Where do I start with Nepal? I arrived in Nepal in March of this year excited to move from the humidity of Thailand's tropical climate to the high altitude climate of the Himalaya. I had only two expectations: the first was to see the worlds tallest peaks; the second was to meet the people that populated the valleys below these peaks, and learn how they managed to live, survive and thrive in one of the planets most hostile environments. I had no idea what that would entail and could never had imagined how it would end up changing my life. Everyday was a new adventure and nearly every experience was filled with beauty, inspiration, and powerful lessons in simplicity, and selflessness. I am currently here at a desk in Israel, which seems like half a world away, both in location and way of life, surrounded by all the western amenities I've for so long been without. I sit here contemplating all those vital self-realizations and life lessons and I find myself wondering how I will incorporate these things in my own reality.
Simplicity could possibly be the most important lesson I take home with me. It seemed that nearly every aspect of the Nepali people's lives revolved around simplicity. Not simplicity in the sense that they used the latest technology to make their lives easier, but more in the sense that they used only what they had at their disposal happily with gratitude. For most of the population living in the high country of the Himalaya, the quick delivery of goods from the outside world is extremely difficult, if not completely impossible. Everything people need in the villages needs to be carried in by Porter, which often takes days, if not weeks. Because of this most of the families still survive off subsistence farming techniques. This is hard work especially in the Himalaya high country. Often too much work for one single person, so the locals would work in groups. One of the most memorable sights was coming across a large group of maybe twenty women in a potato field dressed in their local dress. They were all working in a circle hunched over with smiles on their faces and they sang with such a rich harmony with every ounce of their souls. It was truly a memorable experience.
Another story of simplicity starts with a conversation I had with a local Nepali friend. He and I talked for a long time about many different things, he was very curious about my life outside of Nepal. The drive from Kathmandu to the Langtang Valley, along the perilous mountain roads chiseled into the mountain sides two miles above the valleys, took most of the day so we had ample time to talk. The jeep would eventually drop us in a small village near the Tibetan border where we would start our two week trekking experience, bringing medical supplies and dental care to the local Tibetan refugees most in need. My Nepali friend asked if it was true that in America we watch time, I thought about it for a second and said yes. I had never really thought about that before, we always seem to have something to do. He then told me about how the Nepali people in much of the Himalayan regions think of work. He said that in this region of Nepal you can have a job one day and that is good, or you can not have a job, and that is good as well, either way it's okay. It seemed that having a job wasn't completely necessary to their well-being, they were often content with life either way. I tried to explain to him our drive for independence, expensive education system and how we work hard to pay off debt we are often forced into. I told him in the western world we are often pressured to live above our means. This idea of debt seemed a bit foreign to him. It was quite an eye opening talk. The thing to take away from this is not that it's better to not have a job or to not be progressive in your life, but instead strive to live simply and fight that urge for excessive want. This will be hard to put into practice when I get home. There are always so many material things that are easily accessible that would either make my life easier or satisfy my need for fun and entertainment. There is also the want in my life for adventure and that drive to make my time here memorable by experiencing as much of the world around me as I can. This is also only a want, although maybe a bit more beneficial to my personal growth than an extra TV. Either way, I will need to find a balance.
This idea of living simply was brought to my attention again during a conversation I had with my new friend Doc PJ. Let me start with a little background on Doctor PJ so everyone can understand better the type of person he was. He exuded many of those fundamental human qualities that I have personally been struggling to incorporate into my own life, with ease, style and grace everyday. Doc PJ is a practicing doctor in Summit County and he spends the majority of the year working hard to make the people of that community healthy and happy, which is quite a noble ambition in itself. But like all great inspirations, he goes above and beyond what average doctors do. I would consider him a living Robin Hood. He takes most of what he makes during the year, making the wealthy western world healthy, and almost completely solely funds yearly trips to places like Honduras, Sudan, and Nepal to bring health care to the most under-privileged people in the world. These places seem exotic, but in reality are filled with drug wars, civil wars and extreme poverty. All this effort with no need for recognition, only the genuine gratitude and the smiles on the faces of the local people. It is great people like Doc PJ that give me hope for humanity. During one of our daily treks to the next small village along the border, Doc PJ and I were talking about the American lifestyle and what he said was, "I just don't need that extra stuff, I never have, I'm just lucky I guess." This lesson in simplicity was one of many taught by Doc PJ, many of which were taught silently by example.
One other practice I will take from Doc PJ is an example of the importance of friends and family. He and Siri's dad have shared breakfast once a week, every week, for years. It is often really hard to keep up on all of your relationships in life, but putting extra time and effort into those that are here now is vital in creating that bond while the opportunity is here. I've often said it is the quality of the friends and family you have rather than the quantity. Those quality relationships need to be regularly nurtured and when the future brings its inevitable space, the bond will always remain strong as long as time requires. This idea of regular meals, tea, or outings with the people in my life will be something I will always put my effort into, that I know.
The simple token of appreciation given by the local Tibetan people was tea and silk scarves. Every village we tried to leave was filled with grateful families and nearly every house we passed asked us to come in to have tea. As a sign of appreciation, the head of the house would give every one on the medical team, often referred to by its members as the "He-Man Jungle Doctor Crew", AKA, Team Yak Rescue, a silk scarf. The tea was often butter and salt and the scarves were simple, but the gesture was so meaningful. At the end of the "escape ceremonies," we would all have scarves piled up to our noses, a bit ridiculous, but extremely soft.
My adventures in Langtang also bought meaningful examples of selflessness and generosity. One of my favorite quotes is, "If we all give, we all receive." This idea may seem a bit idealistic, but if we consider it a spectrum, with the opposite end being, "if we all take everything, there will be nothing left," then somewhere along there is the idea that if we all give a little more than we think we can, those who need it most will receive more than they have now. Simple idea, but maybe a bit harder in practice. Generosity will always outshine greed, whether we hear about it or not, and the selfless will always triumph over the selfish. I talked to a man recently named Baska at a cafe in India. I told him of our adventures in Langtang and for some reason he didn't believe me that anyone would fund something like this out of nothing more than love for humanity. He refused to agree that there were people that would do things for free. He was convinced Doc PJ was working for someone else in the sole interest of bettering himself. There's a scary thought-- if he was right, that would mean there aren't any more genuine people in the world interested in the well being of others for the sake of simply that. I disagree fully with this pessimistic, fearful perception of humanity, I'd like to think this is a fundamental human instinct to help those around us. Don't we naturally want to help those who we see are in pain whether they are right in front of us or on some picture? Seeing someone's suffering causes an emotional reaction in almost every one of us. That genuine compassion is understood by nearly everyone, but only acted on, most often, by the few most strongly affected. And someone like Doc PJ is a perfect example of that, one of many all over the world, who take their wealth and share it for the sake of the less fortunate. After all, "wealth should serve humanity, not vice-versa," says the Dalai Lama. I feel that if there is an understanding of the difference between what we want and what we need, we may be able to begin to live with what we need and no more. We may begin to see the importance and benefit in sharing our excesses in life and collectively realize the joy that comes from generosity. Maybe the long lasting satisfaction that comes from this selflessness will bring a feeling of connectedness with it, that many of us direly need. This is much more attractive to me when compared to the emptiness that almost immediately follows the five minutes of happiness that comes from buying the third TV. It may seem a little far fetched, a pipe dream maybe, but maybe its possible for this simple idea to go viral and change the mindset of a whole population. This is the basis of the paradigm shift we all seem to be watching and waiting for. Unfortunately it doesn't come from sitting on the couch, it starts with each one of us working toward the common goal. It's a simple idea and an often contagious practice. This needs to start at the grassroots level by people like Doc PJ, who are not looking for fame or recognition from anyone, but only to help those less off. As George Carlin once said, if you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. It is these practices that will make each one of us an inspiration to those around us as well as ourselves. And it is this inspiration that helps us find beauty in everything around us.
Nepal and beauty go hand in hand. Every village we went through along the border I couldn't help but find the beauty in almost everything around me. It was such a genuine experience and I couldn't seem to get the smile of my face. It became easier and easier to find beauty, even in the simple things. One idea I thought about a lot was the fact that I was only a very small and seemingly insignificant part in the timeline of many of these people's lives as they were in mine. As I watched the local people go about their day to day life, which seemed so peaceful and simple, I couldn't help but notice the incredibly striking, beautiful facial features of the young Nepali and Tibetan people. I would then notice the weathered, leather-like facial features of the elderly, both filled with so much life, passion and history. I couldn't help but try to piece together their lives. It was really hard to piece together the lives of a people I had so little understanding about. I was so attracted and fascinated by their lives and how they lived in such a trying and extreme environment yet made it look so simple. They all seemed to walk around with ease, but also carried so much emotion inside, there was a depth that I can't really explain in every one of their eyes, both young and old.
With the constant visions of beauty came amazing moments of inspiration and hope for the future. Nearly every person I met in Nepal reminded me of these things that give me hope. I've found that it is an inspiration to just be in the same room as great people. Great people like everyone who was part of the He-Man Jungle Doctor Crew like Doc PJ, Mipsang Lama, Jangmu Lama, Thiley Lama and the rest of the Lama family. It was such a honor to meet the Lama family. Mipsang and Jangmu are the son and daughter of Thiley Lama. Thirteen generations ago Thiley's first ancestor arrived in what is now known as the Langtang valley. At that time there was nothing there except the massive Himalayan peaks all around. His ancestor saw there what he had seen in a dream and decided to settle. Since that time each generation following him has ruled over the valley and helped to preserve Tibetan Buddhism in the region by building temples and gompas to honor the many Buddhas. So I guess you could say their family is the royal family of the Langtang region. Thiley's grandfather was the last king of Langtang before all of the regions of this area of the Himalaya were united and called Nepal. While we were there we had the honor of meeting Thiley's mother who could be considered the last Queen of Langtang. When she walked into the room the day we were to leave, the rest of the people in the room stepped aside and the mood instantly changed and everyone became silent. It was such a beautiful sight to see the way everyone there acted around her and showed her such respect, I could see how honored everyone was that she decided to make an appearance. She was 92 years old, tiny, weathered and reminded me of my Grandma. She sat on the floor in the middle of the room next to the stove and talked to Thiley and Doc PJ intently in Tibetan. Doc PJ, Siri and I all sat listening like we could understand every word. The emotion that filled the room was unmistakable and I could see tears almost form in Doc PJ's eyes. When she was finished talking she stood up and everyone around stood up with her. Doc PJ and I watched as she walked away and he told me that meeting her was more meaningful than his meeting with The Dalai Lama two weeks before. He also talked of how she represented a big transition in that region. A transition between what the way of the elders and those who came before and what the future generations would know and the way they would change the area, all this while we looked out at the village of Langtang and watched all the new tourist lodges being built for the future influx of trekkers to the area. It was an extremely powerful experience I will not ever forget and it is a perfect example of the power of being in the same room with great people, and the inspiration and beauty that comes with it.
After everyone prepared to leave the Lama's house I walked to the next house over that looked like it could have been built hundreds of years ago and probably was. This was the home of Thiley's mother. My intention was to take the scarf I had with me and hang it on the door as a sign of respect and to show how grateful I was to have had the chance to meet the last Queen of Langtang. As I walked up the rickety stairs, I was invited in and I happily accepted. I entered into her dim home and greeted her with Namaste and offered the scarf; she looked at me with eyes filled full of emotion and confusion as to why I was there. She accepted the scarf and quickly pulled the old soot covered scarf she was wearing off and handed it to me. I said "tu chi chay" (thank you in Tibetan), shook her hand and left. I will never forget that experience and will probably tell the story for years to come. Another powerful example of Nepal's beauty and the beauty that I am surrounded by everyday.
Thiley himself was also an incredibly inspiring man. He chose to move from his family's peaceful home in the beautiful Langtang valley to the chaotic city of Kathmandu for his job. Not only that, but he had a job that most other people wouldn't have the capacity for or have the will to do it. Thiley is The Dalai Lama's Ambassador to Tibetan refugees in Nepal, His Holinesses second hand man in Nepal, you might say. It is Thiley's responsibility to look after the Tibetan people in the area and help a people that sometimes may not want to help themselves and to play a very key role in a situation that more often than not seems quite hopeless. He has regular meetings with officials from every group and country involved. He has to deal with differing view points from China, India, Nepal, Tibet, and the western world and try to find a middle ground in what seems to me to be almost impossible when you look at all the factors, political, economical, social, ignorance of the people and an occupying country that believes religion is poison. All these factors put a country like Tibet, which is almost entirely Buddhist, in a very difficult situation, and any one fighting for the people most effected by it in a seemingly hopeless situation. So anyone who voluntarily takes on such an important role in society is more than an inspiration to me. I wish him the best luck and Karma.
The last story on my pilgrimage through Nepal is set in the city of Kathmandu, and is another story of inspiration and beauty. As I flew over the city in route to the airport, I looked out the window at something I have never seen from a plane. Outside and below was a chaotic group of mostly brown buildings scattered along the hill sides. It was one of the most beautiful cities I had ever seen from above. We got off the plane near the only terminal and walked into a small brick building, not exactly what you would think of when you think of an international airport. We went through customs, gathered our bags, negotiated a taxi price and were off. As we entered the city I was in awe, it all seemed so foreign, this was the third world, I thought to my self, it's real and I am here. It was a lot to take in, and needless to say, hard to grasp. I could instantly feel myself falling in love with it and all its chaos. There was so much beauty in the old brick buildings, some half built and others falling apart. Between the buildings were narrow dirty streets, and all around us motorcycles, some piled four deep, swerved between us and oncoming cars. Our taxi driver tried repeatedly, often in a split second decision, to squeeze between the bus on our left and the oncoming bus on our right while at the same time swerving around the cow in the middle of the street. The Nepali police in full riot gear stood watching. Nothing seemed orderly or logical, it was beautiful chaos.
After an hour our taxi driver dropped us at Ama Ghar, the children's home Siri and I would spend six weeks volunteering at. Ama Ghar (Motherly Home, in Nepali) had 47 brothers and sisters, 5 house mothers, 2 uncles, and Aunti Bonnie, who kept the Ama Ghar fabric together. By the end of our stay we felt like family ourselves, brother Neal and sister Siri. While I was there, I saw so much potential in a lot of the kids despite their individual circumstances outside of the Ama family. Many of the children have had hard upbringings and many are still dealing with a lot of emotional stress. Many of their lives outside of Ama Ghar are harder than any child should have to deal with and those circumstances often force them to grow up quickly, and as a result, miss out on being a kid. Ama Ghar plays such a crucial role in these kids life by giving them a comfortable place to live and food on the table as well as a network of people who genuinely want to see them better their lives. It also provides many of the children with hope that may have otherwise not been there, and the opportunity to do great things in their lives. Many of the children may be less privileged than kids from the western world, but I'm not sure if comparing them to children of the western world is appropriate. It would seem to me that a better comparison, if we must compare, are all the other kids in Nepal and other developing countries who don't have access to their fundamental needs, much less a good education. Regardless, there is so much hope and in my opinion, it's not false hope. Every one of the kids at Ama Ghar has the potential to do great things and it only takes 1 in 100 to accomplish what they set out to do. If that one person makes their dreams come true, then there are 99 others who should feel inspired to do great things themselves. While I was there, I saw so much beauty in each one of my brothers and sisters, and whether they no it or not each one of them inspired me and changed, forever, my perception of the world around me. My brothers and sisters at Ama Ghar have all helped me see that there is always beauty and there is always hope, and as they say, it is in the eyes of the beholder.
It's been over a month since I crossed the border into India from Nepal and I look back at my experience in there as only the beginning of a life long friendship. I find myself still contemplating all the things I witnessed and how those things have undoubtedly changed my perception of the world around me. It was truly a priceless experience. There are so many emotions tied to the experience and I often find it hard to express in words my feelings associated with Nepal. My time there created such a strong bond that I can only relate to a feeling of being home. This farewell to Nepal is only a mere au revoir, until next time.
