Exploring Kathmandu (cont'd)

Circumambulating the Stupa

We woke up at 6:30 am to get ready to circumambulate the Boudha stupa that was near where we stayed. Meeting up in the guesthouse garden, it was just a short walk to the stupa. By 7:30 am, there was already a large flow of people already walking clockwise around the stupa. It was definitely hard to navigate the crowd and get to anywhere we wanted to go.

We circumambulated the stupa about 4 times before heading back for breakfast and reflecting on what we’ve seen. There are many prayer wheels around the circumference of the stupa that were spun by the practitioners and many chanted during their circumambulation.

Meditation

At 9:00 am we gathered in a room for a meditation led by Professor Kramer. She urged us to start repeating words of compassion to the community, such as "Be happy and free." We are focused on making sure everyone benefits. I (Ana) found this to be a great way to start our practice. Instead of closing our eyes, Professor Kramer told us to slow down and lower gaze to focus and align our attention. Every 5 minutes, a bell chimes to mark the passage of time. While meditating recently, I found it a bit difficult to fully focus and concentrate while drinking two cups of tea earlier, which made my heart beat faster. However, I focused on a specific part of the ground and tried to change my mind and see how it fit. I took a deep breath and tried to get rid of distractions. Although it was hard to fully sit in the moment, my legs were numb and uncomfortable, making it hard to slow down when I wanted to kneel. After about 50 minutes of deliberation, we shared our experiences with the group. It was interesting to see others feel uncomfortable staying in the same place. One student described feeling sad during meditation, and Professor Mermelstein pointed out that it is okay for coughing and other distractions to arise during meditation because we are human. He recommended watching these distractions rather than reacting immediately. Professor Mermelstein also discussed the three concepts of hearing, contemplating, and meditation, which are important in our group discussions. "Hearing" refers to studying, "contemplating" refers to thinking and exploring, and "meditation" is a specific physical and mental process.

As I look back on our engaging activities and lessons, I cannot help but appreciate the meditation session. It truly left a lasting impression on me and served as a valuable reminder to slow down and fully immerse myself in the present moment, despite distractions. What struck me the most was hearing the diverse perspectives and struggles of my fellow classmates. It made me realize that each of us has our own individual obstacles during meditation, and that's perfectly normal. After all, it's all part of the learning process.

Our blog attracts an audience who shares a common interest in meditation and mindfulness practices. They likely possess some awareness of the positive effects of meditation, but may have questions about managing distractions and emotions that arise during their practice. I want to emphasize to them that meditation is a personalized experience and it's completely natural to encounter difficulties along the way. The important thing is to acknowledge and acknowledge these challenges without criticism, while showing ourselves compassion throughout the journey. I hope my reflections on our meditation session have conveyed a clear and insightful perspective.

First Day of Full Teaching

After meditation, we headed towards Shree Mangal DVIP Boarding School (SMD). We arrived around 11:00 AM, and teams of us went to 4 different classrooms. Our team engaged with the kindergarten class. We arrived during their self study period so each of us split off into three groups and read different picture books that the children gave us. We then took a quick lunch break and rejoined our class and stayed with them from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. In that time frame, there was English period and the teacher allowed us to teach the students. We did a variety of English related activities such as naming opposites such as day and night or slow and fast. Another activity that took up most of the English period was rhyming words. We wrote on the board endings such as -at, -og, and -ug. I really enjoyed this activity since every single kid was so excited to give us an answer. We had to constantly remind them to raise their hands and take turns. It was pleasantly surprised by their engagement. The kids all paid attention so well and remained excited about learning for the entire duration of school. In comparison to the US, I was imagining we would have to call on kids to answer our questions. In reality, we had to make sure the kids were not talking over each other.

Johnathan's Morning Adventure

I woke up really early in the morning to observe certain practices that we were told that would happen in the early morning. We first observed practices in one of the side halls, which involved chanting and the use of a drum. The chants are sadhana practice, as described by Professor Kramer, during which the monks visualize and invoke the essence of a certain mythical figure, describing their qualities and beseeching them to connect with the practitioner. There was also a day-long puja in the main hall, an elaborate ceremony involving drums and horns. At some points, smoke from incense practically filled the air from the monks occasionally walking around and swinging burning pots of incense. From what we gathered, the monks were chanting a purification chant at the time we were there. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take any pictures, as these practices, as part of the vajrayana path, are kept more secret and as such many of the details are of course not known to me at this time.

Circumambulation

Compared to yesterday's circumambulation, we took it more slowly today and just followed the flow of the crowd. It led to a more relaxing experience in my eyes. As an addendum to the chanting that we heard, we realized that a common chant was “Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ” which is a well-known simple compassion mantra.

Meditation

After circumambulating around the stupa in the morning, we headed to the classroom for our 9:00 AM meditation. I (David) really took the time today focusing on everything that I am compassionate about. I found compassion in myself experiencing the living conditions in Nepal and having a greater appreciation for everything I have back at home. However, I also found compassion in the fact that the students at SMD were being given an education that well exceeded anything I could have imagined. It got more tricky as I began thinking about people I know from home but eventually I was able to come to terms that everyone has their own journey. A lot of my friends do not have a plan for after college. Meanwhile, I already have a job lined up and I can be appreciative of the fact that I have an idea of my future. That being said, my visit to Nepal so far has taught me to be thankful of what I have, but be compassionate that everyone has their own journey they are exploring and accepting that ambiguity is not a bad thing.

We also tried something new for our meditation practice. Professor Kramer passed out sutras for the class to chant. It was an interesting experience having everyone read the same sutra about compassion. We only read the first of the three sutras so I look forward to looking over the other two in the future.

Second Day of Full Teaching

After morning meditation, we made our way to Shree Mangal DVIP Boarding School at 10:40 am. Our first stop was the office, where we had a meeting with Director & Fundraiser Shirley Blair. It was our last day of school, and Shirley wanted to meet us all again. We feel grateful to have had this volunteer experience and to be able to help the children in any way we can. For me, this experience was strange and painful. For the past four days, we had bonded with each other, the children and the teachers in the school. It was hard to say goodbye knowing that our time together was coming to an end. After meeting Shirley, we went to the kindergarten classroom. As we entered, the children stood up and greeted us warmly. It was a touching occasion. The morning lesson was about fruits. The children learned to name, color and picture the different fruits shown on the blackboard. We kept in touch and offered our help whenever they needed it. After the fruit lesson, we moved on to math. We checked on the kids’ work and helped where needed. We also taught them different parts of the body on the board and they were very engaging and attentive to learning from us. It was amazing to see their interest in learning. They already knew the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and knew most of the body parts. They loved to sing and dance to the song. We introduced them to new body parts like the face, hips and wrists. Their enthusiasm for learning and respect for each other and their teachers were truly motivating. Since it was our last day, I (Ana) wanted to do something special to appreciate and care for the students. I decided to write a personal thank you note to each student. In the letter I just simply said thank you with adding each child's name on the little card with our group's signature. It was our pleasure we had in teaching and supporting them at school. It was a small gesture, but I hoped it would make the students feel valued and appreciated. As the day came to an end, we said our thank-yous and bid a bittersweet goodbye to the children. We asked if we could give each of them a hug, and they gladly accepted. It was a sweet and touching moment that will forever be etched in my memory. We will miss them dearly and will continue to show our support for the school and its amazing students. One way we can do this is by making donations to ensure they receive the best education possible. (You can donate at www.himalayanchildrensfund.org) Reflecting on our time at the school, I realize how fortunate we were to have had this experience. The children's eagerness to learn, their respect for one another, and the dedication of the teachers left a lasting impression on me. It was a humbling reminder of the importance of education and the impact it can have on young lives. As we share our story, I hope that our readers will gain insight into the incredible work being done at the Shree Mangal DVIP Boarding School. They will learn about the meaningful connections we formed and the impact we had during our time there. I also hope our readers will be inspired to support the school in any way they can, whether through donations or by spreading awareness about its mission.