Rev. Danny Fisher

Me trying to direct traffic at the New Delhi Train Station in New Delhi, India. Photo by Sergey Toshinskiy.

As you know from the recent pictures, I visited Gangtok and Darjeeling not long ago as part of my work here in India. I’m a little late getting around to it, but here’s a recap of my adventures…

Sikkim was an independent Buddhist monarchy until 1975, when its population voted to become India’s twenty-second state. The most sparsely populated of the states, Sikkim boasts all of the natural beauty inherent to other Himalayan regions. That it is especially beautiful is due, in no small part, to an impressive state program of environmental stewardship.

I really fell in love with Gangtok. The people (Nepalis, Lepchas, Bhutias, and Tibetans) are wonderful, the land is gorgeous–it just has an incredible vibe.

Among the spots I visited were the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (which featured an interesting exhibit of photography about Sikkim’s royal family) and the Do-drul Chorten (which had lots of construction going on around it, but was nonetheless impressive).

My favorite place, though, was, without a doubt, Rumtek Monastery–the as-yet unassumed seat of the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa.

I suppose one could suggest a number of reasons as to why the Karmapa has not taken his seat at Rumtek. At the time of Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s escape from Tibet, China did not recognize Sikkim as an Indian state but rather an illegally occupied country. It might have aggravated the then-already-quite-tense Sino-Indian relationship more than necessary to have him go to Rumtek after escaping. Although, in 2003, India recognized Tibet as part of China and China recognized Sikkim as part of India, paving the way for the reopening of the Nathula Pass–a Himalayan throughway on the border of India and China with enormous potential for trade.

Another reason might be because there is some disagreement among Tibetan Buddhists about who the real 17th Karmapa is. Although Ogyen Trinley Dorje has been recognized by, among others, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Chinese government as the 17th Karmapa, there is a vocal contigent who assert that it is in fact a young man named Thaye Dorje.

But who really knows about these things?

At any rate, I was very moved by Rumtek as it is–Karmapa or no. I was even sad to leave when the time came. I think I could have happily spent an eternity there. It really got to my heart very quickly.

Darjeeling, in the Indian state of West Bengal, is a former British hill station well known for its tea plantations and its “Toy Train” (a Himalayan train system that was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site).

While in Darjeeling, I visited the famed Ghoom Monastery, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (where I visited the interred ashes of Tenzin Norgay, Edmund Hillary’s companion on the first ascent of Mt. Everest); Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (where I saw Tibetan wolves, red pandas, snow leopards, and Siberian tigers, among other things); and the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre.

One afternoon really stands out, though. I went with two friends to Dali Monastery for afternoon prayers. We were invited into the magnificent shrine hall and seated in one corner of the room. A few moments later, dozens of young monks poured in with their more senior bretheren (none more than 35 I’m guessing) in tow. We were served tea and watched as the students chanted, played ritual instruments, read from scripture, and sat quietly sipping their tea. The most entertaining part was watching the more mischievous young monks make fish-faces, slurp their tea much more loudly than necessary, and goad the stern elder monk charged with making sure everyone behaved themselves. We often found ourselves giggling, which only seemed to encourage rows of already-chortling little monks to laugh even more. Anyway, it was an extremely fun afternoon and the perfect end to my travels.

I’m in Delhi now and tomorrow I head back to Bodh Gaya, where I will stay until just after the new year. Then it’s back home for me. Yikes!

Me at the Sujata village, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India. Photo by Pierre Rene Bouchard.

BODH GAYA, part two

Monks in the Theravāda tradition of Sri Lanka visiting the Vajrasana at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara.

The Ashokan Pillar at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara.

Muchalinda Lake (Lotus Tank) at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara.

The Animesh Lochana Chaitya at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara, where the Buddha sat looking at the Bodhi Tree “in unwinking gaze” for one week following his enlightenment. It was being repaired at the time of this photograph, hence the scaffolding.

Theravāda monks sit facing the Chankramana (the place where the Buddha spent one week in walking meditation following his enlightenment) at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara.

Burmese meditation master U Hla Myint beneath the Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara.

Me after Thanksgiving dinner at Glenary’s in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. Photo by Will Blomquist.