When a seven year old lama cries for his family, how do the senior lamas handle it? They give him a sweet to pacify him. If that does not work, a little whack behind the ear certainly does.
[Click on the images for a larger view]
Jigmet and the other lamas, all in their late teens to the early twenties, at the Hemis monastery were laughing when they gave me this answer. However, I got a more philosophical answer from His Holiness, the XII Gyalwang Drukpa, who believes in taking a long term view of what is good for the person. And knowing that the bonds of love are stronger than any iron chains. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
buddhism,
hemis,
Himalayas,
Kashmir,
Ladakh,
lama,
monastery
The disciplinarian with the whip at the Hemis Monastery Festival in Ladakh
Spare the rod and spoil and child. Heard this? Likewise, the lamas (Buddhist monks) seem to believe in the power of the whip to maintain discipline at the monasteries. But it does not come with just the fear factor: it is a way to get a blessing too.
At the annual festival of the Hemis Monastery located near Leh in Ladakh, going back hundreds of years, I was intrigued to see a lama walking around with a whip. And using it on people who were not staying put in their designated spots and disturbing the proceedings. The whip seemed to be just what the doctor would have ordered at the event: it was overflowing with people, more than could be accommodated, and there seemed to be chaos all over. The rain was not helping anyone’s cause either. [continue reading…]
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disciplinarian,
hemis,
Ladakh,
lama,
rod,
thiksey,
whip
The lama at the Phyang monastery in Ladakh who invited me to become a lama myself
On a visit to the Phyang Monastery near Leh, I got an unexpected offer: of becoming a Buddhist monk, or Lama.
I was sitting around with the lamas of the monastery watching them practice for their annual festival when I realized the senior lamas were not hiding behind some invisible walls, keeping all sense of humour and fun away from themselves. But I am sure if I had yes, they would have pursued the task of converting me very seriously. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
buddhist,
convert,
Ladakh,
lama,
phyang monastery
Boys will be boys, even when they are being groomed to be Buddhist Lamas. When I started taking pictures of some young Lamas at the Karsha Monastery located near the town of Padum in the Zanskar Valley (in the Ladakh region of the Indian Himalayan state of Jammu & Kashmir), not only did they start posing specially for the camera, they also started jostling to be in the camera frame exclusively. It led to a bit of friendly bashing, adding to the fun of the afternoon while I was there. Boys will remain boys. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
gompa,
Himalayas,
india,
karsha,
Kashmir,
Kunzum,
Ladakh,
lama,
lamas,
monastery,
padum,
tourism,
travel,
Zanskar
