Nepal Pilgrimage
By Jamyang Khyentse
Gradually ascending the hill overlooking Pharping, we stood face to face with the physical location of Guru Rinpoche’s great accomplishment at Asura Cave, led by our precious master Kyabje Tulku Choeying Yeshi Dorjechang and accompanied by our international Heruka Institute Sangha. As we connected with the manifest realization of Guru Rinpoche by following in his footsteps, it put everything so far on the journey to Nepal into perspective.
Entering the cave in single file with my Vajra brothers and sisters, I trembled before the wondrous shrine, following Kyabje Dorjechang’s instructions to place katas and offerings before prostrating my head to touch the base of the rupa of Vajrakilaya to receive the blessings. Natural waters trickled from the cave wall, which we scooped up to sprinkle upon ourselves as blessing.
Foolishly, I had originally planned to skip the journey to Nepal because of the financial demand and time away from local obligations. If all locations were emptiness, if we had been there in previous lives, why was it so important to physically visit it? Those wrong views were annihilated upon contact with the realization blazing forth from the landscape of Kathmandu Valley, where potholed streets, narrow alleyways, golden stupas, rolling green hills, and throngs of pilgrims blurred together in a ceaseless luminous vision.
It is never obvious from photographs or even high-definition YouTube videos how these holy places can be so powerful. These media are missing out on the full dimension of the experience. Spacious depth alone cannot be properly conveyed through a flat screen, not to speak of the other factors in the collage of place. Kyabje Dorjechang had chosen the Fire Horse year as the most auspicious time to visit Nepal. Occurring only once every sixty years, it is considered a time of profoundly dynamic energy, bringing about the acceleration of karma and an intense multiplication of spiritual merit. We were only able to imagine at that time how accurate that would be.
Even the two plane rides and layover gave us opportunities for contemplation, as some of our local Sangha had never left their home countries, and few of us had traveled so long on international flights. Some of us meditated, read books, or watched in-flight movies to fill the time. Many of us were unable to get more than a couple of hours of high-quality sleep per flight. All of us were strengthened by the opportunity to travel with our precious master to such a blessed place.
Arriving at the Kathmandu airport, we were immediately greeted by a statue of the Buddha in the lobby. Gorgeous Nepali handiwork like hand-carved sandalwood reliefs decorated many surfaces. Statues of Mother Tara, Vajrayogini, Manjushri, and Ganapati in the airport helped us remember that we had entered a very sacred land.
Kyabje Tulku Choeying Yeshi Dorjechang had previously lived in Kathmandu for many years. He was so skilled at navigating the complex factors of the journey, such as hiring buses from a local Sherpa upon our arrival. Most of us were located conveniently near the Great Boudhanath Stupa, which became the center of our universe and our dharma clock. On most mornings, our sangha gathered near the stupa to join Kyabje Dorjechang for morning kora practice.
I felt immediately connected to the crowds of pilgrims and tourists, some of whom were prostrating on their clockwise course around the stupa. Our circumambulations put me in sync with the gravity of that place, as if we were all orbiting a great universal sun. Some pilgrims had hands and feet swollen with disease, walked with canes, or sat on the benches near the stupa practicing their morning sadhanas for the benefit of all sentient beings. Just being in this place caused realizations to arise.
Entering the inner stupa course, we saw countless tsa tsas, sacred water, flower offerings, and butter lamps arranged in a vast accumulation of merit. Many devotees prostrated on wooden boards, completing their daily Ngondro practice under the auspicious shadow of the Boudha Stupa.
Our next stop on the journey was a visit to Dudjom Gompa in Boudha. Construction workers nearby worked rebar with hand tools as we approached the massive doors to the temple. The entrance to Dudjom was guarded by the Four Heavenly Kings and rich with other painted and sculpted symbols of enlightenment. Above our heads, the symbolic attributes of the Five Buddha Families presided.
Entering the temple and prostrating to the holy objects, we sat to receive teachings on the history of the Dudjom lineage from Kyabje Dorjechang, making offerings to the shrines and Vajra thrones of the great masters of the lineage. The ferocious gaze of Heruka Dorje Drolo watched over the halls of the monastery, and Kyabje Dorjechang remarked that it looked remarkably similar to the founder of the Dudjom lineage, Heruka Dudjom Lingpa.
Later on, Kyabje Dorjechang gave us a quick tutorial on skillful haggling as our sangha filled a small dharma shop near the stupa. Negotiating prices is a feature of the local Nepali culture unfamiliar to most Americans, where the cost of most goods and services is fixed. Our sangha members purchased plenty of katas for offering at the many holy places to come on our pilgrimage. Some of us also got damarus and other dharma items for puja.
On the second day, the bus took us on a short ride from Boudha to Pakpa Shangkun, the self-arisen Swayambunath Stupa. It is known colloquially by tourists as the Monkey Temple, since hundreds of rhesus macaques scamper about the stairs, shrines, and rooftops snatching away snacks from visitors’ backpacks.
As we entered the ascent to Swayambunath proper, we saw monkeys sitting and enjoying the water of the World Peace Pond, reminding us that while there are still conflicts raging in this world, our personal practice can play a part in pacifying the suffering of all beings. Looking over us from above a beautiful waterfall was a statue of the Lord Manjushri. There are many different stories of Manjushri’s activities and history in the Kathmandu valley. He was the legendary founder of the Swayambunath Stupa, which was built over the sacred self-arisen flames that brought him to the Kathmandu Valley from his abode at Mount Wutai.
Some members of our sangha were elderly or disabled, or had sustained injuries that made the ascent a bit difficult despite the motivation and devotion. Seeing the compassion of our precious teacher Kyabje Tulku Choeying Yeshi Dorjechang in action brought tears to my eyes. Continually throughout the journey he gave consideration to the abilities of our sangha members, ensuring the buses arrived at pick-up points that made egress from the holy sites a smoother process, and taking easier paths where available in order to reduce the impact of the journey on our bodies. It reminded me that no matter how young or vital I am at this moment, impermanence is a sure fact of life. If we ease the suffering of beings even in small ways, we can truly uphold our Bodhisattva commitments.
Arriving at the top of the hill, we were greeted by the auspicious sight of the Swayambunath Stupa, surrounded by many other holy objects such as the massive gilded vajra on the Dharmadhatu Mandala. It was interesting to see our sangha interacting with the various holy objects, touching the sindura-caked padlocks to their foreheads, prostrating to various Buddha images, tying katas to the Dharmadhatu Vajra, or transferring blessings to their ritual items. As we circumambulated the stupa, some of our overheated sangha members purchased coconuts from the local vendors and drank them as refreshment. The sun beat down upon our heads on this especially hot day, and even though rain had been predicted for days in our weather apps, the storms surrounding the valley had not yet reached Kathmandu.
Descending the steps, we were grateful to stand near the giant ceremonial bell and take a moment’s rest with our precious teacher.
After leaving, we took a short trip to Amideva Buddha Park near Swayambu, greeted by the radiant statue of Amitabha, flanked on either side by equally impressive statues of Guru Rinpoche and Avalokitesvara. Circumambulating the sacred images, I saw pujaris performing their practice under what must have been a sacred fig tree, draped with katas and surrounded by offerings.
On the third day, though some of us had adjusted to Nepal, many sangha members were still tired and jet lagged. Having received the blessings from Asura Cave in Pharping, we were led by Kyabje Dorjechang outside the cave so that we could perform Guru Rinpoche Tsok practice in this most auspicious of places. The courtyard was busy with vendors peddling their goods and other parties of pilgrims. Some of us set up our backpacks as puja tables as we hurriedly placed a variety of pure Tsok offerings. Led in recitation by our precious teacher, we felt the surge of blessings as the rattling damarus and ringing bells echoed back off of the exterior walls of the cave and beautifully carved stone temple. Some curious tourists watched alongside the local Lamas who graciously allowed us to practice.
Exiting the complex, we saw that Asura Cave had left as much of an impact on our sangha as it had on me. Some of them appeared more radiant, energized by the transmission of blessings. I couldn’t help but think of the aggressive vendors who chased us down the steps as manifestations of the local asuras that had been tamed by Guru Rinpoche so many years ago.
The lower caves at Yangleshod awaited us next. Mysterious symbols were abundant at this compound, and many of our sangha members remarked on the curious energy of the place. Some statues of Vishnu and his naga and garuda attendants showed us the seamless blend of Buddhist and Hindu imagery in Nepal. Kyabje Dorjechang mentioned that Kyabje Chatral Sangye Dorje’s monastery was located close by, which caused devotion in many of us to swell up.
A fierce woman dressed in red with intense eyes attended the temple. She was begging for food, so I gave her what I had in my bag: some rupees, pumpkin seeds, drinking water, and some Nepali snacks. A small door opened into the Yangleshod cave where Guru Rinpoche had also practiced. We patiently waited to enter in groups of no more than three, as the tallest among us struggled to fit. As I tried my best to duck inside, I smacked my head on the low ceiling of the cave and got a good goose egg as a blessing. The shrine attendants took donations from us to light butter lamps of various sizes, which cast an amber glow over the rupa of Guru Rinpoche and the other sacred features of the cave. Outside of the cave, the impressive cliff face swelled with strange formations, and I had a feeling that this place would be amazing at night!
Our visit to the quiet solitude of Orgyen Maha Guru Samten Osel Dechen Phodrang Ling retreat center was refreshing with a lovely breeze and fluttering prayer flags. The massive statue of Nangsid Zilnon Guru Rinpoche, which many of us had seen in photos on social media before, presided over the ascent. Many of us were happy to be greeted by the golden statues of Ganesh and Saraswati as we reached the top of the stairway. Entering the main building, we silently offered prostrations, katas, and donations to the retreat center before exiting to spin the massive prayer wheel in the adjacent compound.
The next day, many of us had anticipated that our visit to Sangku Dorje Phagmo temple would be a powerful one. As Kyabje Tulku Choeying Yeshi Dorjechang is a renowned Chöd and Vajrayogini master, we knew this interdependence would bring immense blessings and removal of obstacles in our own case and on behalf of all sentient beings. Approaching the temple, Kyabje Dorjechang approached local vendors and reminded us to purchase offerings to take up to the Vajravarahi temple. Many of us purchased and carried beautiful garlands of marigolds. Upon arriving at the temple, we met the renowned Prajwal Nanda Bajracharya, an upholder of the Newari Tantric lineage, which is both similar to and different from the Tibetan stream of the Vajrayana tradition. As he opened the doorway to the temple, we received the auspicious darshan of the Vajravarahi statue. Kyabje Dorjechang had us line up on steps as our malas were collected to receive a blessing from Vajravarahi and the temple master.
Kyabje Dorjechang had composed a Vajrayogini Tsok on short notice the previous night for our use. As we sat and took in our surroundings, we gathered and blessed Tsok offerings at the same time that another group of practitioners practiced Chöd nearby. Kyabje Dorjechang led us in practice as the sun fiercely blazed overhead. Before leaving the temple, Prajwal Bajracharya offered our group a long life blessing of Vajrayogini, sprinkling us all with blessed milk from a silver ritual vase. Enriched by the experience, we departed the temple with a longing to return someday!
Next up was our visit to Patan, an ancient city especially famous for its sacred metalworks. Upon arriving at Durbar Square, we learned that non-Nepali visitors to Patan needed to purchase tourist passes. Crowds swarmed about us as we exchanged money with a local tour guide. Vendors insistently peddled malas, small statues, and other items to our sangha members. Our tour guide led us into the courtyard of the Patan Royal Palace, giving us an overview of the history of Nepal and how the most recent iteration of the country had come into existence, regaling us with tales of political intrigue between Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. He also told us gruesome details of the local practice of animal sacrifice during the high festival season. The tour guide was a dynamic and charismatic speaker, even if some of the content disturbed our devoted vegetarian Buddhist sangha members.
Following Kyabje Dorjechang through the labyrinthine alleyways of Patan, many beautiful and mysterious structures blurred past. Arriving at the Golden Temple, we were delighted to see the intricate metalwork and all the sacred images. Beautiful gilded copper, brass, and bronze made the images truly come to life. Kyabje Dorjechang led us nearby into an alcove to make offerings and receive blessings from a sublime rupa of Mother Tara. The tour guide explained that one Buddhist boy from the local community would be selected every year to perform pujas in the temple under the strict rules of the Newari tradition’s Kriya yoga practices, which included strict Brahmacharya purity conduct. The tour guide had no idea that many members of our sangha were also tantric practitioners, and it was fun to compare our traditions. One of our sangha members even taught the tour guide that the prongs of the Vajra were actually Makara!
Throughout our journey, we had the opportunity to enjoy lots of delicious Nepali dishes. I was surprised by the variety of options available, as Kyabje Dorjechang told us that a couple of decades ago, Nepal was still relatively underdeveloped, and it was not an unusual occurrence to see farmers taking their cows down main streets in Kathmandu. Locals say that Nepal has changed quite a bit since the terrible 2015 Gorkha earthquake.
The following day, we began with a visit to Kopan Monastery overlooking the Kathmandu valley. Entering the main hall, we prostrated, made offerings, and took blessings from the precious sight of many different holy images of masters of the Gelugpa lineage. I felt blessed to see the throne of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of our precious lineage masters, and made offerings before his sacred image.
We also visited the Amitabha Temple and Retreat Center founded by Kyabje Ayang Rinpoche on a mountaintop overlooking the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. Since Kyabje Tulku Choeying Yeshi Dorjechang and our Heruka sangha are extremely devoted to Kyabje Ayang Rinpoche’s lineage of Amitabha Phowa practice, this was an especially momentous event.
Next, we visited Pullahari Monastery, taking in the magnificent golden stupa housing the relics of the Third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche along with many other sacred relics. We sat and listened in bliss as Kyabje Tulku Choeying Yeshi Dorjechang explained the history of the sacred stupa, then followed as he explained the context of each of the sacred statues, such as Jamgon Kongtrul’s previous incarnations, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Ananda, Vairotsana, King Indrabhuti, and many others. Entering the practice hall of the Pullahari Gompa, we took in the blessed atmosphere presided over by giant statues of the Buddhas of the past, present, and future, the 16th Karmapa, and a fierce Guru Rinpoche. The gardens outside the monastery blossomed with flowers of many varieties, resplendent with a very sacred atmosphere.
The following day led us across urban Kathmandu through intense traffic. Our skillful drivers easily navigated Nepali rush hour, and traffic sometimes came to a total standstill. It was at this point that many members of our sangha began to fall ill with some kind of flu, the signs of the disease just beginning to manifest. It felt particularly appropriate this day that we were headed to make offerings and supplications to the temple of Bodthang Gonpo. Kyabje Tulku Choeying Yeshi Dorjechang explained the history of this special protector on the way to the temple, and said that it was the special protector of the Tibetan population in Kathmandu. His name meant something like “Mahakala of the Steppe”, or “Mahakala of the Plain”, referring to the proximity of the temple to a nearby field that is considered sacred and significant to local Tibetan history. Stories abound of this special Mahakala protector, connecting him to figures like Nagarjuna, King Songtsen Gampo, and other siddhas.
The power of this protector became living reality for us as we approached the temple. When the caretakers of the temple opened the door, we beheld the fierce but friendly face of Bodthang Gonpo. One by one, Kyabje Dorjechang led us in recitation of Mahakala’s heart mantra as the temple attendants helped us make offerings of alcohol, which is a traditional offering for Dharmapalas. Almost immediately upon exiting the temple, our sangha felt raindrops overhead as a torrential downpour occurred out of a seemingly blue sky. Clouds gathered and poured down blessed rain as we rallied and got into the vans. Kyabje Dorjechang remarked that Mahakala had been extremely pleased with our offerings, and the sudden rain was a sign that our sangha’s Samaya was perfect!
Returning to our hotel rooms as night fell, I realized that I was coming down with the same illness that was circulating among our sangha members. For days, I fell into a deep, purifying sleep as my symptoms became worse. A terrible cough, extreme fatigue, and a headache made hours and days disappear. I was upset to have missed my opportunity to visit Takmo Lujin and Godhawari, both of which were on the agenda. My lovely sangha members checked in regularly and brought me food, drink, and medicine until the disease passed. We are very lucky to have such a compassionate sangha that is able to carry their practice into their daily actions.
On the final day before our departure, our sangha spent a lot of time haggling for dharma items and gifts from local vendors in Boudha. There were a huge variety of items like bells and vajras, ngakpa robes, and specialized ritual items that are difficult to come by in the west. It was lovely to spend so much time with new sangha members I hadn’t met and also deepen relationships with sangha members I already knew. Based on what I heard and saw from others, this pilgrimage helped increase our compassion, wisdom, devotion, renunciation, and commitments to the Bodhisattva path without any doubt.
Some of my favorite moments of the trip were also otherwise ordinary experiences had on the streets of Kathmandu: Seeing Kyabje Tulku Choeying Yeshi Dorjechang’s adroitness and compassion in action, meeting a fierce dakini shopkeeper, watching my Vajra brother play Nirvana songs on guitar alongside another street musician, seeing my Vajra sangha members overcome their own complex travel obstacles, offering comfort and advice to a local man devastated by the loss of his family members, having wonderful dinners at a variety of different locations, meeting so many devoted and compassionate Nepalis who despite having very little had the most radiant smiles I’ve ever seen. I understand now why the older generations of world-traveling hippies and Vajrayana practitioners in the west fell in love with this place.
Our departure, though bittersweet, was inevitable. What would we take back home from Nepal with us in the abstract? The blessings have already started to percolate through our lives, and I can see that we were all changed by this pilgrimage with our precious master now that we’ve returned. It goes without saying that it is my wish to return again someday.