Dieu Ly, a tourist participating in the trekking route to Everest Base Camp (Nepal) shared her personal experience when visiting Tengboche monastery. In mid-October 2022, during her journey to Nepal and experience Trekking Everest Base Camp, Dieu Ly happened to visit this place. According to Dieu Ly, it was around 5 pm and the scenery in the monastery was extremely beautiful.
"The afternoon sun was gradually setting, the mountains in the distance were still lightly lit by the layer of snow covering them, in the monastery yard there were some monks playing soccer, some monks were sitting in a corner meditating, it was truly peaceful", Dieu Ly recalled.
Tengboche Monastery from a tourist's perspective
The next morning, Dieu Ly returned to Tengboche Monastery early in the morning. She described the scene of dawn shining through the monastery, bringing a peaceful color to life. The cold weather seemed to add a thin layer of mist above the morning rays.
"My nose was also sore because it was difficult to breathe and I could see smoke when I exhaled. My arms and legs were stiff, but the scene was so peaceful that perhaps my "breath also turned to nothing" - I only felt peace, I didn't feel afraid anymore," Dieu Ly shared about her experience visiting Tengboche monastery early in the morning.
Entrance gate to Tengboche monastery.
Tengboche Monastery is nestled in the mountains and forests.
Inside Tengboche Monastery.
From this tourist's perspective, the road to Tengboche is not too difficult, but requires endurance and a positive spirit. She explained that as a tourist from Vietnam, the climate, altitude and food are the things that make Ly feel a bit difficult to adapt to. As a person working in the field of media and business, Ly also loves experiential tourism activities, returning to nature, learning more about the cultural identity of many different regions in and outside the country. Therefore, it did not take Dieu Ly too much time to adjust herself and get used to the harsh climate in Nepal.
"At first, I didn't remember that on my Trekking route, I would pass by Tengboche Monastery. At first, I simply thought that I would pass by the monastery, but I didn't expect Tengboche to be the most famous monastery there and I would have the opportunity to sit and listen to the monks chanting mantras. It was truly a coincidence," Dieu Ly said.
According to Dieu Ly's observation, the architecture of the monastery has a strong Tantric color with red and white colors standing out among the surrounding mountains, plus multi-colored patterns creating a world of extremely beautiful colors and intense vitality. The color blocks also give her a feeling of being very peaceful and staying in the present.
"The atmosphere when walking outside is very peaceful, but when entering the main hall - where the Lamas and monks sit and chant mantras - it is extremely majestic and solemn," Dieu Ly said.
It was getting dark at Tengboche Monastery.
When visiting Tengboche Monastery, Dieu Ly loved the majestic appearance standing out in the middle of nature with the surrounding mountains and the vast sky above. Meanwhile, the people were so small and insignificant but still very strong and resilient moving forward.
"I love this feeling very much, because it reminds me to live humbly, learn and share more," Dieu Ly said.
Regarding the perception of sound, when Dieu Ly sat listening to the Lamas and Venerable Monks chanting mantras, she closed her eyes and felt. The sound of the prayers combined with the Dharma instruments such as the Vajra Pestle, Vajra Bell, and Dharma Loa (Dharma Conch) made Ly feel very new but also very familiar.
"Don't just be absorbed in taking pictures outside the Monastery, you can boldly step into the main hall and pray for love to everyone around, listen to the chanting, recite mantras and learn about the Dharma instruments, it's also very interesting. And please note that you are only allowed to take pictures/film in areas where taking pictures/filming is allowed. Oh, remember to wear warm clothes to keep your body from getting cold", Dieu Ly said about advice for tourists when visiting Tengboche.
Life inside Tengboche monastery
Chamba Sherpa, a monk at Tengboche Monastery, told Travellive that despite being a sparsely populated area, the monastery is still very busy with daily and monthly prayer services. Chamba began his monastic life in Tengboche in 2003. Five years later, he was sent to college in southern India. The abbot spent another 11 years earning a master's degree and taught for two years at Khumjung School. In 2021, Chamba returned to Tengboche and took up the role of abbot there.
"Life here is somewhat difficult because there are no convenient roads and hospitals, even the surrounding residential areas, are very far away," said monk Chamba.
Interior architecture of Tengboche monastery.
Every day, the monks here regularly perform rituals in the morning and afternoon. The ritual is called Puja, in which all the monks in the monastery will meditate and recite Tantric mantras. According to Chamba, the Puja ritual has many versions suitable for many different religions. In this monastery, Puja is when the monks chant prayers to Bodhisattva to pray for world peace and inner peace. During the ceremony, the monks will practice together actions such as reciting mantras, reading sutras, meditating, kneeling and offering offerings.
"Monks often offer flowers to Bodhisattva with the meaning that all things are impermanent, flowers are beautiful but will eventually fade," said monk Chamba.
In addition, during the Puja ceremony, monks also use candle offerings to symbolize light and enlightenment. Master Chamba explained that daily religious practices are intended to help Buddhists focus on Buddhist teachings and gradually open their hearts to the Buddha's teachings. Most Buddhists carry rosary beads with them so they can meditate anywhere, anytime.
Spacious grounds inside the monastery.
"If there are no devotees, the Puja ceremony continues as usual. However, in winter, the monks perform the ceremony only in the morning," said Chamba.
However, during the ceremony or when the monks are meditating, visitors are not allowed to take photos or film. Master Chamba explained that such actions would make it impossible for the monks to concentrate on their practice. In particular, in Tengboche, there is a room containing the ancient body of a Lama. Visitors only need to ask permission from the abbot to visit this area. Of course, visitors are not allowed to take photos or film.
"I love the tourists who come to visit the monastery. I get to hear their stories from all over the world, some of them come from other monasteries and I can discuss Buddhism with them. I can answer most of their questions but sometimes I can't give them the answer," Chamba told Travellive.
