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Spiritual Journey of Nepal

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SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF NEPAL “Heal Your Heart, Purify Your Spirit and Discover YOU!” 10-day, 9-night Journey through Nepal with Master Teacher Daniel Gutierrez September 2-11, 2018 $2497.00 + Air $500.00 non-refundable deposit Nepal is a country with unsurpassed natural beauty. It is the home to eight of the world’s highest mountain peaks, including Mount Everest. Nestled in the magnificent Himalayas, this nation is an enchanting land with a unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist culture. Kathmandu valley is home to kingdoms of Patan, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu, they are living museums with ornately carved temples and centuries-old shrines dedicated to the vast pantheon of Hindu gods and Lord Buddha. ACTC’s spiritual tour of Nepal is designed to experience the heart and soul of Nepal’s remarkable ancient cultural heritage. Witness scenery that is breathtaking, meet the locals in their villages and have the rare opportunity to experience Buddhist monasteries from the inside. Your tour includes: Experience firsthand the splendors of Nepal’s sacred arts and its living Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Meet and receive lectures on Buddhist philosophy and meditation from the abbot of a Buddhist monastery. Learn Shamanism the traditional religion of most of Nepal's native ethnic groups. Meet Nepalese, Sherpa’s and Tibetans during your tour and experience firsthand the warmth and hospitality of these friendly people. Meet the artists and learn their timeless traditions. Browse & shop at ancient bazaars, ablaze with color, filled with antiques, jewelry, paintings and sculptures — a treasure-trove for those who like to shop! We will begin each day with a Daniel giving a short lecture on how to stay radically mindful throughout the day. After dinner we will convince and discuss the lessons of the day. On your tour, you will have opportunity to meditate and also learn as well as gain firsthand experience of various Buddhist and Hindu practices of Nepal: 1. Vipasana meditation: Vipassana is one of the most ancient techniques. Long lost to people, it was rediscovered by Gautam Buddha more than 2500 years ago. Vipassana means 'to see things as they really are'. It is an art of living which frees the individual from all the negativities of mind, such as anger, greed and ignorance. It is a practice which develops positive, creative energy for the betterment of the individual and society. The path (Dhamma) is a universal remedy for universal problems and has nothing to do with any religion. It can be practiced freely by anyone without conflict with race, caste or religion, in any place, and at any time and it will prove beneficial to everyone. 2. Buddhist meditation at a monastery A theoretical and practical introduction to Buddhist philosophy of the Tibetan Mahayana Tradition. Based on one of the principal teachings of this tradition called 'The Graded Path to Enlightenment' (Lam Rim). Lectures and teachings with meditation practice and discussion of relevant topics in a more informal way. 3. Shamanism “Shaman” means a general contact with the supernatural realm and application of this contact, particularly in curing. Shaman engages not only in individual curing, but also in a particular form of group ceremony or ritual which we recognize as a Shamanistic performance. This Shamanistic ritual typically incorporates such elements as spirit-possession, soul-flight, ventriloquism, and movement of objects, all effected by the Shaman, whose behavior combines frenzy and trance, while the assembled laymen remain passive observers. Shamanism is the traditional religion of most of Nepal's native ethnic groups, and while many have adopted at least outward forms of Hinduism or Buddhism (depending on their location), it is still widely practiced in the Eastern and Western hills. 4. Shraddha – The Hindu Ritual: Hindus believe that debt to their ancestors must be paid. The ritual of Shraddha is used to repay debts towards deceased ancestors. By performing the ritual of Shraddha, with the help of the holy saints & ancestors’ souls one can slowly progress towards reaching God by the virtue of combined support of Vasu, Rudra and Aditya (Vasu means aspirations, Rudra means dissolution and Aditya means radiance or action). 5. Rudri : Maha Rudra is a very important form of worship of Lord Siva, the very source of cosmic energy for the entire creation. His Divine form encompasses and extends far beyond all known and unknown galaxies and universes. Lord Siva is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He is the conqueror of Death and an embodiment of infinite mercy, compassion and love. Rudra is evolved from the combination of Rud (means Sin) and Dravayati (means washed away). Thus the process involved & performed washes away sins. Day 1 : ARRIVE KATHMANDU Arrive in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Meeting assistance by our representative upon arrival and transfer to Hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure to acclimatize etc. Time permitting an evening walk through local markets can be arranged. Day 2 : CITY & Boudhanath Stupa This is one of the few places in the world where Tibetan Buddhist culture is accessible and unfettered, and the lanes around the stupa are crammed with monasteries and workshops producing butter lamps, ceremonial horns, Tibetan drums, monks’ headgear and the other accessories essential for Tibetan Buddhist life. We will then visit Seto Gumba (The White Monastery), Kathmandu (White Gumba) Seto Gumba (White Gumba) is a natural beauty along with religious importance. It is at Druk Amitabha Mountain. Surrounded by vivid terrain and lush green valley Seto Gumba gives us heavenly pleasure to watch sunrise and sunset. The whole view (Birds eye point of view) of Kathmandu valley can be observed from here in the most spectacular way. If you are in search of excitement as well as calmness this is the right place that you deserved. Day 3 : Bhaktapur, Durbar and Poetry Square Bhaktapur is a fascinating, consisting of three squares, shrines, and temples. You will walk around the Bhaktapur´s Durbar Square to enjoy arts, crafts, and architecture from the medieval period. You will be able to admire the Golden Gate, Window Palace, and Naytapola. After Bhaktapur, you will head to other legendary squares. Day 4 : KOPAN BUDDHIST MONASTERY & NUNNERY Visit today a Buddhist Monastery & Nunnery. Here we will meet the nuns, tour of their monastery and listen to them chant their devotional songs that can be traced back to the 10th century. After lunch at the Monastery, we meet the abbot who will welcome our group with an informal talk followed by a theoretical and practical introduction to Buddhist philosophy of the Tibetan Mahayana Tradition. Based on one of the principal teachings of this tradition called 'The Graded Path to Enlightenment' (Lam Rim). Lecture and meditation practice followed by a discussion of relevant topics in an informal way. Day 5 : SWAYABHUNATH (MONKEY TEMPLE) Visit Swayambhunath Stupa one of the oldest and most interesting sites in Nepal. Swayambhunath is an exciting and colorful site — a complex of temples, statues, pilgrims and prayer wheels and is sometimes referred to as the monkey temple because of all the monkeys who roam freely in and around the site. Climbing up the 365 steps of the eastern entrance, smoothed by centuries of foot traffic, we get our first glimpse of the 2000-year-old stupa that has become the most profound expression of Buddhist symbolism in Nepal. Our exploration of Swayambhunath stupa becomes a real hands-on experience. Hiking up the ancient steps, turning weathered prayer wheels and watching the pilgrims and monks splashing the arcs of saffron paint over the stupa in a lotus pattern during the Tibetan New Year festivities is a fun and memorable experience. The abbot will give our group a short talk explaining and discussing Buddhist sacred art and its symbolic meaning. An optional guided tour of the main prayer hall will be given afterward. We visit a Tangka (scroll painting) studio to observe and learn the ancient technique of painting sacred images. We learn how the canvas is prepared and how the pigments are mixed. Watching the artists paint the vibrant colored Buddha figures with single-pointed concentration is a visual feast and a wonderful learning experience. Day 6- THAMEL Rise early to view a spectacular sunrise over Himalayas. After breakfast travel to Kathmandu, where we visit the Thamel section of the city Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant on your own and have the entire afternoon to explore, browse and shop in Thamel’s amazing market that is truly a shoppers’ nirvana. Wood carved masks, Pashima shawls, dolls, paintings, puppets, pottery, hand-made paper, clothes and brassware are only a few of the exotic items that can be found and bargained for. Thamel is a great place to collect souvenirs and a fun place just to stroll around. Our tour of Thamel concludes with an optional visit to the Yak & Yeti jewelry emporium whose proceeds support the Maitreya Project in Bodhgaya, the future site of the world’s largest Buddhist statue. Day 7- NAMO BUDDHA and STAY ONE NIGHT After an early breakfast, we experience one of the true highlights of our journey — a day-hike into the Himalayan foothills to Namo Buddha, one of the most sacred sites in the Buddhist world. As we hike through wild rhododendron forests and tiny rural villages, we are accompanied by both, fantastic scenic beauty and sometimes by the wonderful Nepali children. It is believed that Buddha, in a previous life, encountered a starving tigress and her cubs, moved by compassion, he offered his flesh to her, a sacrifice that helped pave the way for his eventual rebirth as the historical Buddha. A stupa commemorates this event and is believed to contain bones and hair of the Buddha to be.
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