside

Classroom for the young nuns

Fountain in front of the classroom

We left there and checked into our hotel for the 

Kuenga Hotel in Punakha

night, then walked through Punakha town for a couple of hours before returning for dinner.

Front entry to the temple 

A wise old monk we tried to talk with at the temple 

Joy on the bridge that crosses the river running through town

The next morning we left early to visit Punakha Dzong. Because of the construction, we had to be on our way early enough to pass during the brief times the road was open for travel.  This dzong was the most beautiful of the three I’ve seen and served as the location for the royal wedding in 2011. 

The Punakha Dzong sits on the confluence of two rivers

Giant bee hives hanging from the building. They are said to bring good luck.

Administrative offices at the dzong

Entrance to one of the temples

Bridge entrance to the dzong

Road closures from construction aren't the only reason it's a slow drive!

Dinner with the Queen and other amazing events!

Again, this has been quite a week!  Instead of heading to the hospital Monday morning, I went to the Royal Banquet Hall for the opening ceremony of the Partnership Meeting for uniting two organizations with similar goals, RENEW/Community Based Support System and the Multi-Sectoral Task Force.  Both are projects of the queen-mother Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck and focus on social issues including domestic violence, child welfare, and health concerns. I was seated in the “honored guest” section right in the front row and listened to addresses from several government ministers kicking off what was to be a 3-day brainstorming session.  After a photo session and tea service, I returned to the hospital and then home to prepare for another big day on Tuesday. 

Early the next morning, I was picked up to go to Serbethang, an inpatient addictions rehab center in a beautiful area high above Thimphu town.  While the location is beautiful, the facility itself is quite basic and runs on a shoestring budget.  I brought them five dozen eggs and a mountain of treatment materials and information.  I did four groups, two for the men’s program and two for the women’s, a long day but a very well received, and hopefully helpful, one.

Wednesday, after a busy morning at the hospital, I returned to the Royal Banquet Hall for the Closing Ceremony.  This one was attended by the Queen herself and had much more formality and rituals, ending once again with a photo session and high tea.  At the tea, I was given an invitation to attend dinner that evening, hosted by the Queen. To pass the time between tea and dinner, many of us enjoyed a tour of Tara Zhingkham Lhakhang, a recently completed temple initiated by the Queen.  Nestled amidst a grove of giant cypress trees overlooking the Pangrizampa monastery, the temple is unique in that it is the first temple in Bhutan dedicated exclusively to the Tara, one of the few female Bodhisattvas personifying the transcendental wisdom and active compassion of all the Buddhas. It features twenty-one Tara clay statues sculpted by prominent Bhutanese artisans, and the inner temple walls are adorned by exquisite murals painted by master artists depicting the great deities, saints and protectors and events from Gautama Buddha’s life. The ceiling of the temple is also beautifully embellished with mandalas of the Dhyani Buddhas.  It is one of the most beautiful temples I have visited.

Dinner was an event I will always remember.  There were musicians, dancers, and singers as well as a continuous flow of delicious and unusual foods.  I had a chance to talk with the Queen herself as well as long conversations with prominent government officials.  The evening concluded with a traditional circle dance in which we all joined in.  The next morning, one of the hospital nurses told me she saw me on TV that evening.  What a day it was! 

Week 5 -- Time is flying!

Another week has flown by, and it’s hard for me to believe I’ve been here just over a month already.  Ugyen and I have been joined at the psychiatric ward with another volunteer, Darren, who will be here until mid-August.  His arrival is well timed because I will be out of the hospital for much of next week – Monday and Wednesday I will be at a conference at the Royal Banquet Hall, and Tuesday I will be teaching at Serbethang, Thimphu’s inpatient rehab center.  Friday I will be leaving for a weekend in Punakha.  Looks like a busy week ahead!

Every day here is busy and brings more surprises.  Last week I was glad I’d stocked my freezer a few days earlier because I learned this is “auspicious month.”  Twice a year there are no meat sales for a month.  I guess that’s very auspicious for the animals…  Then Thursday, after thinking it seemed a bit quiet on my way to work, I discovered it was “Pedestrian Day.”  No cars may be driven within the town all day, only taxis and only around the outskirts of town.  Made it a real challenge getting to and from my weekly meeting at the organization where I volunteer each Thursday. They used to have this day each week, but since the new government came in about a year ago, Pedestrian Day is only an annual event.

Saturday I met a Bhutanese friend in town and we visited the Textile Museums (there’s an old and a new one). The new museum featured a display of royal garments, both old and new, including the clothing worn by the current king and queen at their wedding.  To call this clothing beautiful is an understatement.  The tradition of weaving goes back centuries and the work is incredible.  There’s no photos permitted in the museum, so you’ll have to use your imagination.  We followed this with a brief meeting with the manager of another rehab center where I’ll be doing some training, and then a delicious lunch at Ama’s, a nearby restaurant.

Today, Ugyen, Darren, and I hiked up to Tango Monastery.  

Tango University of Buddhist Studies

It was raining gently, and the misty fog made the mountains and buildings at the top look even more ethereal.

We returned to town for lunch and then went on to show Darren the Takin zoo.  I was quite happy to visit these unusual animals again, and we walked the complete circumference of their park. 

View from the temple looking out

Joy and Ugyen at chorten on way to Tango

Entry to Tango Monastery

Tango Monastery

Next we returned to Buddha Point, and today it was open for closer viewing than my last visit.  The construction won’t be complete for another couple of years, but when it’s done, the statue will house over one hundred thousand smaller Buddha statues, each of which, like the Buddha Dordenma itself, will be made of bronze and gilded in gold.  Upon completion, it will be one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, at a height of 169 feet.

Busy weekend

Drove to Paro Saturday with my driver and guide, Tshering.  First stop was Ta Dzong, which is now 

The original watchtower, now undergoing renovations

the National Museum. Part of it is an old watchtower, originally built in 1656, that was renovated in 1968 to house the museum. The unusual round building is in the shape of a conch shell, with 2.5m-thick walls. The watchtower was closed about five years ago due to earthquake damage and is expected to re-open in 2015.  Meantime, the exhibits have all been moved to an adjacent building that used to be the portrait gallery. Displays include a collection of thangkhas elaborate painted textiles), festival masks, natural history, artwork, and a special exhibit of teakettles. 

View of Paro Valley from National Museum

Went from there to Rinpung Dzong (generally referred to as the Paro Dzong). The fortress/monastery was built in the 1600s and houses the district Monastic Body and government administrative offices.

Entry to Paro Dzong

Royal Court of Justice

Artwork inside the Dzong

Next stop was Kyichu Lhakhang, built in the 7th century, it is one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples. Below is a closeup of a prayer wheel with "mini stupas," each made of ashes from the cremation of a loved one and placed there for blessings by family members. The middle photo is Kyichu, and the one below is people planting rice in a field on the way to the Lhakchang.  Our final stop before heading back to Thimphu was to view the famed Tiger's Nest Monastery. Climbing to visit there will be an entire day in itself.

Sunday was for sights closer to home. Tshering and I hiked up to Chagri Monastery, usually referred to as Cheri Monastery, about ten miles outside Thimphu. Built in 1620, it is now a major teaching and retreat center where some monks spend three years, three months, and three days in silent meditation. The hour-long hike took me only 1 ½ hours to reach the 9400’ altitude monastery. The views are unbelievable, and I was fortunate to hear a monk playing drums, bells, and chanting while inside the temple. Mountain goats grazed on the hills below the temple.The walk down was much easier on the lungs than the hike up but way tougher on the knees. We returned to town and visited Changangkha Lhakang. Built in the 12^th century, this is the temple where local parents bring their newborns to get auspicious names and be blessed by the resident lamas. (Sorry about the lack of captions,but the program goes bonkers when I try to add them.)

Finished the day with lunch (I’ve been carefully sampling for the best momos in town) and shopping at the weekend produce market.  I was very grateful to Tshering for carrying the produce, five dozen eggs (I bought these to bring to the rehab center), and two cases of bottled water up to my third floor apartment!