{"id":124760,"date":"2024-04-08T08:50:39","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T13:50:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joy.tergar.org\/?post_type=blog&p=124760"},"modified":"2024-05-20T18:52:09","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T23:52:09","slug":"my-first-time-nepal-immersion-buddhist-culture","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/qa.tergar.org\/posts\/blog\/meditation-and-buddhism\/my-first-time-nepal-immersion-buddhist-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"My First Time in Nepal: Immersion into Buddhist Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

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My First Time in Nepal: Immersion into Buddhist Culture<\/h2>\n

By Franka Cordua-von Specht \u2022 2 min read[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”sharepost”]\n\t\t\t\t

SHARE:\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a>\n\t<\/p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Path of Liberation 1 Online (Streamed Live from Kathmandu)” style=”outline” color=”peacoc” align=”left” el_class=”btn-post” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fevents.tergar.org%2Fevents%2Fdetail%2Fpath-of-liberation-level-1-mind-creates-reality-Mjkx%3Futm_source%3Dblog%26utm_medium%3Dfirst-time-in-nepal-christopher-baxter||target:%20_blank|”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”1″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column lms_has_clearfix=”0″][vc_single_image image=”126592″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1716249082014{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}” el_class=”hidden-xs”][vc_single_image image=”126569″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1716249093357{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}” el_class=”visible-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”0″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″][vc_column_text el_class=”subtittle-open-post”]<\/p>\n

\u201cA big highlight was going around Nepal and seeing all these incredible places that were dedicated monasteries, temples, shrines, and caves, where our great meditation ancestors practiced.\u201d \u2014 Christopher Baxter<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Christopher Baxter was initially hesitant to travel to Kathmandu, Nepal, last September to study at Osel Ling monastery. At 75, with memories of a trip to India three decades earlier but no experience in Nepal, the unknowns of such a journey and the prospect of traveling alone were considerable.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wondered if I could handle it emotionally, mentally, logistically \u2014 on all those different levels,\u201d said Christopher, a long-time student of Mingyur Rinpoche\u2019s and founder of the Tergar St Augustine-Florida Practice Group.<\/p>\n

Speaking from his home in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina, he shared his initial apprehension and the profound impact of the journey. \u201cOne of the dangers of this stage of life is that comfort, security, convenience, and predictability start to become overwhelmingly important. And I didn’t want to be held captive by that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deep down, he had an inner knowing that things would fall into place once he committed to venturing to Nepal, and they did seamlessly. In fact, once the trip was in motion and he boarded the plane, all anxiety dropped away.<\/p>\n

His wish to go to Nepal came from a longing to immerse himself in the country where the Buddha was born and where the culture of Buddhism is so deeply rooted. \u201cI wanted to experience Rinpoche in the monastery with the monks around him. I wanted to get the whole flavor,\u201d Christopher recalled.<\/p>\n

The final motivator was impermanence. \u201cIf I don’t do it now, I’m never going to do it! So let’s go over there!\u201d<\/p>\n

The travel reparations were made easier by consulting with friends who had been to Nepal and breaking the planning down into manageable steps. He packed carefully and included items like Vitamin C, hydration powders, immune boosters like oregano oil, and plenty of masks.<\/p>\n

His time in Nepal proved very enriching. \u201cA big highlight was going around Nepal and seeing all these incredible places that were dedicated monasteries, temples, shrines, and caves, where our great meditation ancestors practiced,\u201d he said. \u201cThe three jewels \u2014 the Buddha, dharma, and sangha \u2014 were just everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Living amongst the monastic community and studying in an immersive environment alongside thirty others at the Tergar Institute<\/a> was a blessing.<\/p>\n

Did the trip impart a lasting change now that he has returned to his home in North Carolina? \u201cWhat occurred for me was a nonverbal shift in how I relate to the world around me and how I relate to this path,\u201d Christopher shared. To elaborate on this last point, he gave an example of a visit to the Grand Canyon forty years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo this day, the experience of standing in front of the Grand Canyon, I can still touch into something there that changed me forever,\u201d he said. \u201cNepal was like that. A lot of it was a change at a body level, a sense of more openness, more connectedness.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/h2>\n

Franka Cordua von-Specht is a communications advisor with Tergar International.<\/span><\/i><\/i>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”0″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row u_row_style=”1″ lms_row_has_bk_offset=”1″ lms_row_bk_columns_offset=”0″ u_row_enrollment_restriction=”0″ lms_row_bk_offset_section_classes=”bk-cielo-post”][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/6″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-8″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog”]<\/p>\n

Join Mingyur Rinpoche in Kathmandu this year for an unforgettable experience.<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1712583376697{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”][\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog”]<\/p>\n

Path of Liberation Level 1: Mind Creates Reality (ONLINE – Streamed Live from Kathmandu)<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1712582693279{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

with Mingyur Rinpoche<\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1713538167254{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

The Path of Liberation constitutes the core of Mingyur Rinpoche\u2019s Vajrayana teachings. In this retreat, Mingyur Rinpoche will teach the practices central to beginning this training, including teachings on the nature of mind and the practice liturgy that Rinpoche has composed, Nectar of the Path. This inspirational practice provides a complete overview of the path in a daily practice format and includes topics such as the four thoughts, refuge, bodhichitta, loving-kindness and compassion, guru yoga, and nature of mind.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”txt-link-landing btn-mb20″]LEARN MORE <\/a>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1712583098514{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”][\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog”]<\/p>\n

Tilopa\u2019s Song of Realization: Stabilizing the Recognition of Mahamudra Retreat (ONLINE – Streamed Live from Kathmandu)<\/a><\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1712582693279{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

with Mingyur Rinpoche<\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1712583031268{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

This retreat marks the completion of Tergar\u2019s 2023\/24 transmission on Tilopa\u2019s Ganges Mahamudra. Rinpoche will continue to guide us through the seventh topic of the root text \u2014 the manner of practicing Mahamudra \u2014 and teach us how to continue to stabilize the recognition of the nature of our mind.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”txt-link-landing btn-mb20″]LEARN MORE <\/a>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1712583424499{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”][\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog”]<\/p>\n

Dorje Drol\u00f6: The Foundational Practices (IN PERSON)<\/a><\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1712582693279{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

with Mingyur Rinpoche<\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”free-text-blog” css=”.vc_custom_1712583482155{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

For the first time, Mingyur Rinpoche will teach the cycle of Dorje Drol\u00f6 \u2014 the wrathful manifestation of Guru Rinpoche. In the first year of this cycle, Rinpoche will give us the foundation for the full transmission, teaching us about the lineage of Dorje Drol\u00f6 and the history and contents of the cycle, and in particular, offering instructions on the foundational practices of Dorje Drol\u00f6.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”txt-link-landing btn-mb20″]LEARN MORE <\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”126588″ img_size=”full”][vc_single_image image=”126589″ img_size=”full”][vc_single_image image=”126590″ img_size=”full”][vc_single_image image=”123845″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″ lms_has_clearfix=”0″ offset=”vc_col-lg-2 vc_hidden-xs”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cA big highlight was going around Nepal and seeing all these incredible places that were dedicated monasteries, temples, shrines, and caves, where our great meditation ancestors practiced.\u201d \u2014 Christopher Baxter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":126569,"template":"","tags":[156,157,158,181,65,159,160,161,119],"blog":[26],"class_list":["post-124760","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-buddhist-practice","tag-dorje-drolo","tag-guru-rinpoche","tag-kathmandu","tag-mingyur-rinpoche","tag-ngondro","tag-path-of-liberation","tag-tibetan-buddhism","tag-yongey-mingyur-rinpoche","blogs-meditation-and-buddhism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qa.tergar.org\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/124760"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qa.tergar.org\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qa.tergar.org\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qa.tergar.org\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qa.tergar.org\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qa.tergar.org\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124760"},{"taxonomy":"blogs","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qa.tergar.org\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog?post=124760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}