Varada Effort

The Last Day With Ngari family....

14 Aug Though we have been here since the 3rd, but most of us have been so busy with the medical camp and the tours that we did not have a chance to visit the prayer hall that is being constructed on the hill.

This morning the committee members had brought us up to the hill and amidst the scaffolding, we got a glimpse of the future prayer hall that is projected to be completed by 2020. A walk through on all the floors being worked on and the Buddha and Boddhisattvas' statues being given the final touches by the artisans from Bhutan.

A presentation was done by Geshe Tsewang and Gen Yeshi left many of us yearning to see this building in its full grandeur in 2 years time. Those donors of the 1,000 Buddhas thangka will be looking forward for another batch of artisans coming from Nepal early next year to start work on them on the walls.

The painting on the beams are really colorful and well done

The artisans are working on the main statues on the altar

Boddhisattva is waiting to ascend to the side of the altar

Meanwhile more artisans are making smaller statues in the monks' hostel

These two are making the petals and clouds to be put on the background

After visiting the prayer hall Gen Yeshi also showed us the solitary retreat houses that are being build behind the main prayer hall.

This is really impressive and there will be 10 of this eventually

After that, we went to see our babies....the 10 apples trees that we have planted two years ago. Seems this area is called the Singapore Garden by Gen Yeshi, as most of the trees were planted by various Singapore groups 2 years back in different times, together with the two prominent ones planted by HHDL during his visit here. We were very concerned about our trees and really want to see them fruition one day.

Which one is mine? Must remember our position when we planted the trees

After this, we have another Bonus from Gen Yeshi. We went to visit the Kunrik Lhakang where some of the monks came for the puja yesterday. This temple specializes in the Vairochana practice and very skilled in performing pujas for the deceased. We had the merit of seeing them making a mandala when we were there and the abbot spoke good English, so he was able to explain quite a lot about the practice and the deities in the mandala itself. Quite an eye opener for us.

The monks stayed in a mosquito net to work on the mandala so it is kept clean and free of other disturbances

The name list of the deceased which we presented in the jangwa puja was burned and made into 2 tsa tsa. We have decided to leave them in the mountains and may these souls find peace after this

It was a morning well spent and after lunch the group went to visit Spituk Monastery where Geshe Tsewang and Gen Yeshi came from. Built during the 11^th century and located 8km from Leh. It is home to a 100 monks today. It has a giant statue of goddess Kali which is shown to the public during the yearly Spituk festival. Though founded by Nyingma. It is taken over by Gelupa in the 15^th century.

They managed to find a practitioner who stays in a small room in the monastery for his own practice. They also realized one can live simply

Evening after dinner, it was party time with the kids. We have ordered cake and juice for them as they seldom have the chance to consume these things. It is considered as a treat for them only during special occasions.