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Insights into the Stok Guru Tsechu monastic festival by Tashi

stok oracle

04 March 2016

Stok Guru Tsechu is a very unique monastic festival that takes place in the sacred land of Ladakh. Apart from the famous mask dance, its highlight is the awaited oracles’ prediction for the coming year. Guru Rinpoche’s birthday and the Winter Festival The Stok Guru Tsechu Festival is held in the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, the holy prayer month. It is celebrated in accordance with Guru Rinpoche’s (Padmasambhava) birthday which falls on the 9th and 10th day of the first Tibetan month.Next year 2017,winter Shamanic festival will be held on 6th to 7th March 2017 and 24th and 25th February in the year 2018. Stok village, where the festival takes place, offers the great view down the valley on the mighty Indus river and the majestic snow-capped Stok Kangri Mountain (6,153m above sea level). Every now and then one gets easily delighted by the festive vibes that the locals emanate in their colourful attire. The day of spiritual gathering and meeting of spiritual masters The monasteries have served as a source of spiritual tutelage in Ladakh for hundreds of years. Every Ladakhi monastery stores centuries-old Buddhist scripts: kagyur (108 texts of Buddhist canons) and tengyur (235 commentaries texts). Monks and nuns residing in monasteries are taught, guided and looked after by an incarnated lama, the head of the monastery. The festival is a platform where villagers take the opportunity to serve their spiritual masters and the monastery in its turn entertains its long-bearing benefactors through a colourful Cham or mask dance. The villagers are introduced to different manifestations of Tantric Buddhas through the means of religious dance performed by the monks who are in turn disguised in sacred costumes, ornaments and huge masks resembling different Buddhas. Cham dance of Laughing Buddha, Mahakala and more Once all the preparations have been done, the series of cham begins. In the morning session starts with the dance of Hashang and Hathuk. Hashang has a bald head, pot belly and a big smile on his face, and he is escorted by his twelve children that all look like him. Hashang or the Laughing Buddha in China is considered the main benefactor of all the Buddhas who will descend to earth to preach the Dharma. The dance of Hashang is followed by the dance of Mahakala, the wrathful form of Buddha of Compassion, who wears a fierce mask topped with skulls. Then, Namse […]

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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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What can atheists learn from religion? by Stéphanie

Atheism and religion

25 May 2015

Theism and atheism are black and white concepts. As their names suggests, they are mutually exclusive of each other and no person can claim to be a believer of both the concepts at the same time. However, that does not mean there cannot be flow of ideas and thoughts from one domain to the other. Though atheists might strongly denounce God to the point of being fanatic, there is a thing or two that they can learn from religion. In fact, it is possible to be a strongly atheistic and yet find religion useful in life, even though not on a day-to-day basis. For such a thing to happen, an atheist might find common ground between some of his/her principles and that of religion. For instance, many religious faiths around the world profess a certain code of morality that we as humans should abide by. When we lack clarity about our own sense of morality, then it isn’t erroneous to turn to religion to seek help. That doesn’t mean we have to blindly accept what religion has to offer us. Instead, after deeply studying the various tenets of the particular religion, we can draw our own conclusions. One might even say that religion has no place in an increasing scientific world. However, many religious principles are valid and enduring even in the 21st century. Many religions teach us the importance of compassion, community, family and love. Stripped of their super-natural overtones and archaic rituals, religions are in essence about humans and society. While one doesn’t have to entirely agree with all that religion says about how we as humans should live, one doesn’t have to summarily reject it either. In short, religions are too useful, resourceful and perspicacious to be left in the hands of theists alone.

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Is there such a concept as Atheist spirituality? by Maryama

Atheism and Spirituality

24 May 2015

Atheists are more often than not perceived to be non-spiritual people. The foundation for this argument lies in the belief that the concepts of religion and that of spirituality are built on a common platform. Such a belief is not entirely false as there have been innumerable instances of people seeking for the meaning of their lives in their religious faiths. This is because religion consists of many narratives, principles, symbols and myths that define the ways and rules by which we as human beings should live. These tenets of religion many a time overlap with that of spirituality, which can be described as the process of realizing one’s meaning in life. However, it is a misconception to infer that this overlap means that religion and spirituality are one and the same. It is entirely possible for someone to be spiritual and not religious. For a deeper insight into this debate, kindly read our blog on the differences between religion and spirituality. Therefore, it is entirely possible for someone to be an atheist and still be a spiritual person. Spirituality is simply a term used to describe the search for one’s place in this world. Religion is just one of the tools that people employ in this search. For instance, it is possible for someone to find his/her purpose in charity instead of God. Such a person is definitely a spiritual person. In essence, self-realization is subjective and therefore specific to each individual. Hence, it is only obvious that not every individual has to make this realization by means of religion. That being the case, atheism is definitely compatible with spirituality. For atheists who are wondering the appropriateness of describing themselves and their attitudes using the term ‘spiritual’ the key question to be asked is whether such a description resonates emotionally with them. If so, then then it is most certainly appropriate for an atheist to call himself spiritual. In fact, in recent times, there has been a growing trend of people identify themselves as spiritual but not religious.

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You can visit Mount Kailash through the Nathula pass by Stéphanie

Mount Kailash

23 May 2015

Tourists from India can undertake a pilgrimage to Kailash through the Nathula pass in the Indian state of Sikkim. Located in the Tibetan Autonomous region of China, Mount Kailash is held sacred by not one but four religions namely Hinduism, Bonism, Jainism and Buddhism. To know more about Mount Kailash, please click here. In the past, pilgrims going to Kailash and Mansarovar had to make do with the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand. Otherwise, they had to go to Nepal before reaching Tibet. In the existing routes, pilgrims had to undergo extreme hardships as they involved heavy trekking on rugged terrain and high altitudes reaching up to 6000 metres. Moreover, these routes could accommodate only a limited number of pilgrims. Acknowledging the limitations, the Governments of India and China signed a bilateral agreement in September, 2014 thereby opening the alternative Nathula route. The first batch of pilgrims are expected to make use of this route in June this year. The Government expects 1600 pilgrims to use the Nathula route in 2015. The biggest advantage of the Nathula pass is that it allows pilgrims to drive all along and they don’t have to go on foot. Pilgrims would first travel from Gangtok in Sikkim to Shigatse in Tibet. From there, well laid roads extend all the way to Kailash and Mansarovar which the they can make use of. The Nathula route would not only  reduce the hardships and travel time of the tourists but also enhance the visitor capacity. Many more pilgrims, especially senior citizens, are expected to evince interest now that they have more options to choose from. While the Nepal route takes 10 days to weeks, the Uttarkhand route takes almost a month. In contrast, the Nathula route is expected to take just 8 days.

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The four places that shaped Buddhism by Stéphanie

Eyes of Buddha

20 May 2015

Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Its principles are based primarily on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known popularly as the Buddha (meaning ‘the Enlightened one’). Born into a family of Kings, Siddhartha renounced his material pleasures in search for a higher meaning in life. He wandered far and wide in the Indian subcontinent before he became Lord Buddha. His principles on which the religion was founded were shaped by four places namely: Lumbini – Buddha’s birthplace Bodh Gaya – the site of his englightenment Sarnath – the site where Buddha delivered his first discourse Kushi Nagar – his place of death In fact, the Buddhist text Parinibbana Sutta says that Buddha himself identified these four places before coming into this world. Lumbini Situated in the foothills of the Himalayas in modern day Nepal, Lumbini is the place where Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautama. Legend says that the Queen visited Lumbini during her pregnancy and was enthralled by its natural grandeur. Once when she was standing in a garden she felt labour pains, caught hold of a branch of the nearby sal tree for support and delivered the baby. A temple was erected in honour of the Queen and she was worshiped as a Goddess in the past. In 294 BC, the great Mauryan emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini and constructed a stone pillar and four stupas as symbol of Buddhism. Though it had suffered serious neglect for many centuries, Lumbini is today a very popular tourist spot. Bodh Gaya Perhaps the most sacred Buddhist site, The North Indian town of Bodh Gaya is the place where Siddhartha attained enlightenment and became Buddha. Enlightenment is a state where one has a profound wisdom about the universal truths that guide mankind. Siddhartha is said to have undergone a rigorous six-year long penance in Bodh Gaya before he finally became awakened. A huge temple complex known as the Maha Bodhi defines the town’s landscape today. Millions of tourists from all around the world visit Bodh Gaya year after year. You can also read  our exclusive article about Bodh Gaya to know how this quaint Indian town became the birthplace of Buddhism. Sarnath Located a stone’s throw away from the holy Indian city of Varanasi, Sarnath is fortunate to have played host to Buddha’s first ever sermon known as Dhammacakkhapavathana Sutta. After becoming enlightened in Bodh Gaya, Buddha went to Sarnath to impart his learnings to […]

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