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Letter to my Ego by Stéphanie

19 December 2017

When words became too heavy to be spoken, writing them down can be a solution to free yourself from their energies. It can be a good way to clear the mind, to calm down the flooding gibberish thoughts looping in your head. This is a natural and instinctive human need. As we all seeking happiness and mental calmness we should all try to write. Whatever way you will do it, keep in mind the main point is to let ink flood to release the pain, write words to cure sores. Dear Ego, Today I am two Tomorrow, I hope to be only one. One year ago, I finally identified you as I traveled into the heart of sacred Indian traditions. Acknowledging your existence was the starting point. Shutting you down is my final target Let’s start at the beginning and define you: you are a mistaken conception of “myself”, you are the untrue belief that “I” can be self existing by itself out of any connection with the whole. Some say that you stay an essential part of our survival instinct, a keeper of dignity and respect. The more I know you, the more this vision seems untrue for me as dignity, respect, and instinct are vast notions only defined by you. Essentially you are, this part is very true but I don’t think that’s the reason why… Today I am two Tomorrow, I hope to be only one. “Be one” is to reunite in the same energy of life who I am and who I perceive as “myself”. “Become me” is a much longer quest than expected, a more difficult fight where the final issue has to be you bending in front of my real identity. And if, along this path of life, destination is only a pretext in which to keep going; reaching it stands as an essential part of my inner blossoming puzzle. I won’t give up, Ego, one day I’ll get you! Dear, dearest Ego, I don’t wish your total disappearance I just want to be able to define your true shape, your real field of existence. I just want to recognize your real influence upon my decisions, my opinions and my actions, feel it is the key not to let you manipulate me like a doll enslaved by preformatted mental limits. I’m working on successfully using you as a tool dedicated to my personal blossoming […]

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Kalachakra initiation 2017 to be held in Bodh Gaya by Tashi

Bodhgaya

07 January 2016

Omalaya Travel is happy to offer its customized Kalachakra tours to India to the devotees wishing to attend the precious Kalachakra 2017 Empowerment teaching. Omalaya-designed spiritual journeys are rooted in individual’s quest for self discovery and we incorporate the same outlook in designing the Kalachakra 2017 tour package. Omalaya Travel operated a successful Kalachakra tour to Ladakh in 2014. Omalaya-led devotees can receive Kalachakra initiation, teaching & empowerment under the expert guidance of tour’s spiritual guides like Geshe Tsering with Dr Chok and Geshe Lobsang with Tulku Phuljung. His Holiness the Dalai Lama would preside  the Kalachakra 2017 initiation to be held in Bodh Gaya, India from  3rd to 14th January  2017. This will be the 34th such initiation given by the Dalai Lama and the fifth time in Bodh Gaya. He has previously given Kalachakra initiations in Bodh Gaya in 1974, 1985, 2003 and 2012. What is Kalachakra? Kalachakra is a concept that is strongly associated with the Vajrayana sect of Buddhism. The term is derived from two words Kāla which means time and Chakra which means wheel. According to this concept, the events of the universe occur in a cyclical pattern. According to this religion, time is perceived as a symbol of change. For instance, a year is a measurement of change involved in the Earth revolving around the Sun. These changes are cyclical in nature although they might not replicate in the exact same manner each time. What is Kalachakra initiation? Kalachakra initiation is a process that empowers Buddhist pupils to practice the Kalachakra Laghutantra (also known as Kalachakra Tantra) in order to attain Buddhahood. The Kalachakra Laghutantra is a treatise that contains Buddhist philosophies, commentaries and meditation practices. The empowerment ritual is performed over a period of three days after the completion of the preliminary preparatory steps. During these three days of the actual empowerment, the disciples take part in various Buddhist rituals in order to obtain Kalachakra empowerment. The experience is divine and unforgettable even for a casual observer and is one that would stay in our memories even long after its end. Omalaya brings you a unique opportunity to witness the 34th Kalachakra initiation. For more information, please click here. You can also watch the video below to know more about Kalachakra 2017.

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The Rock Roof Temple of Ladakh by Stéphanie

Rock Roof Temple in Ladakh

22 August 2015

Thakthok Monastery Thakthok Monastery is a Buddhist monastery located near Shakti village, 46km east of Leh. The name ‘Thakthok’ means ‘rock roof’ and both the monastery’s roof and walls are built from rock. Thakthok is the only Nyingma monastery in Ladakh and is home to around 55 lamas. It was founded around the mid-16th century during the reign of Tshewang Namgyal, on a mountainside around a cave in which Padmasambhava is said to have meditated in the eighth century. Every year, on the ninth and tenth day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar,celebrations including sacred dances are held at the monastery.   ‘To Earth’, a poem written by our Enlish-language editor Matthew Singh-Toor (Meditation whilst sitting on a wall opposite the Rinpoche’s residence At Thakthok Monastery)   Three boxes, Rectangular, Side by side, The middle box shorter, No divide. (The Rinpoche within Nods). * Three boxes, Uniform Against rock. Rock chaotic, Strata diagonal. Hewn and polished Spliced and eroded, Fissured and curved, Corners rounded.   (The Rinpoche within Muses on A line of scripture). * Four windows Cross-barred black, Grimy, Reflecting grey In heavy wooden frames. Maroon frames, Black borders, Thick paint On the whitewashed façade Of dripped plaster. Discoloured.   (The Rinpoche within Presses his fingertips together). * Five prayer flags, Yellow, green, red, white, blue, Against rock, lichen-rusted And the vast blue sky, Deep and flat and even, Ready to engulf.   (The Rinpoche within Listens). * Five creatures, Moo, chirp, buzz, bark, coo. Flutter of wings, flags, polythene against broken window. Shush and hush of breeze. Roar and honk, approaching, receding.   (The Rinpoche within Murmurs). My eyelids droop closed. * Fingertips graze rough plaster, Skimming chalky over sun-warmed distemper. Palms grow gargantuan to cup rounded corners. Eyelashes flutter over prayer flags, Flutter-tickled in return.   (The Rinpoche within Looks down from the window) * To earth, sand and scrub, Rock chipped, shattered, Shards scattered. I revive in the dust, Prostrate.   (The Rinpoche within Sees everything).

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An interview with a Ladakhi writer Nawang Tsering Shakspo by Stéphanie

Nawang Tsering Shakspo

05 August 2015

‘The Solitarian Guest House and the Father of Saboo’ Known locally as Abley, or ‘Father’, Nawang Tsering Shakspo is an Omalaya’s partner and the proprietor of the Solitarian Guest House in the village of Saboo ‒ one of the accommodations Omalaya uses on its Ladakh tours. Nawang worked for years with the Jammu and Kashmir government and is an expert on Ladakhi history and culture, as well as being a highly respected member of the community. Here, he talks to Matthew Singh Toor, Omalaya’s English-language editor, about his life, as well as providing an introduction to Saboo, which is located around 7km from Leh. Matthew Singh Toor: Where were you born? Nawang Tsering Shakspo:  In upper Leh, in a village called Sankar. The monastery there used to be the residential palace of Bakula Rinpoche, who is considered the founder of modern Ladakh. MST: Tell me about your education. NTS: I was born in the year 1952 and in the year 1959 I was selected for one of the Government of India scholarships. Otherwise, I was to visit Tibet and become a lama. In the year 1959, China occupied Tibet. Prior to that, there was a tradition ‒ the young go to Tibet for education and to become lamas. So, I was to become a lama but, since that road was closed, around the same time, upon the request of Bakula Rinpoche, the Government of India’s Ministry of Culture sanctioned 16 scholarships for 16 Ladakhis. I was selected for one of them. At the time, I was only seven years old. In those days, there wasn’t any road to Srinagar but Indian Airlines was operating a quota aircraft ‒ a small one. The scholarship was in Varanasi . The route to Varanasi goes via Srinagar. So we availed the chance to travel by air to Srinagar. Then from Srinagar to Jammu, Pathankot and Varanasi. I remained in Varanasi almost continuously for four years. I couldn’t come to home because there wasn’t any road. MST: What was the name of the institution? NTS: The Maha Bodhi Society. This is one of the most prestigious Buddhist institutions even now in the country. We were given accommodation there. I remained there till the completion of my intermediate level education, after 15 years in Varanasi. Then I did my BA course, then one year postgraduate in journalism at Varanasi Hindu University. After that, I returned […]

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Your guide to the holy city of Varanasi by Julianne

The holy city of Varanasi

17 July 2015

Varanasi – one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world with more than three thousand years of documented history. Also known as Kasi or Benares, this city is perhaps as old as civilization itself. Awestruck by the legend of this city, the great English author Mark Twain himself once remarked, ‘Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.’ Apart from being known for its long past, the city occupies a significant and in fact a central position in Hindu religion. It is one of the seven most sacred cities in Hindu mythology. Scores of pilgrims descend upon the hundred odd ghats that line up the river Ganges to take a holy dip which they believe would wash away a lifetime of sins. Hinduism believes in a repetitive cycle of life and death. It is believed that dying here would liberate a person from this cycle and provide him salvation. Every day, at dusk, a ritual known as the Ganga Arti is performed by a group of priests in honor of supreme Hindu God Lord Shiva, River Ganges, the Sun God (Surya), The Fire God (Agni) and the entire Universe. Moreover, the most rigorous rites and rituals pertaining to life and death are performed on banks of the river every day. It is no wonder Varanasi is called the spiritual capital of India. For a first-timer, the experience is likely to be overwhelming. It is easy to become perplexed by the huge maze of narrow alleys, the unrelenting flow of people, the ceaseless chaos and not to mention the annoying touts. However, despite all these hardships, a visit to this city would certainly be a deeply enriching experience. It is no exaggeration to state that Varanasi is a unique ecosystem and the memories of this ancient Indian habitat would linger in your minds even long after you have bid adieu Omalaya organizes two exceptional tours to Varanasi namely ‘Journey to the heart of Indian wisdom’ and ‘Buddha’s Path’. To know more about our Journey to the heart of Indian wisdom, please click here. To know more about our Buddha’s Path, please click here.

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One week in the heart of the Himalayas by Gokul

13 July 2015

Omalaya provides a glimpse of what it feels like to spend a week of your life in the mystical Himalayas. Through a short video that was shot in Dharamshala, Rishikesh and Triund, we provide you a precursor of what is in store for you should you choose to visit the Himalayas. Dharamshala is the home to his Holiness the Dalai Lama and his impact on this hill town is quite profound. The Tsuglakhang temple, the Kalachakra temple and the Namgyal monastery are all important symbols of Tibetan Buddhism. People from all around the world visit this picturesque town in search of spirituality, to pursue Tibetan studies or just to visit his Holiness. The scene next shifts to the quiet and scenic Triund. A three hour trek away from the hustle and bustle of Dharamshala, Triund offers a magnificent view of the Dhauladhar mountain ranges. At Triund, one can see the snow-capped peaks that rise high above and touch the sky. As we descend down, we reach the holy towns of Rishikesh and Haridwar where the mountains meet the plains. The two towns are renowned for their Hindu temples, ashrams, yoga & meditation centres and most importantly the Ganga Arti. Of course, the Himalayas extend to more than 2000 kilometres in length and no video could do enough justice if it attempts to capture the beauty of this natural wonder in its totality. However, our video does provide you a flavor of the majestic mountains. We operate our very own journeys across Northern India, particularly in the Himalayan region. Our trips are guided by experts To know more about the journeys we offer, please click here. For more videos from Omalaya, kindly visit our Youtube page.

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