Are we truly suffering or blindly blessed?

Are you feeling like the world is going a bit crazy these days? Have you had some recent first hand experiences of an upsetting globally renowned event?  This article will hopefully make you feel better as it gives you access to the bravery others have shown in the face of similar or indeed much worse adversity.

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Having recently sat through the London riots in the safety of my south London flat I gave thanks for the fact I was not above any commercial shops which seemed to be the main target.  As upsetting as it was I must admit it was a major reality check.  We all at times feel like we are in a bubble of safety here in the West and looking around that bubble is becoming more and more like the impermanent dream that it actually is.  Major shifts are happening as we move forward into 2012, the year predicted by the Mayan people as a powerful yet possibly terrifying time for humanity as we are forced to either take responsibility and step up or cash in our ‘karmic debt’.

So as we move forward into such uncertainty what can we do to make ourselves deal with it better?  One suggestion I would like to make is to look back and learn from our brothers and sisters who have already felt the harsh blow of fate and lived to not only tell the tale, but also have worked hard to share it in their writing.   Palden Gyatso is one such person who wrote the book ‘Fire Under The Snow’. In it he tells us how he was imprisoned for thirty-three years by Chinese forces in Tibet for the supposed ‘crime’ of wanting to be free to live his life as a Tibetan monk.  Upon his long awaited release he courageously fled across the Himalayan range to India smuggling with him the instruments of his repeated torture.  Determined to tell the world of the atrocities he experienced under the hands of the Chinese after their invasion of Tibet in 1950, Palden Gyatso was the first Tibetan to give evidence at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on the realities of Tibetan life under Chinese rule.  The response to which by the Chinese was that his story was “untrue”.

His book is a heart breaking yet at the same time entrancing account of all he endured.  Yes it is difficult to read about the brutality that went on and is still going on in Tibet.  But the reward for facing that reality as a reader is the lesson we learn that ultimately we are blessed and can draw upon the strength of people like Palden.  We may have difficulties ten fold, but if we still have the freedom to walk outside when we choose to, drink water when we are thirsty and speak openly to the people around us then are we truly suffering or blindly blessed?  Once we can see our reality through reading testimonies such as that in ‘Fire Under The Snow’ we can begin to relax.  Once we relax we are more equipped to make better decisions.  Once we start to make better decisions we are one individual creating a better world for all.   And together we can perhaps begin to slowly rebuild the wall of good karma that seems to have been left demolished for far too long here in the spiritual poverty of the West.  As many people travel to the Dalai Lama in India from all corners of the globe on spiritual retreats they don’t realise people like Palden Gyatso are also there in Dharamsala with their door open to visitors from far and wide as they courageously continue to share their incredible story…

Om mani padme hum

Tashi delek

Lisa & Lama Buga

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Are you feeling like the world is going a bit crazy these days? Have you had some recent first hand experiences of an upsetting globally renowned event?  This article will hopefully make you feel better as it gives you access to the bravery others have shown in the face of similar or indeed much worse adversity.

Having recently sat through the London riots in the safety of my south London flat I gave thanks for the fact I was not above any commercial shops which seemed to be the main target.  As upsetting as it was I must admit it was a major reality check.  We all at times feel like we are in a bubble of safety here in the West and looking around that bubble is becoming more and more like the impermanent dream that it actually is.  Major shifts are happening as we move forward into 2012, the year predicted by the Mayan people as a powerful yet possibly terrifying time for humanity as we are forced to either take responsibility and step up or cash in our ‘karmic debt’.

So as we move forward into such uncertainty what can we do to make ourselves deal with it better?  One suggestion I would like to make is to look back and learn from our brothers and sisters who have already felt the harsh blow of fate and lived to not only tell the tale, but also have worked hard to share it in their writing.   Palden Gyatso is one such person who wrote the book ‘Fire Under The Snow’. In it he tells us how he was imprisoned for thirty-three years by Chinese forces in Tibet for the supposed ‘crime’ of wanting to be free to live his life as a Tibetan monk.  Upon his long awaited release he courageously fled across the Himalayan range to India smuggling with him the instruments of his repeated torture.  Determined to tell the world of the atrocities he experienced under the hands of the Chinese after their invasion of Tibet in 1950, Palden Gyatso was the first Tibetan to give evidence at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on the realities of Tibetan life under Chinese rule.  The response to which by the Chinese was that his story was “untrue”.

His book is a heart breaking yet at the same time entrancing account of all he endured.  Yes it is difficult to read about the brutality that went on and is still going on in Tibet.  But the reward for facing that reality as a reader is the lesson we learn that ultimately we are blessed and can draw upon the strength of people like Palden.  We may have difficulties ten fold, but if we still have the freedom to walk outside when we choose to, drink water when we are thirsty and speak openly to the people around us then are we truly suffering or blindly blessed?  Once we can see our reality through reading testimonies such as that in ‘Fire Under The Snow’ we can begin to relax.  Once we relax we are more equipped to make better decisions.  Once we start to make better decisions we are one individual creating a better world for all.   And together we can perhaps begin to slowly rebuild the wall of good karma that seems to have been left demolished for far too long here in the spiritual poverty of the West.  As many people travel to the Dalai Lama in India from all corners of the globe on spiritual retreats they don’t realise people like Palden Gyatso are also there in Dharamsala with their door open to visitors from far and wide as they courageously continue to share their incredible story…

Om mani padme hum

Tashi delek

Lisa & Lama Buga

A magical Indian town that is dripping in Tibetan culture…

Do you feel like you could do with a bit of magic in your life right now?  Have you had enough of recent struggles and just want to escape it all to far off lands on a spiritual retreat? Well read on dear friends because I might have just the place for you…McLeod Ganj, India! 

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Tucked away in between Himalayan peaks and troughs is this bustling town with a difference.  Taking a stroll down the local bazaar you will be greeted by the maroon clad monks and nuns of the ever growing Tibetan community that is so widespread this town has become known as ‘Little Lhasa’.

Apart from being home to His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama, this special place offers a variety of different things to do to help you while away your time.  It is not unknown for a traveller to have spent a busy month in this great place and still not be quite sure what they actually did all that time.  And I have to be honest and say I am one such traveller.  Upon arrival in McLeod Ganj I found my head turning in surprise in the back of the taxi as I spotted a Tibetan monk strolling down the road with headphones on listening to his personal stereo.   And that set the scene completely.  So much that was totally new to me that I quickly started to explore and see what else I could find.

A medley of different pursuits are on offer from yoga to learning how to cook Tibetan momo’s, from teaching English to refugees to learning how to work with healing crystals.  Should you fancy it you can go down to the local Library of Tibetan Works and attend Buddhist philosophy classes pretty much every day.  One of the most fascinating aspects for me around the Tibetan culture is fact that the government have a ‘state oracle’ whom they consult when making decisions.  How great would it be if all governments did that? And that particular lama also resides down near the library if you are feeling brave!

I came here specifically to visit the Dalai Lama in India which was an incredible heart warming experience.  As a result I was keen to learn ways that I could somehow bring the magic of this place back to my friends and families back home I did a course in Tibetan massage.  This is a wonderful technique that was developed by the nomads of the Tibetan plains.  It has the physical aspect of helping the body unwind and regenerate, yet also focuses on the energy body including chakra alignment and clearing.  Learning something like that from someone who had it passed to them from one Tibetan nomadic generation to the next was a real privilege and true to form of this enriching town.

However if all you want to do while you are here is kick back and have a decent cup of chai McLeod Ganj has numerous coffee shops and restaurants scattered about the place.  One of my favourites has to be Shangri-La Restaurant.  This unique spot is run by Tibetan lamas from Gyumed Monastery and regardless of whether you are travelling alone or with a friend you are guaranteed to make friends.  But I must be honest and say most of McLeod Ganj is like that as looking back I can see the best souvenir I left with was friendships that continue to cross language barriers, oceans and time.

Fancy some of that for yourself? Check out our next spiritual tour in India.

Tashi delek

Lisa & Lama Buga

A magical Indian town that is dripping in Tibetan culture…

Do you feel like you could do with a bit of magic in your life right now?  Have you had enough of recent struggles and just want to escape it all to far off lands on a spiritual retreat? Well read on dear friends because I might have just the place for you…McLeod Ganj, India! 

Tucked away in between Himalayan peaks and troughs is this bustling town with a difference.  Taking a stroll down the local bazaar you will be greeted by the maroon clad monks and nuns of the ever growing Tibetan community that is so widespread this town has become known as ‘Little Lhasa’.

Apart from being home to His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama, this special place offers a variety of different things to do to help you while away your time.  It is not unknown for a traveller to have spent a busy month in this great place and still not be quite sure what they actually did all that time.  And I have to be honest and say I am one such traveller.  Upon arrival in McLeod Ganj I found my head turning in surprise in the back of the taxi as I spotted a Tibetan monk strolling down the road with headphones on listening to his personal stereo.   And that set the scene completely.  So much that was totally new to me that I quickly started to explore and see what else I could find.

A medley of different pursuits are on offer from yoga to learning how to cook Tibetan momo’s, from teaching English to refugees to learning how to work with healing crystals.  Should you fancy it you can go down to the local Library of Tibetan Works and attend Buddhist philosophy classes pretty much every day.  One of the most fascinating aspects for me around the Tibetan culture is fact that the government have a ‘state oracle’ whom they consult when making decisions.  How great would it be if all governments did that? And that particular lama also resides down near the library if you are feeling brave!

I came here specifically to visit the Dalai Lama in India which was an incredible heart warming experience.  As a result I was keen to learn ways that I could somehow bring the magic of this place back to my friends and families back home I did a course in Tibetan massage.  This is a wonderful technique that was developed by the nomads of the Tibetan plains.  It has the physical aspect of helping the body unwind and regenerate, yet also focuses on the energy body including chakra alignment and clearing.  Learning something like that from someone who had it passed to them from one Tibetan nomadic generation to the next was a real privilege and true to form of this enriching town.

However if all you want to do while you are here is kick back and have a decent cup of chai McLeod Ganj has numerous coffee shops and restaurants scattered about the place.  One of my favourites has to be Shangri-La Restaurant.  This unique spot is run by Tibetan lamas from Gyumed Monastery and regardless of whether you are travelling alone or with a friend you are guaranteed to make friends.  But I must be honest and say most of McLeod Ganj is like that as looking back I can see the best souvenir I left with was friendships that continue to cross language barriers, oceans and time.

Fancy some of that for yourself? Check out our next spiritual tour in India.

Tashi delek

Lisa & Lama Buga

What's it like to attend teaching by the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India?

High up in Northern India is a bustling town McLeod Ganj, which is home to the world’s most famous refugee, his Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama.  Since the Cultural Revolution in Tibet in the 80’s thousands of Tibetans have put their lives in danger and courageously walked across the Himalayas to reach this now sacred place.  So strong is the Tibetan culture in this town that it has fondly become known as ‘Little Lhasa’.  As China continues to morph the Tibetan landscape and strip it bare of its diverse and rich way of life, tourists are now flocking to McLeod Ganj for an authentic experience of Tibetan Buddhism and all it entails.  

 A myriad of different spiritual pursuits are on offer which at times can seem a bit overwhelming but the number one thing that is guaranteed to draw global crowds in their thousands is the public teachings by the Dalai Lama.  The immense faith is so high in this great spiritual leader that it knows no borders or language barriers.  For example at the teachings you will find people listening to their personal radios to hear the translations of the teachings into their own global language.  But one of the most striking things has to be the sight of people from all walks of life going into deep states of meditation simply by being in the heartfelt presence of this wonderful man who refers to himself as ‘a simple monk’.   

On the mere sight of him people are reduced to tears as he blows hearts wide open.  I had no idea this was a common thing until I experienced it first hand myself.  Initially I was pleasantly surprised to discover he would be walking right by me to leave the teaching, however as he passed I was even more surprised to find myself quickly reduced to my knees with tears streaming down my face.  My mind clambered to make sense of such a profound and unexpected experience.  Out of the blue came the words “I have made it back home” and I am not even Tibetan…well in this lifetime anyway!  And from that this idea of ‘Spiritual Backpackers India’ was born where we run group tours to afford people the opportunity to experience the wisdom and beauty of his teachings first hand, and learn meditation from the monks and nuns of the Dalai Lama’s lineage.  We feel if ever there was a time for the wonder of this man’s love and the power of meditation to be more accessible to the world it has to be now! Is this what your heart has been crying out for?  Are you ready to join us for the next teachings in October?

If so visit our website

http://www.spiritualbackpackersindia.com/Home.html

Tashi delek

Lisa & Lama Buga

 

What's it like to attend teaching by the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India?

High up in Northern India is a bustling town McLeod Ganj, which is home to the world’s most famous refugee, his Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama.  Since the Cultural Revolution in Tibet in the 80’s thousands of Tibetans have put their lives in danger and courageously walked across the Himalayas to reach this now sacred place.  So strong is the Tibetan culture in this town that it has fondly become known as ‘Little Lhasa’.  As China continues to morph the Tibetan landscape and strip it bare of its diverse and rich way of life, tourists are now flocking to McLeod Ganj for an authentic experience of Tibetan Buddhism and all it entails.  

 A myriad of different spiritual pursuits are on offer which at times can seem a bit overwhelming but the number one thing that is guaranteed to draw global crowds in their thousands is the public teachings by the Dalai Lama.  The immense faith is so high in this great spiritual leader that it knows no borders or language barriers.  For example at the teachings you will find people listening to their personal radios to hear the translations of the teachings into their own global language.  But one of the most striking things has to be the sight of people from all walks of life going into deep states of meditation simply by being in the heartfelt presence of this wonderful man who refers to himself as ‘a simple monk’.   

On the mere sight of him people are reduced to tears as he blows hearts wide open.  I had no idea this was a common thing until I experienced it first hand myself.  Initially I was pleasantly surprised to discover he would be walking right by me to leave the teaching, however as he passed I was even more surprised to find myself quickly reduced to my knees with tears streaming down my face.  My mind clambered to make sense of such a profound and unexpected experience.  Out of the blue came the words “I have made it back home” and I am not even Tibetan…well in this lifetime anyway!  And from that this idea of ‘Spiritual Backpackers India’ was born where we run group tours to afford people the opportunity to experience the wisdom and beauty of his teachings first hand, and learn meditation from the monks and nuns of the Dalai Lama’s lineage.  We feel if ever there was a time for the wonder of this man’s love and the power of meditation to be more accessible to the world it has to be now! Is this what your heart has been crying out for?  Are you ready to join us for the next teachings in October?

If so visit our website

http://www.spiritualbackpackersindia.com/Home.html

Tashi delek

Lisa & Lama Buga

 

The raw power of Mother Gaia...

McLeod Ganj is a bustling little town nestled high up in northern India at the foothills of the Himalayas.  Despite wide belief that the hometown of His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama is Dharamsala, it is actually this wonderful little town that is his home in exile.  Since the Cultural Revolution in Tibet thousands of Tibetans have taken the perilous trip over the Himalayas for the safe sanctuary that this town provides.  The Tibetan culture is so strong here that it now has the nickname ‘Little Lhasa’.  I flew into Gaggal airport which is a short taxi ride away from McLeod Ganj where you are instantly greeted by the peaks and troughs of the majestic Himalayan range.  Straight away a yearning was born to get higher up to see the full beauty of what was on offer from this incredible landscape.   A few days into the trip I learned of a trek that could be done in one day that affords you a wonderful up close and personal view of the snowy peaks I had seen in the distance.   

Armed with water, snacks and many layers of clothing we set off a week later to climb up to this place which is commonly known by the locals as ‘Triund’.  Straight away our band of two became a band of seven as five local dogs decided to accompany us all the way to the top.  Something told us that this was their way of ensuring a daily meal or two from many unsuspecting tourists who were easily smitten by how cute they were.  And their endearing ways had us pulled right in there with the best of them!  Two hours into the climb we stopped some local people to ask them was it much further.  The glint in their eyes accompanied by scoffs of laughter confirmed we were nowhere near where we wanted to be and had to toughen up if we wanted to get to the view we had heard so much about.

The day got hotter and hotter, the climb got steeper and more perilous as we found ourselves weaving around and up the edge of the mountain with nothing but a seemingly infinite drop to our right to make sure we kept our focus.  At one point we turned a corner and could see the path winding and winding its way upward and beyond, which at the point in time made our feet ache that little bit more.  Three quarters way up to the top, although we didn’t know it at the time, we came across a little house with a shop selling food, drink and beautiful raw crystals cut straight from the mountain.  It was there we got chatting to other climbers who were Nepalese and did this climb regularly.  Their advice was ‘slowly slowly’.   Armed with more water, extra biscuits for the dogs and fantastic crystals for friends and family we set off once again.

About an hour and a half later, we were so high that snowflakes gently falling all around had replaced the blistering sun and we thought we must be near!  Another quick check in with some locals passing by in the opposite direction confirmed we had guessed right.  Inching our way up the last winding pass we came out into a view that can only be described as incredulous!  Snowy peaks towered over us in the nearby distance bringing about genuine humility at the true power and beauty of our dear Mother Gaia.  It was one of those times in life where you are totally present to the mercy we humans are at when it comes to her leniency towards us and all the harm that we do to her.  The mighty strength coming from those mountains was so intense that one could only feel respect.  And as I looked out over the Himalayan range I knew in my heart mess with Mother Gaia and there would be only one winner...so why as humans do we not see this? When will we learn?

With love

Lisa

P.S. As for the dogs well they followed us all the way back down and at the end of our journey ran back into their respective houses! 

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