Day of Ceremonies

 

Day Three at Kopan Monastery

Today was a lot like yesterday, except not as wet. Also, my “up” mood didn’t really hold out, although that’s not to say that I was in a bad mood. It just seemed like my brain was a bit muddled with too many thoughts, about all sorts of things. Ah, well…

There were three ceremonies today. The first, at 5:30am, I did not attend. Too early! The second, though, I did attend in part. It was described to me in brief summary as akin to a graduation ceremony, where six students would debate various topics and earn their next level (geshe). It was all in another language (Nepali or Tibetan, I think) and I was just one of four Westerners sitting against the back wall, watching. I have to admit that I have NO idea what was happening, at any time! I think I saw what was part of a debate, although it wasn’t how I’d pictured it. It was more one monk, half-chanting and half-ranting, making ritualized hand claps that thundered through the hall now and then. An hour and a half in, I had to duck out… my focus was scattered and I needed a bathroom (it started just after breakfast)!

The third ceremony was another puja, after dinner. I stayed for the entire three and a half hours and again, I can tell you almost nothing about what I saw, since I have no idea what was going on. There was lots and lots of chanting, some discordant music bursts now and again, and about thirty minutes where tea and various edible goodies like Snickers and ChocoPies were doled out to every monk and every Westerner in the hall (maybe 200 people!). At the end, the eldest monk, perhaps the lama who runs the monastery, spoke. It was in English but because of the combined effects of his accent, having suffered a severe stroke recently, and a shoddy sound system, I could only make out some of the basics: even if you don’t think you believe in Buddhism, you should become knowledgeable about it so that you can know about life and death. I think he told a story about being in a hospital and talking to people who didn’t know anything about these things, in any sense, and it made him very sad.

All day I planned to leave tomorrow, but now I’m thinking I’ll stay one more day. No real reason. I didn’t pack, and a day here versus a day in Thamel sounds good anyhow.

--Z