Last Updated on January 22, 2025 by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
A Mountain Monastery
Buddhist monastery in himalayas mountain. Tengboche, Nepal
The areas of Sikkim and West Bengal that we have been staying in have provided such a beautiful backdrop for our sadhana. The culture is a unique mish-mosh of Hindu and Buddhist, and many of the traditions (including language, food, dress, and more) are Nepalese and Tibetan. It feels like another world.
We’re amidst incredible natural beauty, and are also privileged to experience the kindness and warmth of the people. Whenever we venture out to a local shop to purchase milk or other staples, we’re greeted by friendly neighbors and passers-by who want to know about Swamiji, where we’re from, and our sadhana, and they inevitably invite us for tea!
Life here feels different from the western culture I’m used to, where it’s odd to say hello to a stranger on the street, and where everyone is…separate. The lifestyle seems simpler. More connected. More real. As Kalyani put it, “more human.”
A few days ago, Kalyani and I took a trip to town to do the grocery shopping, and used the opportunity to visit a nearby Tibetan Buddhist monastery. We had no idea what we would find there, and it ended up being such a beautiful experience.
The monastery complex was at the top of the hill in the midst of the mountain foothills, and was incredibly quiet – almost deserted, save a few very young monks playing a ball game in the small field at the center of the complex.
We were first attracted to a temple building that was surrounded by prayer wheels, and which was next to an outdoor stupa. The Temple was locked, so we sat outside looking at the mountains, making japa, and enjoying the peace and silence of the monastery.
I was reminded of several verses from Devi Gita that we read earlier in the day, which told us that Mother is Everywhere, Everything, and that every time is a good time for Her worship. As we sat outside the temple, I felt that no matter where we are, we can always choose to direct our minds and hearts toward Divinity. How beautiful!
When we started to make our way back to the taxi, we were greeted by the most wonderful surprise…
There was another larger temple on the property that was open (literally, the doors were wide open, waiting for us!), and also completely empty and quiet. Kalyani and I looked at each other, removed our shoes, and timidly walked through the threshold of the temple. When we did so, we entered into a magical wonderland!
<em>Every surface</em> was painted and decorated with imagery of Buddha, Bodhisattvas, dakinis, and figures from the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon. The artwork was so rich and alive, and a giant mandala was painted on the ceiling above us.
The feel of the Temple was different than Hindu temples we’ve visited, and I loved it! I felt like all the beings on the altar and walls were blessing us, and calling us to go deeper. There was such a full silence, and such a powerful presence. So much inspiration for sadhana.
Seeing as there was no one around to ask if we could sit and worship, we were a little bit at a loss of what to do; we wanted to be respectful of the monastary’s tradition and practices. But the call of the temple was too great, and the vibrations too powerful – we couldn’t help but sit down! At first we sat in silence, meditating and doing japa. Then we began to chant “Om Mane Padme Hum.”
It was so fun to chant here!
We felt completely loved and supported by the Divine Presence in the temple, and felt more and more free and comfortable as we continued to chant.
I felt the undeniable universality of spirituality. It was so beautiful and such a privilege to be in this magnificent Tibetan mountain temple filled with imagery depicting the path to awakened consciousness. Who cares if we chant in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Pali, Latin, Hebrew…it doesn’t matter! God is One, paths are many!
After chanting “Om Mane Padme Hum,” we felt inspired to chant from the Rudrashtadhyayi. Maybe it was some of the imagery on the temple walls that were reminiscent of Bhairav. Maybe it was the Buddha statue in the middle of the main altar emanating peace that felt like Shankara. Maybe it was the fact that we had been studying chapters from the Rudri, and Chapter 3, which is a call to the spiritual warrior within us to rise up, seemed particularly appropriate for the feelings we were experiencing…
We chanted several chapters from the Rudri, still sitting alone in this magnificent temple. And as we chanted the last mantras a very young monk came in and stood next to us. He was so adorable and sweet. We pranamed to each other and shared a smile and a moment filled with mutual respect and appreciation. For me, it was very special to feel accepted in a place of worship of a different tradition.
In order to show our respect, and to express the gratitude we felt in our hearts, we completed our worship by chanting the following three mantras:
Buddham Sharanam Gacchami
Dharmam Sharanam Gacchami
Sangham Sharanam Gacchami
They translate as:
I go to the Buddha for refuge
I go to the dharma for refuge
I go to the sangha for refuge
And it’s true. That was our experience of the temple. It completely enveloped us and accepted us. We found refuge and nourishment. All the beings on the walls and on the altar were alive and giving blessings. We left with such full hearts, and such a rich experience that lingered in our minds and spirits and further inspired and empowered our sadhana.
Buddham Sharanam Gacchami
Dharmam Sharanam Gacchami
Sangham Sharanam Gacchami