#potala palace inside

[goblininawig]

Death & Mischief, Part 2

This is one of two short pieces I wrote for Death Appreciation Week, hosted by @orionsangel86 , about two times that Death of the Endless and Loki of Asgard crossed paths.

Death and Mischief At the World's Fair

Once every hundred years, Death of the Endless becomes human. On this day in May 1893, she is Daisy Smith, a visitor to the World’s Columbian Exhibition, better known as the Chicago World's Fair. But she's not the only immortal being present that day.

~600 words | Rated T | a03 link

Includes spoilers for Loki, Season 2

Tags: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Episode: s02e03 1893 (Loki TV), Death Becomes Human for a Day, Historical References, Canon Compliant, Random Encounters, Short One Shot

Daisy chatted excitedly with her cousins, who flanked the smaller girl as they rode the Intramural Railway at the World’s Columbian Exhibition. Charlotte and Beatrice had not, until waking up that morning, had a cousin Daisy. Reality rearranged itself to allow Death of the Endless to become human for a day, once every hundred years. Today she was Daisy Smith, visiting her Chicago relatives so she might see the fair.

Her aunt and uncle sat behind them. It had already been an exciting day, and they were resting their feet as the sounds of brass bands wafted in from the surrounding park. Their little group disembarked at the next station and proceeded to the domed Palace of Fine Arts, where they wandered happily through the galleries, viewing art from masters all over the world.

After stopping for refreshments, they paid a visit to the Chinese Village. Daisy was staring at the red and gold replica of a Potala temple when her attention was drawn to a pair of white gentlemen who were softly arguing nearby.

“I told you: legwork. That requires walking…observing. This time and place is all we've got to go on. So we keep looking until we find a clue,” asserted the shorter man, who had gray hair and a thick mustache beneath his brown fedora.

The taller man, with had dark hair, a green silk tie, and a grumpy expression at odds with the other fair-goers, retorted, “Mobius, do you really think we’ll just stumble across Renslayer if we walk far enough? Because that’s not going to happen.”

“Daisy!” called her aunt, waving her to join them. “Come along, dear. We’re going inside.”

The curious little girl hurried after her relatives, leaving the mysterious men to their argument.

As night fell, all the park lights came on, the fairgrounds seemed even more impressive. Her aunt and uncle were ready to leave, but Daisy, supported by her cousins, begged to ride enormous Ferris Wheel first. The adults capitulated, and they joined the queue.

When they were on board, Daisy pressed close to the wall of the enormous glass carriage, it turned and rose enough for the next carriage to fill with passengers. Finally, their carriage was at the apex of the enormous wheel, and the gleaming lights of the "White City" twinkled down below her.

“Can you believe this is real?” she asked her cousins. “It’s like being in a fairy tale.”

Their carriage turned around the wheel, suddenly showing Daisy a veiw of the two men she’d heard arguing near the temple. They were in the next car with a mustachioed, bespectacled Black gentleman with them. Most shockingly, a white woman in a strange costume was attacking them. Daisy and the other passengers facing the nearby car all gasped and exclaimed over the exchange. Bursts of green light, like some sort of magic trick, kept appearing and disappearing.

“Is it a show?” Charlotte asked.

“I don’t think so,” Daisy replied. “They seem in earnest.”

The commotion ended as quickly as it had begun. No one could understand what had happened. Shortly afterwards, the ride ended. Daisy and her relatives disembarked.

They were heading to the nearest exit when the Ghost Clock, of which they’d heard rumors - appeared suddenly, huge and unbelievable, over the Midway.

“Girls, hurry!” shouted Daisy’s uncle, putting his arms around them and rushing them to safety. Daisy screamed and ran with the other girls. They quickly put the apparition out of sight.

“Well, I shall never forget this night, not in a hundred years!” declared Daisy’s aunt that evening as she tucked the girls into bed. “You’ll certainly have a lot to tell your family when you go home again.”

“I certainly shall,” Daisy replied with a strange, knowing smile.

[zzkt]

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has been informed by credible sources that Tsewang Norbu, 25, a famous Tibetan singer died of self-immolation on 25 February this year protesting the Chinese government’s repression at the Potala Palace Square in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), in the Tibetan province of U-Tsang.

A Tibetan inside Tibet confirmed that as soon as Norbu set himself on fire, Chinese security officers sprang into action and took him away. Sources familiar with the deceased told TCHRD that the prevailing circumstances of extreme government surveillance and censorship are making it difficult to obtain tangible evidence such as photos or footage of the self-immolation or for any witnesses to come forward.

(via https://tchrd.org/popular-tibetan-singer-tsewang-norbu-dies-of-self-immolation-protest/ )

[nobrashfestivity]

Tantric Murals of Lukhang Palace 

1- The Temple

2-  A detail from the murals in the Dalai Lamas’ private meditation chapel, painted circa 1700, depicting yogis in 23 yoga positions, titled “The Secret Keys of the Channels and Winds.” 

3-   A detail from the murals in the Dalai Lamas’ private meditation chapel, painted circa 1700, depicting Guru Rinpoche or Padmasambhava accepting obeisance after he has subjugated the Lu King, or Naga King (a serpent spirit).

4-  A Tibetan Medicine Thangka, or scroll painting, depicting the traditional Tibetan medical system and its representations of subtle physiological processes essential to optimal health.

5- Lamas at Talung in Sikkim, East India.

On an island in a pond behind the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet sits the Lukhang Temple, or “Temple to the Serpent Spirits,” a secret meditation space created by the Dalai Lama in the 17th century. For hundreds of years, this temple was closed to anyone but the Dalai Lama himself. Vibrant murals covered its walls, depicting yogis in impossible-looking poses, gurus and kings, crystals surrounded by rainbows, and the vagina that gave birth to the world. Used to initiate Dalai Lamas into yogic and tantric practices in the Dzogchen school of Tibetan Buddhism, very few got to see these murals.

Now, though, images of these long-hidden murals are accessible the world over, thanks to American photographer Thomas Laird, who in the spring of 1986 was the first to ever shoot inside this sacred chamber. A new exhibit at London’s Wellcome Collection, Tibet’s Secret Temple: Body, Mind and Meditation in Tantric Buddhism, puts life-size digital facsimiles of the Lukhang’s murals and their esoteric teachings on display. The temple itself was constructed as a three-dimensional mandala, a sacred geometrical shape representing the Buddhist universe, with three tiers represent the three dimensions of enlightenment — outer reality, inner experience, and a transcendent dimension beyond time and space.

(all images courtesy of Thomas Laird and the Wellcome Collection and used with permission)

[consciousjourneys-blog1]

Top 10 Monasteries in Kham

Conscious Journeys has known ten high monasteries of Kham area unit stratified by quality among Buddhist, travellers and Tibet travel corporations. we have a tendency to suggest you to incorporate them in your Tibet tour moreover. However, there area unit several different little monasteries that may you interested. it'll greatly profit you to request a customised tour for a very associate authentic Tibet travel knowledgeable diode by the most effective Tibetan guide. Tibet is thought for non indulgence. After all, visiting Tibet could be a once a period trip chance for many individuals and you wish to analysis and prepare prior to time therefore you recognize what to raise to incorporate in your itinerary with a Thibet agency.

1. Tagong religious residence

A perfect typical example of Tibetan religious residence within the Kham region of Tibet. Tagong is additionally called Lhagong in Tibetan. Tagong religious residence can take around 2 hours driving from north west of the Kangding with a hundred and ten kilometre and is at concerning three,700m from the ocean level. A distinguished Sakya religious residence is found at the central of the Tagong that provide you with a way of Tibetan style. The city itself is sort of pleasant and is constructed in ancient Tibetan vogue. Tagong is virtually familiar for scenic grasslands and native Tibetan Buddhist culture. Handsome landscape and therefore the beautiful ancient kind of Tagong can create your visit price outlay.

2. Dzogchen Monastery

Dzogchen religious residence is one in every of the largest Nyingmapa sect set in Derge county, Garzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China and was supported by first Dzogcheng Rinpoche, Pema Rigdsin in 1675. several extremely accomplished Buddhist practitioners like Padmasambhava meditated and lived there for long and therefore the Holy Dzogchen space is famed as a natural sacred land. Sacred Dzogchen natural mountain caves area unit price exploring throughout your keep in Dzogchen region. Manigango is found fifty kilometre north of Dzogchen and Sershu at a hundred seventy five kilometre of east Dzogchen. four hrs drive from Serchu is Yushu landing field.

3. Surmang Dutsi Til Monastery

Surmang Dutsi Til was established by Trungmase in ordinal century. He was a devotee of His sanctity The fifth Karmapa. the primary Trungpa is named Kunga Gyaltsen and therefore the late eleventh Chogyam Trungpa is attributable by several because the one UN agency brought Lamaism to the West within the early Nineteen Seventies. He supported Naropa University in Boulder and established over a hundred and sixty Shambhala Buddhist Centers within the West. Born as Chokyi Sengay in Dege, Kham in 1989, twelfth Trungpa Rinpoche was recognized in 1991, at age 2, because the reincarnation of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche by Tai Situ Rinpoche.

4. Wenchen Nunnery

Wenchen convent is found in an exceedingly remote location south of Surmang Dutsi Til. underneath the direction of destiny Senge Rinpoche, the kinsman of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and with the support of native nuns and monks, an academic program for kids has been established at Wenchen, and conjointly a smaller program at close Kyere religious residence.

5. Serta Monastery

Serta is inhabiting world’s largest Buddhist institute Larung Gar. Serta Larung Gar Buddhist Institute was supported by Kenpo Jigme Phuntsok in 1980 with over thousands of disciples. Kenpo Jigme Phuntsok is famed for his teaching and knowledge on Lamaism. Exploring Serta religious residence and eye witnessing Tibetan ancient ritual “ Sky Burial” would be your life time expertise.

6. Gonchen Monastery

Gonchen religious residence is one in every of the biggest Sakya Lamaism religious residence in Derge supported by Thang Tong Gyalpo in 1385. the most chapel of the religious residence is an intensive complicated that resulted in it being referred to as the “great monastery”. The religious residence features a notable style, with patterned walls of white, redness and grey, colours distinctive to the Sakya sect in Lamaism. Derge Parkhang is simply below the religious residence.

7. Karma Gon Monastery

Karma Gon religious residence in Chamdo,eastern Thibet was the first religious residence of destiny Kagyue Sect throughout 12nd century by His sanctity the first Karmapa. destiny kagyue is one the biggest Buddhist sect in Thibet. first karmapa is thought as Dusum Khenpa which suggests the somebody of past, gift and future. presently the religious residence is housing around one hundred monks and therefore the religious residence was restored in 2005. the top of destiny Gon religious residence is Karmapa.

8. Yachen Monastery

Yachen religious residence is belong to the Nyingmapa sect in Lamaism is found in bayi county, Garzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, In Sichuan. Its 400km faraway from west of Chengdu and presently housing ten,000 monks and nuns that makes them the biggest religious residence within the world. Larung gar is even larger than yachen religious residence and once Larung gar was dismantled, monks and nuns of Larung Gar is shifted to Yachen religious residence. Yachen religious residence is one the foremost sacred and holiest place within the Kham regions of Thibet.

9. Dzongsar Monastery

Dzongsar religious residence was supported in 746 AD and is found in Dege County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan. Dzongsar religious residence is Sakyapa sect in Lamaism. it had been aforementioned that Dzongsar religious residence was destroyed in 1958 and restored in 1983. there have been housing around 300-500 monks earlier and presently there area unit couples of many monks solely. Dzongsar Rinpoche is thought as Guru Rinpoche by the western Buddhist follower. he's extremely revered by his western follower. Tibet tourism bureau permit

10. Sershul Monastery

Sershul religious residence was established in 1701 with several antiques concerning two,000 years history. Sershul religious residence is found in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture with around four,000m and is that the largest Gelugpa sect in Kham Regions of Thibet. The religious residence is locating at the foremost remote with coldest climate condition. Sershul is housing 10 thousands of monks and manufacturing a number of the foremost qualified Buddhist monks with the very best Tibetan Buddhist geshe degree. The religious residence conjointly has several valuable sacred relics left by eminent monks once their death. Taktser tibet

#tibetpermit #missiontripstravelagency #taktsertibet #tibettravelagency #potalapalaceinside  #taktsertibet

For more details please  Online Visit us at: https://consciousjourneys.org

[stedory]

Virtual tour inside the Potala Palace

[louisecairns]

(Having a few technical issues uploading photos so just a couple for this post. I’ll try and add some more photos later.)

Lhasa

Lhasa literally translates as "holy place" or "place of God". It has the most holy temple in all of Tibet (Jokhang Temple) and people come on a pilgrimage to Lhasa. It is split into "old" and "new" parts and we stayed in the old part near the major sites. The old part has a lot more character and was full of traditional Tibetan buildings. Tibetan people were also extremely friendly calling out hello to us (not to mention all the photos taken of our group), without trying to sell us something.

The highlight for me was the Potala Palace, which is where all of the Dalai Lamas have lived until 1959 (cultural revolution.) The Palace itself was built in the seventh century (with some eighteenth century additions), perched high on a hill overlooking Lhasa. There are 2,000 rooms in the Palace and 365 steps to the top (at an altitude of 3,650 metres, it was hard going). There's incense burning everywhere and lots of chanting monks. It is a bit incongruous seeing monks in their saffron robes whip out their mobile phones to take a photo and one of the monks I passed was sipping from a Hello Kitty flask.

I don't have any photos from inside (it wasn't allowed) but it was pretty amazing. We saw the Dalai Lama's audience room and study area, plus the stupa in which the seventh Dalai Lama is buried. Hundreds of kilograms of gold and precious stones were used to make the stupa, and it's filled with things the Dalai Lama will need in the next life (a bit like the Egyptians). His body is mummified with him sitting cross legged and praying in the very top bit of the stupa (it's about 9 metres tall.) Apparently it was pretty common in times gone by for the Dalai Lama to be knocked off by his "counsellors" in a power struggle, hence quite a few of them died at ages like 8, 12 and 20. The current Dalai Lama is a healthy 83, and there's talk of him possibly ceasing the reincarnation system.

Jokhang Temple is the holiest temple in Tibet because it has one of the original Buddha statues which (mostly) survived the cultural revolution intact. In the morning, incense is burned in big pots all around the temple, and pilgrims perform their protestations (a bit like a slow motion burpee where the hands are raised above the head but in prayer, the person then lies down and brings their hands in front of them and then stands up). The idea is to do a thousand protestations to achieve good karma for the next life. Apparently some people really take it to heart and do protestations all the way for the 3,000 km journey from Beijing to Lhasa. We walked around the temple (clockwise) a couple of times, joining in the masses doing the same thing. Inside the temple it was a bit hot and oppressive in the enclosed spaces with incense burning everywhere and thousands of butter candles burning.

We also visited the Sera monastery where the highlight was watching the monks "debating." This involved a more senior monk asking a trainee monk a question which he had to answer, in preparation for monk exams. This took place in a shady courtyard, with the novice monks sitting on cushions and the questioner violently throwing down the question to them. (That might sound a little weird, but the question technique involved the more senior monk stepping forward and bringing down his up stretched arm and whipping his beads about - it looked a little intimidating.)

While in Lhasa I decided to support a company that trains blind people to give massages, by having one. I figured the masseuse would be finely attuned to all of the knots in my back. Sadly, it was very painful, and not in a good way. I was pummelled for an hour by an incredibly rough guy who was kneading me so violently that I was rocking on the table and he was breathing so hard it was as if he were running a marathon. The breathing wasn't too bad when I was on my stomach, but when I had to roll over and he was exhaling all over my face, I can't honestly say it was very pleasant :(

Lhasa physically sits in a valley, surrounded by tall mountains. It makes walking around the city stunning as everywhere you look, there are mountains peeking out behind the buildings. The weather in Lhasa is a bit like Melbourne - four seasons in one day. You need a warm jumper and rain jacket at all times, in addition to slathering on the sunscreen. The weather changes quickly, going from sunny and warm to a thunderstorm with rain. The altitude also makes the sun's intensity greater. The forecast might be 17 degrees, but it feels like 27 and despite wearing lots of sunscreen, I've been burnt most days.

Our guide explained the people in Lhasa live in small apartments, with 30 - 40 families living around one courtyard. There's a shared toilet on each floor of the building for residents to use, but running water is only available in the outside courtyard so all washing has to be done out there. It's a much more communal set up.

[theniftynotebook]

11 Questions

I think I’ve done more of these questionnaire type posts in the last week or two than I’ve done in the last full year. But they’re interesting, so I’ll play along.

Originally tagged by @solverne​!

1. What is your favorite book?

A: God’s Debris by Scott Adams. I can state that without even thinking about it. UPS driver delivers a package to the house of an old man who knows literally everything. They sit down and have a conversation. It’s a thought experiment in written form but the book definitely helped me expand my mind to new possibilities.

2. Name your top three fictional characters.

A: The Silver Surfer from Marvel Comics; Vivi from Final Fantasy 9; and Gene Starwind from Outlaw Star.

3. What is your all-time favorite video game?

A: Yikes! I’ll give you my top 5 (no particular order). Hard to choose. Grandia 1, Skyrim, Mass Effect Trilogy, Shovel Knight, and Final Fantasy 9.

4. If you could go to a fictional world at any given time and return to Earth without any time having passed or sustaining any injuries, where would you go and why?

A: Easily be the world of Pokemon. It’d be dope to have adventures with animal friends and not lose track of any time in the real world (yes, I’m a nerd).

5. Who is your favorite villain and why?

A: Doctor Doom from Marvel Comics. I’ve been reading comic books since the nineties and have always been fascinated with Doom’s hypocrisy. His intellect is equal to that of Mister Fantastic, yet his own hubris is his downfall. His childhood and early life paint a picture of a person dealt an unfair hand in life, yet he took those circumstances and used them to mold himself into the cold tactician that he came to be. Although he is regularly defeated by Marvel’s best heroes, just as many stories show that he’s capable of being the universe’s greatest bringer of order as well as its damnation. He really is an enigma wrapped in a riddle.

Plus, I LOVE the fact that he speaks about himself in the third person with such conviction. 

6. Your favorite meal?

A: Jambalaya

7. Best season of the year?

A: Spring. Warm enough to enjoy the outdoors (I love playing sports outside) without the oppressive heat that makes you want to go back inside. The only drawback being my allergies depending on where I am at the time.

8. Ideal weather?

A: Mid-seventies with low humidity. Mid fifties in the evening to prevent it from being super muggy.

9. What is on the top of your bucket list?

A: Publishing my first book and probably getting a chance to visit Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, or Ethiopia).

10. Which of the seven world wonders do you most want to see?

A: If we’re speaking on the classic seven wonders then it would be the Great Pyramid of Giza. Of the new wonders, it would be the Potala Palace.

11. You’ve been given one million dollars. How do you spend it?

A: I would immediately save at least a quarter of it (at minimum) to half (max). In that amount, I’d put at least $100,000 in a CD or another account to accrue interest and not touch it for at least 10-15 years. I’d then help my parents with their most pressing bills. The same for my brother. I’d probably buy myself a better car (mine has another year or two left of life in it *knocks on wood*) and plan a trip out the country with a few friends. The rest gets put to bills to pay them in advance for a few months.

[onkar]

'Each Rock is A Potala Palace' and 'They Are Waiting for You in Outer Space'

By Chinese Poet Hongri Yuan Translated by Yuanbing zhang

Each Rock is A Potala Palace The sunshine is mellow wine and there are golden palaces inside the sun. Where a giant is its master, he told me that I was his shadow on the earth. I will still be much greater, like a mountain, each rock is a Potala Palace. And the epics I chanted came from billions of years ago, there are huge number sweet…

[whyspeakin]

GANGTOK Situated in EAST SIKKIM is capital of Sikkim

  GANGTOK

Situated in EAST SIKKIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AEEty1PV74 Sikkim’s capital is generally a practical sprawl of multi-story concrete containers. However true to its identify these are steeply layered alongside a pointy mountain ridge. When clouds clear sometimes at daybreak), views are inspiring, with Kanchenjunga – often called Khangchendzonga in Sikkimese’s, poking its pointy white nostrils above the western horizon. Gangtok’s artificial points of interest are minor, but it surely’s not a nasty place to attend out a day or two whereas organizing trekking permits or journeys to the north. Gangtok’s crooked backbone is none aside from the Rangpo - Mangan street, Nationwide Freeway 31A, although generally it’s written cryptically as 31A National High Way. The vacationer workplace, banks and plenty of retailers line central Mahatma Gandhi Marg (MG Marg). Close by Tibet Road is the closest Gangtok will get to a traveler’s enclave.  

Sights Seeing in Gangtok

  NAMGYAL INSTITUTE OF TIBETOLOGY Housed in historically styled Tibetan Institute, this distinctive institute was established in 1958 to advertise analysis into Mahayana Buddhism and Tibetan tradition. It comprises one of many world’s largest collections of Buddhist books and manuscripts, plus statuettes, thangkas (Tibetan material work) and sacred objects, reminiscent of a kapali (sacred bowl constituted of a human cranium). Additional alongside the identical street, the Do-Drul Chorten is a big white Tibetan pagoda surrounded by dormitories for younger monks. The institute sits in an Orchid Sanctuary and is conveniently near the decrease station of Damodar Ropeway (Per particular person Rs 120; h 10.00 am-4.30 pm), a brand new cable automotive operating from slightly below the Tashi Ling workplaces on the ridge. Views are stupendous. Alternatively, pay Rs 30 by share taxi from central Gangtok alongside 31A NH Way.   THE RIDGE With views east and west, it’s very nice to walk by shady parks and gardens on the town’s central ridgetop. Sadly, its focal factors, the Royal Palace and Raj Bhawan are out of bounds for guests. When the orchids bloom (March) it’s value peeping contained in the Flower Exhibition Centre (Admission Rs 25; h9.00am-5.00 pm), a modestly sized tropical greenhouse filled with bonsai and unique crops. The once-grand 1932 White Memorial Corridor (Nehru Marg) reverse is now a dilapidated children's’ sports activities corridor.  

ENCHEY GOMPA & VIEWPOINTS

Approached by gently rustling conifers excessive above Gangtok, this monastery, courting again to 1909, is Gangtok’s most engaging, with some respectable murals and statues of Tantric deities. It comes alive for the colorful Detor Chaam (December to January) masked dances. From the gompa, observe the entry street northeast across the base of an unmissable telecommunications tower. An initially apparent path scrambles up in round 15 minutes to Ganesh Tok's viewpoint. Festooned in vibrant prayer flags, Ganesh Tok affords very good metropolis views and its mini café serves scorching teas. Throughout the street, a lane leads into the   Himalayan Zoological Park: Purple pandas, Himalayan bears, and snow leopards roam round in in-depth wooded enclosures so giant that you are simply actually worth an automotive to shuttle between them.   Hanuman Tok, one other spectacular viewpoint sits on a hilltop around 4km drive past Ganesh Tok, although there are quick cuts for walkers. Maybe Gangtok’s finest view of Khangchendzonga is from the Tashi viewpoint on the northwest fringe of the city beside the principle path to Phodong.  

Gangtok Action Tours

SCENIC FLIGHTS For eagle-eye mountain views, Sikkim Tourism arranges scenic helicopter flights. E-booking a minimum of three days forward. Costs are for as much as 5 passengers (4 for Khangchendzonga ridge): Temporary (roughly 20 minutes) buzz over Gangtok (Rs 9900) Circuit of West Sikkim (Rs 59,750, one hour ) Yumthang Valley (Rs 65,250, 70 minutes) Khangchendzonga ridge (Rs 75,750, 1½ hours) Excursions Traditional ‘three-point excursions’ present you Ganesh Tok, Hanuman Tok and Tashi viewpoints (Rs 950). Nearly any journey agent, resort or taxi driver affords variants, together with a ‘five-point tour’ including Enchey Gompa and Namgyal Institute (Rs 700), or ‘seven-point excursions’ tacking on both old- and-new Rumtek (Rs 950) or Rumtek plus Lindum (Rs 900). All costs are per automobile holding three or 4 passengers.   GANGTOK TOUR OPERATORS For prime-altitude treks, visits to Tsomgo Lake or excursions to Northern Sikkim you’ll want a journey company. Altitude Excursions & Travels  Location: Tourism Bldg, MG Marg Trendy Treks & Excursions Location: Trendy Central Lodge, MG Marg There are over 200 businesses accessible, the very best thought is to examine with fellow travelers for the most recent suggestions. Different well-known if much less just lately examined businesses embrace:   Blue Sky Treks & Travels Location: Tourism Bldg, MG Marg, Gangtok.   Potala Excursions & Treks  Location: PS Road, Gangtok.   Sikkim Excursions & Travels Location: Church Highway  

LODGING IN GANGTOK

Lodging charges sometimes drop 25% to 50% off-season, way more if demand may be very low and also you’re good at bargaining.   BUDGET STAY IN GANGTOK Many cheaper motels quote walk-in charges of around Rs 1900. Some value it. Others are simply ready so that you can cut price them to Rs 300. Examine rooms fastidiously as requirements can fluctuate broadly even inside a similar resort. Foreigners usually flock around central Tibet Highway, the one space the place a Rs 900 room is prone to be roughly inhabitable.   New Trendy Central Lodge Location: Tibet Highway, Gangtok Budget: Rs 900 It’s been the traveler favorite for therefore lengthy that folks nonetheless come right here regardless of considerably ill-kept rooms and the complacent albeit pleasant new administration. With loads of low-cost rooms and a helpful meeting-point café, it would most likely stay the backpacker standby.   Trendy Central Lodge Location: Tibet Highway, Gangtok. Budget: Rs 900 Email: data@modernhospitality.com Former managers of what's now the New Trendy Central Lodge have taken their dependable companies to this helpful however noisy new location. All rooms have personal restroom. Though requirements aren’t luxurious, the value is true. Nice homecooked meals on the roof backyard.   Resort Lhakpa Location: Tibet Highway, Gangtok. Budget: Rs 600 Very gloomy, low-cost field rooms with not often functioning geysers lurk above an unrepentantly native Tibetan café.   Journey Lodge Location: Tibet Highway, Gangtok. Budget: Rs 600 Unusually good-value rooms have BBC World TV and well-heated showers with towels and cleaning soap offered, although the ground-floor cheapies have skinny partitions and upstairs a couple of undergo from damp. Worth relies closely on season and bargaining.   Resort Mig-Tin Location: Tibet Highway, Gangtok. Budget: Rs 900 Above a foyer with naïve Tibetan-style murals and a terrific little meet-up café, the very best rooms are barely worn however wonderful worth out of season, assuming you cut price a bit of. Keep away from the most cost-effective rooms which might be damp and airless.   Tenzing Lodge Location: Growth Space, Gangtok. Budget: Rs 600 Of over 50 comparable motels   Banks in Gangtok State Financial institution of India IDBI Financial institution ICICI Financial institution HDFC Financial institution Punjab Nationwide Financial institution HDFC BANK Axis Bank   Sikkim Tourist Information Centre, Gangtok Sikkim Tourism Centre helps Tourist www.sikkimtourism.com MG Marg, Gangtok. Sikkim. Reach here for: For Data, For Helicopter Tour For Permits   https://destination.live/drinking-alcohol-in-sikkim/ Read the full article

[technologyinfosec]

Millions quarantined as China scrambles to halt coronavirus

China has quarantined millions of people and urged its citizens to delay overseas travel as it scrambles to stop a deadly coronavirus epidemic from spreading further. Authorities also ordered schools and universities to remain closed on Tuesday after extending a national holiday by a week in a bid to contain an outbreak that has already killed more than 100 people and spread to a dozen countries. Earlier the government shuttered major tourist attractions from Disneyland to a stretch of the Great Wall and rolled out draconian transport restrictions in areas worst affected by the virus. Here is a rundown of the measures taken so far in an unprecedented effort: More than 56 million people are subject to travel curbs in Hubei province, where the virus was first detected. Public transport has been stopped in 18 cities there, with train stations shut, events cancelled and theatres, libraries and karaoke bars closed in some locations. The epicentre of the outbreak is provincial capital Wuhan, the biggest city on lockdown, where the government has halted all travel out of the Yangtze River metropolis of 11 million. Wuhan residents have been told to stay home and authorities have restricted car traffic in the city centre. Similar quarantine measures are being taken in nearby cities, with strict controls on weddings and funerals, temperature screenings for new arrivals, and the suspension of online taxi services. Beijing, Shanghai and other megacities have suspended the entry and departure of long-distance bus services. At least 2,000 inter-province train services have been cancelled since Friday - most until February 8-9 but some for weeks. China's immigration agency has also asked citizens to delay international travel to stop the virus from spreading elsewhere overseas. Authorities had already suspended both domestic and overseas Chinese group tours over the weekend. Tourists from Hubei in Haikou, capital of the island province of Hainan, were told by the city government they had to spend 14 days in a hotel for centralised medical observation, and were forbidden to leave. Hundreds of millions of people crossed the country last week return to their families for the Lunar New Year holiday, in what is typically a joyous time of gatherings and public celebration. Instead, public health officials asked China's 1.4 billion citizens to confine themselves at home until all is clear. Schools and universities across the country were ordered not to reopen until further notice on Tuesday, a day after the holiday break was extended to try and reduce the spread of the virus. Wuhan and Beijing had earlier cancelled public events that usually attract hundreds of thousands of people to temples during the New Year holiday. The historic Forbidden City - a sprawling imperial palace in Beijing and one of the country's most revered cultural sites - was closed from Saturday. Other famous landmarks including a section of the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs and Yinshan Pagoda are also not open to visitors. Tibet's Potala Palace was shut down on Monday. Disneyland theme parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong have closed down indefinitely. Women's Olympics football qualifiers scheduled for next week in Wuhan have been moved out of the country and will now be held in Sydney. China's film box-office earnings for Lunar New Year's Eve on Friday were just one-tenth of last year as people shunned crowds. US coffee chain Starbucks said it had shut all its stores in Hubei during the holiday break. China has ordered sterilisation and ventilation at airports and bus stations, as well as inside planes and trains, while travellers are being screened for fever. Temperature screening checkpoints have been set up in hundreds of Chinese railway stations, according to state news agency Xinhua. Authorities have asked people to wash their hands regularly, avoid crowded places, get plenty of fresh air and wear protective face masks. City authorities in Wuhan have gone further and made it mandatory to wear masks in public places. A similar order was issued in southern Guangdong province, which has more than 110 million people. With people rushing to get masks at pharmacies and on popular websites, China's industry and information technology ministry vowed to increase supply. Authorities in Wuhan are rushing to build two field hospitals by next week to ease pressure on medical facilities in the city that are struggling to handle a growing caseload. The first facility is expected to be operational by next Monday and will have a capacity of 1,000 beds spread over 25,000 square metres, according to state media. The second is slated to open two days later with 1,300 beds. Xinhua said the two new hospitals in Wuhan would be similar in size to the temporary facility built to tackle SARS in Beijing in 2003, when 650 people died from the disease in the mainland and Hong Kong. Read the full article

[jandby]

The Potala Palace is a dzong fortress in Lhasa. It was the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas from 1649 to 1959. Beautiful outside and inside. 

[mountainsunvalleytrek-blog]

Kathmandu Lhasa Tour via Everest Base Camp

Kathmandu Lhasa Everest Base Camp Tour is the most popular tour to Tibet, It gives a chance to explore the beauty of Tibetan landscape and same time it’s an opportunity to gain knowledge of rich traditional culture of local people. The tour definitely offers you some of the most amazing landscapes, Tibetan villages, charming views of the Himalayas & much more. The tour provides ample opportunity to explore Lhasa, the Monasteries, and many small villages – the real Tibet, as well as the other places that we cross on the journey to Kathmandu.One of the main highlights of the trip is visit to Everest Base Camp. The spectacular views, beautiful landscape, and unique Buddhist tradition definitely offer you a memorable & pleasant journey as well as an experience you will remember for the rest of your life.

Itinerary:

Day 01: Kathmandu to Kyirong (3,800m/12,467ft): 153 km, 7 - 8 hours

After breakfast, we start our journey with a morning scenic drive along the beautiful Nepalese countryside passing through the Nepalese towns of Trishuli, Dhunche, and Syabrubesi. Driving through the deep and big gorges, cascading waterfalls, rivers, hill-side villages, and forests, we will reach the Nepal-Tibet border at Rasuwagadhi. After necessary formalities at Nepalese immigration and crossing the bridge on the border, we will be greeted by our Tibetan guide and continue our adventurous uphill drive on the Tibetan side to reach Kyirong. Overnight in Kyirong.

Day 02: Kyirong to Lotingri (4,050m/13,284 ft.): 257 Km, 5 hours

Today, we will enjoy the pretty borderline along the snow-capped mountain and evergreen forests as we begin our day drive uphill to the highest plateau of the world with the typical view of Tibetan landscape offering breathtaking panoramic views of beautiful Himalayan ranges like Mt. Cho Oyu and Mt. Shishapangma. From Lotingri, one can enjoy the magnificence of the majestic Mt. Everest. Overnight in Lotingri

Day 03: Lotingri-Rongbuk monastery ( 5,000m/16, 404ft): 160Km, 3 hours drive. Explore Everest by walking to Guru Rinpoche cave and back to Rongbuk monastery: 2 hours

After breakfast, we will drive to Rongbuk monastery through the friendship highway at a distance of 60km; and then turn right towards Rongbuk monastery. We will stop at the top of the Gyawold pass for great views of Mt. Everest, Cho Oyu, Shishapangma, Lhotse, and Mt. Makalu. Then, we continue driving down through many corners for about one and a half hour to reach Rongbuk monastery. We will have our lunch in Rongbuk monastery, and in the afternoon we will walk to Guru Rinpoche cave which takes about an hour. Visit the cave and explore Everest and enjoy a great view of Mount Everest from Guru Rinpoche cave. Late afternoon, we will walk back to Rongbuk monastery. Enjoy the most beautiful sunset views on Everest. Overnight in Rongbuk monastery.

Day 04: Drive from Rongbuk to Shegar and further to Shigatse(3,900m/12,795 ft) via Sakya Monastery: 300km, 7-8 hours

In the morning, we can enjoy magnificent views of sunrise on Everest, then have breakfast and drive to Shigatse crossing three big mountain passes and passing by many beautiful Tibetan villages. The people in the communities are mostly farmers, and they rear some cattle, sheep, yaks, cows, etc. On the way, we visit the Sakya monastery which dates back to the 12th century, and it is the seat of Sakyapa school in Tibetan Buddhism. The main architectures inside the castle are the Dajing Hall, the Buddhism Hall and the hall where the Sakya archbishop lived. From here, we continue our drive to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. Overnight in Shigatse.

Day 05: Shigatse to Gyantse (3,950m/12,959 ft)via Shalu Monastery: 100km, 2 hours

After breakfast, we visit the famous Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse which holds both historical and cultural importance for being founded by Gendun Drup, the First Dalai Lama in 1447. After touring the Tashilhunpo Monastery, we continue our drive to Gyantse. On the way, we visit Shalu Monastery.  Founded in 1040, Shalu Monastery is known for its beautiful and ancient mural paintings. We continue to Gyantse and while there visit Khumbum Stupa, Phalkot Monastery and Gyantse Dzong (Fortress), which is one of the best-preserved dzongs in Tibet. Overnight in Gyantse.

Day 06: Gyantse to Lhasa (3,650 m/11,972ft)via Karo La pass and Yamdrok Tso Lake: 260km, 5-6 hours

From Gyantse, we continue to Lhasa crossing the Karo La (5,010m/16,432 ft), and Kamba La (4794m/15,725 ft) passes and Lake Yamdrok Tso (Turquoise Lake), one of the three largest sacred lakes of Tibet, also believed to be the transformation of a Tibetan goddess. Furthermore, we cross the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River and see Potala Palace for the first time from a distance. Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 07: Lhasa sightseeing: Potala Palace, Norbulingka Palace and Tibet Traditional Hospital: 5 - 6 hours

We begin sightseeing in Lhasa after breakfast. Today is the day we visit the beautiful Potala and Norbulingka Palaces. Built in the 17century, Potala Palace provides terrific views of the entire city and houses the private quarters of the Dalai Lama, numerous grand state rooms, and chapels. Norbulingka Palace is the summer palace of the Dalai Lama and houses what is considered to be the most extensive human-made garden in Tibet. Next, we visit the Tibet Traditional Hospital which is the center for the treatment, training, research, and production of Tibetan medicine. Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 08: Lhasa Sightseeing: Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Bazaar: 5 - 6 hours

After breakfast, we visit Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Bazaar. Drepung Monastery, which was built in the 14century, is believed to have sheltered around 10,000 monks in the past but as of now, there has been quite a declination resulting in only a few hundred. The history, culture, and religious beliefs of the Tibetan people are strongly concentrated and centered in this marvelous monastery.  Sera Monastery is a preserved monastery of white-washed walls and golden roofs. Jokhang Temple is another important sacred site which unravels more deep-seated mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. We further stroll through Barkhor Bazaar (market). With its open-air stalls, shops and crowd of pilgrims, it is the nerve center of Lhasa. Overnight in Lhasa.

Day 09: Final Departure

A representative from Mountain Sun Valley Treks  will take us to the airport for our next journey.

Note: The package can be redesigned or redeveloped as per your preference. For more information please e-mail us at mountainsunvalley@gmail.com whatsapp: +977 9841815039

[remotexpeditions]

Explore The Spiritual Adventure In Tibet

Tibetan a multi-ethnic country, with a different ethnic group. The country has always been in close contact with other ethnic groups as well and discloses a beautiful form of culture of its own. With thousands of years of mutual absorption and promotion, Tibetan have developed their own splendid culture in the world. The ethnic group of people that live on the Qinghai- Tibet plateau with a unique and profound influence of ancient Bon religion and Tibetan Buddhism with unique folk customs and aesthetic taste with a shape.

Another big reason to go to Tibet is its distinctive festivals, according to the Tibetan calendar the festivals fall on every month aiming to worship Gods, commemorate Buddhist masters, praying for good harvest and as well entertain themselves and so on. These festivals can be roughly divided into two groups, traditional festivals, and religious festivals.

Few of the examples about the Buddhist festivals are Gelugpa ( The Yellow Hats). Great prayer festival and Tsongkhapa Butter Lamp Festival. Few of their unique celebrations like Drigung Cham, Dance festival, Tashilhunpo Monastery festival, Ganden Thangka Unveiling Festival etc.

Art is what draws every attention and when it's something unique it brings out a different meaning. Tibetan art includes rock cravings, golden monasteries on hills, stone, colorful frescos inside the temples, singing and dancing over the grasslands. Art that includes

Tibetan Thangka Paintings

Sand Mandala and its profound philosophy  

Gauge Fresco

Tibetan murals

Tibetan Stone

Qama dance.

With Remote Expeditions, the Adventure Travel journey will start by exploring the holy city of Lhasa. The main Buddhist sites in the city include Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery, Norbulingka Palace, Sera Monastery and the Potala Palace. The old town of Lhasa and rub shoulders with thousands of pilgrims visiting each day here.

The trips for this amazing place will be as follow, first visiting 3 nights in Lhasa, and the next trip will be at the scenic drive to Shigatse via Yamdrok Lake, Karo La Glacier, and the Gyantse Kumbum Stupa. From Shigatse, you will drive all the way to the North Face Base Camp of Mt. Everest. From there you will then return to Lhasa via Shigatse and drive towards north to Namtso lake through Nyemo valley.

Capturing fascinating remote culture, that explores the most remote places around the globe they discover and understand the surrounding with one click. The beauty and simplicity of culture and people help with creating a bond with passion between humans and nature. Expedition style from Amazon to west Papua list the world’s most amazing places that include natural wonders, exceptional culture, or a mind-blowing expedition.

Founded with a passion for remote populations, the adventurer photographs the lifestyles of the tribal community to get a better understanding of their culture and ways. Their Adventure photo tours focus more on having interactions with the local people and capture them all for memories to show with their followers. Remote Expeditions, being the most viewed and recognized the adventurous site, they also offer custom adventure, that is personalized for students, photographs, families and independent travelers.

[manjushriwisdom]

Buddha Naga

Buddha's Nagas According to the Vinaya or Buddhist Monastic Rule, an animal cannot become a monk. At one time, a Naga was so desirous of entering the Order that he assumed human form in order to be ordained. "Shortly after, when asleep in his hut, the naga returned to the shape of a huge snake. The monk who shared the hut was somewhat alarmed when he woke up to see a great snake sleeping next to him! The Lord Buddha summoned the naga and told him he may not remain as a monk, at which the utterly disconsolate snake began to weep. The snake was given the Five Precepts as the means to attaining a human existence in his next life when he can then be a monk. Then out of compassion for the sad snake, the Lord Buddha said that from then on all candidates for the monkhood be called 'Naga' as a consolation. They are still called 'Naga' to this day."~ About Ordination. < "ordination" is a word widely used because of its familiarity but it is not an accurate term with regard to the Buddhist tradition. Naga Sadhus There are ten akharas or "arenas" of Hindu ascetics (commonly, sadhus; female is sadhvi) known as nagas of which seven are Shaiva or Shivite. Halfway through an article at Rediff.com, there is a link to origins but their earliest history is not revealed. A speculation: In one version of the Buddha's life, he is said to have passed the night at the hermitage of Uruvela where the leader, Kashyapa, welcomed him but warned that the only vacant hut was the haunt of a malevolent naga. This did not deter the Buddha, but as soon as he went into a hut to pass the night, witnesses said a terrific struggle ensued. It culminated in the dwelling's catching on fire, and bystanders had to rush with jars of water to put it out. No one dared enter the hut, though, and when morning came Kashyapa and his followers thought that the young visitor must certainly have been fiercely burned by the serpent’s fire. They did not know that the powers of the Buddha had overcome those of the naga's fury, and he had calmly placed the serpent into his begging bowl. When the Buddha emerged from the hut, he presented the distressed yogis with the serpent coiled peacefully inside his alms bowl. Potala or Patala The former palace of the Dalai lamas in Lhasa, Tibet is known as the Potala. The name means "heavenly abode." In the great Indian epic, Mahabharata, the Nagas inhabit the realm called Patala. Ulupi, daughter of their king, married Arjuna the hero and leader of the Pandava brothers whose charioteer is Krishna. The Nagas fought on the side of the Ashuras [anti-gods or titans] in the Great War. In the western borderland of Pakistan that is the Udayana of legend, a version of the story has consequences for farmers. The champion, Apulala [cf. Apsu of Mesopotamian mythology] of the nagas in Patala, a watery region under the earth, are generally able to keep the wicked dragons [cf. Tiamat of Mesopotamia] from overdoing the seasonal rains. Thanks to his moderating capabilities, the farmers prospered. In gratitude each family offered him a bit of grain as tribute. After some time several of the inhabitants of the place began to forego the yearly offering. The Naga became angry and prayed that he might become a poisonous dragon so that he could drench the countryside in rain and wind. So it is that at the end of his life he became the dragon of that country. To this day Rajas (local princes) in the Hindu Kush are said to be able to control the elements . . . .~ http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/~geog309i/ideas/dragons/naga.html < no longer online In Himalayan Buddhism, these water nagas are keepers of secret books of wisdom. They can be generous, but they also have the ability to let loose diseases and epidemics. They are propitiated with suitable offerings. In the 17th century, Tibet's Fifth Dalai Lama was inspired to have constructed a small temple on a lake behind the Potala palace in Lhasa dedicated to [kLu] or lu. This is called the Lhukang. On its walls are depictions of tantric practices, and images of the 84 Mahasiddhas as nagas are associated with these yogic accomplishment. (As we have seen, even today the group of naked and most physically disciplined Indian yogis are known as the nagas.) See a pair of naginis: One bears jewels, the other a bodhi leaf which represents sacred writings. Offerings are at the bottom foreground of the painting. There is a Middle Kingdom (Egyptian) story in Ethics of Ancient Egypt by Sanderson Beck that tells of a typical encounter with a generous naga: Having set out for the mines of the sovereign, a large ship carrying a hundred and twenty sailors is destroyed in a storm, and [the hero] is cast alone on an island, where he finds figs, vines, leeks, fruit, cucumbers, fish, and fowl. Using two sticks for a fire-drill, he kindles a fire to sacrifice to the gods when he sees a huge serpent fifteen meters long overlaid with gold and having eyebrows of lapis lazuli who asks him why he is there.The sailor explains about the ship going to the mines that perished, and the serpent offers him every good thing there on the island until a ship comes to take him back to the royal residence. In gratitude the sailor offers the serpent precious perfumes, but the latter laughs because as prince of Punt he has myrrh and hekenu in abundance.When the ship comes, the serpent gives him numerous treasures that the Egyptians imported from the incense-producing countries. The sailor takes these back to his Sovereign, who thanks him and appoints him a henchman. ... . Of the five guardians of the cardinal points (we include the centre,) the Lord of the West is the naga king, Virupaksha. Nagas are also thought to guard the five lakes and four oceans of the world. Nagas of Nepal In Nepal, the serpent deities are acknowledged for their power over rainfall and hence, the fertility of the land. They also are considered to be able to protect buildings from the consequences of earthquake. There, Karkotak is honoured alongside Basuki (or, Vasuki) and Shesh (or, Shesha.) They are worshipped by Hindus especially during Naga Panchami on the 5th day after the full moon of Shravan (Shrawan Shukla Panchami.) The observance includes the pasting of posters of nagas over the entrances of the household, usually by a family priest. It is said that the custom was introduced by King Shankar Deva of Kantipur. In Hinduism, Naag (the divine serpent) is glorified as the provider of rain. Naag is worshipped to provide a good harvest during the monsoon season, and Naag Panchami, the fifth day of the bright lunar fortnight, is set aside for worshipping serpents. Devotees on this day paste pictures of Naag over their doorways with cow-dung. As part of the rituals to propitiate the divine serpents, milk, their favorite drink is offered to the pictures. Failure to appease them may invite droughts and disaster in the days ahead. Devotees also throng Taudaha, a pond six kilometers to the south of Kathmandu. There they worship Karkotak Naag, the serpent-king. Karkotak moved to this dwelling when Manjushree drained the lake that used to cover the Valley. Pilgrims also visit the rural Newar township of Dhapakhyo in Lalitpur, where at Nagadha, they pay homage to the serpent-gods. ~ Kantipur Online Naga Arjuna There are several places in Nepal named in commemoration of the great Nag'arjuna. Nagarjun is a hill (2,188m) northwest of Kathmandu which is is the site of Jamacho chaitya (stupa or Tib. chorten.) There, the Raniban or Queen's Forest is a protected haven for leopard, deer, birds, squirrels, and other fauna. Nagarkot (once called Mandapgiri) is on a hilltop (2,788m), 32km northeast of Kathmandu, in Bhaktapur district. It offers a panorama of the Himalayas including Mt. Everest, the Kathmandu Valley below, and spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Nagrad or Nagadahawas is the name of the lake that was drained by Manjushri who cut a gorge with his sword at Chovar thus revealing the Kathmandu Valley. It was named for the numerous cosmic serpents that had called it home. Nats and Naks In Myanmar (formerly, Burma) a serpent-tailed spirit is known as a nat. Nats are nature spirits associated with trees and other sacred places. The West is the direction of the Nat who is the naga-master of fortune. The Arian heresy in Burma and the "cucumber king" who worshipped a Naga.About nat cult suppression. See the funerary vehicle of a Laotian king drawn by a naga couple. There is a water spirit of the Baltic known as a Nak. Perhaps the name is the result of a linguistic transposition. In Oct. 2001, perhaps in anticipation of the Year of the Water Horse, underwater cameras were installed in Loch Ness, one of Scotland's deepest lakes, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the naga purported to dwell there. The legend of "Nessie" dates at least to 565 CE when Christian saint, Columba, reported seeing the naga. There have only been two other credible sightings, both dating from the 1930s, in which witnesses describe the violent disturbance of the lake's water. The Naga as Mentor and Guru According to the Puranas, source of much of Indian mythology, Nagadvipa (some translate this, Dragon Island) is one of the seven sectors of Bharatavarsha, that is, India. Mme. H. P. Blavatsky [fl. 1900] co-founder of the Theosophical Society, thought: When the Brahmans invaded India they "found a race of wise men, half-gods, half-demons", says the legend, men who were the teachers of other races and became likewise the instructors of the Hindus and the Brahmans themselves. Nagpur is justly believed to be the surviving relic of Nagadwipa. Now Nagpur is virtually in Rajputana, near Oodeypore [Udaypur], Ajmere, etc. And is it not well known that there was a time when Brahm[i]ns went to learn Secret Wisdom from the Rajputs? Nagini bearing a treasure. The jewel symbolizes a wisdom-teaching. The link is to an Asian Art article on the Lhukang or naga-temple that is dedicated to the "treasure revealer" or terton, Pema Lingpa. A Nagaraja bore a treasure to Kanyakumari at the "foot" of India, and an ancient image of the naga was recovered and installed in a shrine at the spot where it was found. Interestingly, the entrance to the temple resembles that of a Buddhist Vihara. There is some similarity between the role played by centaurs in classical [Greco-Roman] mythology and that of nagas. For example, the wisest and kindest of the half-man half-horse centaurs, Chiron, tutors Achilles in the art of music and Asclepius in the healing arts. Similarly, a tradition states that Apollonius of Tyana was instructed in magic by the Nagas of Kashmir. Interestingly, the Mayan [Mexican] language uses a similar word, nagual or nahual to refer to the shaman or the initiatory spirit. The nahual first appeared publicly in Carlos Casteneda's Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge where Mexican esoteric knowledge was purported to be introduced for the first time to the wider world. It is believed that the coming Buddha, Maitreya, is currently a bodhisattva perfecting himself in the Tushita heavens, sitting in or near a naga tree, and studying with naga teachers to prepare for his full enlightenment on earth which will take place under a tree guarded, just as it was in the days of Buddha Shakyamuni, by a great naga. Tradition has it that Buddha Shakyamuni took rebirth in the naga realm just before his last incarnation on earth. Bodhisattvas of the 9th and 10th levels are reborn there in order to obtain empowerments and hidden teachings. By extension, someone reborn in any of the naga realms has the potential of reaching buddhahood in a short time without the need for any intervening rebirth. These so-called naga-buddhas are invoked by practitioners to grant special insight and siddhis [abilities]. We are often blinded to the meaning of Biblical mythology, since the interpretation has been done for us for a very long time in such a way as to accord with very particular views. Consider the encouragement offered the Mother of Life in her quest for Wisdom by the naga inhabiting the Tree in the Garden of Eden. BB, a contributor to the Kagyu email list wrote: In Nyingma circles there is a story about someone who tried to do the Dark Retreat (part of the togal practice of longchen nyinthig) against the advice of his teacher who could not be physically present, either.In case of emergencies, the teacher told the practitioner to keep a phone close by. Somewhere into the retreat, this practitioner started to get visions including an episode of being attacked by a big Naga. In a panic he called his teacher who told him to stab the Naga -- not with a knife, but a pen. That he did and the Naga, having been stabbed on its head, vanished.He broke retreat the very next day and found the mark of the pen right on his [own] chest where the heart is. Miscellaneous References to Nagas In the first century CE, the kingdom known as Funan, though at the time it was called Tepnoni, was founded in what is now Kampuchea (formerly, Cambodia) by Kaundinya (Kautilya, ca. 300 BCE ?) a Hindu. There, legend tells how he met and married Soma, daughter of the naga king, introducing the Sanskrit language and Hindu customs and laws. This is said to be the oldest state in southeast Asia. It is important to realize that the designation Naga is given to certain aboriginal tribes of the area, such as the Naga tribal peoples of Assam (Indian province) and Myanmar (the country formerly called Burma) in the eastern foothills of the Himalayas. Since legend has it that nagas washed Gautama Buddha at his birth, protected him in life and guarded his relics after death, some believe that this refers to the term "naga" as meaning tribal or hill people, or possibly even the class of adepts or yogis that are sky-clad. And there are many tales of the conversion of Nagas to Buddhism, including the account of a naga of a lake in a forest near Rajagriha who was convinced of the benefit of Buddha-dharma. Chauki Ghat is one of the landings on the Ganges at the sacred city of Varanasi. It is distinguished by an enormous tree that shelters innumerable small naga stones -- shrines to the naga deities. Copyright 1998-2018 Khandro.Net All rights reserved. This Web site is designed with Firefox as browser but should be accessible to others. However, if you eliminate underlining in your Preferences you could miss some of our links.

[ngakpakonchokdorjetsondonmystic]

Buddha Naga

Buddha's Nagas According to the Vinaya or Buddhist Monastic Rule, an animal cannot become a monk. At one time, a Naga was so desirous of entering the Order that he assumed human form in order to be ordained. "Shortly after, when asleep in his hut, the naga returned to the shape of a huge snake. The monk who shared the hut was somewhat alarmed when he woke up to see a great snake sleeping next to him! The Lord Buddha summoned the naga and told him he may not remain as a monk, at which the utterly disconsolate snake began to weep. The snake was given the Five Precepts as the means to attaining a human existence in his next life when he can then be a monk. Then out of compassion for the sad snake, the Lord Buddha said that from then on all candidates for the monkhood be called 'Naga' as a consolation. They are still called 'Naga' to this day."~ About Ordination. < "ordination" is a word widely used because of its familiarity but it is not an accurate term with regard to the Buddhist tradition. Naga Sadhus There are ten akharas or "arenas" of Hindu ascetics (commonly, sadhus; female is sadhvi) known as nagas of which seven are Shaiva or Shivite. Halfway through an article at Rediff.com, there is a link to origins but their earliest history is not revealed. A speculation: In one version of the Buddha's life, he is said to have passed the night at the hermitage of Uruvela where the leader, Kashyapa, welcomed him but warned that the only vacant hut was the haunt of a malevolent naga. This did not deter the Buddha, but as soon as he went into a hut to pass the night, witnesses said a terrific struggle ensued. It culminated in the dwelling's catching on fire, and bystanders had to rush with jars of water to put it out. No one dared enter the hut, though, and when morning came Kashyapa and his followers thought that the young visitor must certainly have been fiercely burned by the serpent’s fire. They did not know that the powers of the Buddha had overcome those of the naga's fury, and he had calmly placed the serpent into his begging bowl. When the Buddha emerged from the hut, he presented the distressed yogis with the serpent coiled peacefully inside his alms bowl. Potala or Patala The former palace of the Dalai lamas in Lhasa, Tibet is known as the Potala. The name means "heavenly abode." In the great Indian epic, Mahabharata, the Nagas inhabit the realm called Patala. Ulupi, daughter of their king, married Arjuna the hero and leader of the Pandava brothers whose charioteer is Krishna. The Nagas fought on the side of the Ashuras [anti-gods or titans] in the Great War. In the western borderland of Pakistan that is the Udayana of legend, a version of the story has consequences for farmers. The champion, Apulala [cf. Apsu of Mesopotamian mythology] of the nagas in Patala, a watery region under the earth, are generally able to keep the wicked dragons [cf. Tiamat of Mesopotamia] from overdoing the seasonal rains. Thanks to his moderating capabilities, the farmers prospered. In gratitude each family offered him a bit of grain as tribute. After some time several of the inhabitants of the place began to forego the yearly offering. The Naga became angry and prayed that he might become a poisonous dragon so that he could drench the countryside in rain and wind. So it is that at the end of his life he became the dragon of that country. To this day Rajas (local princes) in the Hindu Kush are said to be able to control the elements . . . .~ http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/~geog309i/ideas/dragons/naga.html < no longer online In Himalayan Buddhism, these water nagas are keepers of secret books of wisdom. They can be generous, but they also have the ability to let loose diseases and epidemics. They are propitiated with suitable offerings. In the 17th century, Tibet's Fifth Dalai Lama was inspired to have constructed a small temple on a lake behind the Potala palace in Lhasa dedicated to [kLu] or lu. This is called the Lhukang. On its walls are depictions of tantric practices, and images of the 84 Mahasiddhas as nagas are associated with these yogic accomplishment. (As we have seen, even today the group of naked and most physically disciplined Indian yogis are known as the nagas.) See a pair of naginis: One bears jewels, the other a bodhi leaf which represents sacred writings. Offerings are at the bottom foreground of the painting. There is a Middle Kingdom (Egyptian) story in Ethics of Ancient Egypt by Sanderson Beck that tells of a typical encounter with a generous naga: Having set out for the mines of the sovereign, a large ship carrying a hundred and twenty sailors is destroyed in a storm, and [the hero] is cast alone on an island, where he finds figs, vines, leeks, fruit, cucumbers, fish, and fowl. Using two sticks for a fire-drill, he kindles a fire to sacrifice to the gods when he sees a huge serpent fifteen meters long overlaid with gold and having eyebrows of lapis lazuli who asks him why he is there.The sailor explains about the ship going to the mines that perished, and the serpent offers him every good thing there on the island until a ship comes to take him back to the royal residence. In gratitude the sailor offers the serpent precious perfumes, but the latter laughs because as prince of Punt he has myrrh and hekenu in abundance.When the ship comes, the serpent gives him numerous treasures that the Egyptians imported from the incense-producing countries. The sailor takes these back to his Sovereign, who thanks him and appoints him a henchman. ... . Of the five guardians of the cardinal points (we include the centre,) the Lord of the West is the naga king, Virupaksha. Nagas are also thought to guard the five lakes and four oceans of the world. Nagas of Nepal In Nepal, the serpent deities are acknowledged for their power over rainfall and hence, the fertility of the land. They also are considered to be able to protect buildings from the consequences of earthquake. There, Karkotak is honoured alongside Basuki (or, Vasuki) and Shesh (or, Shesha.) They are worshipped by Hindus especially during Naga Panchami on the 5th day after the full moon of Shravan (Shrawan Shukla Panchami.) The observance includes the pasting of posters of nagas over the entrances of the household, usually by a family priest. It is said that the custom was introduced by King Shankar Deva of Kantipur. In Hinduism, Naag (the divine serpent) is glorified as the provider of rain. Naag is worshipped to provide a good harvest during the monsoon season, and Naag Panchami, the fifth day of the bright lunar fortnight, is set aside for worshipping serpents. Devotees on this day paste pictures of Naag over their doorways with cow-dung. As part of the rituals to propitiate the divine serpents, milk, their favorite drink is offered to the pictures. Failure to appease them may invite droughts and disaster in the days ahead. Devotees also throng Taudaha, a pond six kilometers to the south of Kathmandu. There they worship Karkotak Naag, the serpent-king. Karkotak moved to this dwelling when Manjushree drained the lake that used to cover the Valley. Pilgrims also visit the rural Newar township of Dhapakhyo in Lalitpur, where at Nagadha, they pay homage to the serpent-gods. ~ Kantipur Online Naga Arjuna There are several places in Nepal named in commemoration of the great Nag'arjuna. Nagarjun is a hill (2,188m) northwest of Kathmandu which is is the site of Jamacho chaitya (stupa or Tib. chorten.) There, the Raniban or Queen's Forest is a protected haven for leopard, deer, birds, squirrels, and other fauna. Nagarkot (once called Mandapgiri) is on a hilltop (2,788m), 32km northeast of Kathmandu, in Bhaktapur district. It offers a panorama of the Himalayas including Mt. Everest, the Kathmandu Valley below, and spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Nagrad or Nagadahawas is the name of the lake that was drained by Manjushri who cut a gorge with his sword at Chovar thus revealing the Kathmandu Valley. It was named for the numerous cosmic serpents that had called it home. Nats and Naks In Myanmar (formerly, Burma) a serpent-tailed spirit is known as a nat. Nats are nature spirits associated with trees and other sacred places. The West is the direction of the Nat who is the naga-master of fortune. The Arian heresy in Burma and the "cucumber king" who worshipped a Naga.About nat cult suppression. See the funerary vehicle of a Laotian king drawn by a naga couple. There is a water spirit of the Baltic known as a Nak. Perhaps the name is the result of a linguistic transposition. In Oct. 2001, perhaps in anticipation of the Year of the Water Horse, underwater cameras were installed in Loch Ness, one of Scotland's deepest lakes, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the naga purported to dwell there. The legend of "Nessie" dates at least to 565 CE when Christian saint, Columba, reported seeing the naga. There have only been two other credible sightings, both dating from the 1930s, in which witnesses describe the violent disturbance of the lake's water. The Naga as Mentor and Guru According to the Puranas, source of much of Indian mythology, Nagadvipa (some translate this, Dragon Island) is one of the seven sectors of Bharatavarsha, that is, India. Mme. H. P. Blavatsky [fl. 1900] co-founder of the Theosophical Society, thought: When the Brahmans invaded India they "found a race of wise men, half-gods, half-demons", says the legend, men who were the teachers of other races and became likewise the instructors of the Hindus and the Brahmans themselves. Nagpur is justly believed to be the surviving relic of Nagadwipa. Now Nagpur is virtually in Rajputana, near Oodeypore [Udaypur], Ajmere, etc. And is it not well known that there was a time when Brahm[i]ns went to learn Secret Wisdom from the Rajputs? Nagini bearing a treasure. The jewel symbolizes a wisdom-teaching. The link is to an Asian Art article on the Lhukang or naga-temple that is dedicated to the "treasure revealer" or terton, Pema Lingpa. A Nagaraja bore a treasure to Kanyakumari at the "foot" of India, and an ancient image of the naga was recovered and installed in a shrine at the spot where it was found. Interestingly, the entrance to the temple resembles that of a Buddhist Vihara. There is some similarity between the role played by centaurs in classical [Greco-Roman] mythology and that of nagas. For example, the wisest and kindest of the half-man half-horse centaurs, Chiron, tutors Achilles in the art of music and Asclepius in the healing arts. Similarly, a tradition states that Apollonius of Tyana was instructed in magic by the Nagas of Kashmir. Interestingly, the Mayan [Mexican] language uses a similar word, nagual or nahual to refer to the shaman or the initiatory spirit. The nahual first appeared publicly in Carlos Casteneda's Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge where Mexican esoteric knowledge was purported to be introduced for the first time to the wider world. It is believed that the coming Buddha, Maitreya, is currently a bodhisattva perfecting himself in the Tushita heavens, sitting in or near a naga tree, and studying with naga teachers to prepare for his full enlightenment on earth which will take place under a tree guarded, just as it was in the days of Buddha Shakyamuni, by a great naga. Tradition has it that Buddha Shakyamuni took rebirth in the naga realm just before his last incarnation on earth. Bodhisattvas of the 9th and 10th levels are reborn there in order to obtain empowerments and hidden teachings. By extension, someone reborn in any of the naga realms has the potential of reaching buddhahood in a short time without the need for any intervening rebirth. These so-called naga-buddhas are invoked by practitioners to grant special insight and siddhis [abilities]. We are often blinded to the meaning of Biblical mythology, since the interpretation has been done for us for a very long time in such a way as to accord with very particular views. Consider the encouragement offered the Mother of Life in her quest for Wisdom by the naga inhabiting the Tree in the Garden of Eden. BB, a contributor to the Kagyu email list wrote: In Nyingma circles there is a story about someone who tried to do the Dark Retreat (part of the togal practice of longchen nyinthig) against the advice of his teacher who could not be physically present, either.In case of emergencies, the teacher told the practitioner to keep a phone close by. Somewhere into the retreat, this practitioner started to get visions including an episode of being attacked by a big Naga. In a panic he called his teacher who told him to stab the Naga -- not with a knife, but a pen. That he did and the Naga, having been stabbed on its head, vanished.He broke retreat the very next day and found the mark of the pen right on his [own] chest where the heart is. Miscellaneous References to Nagas In the first century CE, the kingdom known as Funan, though at the time it was called Tepnoni, was founded in what is now Kampuchea (formerly, Cambodia) by Kaundinya (Kautilya, ca. 300 BCE ?) a Hindu. There, legend tells how he met and married Soma, daughter of the naga king, introducing the Sanskrit language and Hindu customs and laws. This is said to be the oldest state in southeast Asia. It is important to realize that the designation Naga is given to certain aboriginal tribes of the area, such as the Naga tribal peoples of Assam (Indian province) and Myanmar (the country formerly called Burma) in the eastern foothills of the Himalayas. Since legend has it that nagas washed Gautama Buddha at his birth, protected him in life and guarded his relics after death, some believe that this refers to the term "naga" as meaning tribal or hill people, or possibly even the class of adepts or yogis that are sky-clad. And there are many tales of the conversion of Nagas to Buddhism, including the account of a naga of a lake in a forest near Rajagriha who was convinced of the benefit of Buddha-dharma. Chauki Ghat is one of the landings on the Ganges at the sacred city of Varanasi. It is distinguished by an enormous tree that shelters innumerable small naga stones -- shrines to the naga deities. Copyright 1998-2018 Khandro.Net All rights reserved. This Web site is designed with Firefox as browser but should be accessible to others. However, if you eliminate underlining in your Preferences you could miss some of our links.

[wekewar173]

Mysterious Tibet and The Story of Historical Tea-Horse Street

Birth in Lhasa, capital of Tibet, and the eerie gong of Drepung Monastery rings right out of the mountains above the town contacting her Buddhists to prayer. Amidst the freezing relax of an fall day, underneath the grey stone cliffs, the stairs of the monastery come to life with a flurry of red capes and morning chatter whilst the monks gather. On the stone and slasto paving at the base of the great corridor, yaks grind on hay and stone to and fro, their alarms giving tunes into the morning air. https://cordycepsland.com/

Drepung is the main monastery of the Gelugpa school in Tibetan Buddhism. Protecting 250,000 square yards, it absolutely was when home to over 15000 monks. Today, only a few hundred remain and it is here beneath the clean fall air each year, that the monks conduct Tibetan Chrome in celebration of the annual Shoton Event, a tradition that has persisted because the 11th century.

Perhaps not not even close to Drepung lies Sera Monastery, a second crucial school of the Gelugpa or Yellow Hat sect, a sizable expansive complicated which contains three different colleges. Amongst their items, are a set of Tangyur (canons of teachings spoken by Buddha) 16 arhats, a sandalwood statue of the Buddha, plus a Hayagriva statue claimed to own after spoken and a Chenrezig statue which belonged to the famous nun, Gelongma Padma.

Tibet keeps the key to over 1300 decades of a spiritual heritage predicated on peace and equilibrium and while the rest of the world floods their days with the litter of westernisation, Tibetans fill their times with dedication to the principles of Bhuddism. Many carry prayer beads which used to tag the number of occasions they chant a mantra. Others carry flasks filled with butter to rekindle the butter lamps in the monasteries. Along temple walls, prayer wheels engraved with mantras move underneath the arms that change them offering hopes for many sentient beings. Glaringly colored prayer flags carefully flutter in the breeze.

However the spiritual determination of the Tibetans, is most beneficial seen not in the Jokhang Forehead, the spiritual heart of Tibet. Here, pilgrims from every place of Tibet occur to praise the Shakyamuni Buddha by prostrating themselves in prayer on the tolerance of the temple, between 2 and 4 hours a day.

From the gilded forehead roofs of Jokhang, Potala Palace rises in the length, their red and white walls ringing out their value since the political middle of Tibet. Perched upon Marpo Ri mountain, it's been the seat of Dalai Lama's because 1645 until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala, India after an unsuccessful uprising in 1959. Today, Potala Palace is really a state museum of China and a UNESCO World History Site.

Leaving the wonderful tempes beind, the road from Lhasa brains out along pine lined highways through the highest and many extensive plateau on earth, more than three times the size of Texas or France. The friendship freeway, stretches all the way from Lhasa down to its southern neightbour, Nepal, around 1200km away. Following causing Lhasa, one soon minds up the first of several moutnain passes,KambaPassat 3700m. Moving through one switchback after the following, the Tibetan tapestry pulls straight back its curtains to disclose a many magnificent sight. The summit, festooned in vivid prayer banners, overlooks the expansive Sea Namdrok; its azure orange water in marked distinction to the gray mountains above. Down in the area under, the tarred freeway soon becomes gravel as it winds through heavy valleys and up large hill moves, alongside glaciers which tumble down the highways edge. Here, nomadic settlers eke out a living on the hard dry plains, always grinning, generally singing.

On the plateau, the street minds towards the town of Gyantse at 3980m. This really is house to the famous 15th century Kumbum, or "Corridor of 100 thousand photographs ".Containing virtually thousands of extraordinary murals, the inside is accumulated around six levels, with increased than 70 chapels on the very first four degrees alone. Gradually twisting your path up in one level to another, you suddenly stage out onto a landing, where you literally search straight into the all seeing eyes of Buddha. Up here, the heavens experience greater than somewhere else, the huge plains larger and the teachings of the Buddha, all encompassing. Sympathy, peace, altruism, transcendence.