On the way to Everest Base Camp, we always pass through a beautiful rhododendron forest where Buddhist nuns have taken refuge from the instability in Tibet. About 14 nuns live in a small community in the forest. Many of them speak only Tibetan, having crossed...
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,...
An old mother in a red sari was crying at the side of the trail. We followed her gaze, her distraught explanation, and saw a group of men and boys gathered around an isolated stand of bamboo. Up in the leaves, a gray faced monkey was rustling between branches, trying...
This fall, as I trekked up to Everest Base Camp with a new group, we stopped in to deliver a brand new electric shaver to the nuns. The response was anything but ambivalent. The nuns were all smiles and invited us in for tea. Salty buttery Tibetan tea—which is an...
I step into a dark wood kitchen. A huge hearth is centered on the wall, fire burning, and the place feels like an inviting cavern. Sunlight filters in through a small window. My eyes adjust and bring out the details: a wide bench covered with a blue floral Tibetan...
Each time I make the trek to Everest Base Camp, I stop in to visit the Buddhist nuns in Debuche, making a small donation and sharing their story with my group. In 1959, a nun named Ani Ngawang Pemba escaped the persecution in Tibet and came to the Everest Region where...
In the 8th century, Guru Padmasambhava (also known as the Second Buddha) traveled throughout the Himalayas. The land is rich with stories of how he subdued demons, hid treasures, and spread Buddhism. It is his coming which really marks the start of Himalayan Buddhism...
Video: Bhutanese Monks in Debate #1 One day I am lucky enough to come upon monks practicing for debate. Tibetan Buddhism has a long tradition of philosophical debate where all the monastic community will gather to confront and question one individual to see what...
All week I've been living in the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. I don't often stay at a hotel around Bouddhanath Stupa because the traffic is terrible, but it's certainly magical here. At 5:30am a long, low gong sounds to wake the monks at the monastery next...
What happens to your body when you die? If you're a high lama, they wait at least three days for your consciousness to completely leave your body, and then they cremate you. If your practice and your mind have been very pure, precious relics will form in the fire. I...
Tsum Valley is one of Himalayan Buddhism's sacred valleys. Rooted in esoteric Tantric teachings from the 8th century, these valleys (called beyuls) are where Buddhists will seek refuge when massive strife comes to the world. It is believed that all life on earth will...
Bouddhanath Stupa is the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal--and one of my favorite places in the city. As soon as you enter the gate, the chaos of the streets recedes. Prayer wheels spinning, monks chanting, and prayer flags fluttering...a quiet peace infuses...