Bouddhanath Stupa, the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Kathmandu
While Hindus are engaged in the bloody worship of Kali, Buddhists turn out for their regular morning prayers. On the same morning that I filmed sacrifices across the city, hundreds of Tibetan Buddhists were serenely circling the massive white stupa of Bouddhanath, where the colorful eyes of the Buddha are painted on a golden tiered pagoda strung with prayer flags. People burn and inhale purifying juniper incense, they spin prayer wheels large and small, they count dozens of mantra recitations on a strand of prayer beads in their hand, they prostrate themselves, and they feed the pigeons for merit.
Video: Morning Kora at Bouddha
Every morning I walk a circle or two chanting. Every evening I retreat here from the chaos of city, and it brightens my heart.
