Routine at Child Haven, Kathmandu

It is very hot here and exhausting and sweaty after 6 back to back
classes twice a week! I have chosen to move from the Director's big
house across the road to the volunteer's suite in the orphanage and am
enjoying setting it up the way I like it, organizing the kitchen and
living space down stairs. I will use the "volunteers cottage" for
small group classes, like the Didis, or female caregivers and the staff and some slow learners needing some
extra help. Also will have "open house" a couple of times a week for
grade 10s and others who are about to leave the home to be
independent, a very scarey thing for these folk, after years of
(really well organized and happy) life at Child Haven now they have to
think and do totally for themselves. Acturally CH help them with
their living expenses until they are able
to fend for themselves.

Hugs from all of us here at Childhaven, Kathmandu!

Dyane

Buddhist Retreat at Kopan, Kathmandu

Hello family and friends who are still following me!

Marlene and Janie asked me for an address to send their donation. Maybe YOU will want to consider donating to Child Haven International? There are many many needs here and anything you donate will be so much appreciated:

Dyane Lynch
Volunteer, Intern
Child Haven International
P.O. Box 9676
Kathmandu Nepal

It is Sunday, June 6 and here I am taking 10 days off from teaching etc. at Child Haven. I will be back in Child Haven on June 13th. Right now I am 'retreating' .. together with fifty or so other aspirants for ten days in the Kopan Buddhist monastry. I have been herefour days already and it is an amazing experience. We are practising meditation (the answer to everything, did you know?!) teachings/ questionings, answerings ... each session led by a pretty evolved and amazing nun and one smiling monk. There is not one wrinkle on the face of any of them. The smiling happy face of the very holy and beloved Dali Lama looks down on us as we ruminate on the ways and means of Buddhism. We are in total silence daily from 10 pm until after lunch, 12:30 noon, each day.

We start our disciplined day at 6 and finish at 9. Each morning, after lunch there are break away discussion groups left to us to chew away at the various topics covered that morning. Monkeys often sit around our group sitting outside on the grass. I 'moderate' or lead one group of pretty vibrant folks from all over the world. The discussions, as you will appreciate, are lively, sometimes divisive, but always satisfying some of our curiousities.

The monastry is situated on top of a hill overlooking Kathmandu. It is a beautiful area, and the grounds are immaculately kept, with stupas and statues here and there. Very tasteful and you will feel such peace as you walk around these gardens. There always seems to be a gentle breeze atop this hill. May and June are very hot and dusty months.

We have delicious food here, hot showers and flushing toilets. Heaven!

The Kopan air is often filled with chanting voices of young men and another group of young boys. At auspicious times you hear the sounds of gongs, bells and horns. I love the sound of the young boys' totally kids group, you hear this thin but powerful and very energetic voice rising above and sligtly ahead of the other kids'. Truly magic!

There are times that the teachings on karma, impermanence, etc. are extraordinarily heavy; I have seen a few tears and many dour faces. But upon reflection and reasoning, along with the wisdom of the monks and nuns, we all realize that you takes wat you wants, wat you needs. You need not take any of this philosophy on board. Having said this, there is a lot of sense in Buddha's teachings. Someone said, and I like, "Buddhism is a gentle way of being".

To take a few words from a Shambhala Sun magasine:

"Buddhist meditation is something to do, not to believe, so the measure of it is always related to what is happening to your mind and your life ..."

Yes, I am learning a lot here. It is a most fulfilling few days.

Enough for now, now, "what is attachment?" and much much more!

hugs, Dyane