SECMOL Mountain Hike

Hiking Slowly and breathing deep we climb upwards, working to suck all possible oxygen molecules out of the sparse air. Looking up every few steps, but the summit does not seem to get any closer in a hurry, even though we have been hiking all morning. SECMOL hill sure looked smaller from ground level, but perhaps that is due to the fact that it is surrounded on three sides by snowy 8,000 footers. After some time we manage to make it up to the ridgeline and then we look up. And there, only two hundred or so meters away, are the prayer flags and the rock pile that mark the top, the summit. Scrambling and kicking loose rock careening hundreds of feet as we go, we scale the last few crags. Breathless, happy, and already bone-weary we sit down and finally take some time to notice the view. And what a view it is! To the east and north there is nothing but huge, white mountains with snow whipping around their peaks. To the west, sandy desert plains stretch on with a single lonely road dividing them, upon which there is but one lonely car. Far across the plains, towards what would be Tibet, mountains again shoot up out of the flat desert, as if some large being had stuck pointy rocks in the ground right where they thought the desert should end. To the south we can see the outskirts of Leh, as well as the Indus, snaking towards Pakistan. Down towards the base of SECMOL hill we see SECMOL campus itself, overlooking the snaking Indus. We think we can faintly hear the sounds of Nema ringing the bell, to call all the Ladakhis to tea. There are almost no trees in sight. The only ones are scraggly poplars that from here look more like grey wisps of Yak hair than anything else. We eat pistachios as Holly reads us an excerpt from Jack Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums, about the mountain climbing escapades of Kerouac and his friend Gary Snyder. We take some time to draw the landscape, throw snowballs and rocks as far as we can, and eat apricots.

But then the clouds start rolling in and it is time to start the descent back to ground level. Just as we are leaving we see a plane fly by below us. Funny, I didn’t think we were that high. It is starting to cool down, so we hurry to start climbing down. We scramble and slide down the mountain, until we are confident we won’t fall, and then we run and jump and leap. In a quarter of the time it took to climb the mountain we have almost descended it. The last hundred meters are steep and sandy. We whoop and yell and jump as far as we can until we reach flat ground. Back at ground level, and taking a second to rest we turn around. Towering what looks like thousands of feet above us leers SECMOL peak, where we were less than an hour previously. Almost simultaneously we voice the same thought, “Wow guys, we climbed that!”. Later as we lined up for dinner one thought was spread among us: Day well spent.

-VISpa, Cedar

Our First Week at SECMOL

It has been just over one week since we have arrived here at SECMOL our new home for the next three months. In this time the VISpas have been adjusting to both life with the SECMOLpas and a new environment. The social adjustment has been fluid and smooth adjustment, something that has come naturally to these VISpas. However the adjustment to the new environment is much clearer on the soccer field. We have just started to participate in the daily games here at SECMOL and it is very clear who is a Ladakhi and who is not, just look for those who are panting and trying to catch their breathe. Life here at SECMOL has been in full swing, upon arrival there was a passive solar workshop put on by SECMOL and LEDeG an NGO from Leh started by Helena Norberg-Hodge, this NGO's main goal is to promote sustainable energy education, and initiatives to the people of Ladakh. There were over thirty masons from all over Ladakh who were here for a five day workshop on passive solar design. As the Masons left on the 16th a new bunch of eager learners joined the SECMOL community. SECMOL hosts a number of workshops and camps for the people of Ladakh. Currently there are over fifty young Ladakhis on their winter break from school who are here attending a spring camp. Here they will take a number of classes, participate in the daily life and responsibilities of SECMOL, as well as, join a larger community where they can practice their English, learn from their peers and take classes from the SECMOL students.
Our students have had their hands full trying to learn and pronounce hundreds of different names, as most Ladakhis have multiple names given to them that they go by. An example is my Ladkhi name given to me by two SECMOLpas is Tsewang Richen. The Students have jumped right into the community here each doing their responsibilities to keep the campus running. SECMOL is a campus run by the students, every student must pitch in to keep the campus running smoothly and with the addition of fifty extra students there is much to be done. Cooking now takes place outside the kitchen on an open fire to cook the enormous amount of food to feed over a hundred people three times a day. Student's responsibilities include: Dairy; milling the two cows, Electricity; rotating the solar panels three times a day and checking the electricity on campus, cleaning the facilities, cooking duties, taking care of the greenhouses and the plants, and the ever changing tasks to keep SECMOL running.
This Valentine's Day our students had a chance to explore Leh, the closest town to SECMOL. Valentine's Day was also the Hockey finals and speed skating finals for Leh and its greater areas. Our students had the opportunity to see some of their SECMOLpas in action competing on the ice. After each student was paired with a SECMOLpa and give a location and a list of question to answer. Some of the locations were religious places of worship, Hospitals, and other places of interest in Leh. Each pair had to use each other and their environment to navigate Leh, as well as, the question they were asked to answer.
Yesterday we had a very interesting guest speaker come to talk to the students about Buddhism. Tsewang Norbu all so known as Vivek, formally known as David turned out to be much more than just a Buddhist scholar; a man of many names, Tsewang Norbu by his Ladakhi name, Vivek by his English name, and his former Christian name of David. Vivek was taken at the age of six from Ladakh into Kashmir by a group of protestant missionaries, where he was put into school for seven years, but the Ladakh Buddhist association and Leh police took him back to Ladakh where he then went to a monastery for ten years, three of those he was a monk. After leaving monkhood, Vivek went to school in Burma where he studied Buddhist psychology. Now Vivek is a consular and teacher, he uses Buddhism to help people deal with real problems they encounter in life. Having had lived and experienced all he has, he has a great perspective on religion and Buddhism in our daily lives. Vivek plans to teach at the College of art in Maine next fall. Our students will be starting classes on Buddhism next week.

Na bela demo tsorarag-(I love cats) and other animal tales (pun intended)

On the days when the strong Ladakhi sun refuses to shine, it’s nice to have the option of tucking a mini space heater into your sweater or coat. Of course this notion seems ridiculously impractical, but when the mini space heaters are soft fury kittens it’s another story. This much-favored practice by me and other VISpas stays true to SECMOL’s notions of sustainability, ecological friendliness and community. The kittens’ current names are Ka, which means snow in Ladakhi and Chet. But normally they are referred to as be-la, which is the ladakhi name for cat. One of the kittens wandered into our room last night to munch on an exploded bottle of coconut oil (totally edible) and then proceeded to explore his way around the room. I wish I could take them home with me in my suitcase, but I might be met with some distaste from airport security… however, I plan to enjoy them while I am here, even if that means getting called the crazy cat lady.
On the contrary, not all animals at SECMOL are as friendly as the kitchen kittens. On Thursday I was saying hello to the cows, which are slightly removed from campus and I heard this little whimpering sound. I followed the sound and found a little puppy all alone. (I should probably mention there are wild dogs all over campus-especially at night) I had enough common sense to realize that the mother was probably close by but I didn’t see any trace of her, so I took one step closer to see if he was hurt. Then out of nowhere, the mommy dog came out of hiding and barked ferociously at me. I then ran like I’ve never run in my life. She was actually trying to get me! Then of course… I stumbled and fell. I heard her barks behind me and I literally thought I was going to get bitten, clawed or infected with rabies. Fortunately, I then recovered from my fall and sprinted to the kitchen. When I told the Ladakhis this story, they laughed at my stupidity, which I can see the merit in, but it was still super scary!

Post by Caroline Atwood

I. LOVE. MY. LIFE.

I can’t believe I am so lucky to come on this trip and meet so many amazing people. SECMOL. Is. Amazing.
I am in complete awe of everything – the landscape, the people, the curriculum, and the monumental amount of energy that seems to surge around this campus. Have you ever said “Jullay?” I think it might be the happiest phrase on earth – what else can you practically sing as a hello, goodbye, thank you and just as a word?
I’m surprising myself in my quest to learn Ladakhi. Taking the time to learn the language is providing me with the satisfaction that I am one less foreigner ignoring the culture. Maybe it is an impractical language to learn since there may be no application back home but I can see it breaking a bridge. Every question I ask, every word I say wrong teaches me, not about the culture, but about the person teaching the language to me.
Love from Ladakh,
Taylor <3

Reaching 11,500 feet

We have arrived at our home for the next few months. As we VISpas adjust to the altitude, we have already had many opportunities to practice the Ladakhi we’ve learned and participate in English conversations with many of the students at SECMOL. We are busy learning their names, eating thukpa and skew, learning how to throw pe (barley flour) into our mouths, sighting blue horned sheep and relaxing before classes begin on Monday.

(drive photo)
(receiving tea)

Lotus Temple

While in Delhi we were able to make a very special visit to the Lotus Temple, a Bahai hall of worship open to anyone of any faith that is the most visited site in all of India (yes, more than the Taj Mahal!) Thanks to Kylie’s grandmother we were warmly welcomed by the general manager who answered our questions and set us up on a nice tour of the building. It was a beautiful busy place that we were very happy to experience.

(for Kylie’s grandmother!)
(group picture)
(in the information center)

Lotus Temple

While in Delhi we were able to make a very special visit to the Lotus Temple, a Bahai hall of worship open to anyone of any faith that is the most visited site in all of India (yes, more than the Taj Mahal!) Thanks to Kylie’s grandmother we were warmly welcomed by the general manager ____ who answered our questions and set us up on a nice tour of the building. It was a beautiful busy place that we were very happy to experience.

(for Kylie’s grandmother!)
(group picture)
(in the information center)

Walking to Mussourie

On Monday we went on a six-hour hike through the foothills of the Himalayas to Mussourie. Along the way we walked through remote villages, met children who walked four hours to school, met villagers who walked two hours to Mussourie every day to sell their milk, and visited a local school. We led the students in a round of “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes” and they sang a hindi song for us in return.

(hiking)
(group picture)
(school visit)
(school group picture)

Student Perspective

Here are a few unedited samples of what the students are observing and experiencing. Excerpted, with their permission, from their journals.

------
I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many mountains in one glance. They just never end. The mountains stand so tall and numerous while the river seems to have a mind of it’s own weaving in between. I love new thinkgs, new sights, new pwople. It’s all about learning as much as you can from what’s around you—people, places. Mountains, rivers. It’s fiving it time to sink and spending less time expecting or planning. Life goes on, no matter what my friends are still at school while I sit by a famous giant river. You can never predict the future and I love it.
------
One thing I really like about staying at the monastery and library is getting to interact with the monks. At first I was afraid of dishonoring one or being disrespectful to one but now I find that the monks are very kind, generous, happy and forgiving people. It makes me smile to see them laughing on a cellphone or sitting sipping chai at the corner. Walking down the road one is always greeted with a cheerful ‘Jullay’ and just their whole atmosphere is very relaxed and happy. They are average people and just by observing them these past days I have found that the monks and I have more in coomon than I do with other locals I have met along this trip which is not what I would have expected. Their clothes too also interest me. They look so comfortable and are so simple yet each monk has a different oufit on. Usually I am not one who cares let alone notices what people are wearing but for some reason I am just intrigued by how different each monk’s clothes are yet they are so similar. But seriously I would love to walk around in long red skirts and giant scarf/shawls all day long.
------
The more I learned about Buddhism the more the teachings resonated within me. I found myself thinking of them throughout the day and how applying these practices could benefit many people. Some of the concepts proposed really stretched my mind and forced me to do some abstract thinking. For instance, the idea that there is no “I” and that t is just an illusion is quite intriguing, especially because it is so contradictory to Western views. Also the idea that happiness was the cause of happiness was truly alien idea that took some time to begin to fully understand. However, the more I listened to the Khenpo the more the teachings made sense. For instance, he told us all to look within ourselves and try and find what makes us us. It’s impossible to identify the one characteristic that makes us “I”.
------
Listen to this: When you stop to think, think through the eyes of the kids. Beggin’ for their next meal, searching for old bottles and odd can lids just to get by. We walked by, didn’t even bat an eye. Sit down, take sips of our tea, while they’re still hungry. Turn our heads towards the sky. Bend our faces upward, anything, just “keep walking,” do anything to not look down at the ground where we know hunger abounds. But their cries pull us in and we cannot look away from their little beseeching frowns, as in their eyes hope is drowned, and surrounded by glum sadness confounds them. We say it’s “us” and “them” because we don’t want to admit that we’re both interconnected. don’t want to admit that it’s partly our fault that they are so adversely affected. Why is it that we are respected when every time we thoughtlessly consume we effectively make them have a little less. All is an interconnected chain of cause and effect, Buddha said. But we are not blessed, with the wealth we are born with, no, because it gets us obsessed and we cannot escape until we make the request to leave it all. Gotta give it away I guess, only then will we see thing for what they are.
------
Barely ten years old
Left to watch the shop alone
Green comb in hand.
------

(Siddharta photos) Every day student read Hesse’s Siddhartha out loud on the roof of the Songtsen Library. This day the library was closed so we read in the gardens.

Samsara, with cake

*it is very difficult for me to upload pictures--i will try to get group pictures up and will leave the note for other pictures that would have appeared here--we'll upload them when we reach some magical place with a better connection--delhi?!

On Sunday the students shared their presentations, the culmination of library research, multiple interviews, and collaborative thinking. They were very well received by the monks, teachers, and special guests in attendance! One monk commented on how nice it was to hear the students’ personal take on important Buddhist teachings, saying that their creativity brought these ideals to life. We thanked our Buddhist teacher Khenpo Konchok Tamphel and Tibetan teacher Tenzin Gampo for their generosity and, in return, received gifts of a Buddhist text that the Khenpo had translated.

(conducting an interview)
(preparing for the project)
(final product)
Cedar, Moya, and Simone presented on the Four Noble Truths: suffering is everywhere, way to cease suffering, the path to end suffering, nirvana. They compared this teaching to Plato’s “Cave Allegory”, making an interactive poster to illustrate the connection.

(preparing for the project)
(final product)
Caroline, Kylie, and Taylor followed by presenting on the Eightfold Path, a set of guidelines to live life in a responsible and peaceful way. They made a very nice verdant visual and drew upon multiple interviews to illustrate this important teaching.

(baking)
(embodying the three jewels)
Alana, Jake, and Katrina made a cake to illustrate the interconnectedness of the Buddha (the guide), Dharma (the path), Sanga (the companion along the path), also called the Three Jewels. They are pictured here embodying the Three Jewels—the cake had already been devoured!

(khenpo gifts)
(thanking Tibetan teacher)

Back to the Internet

Today is our first visit to Leh and the students are paired with SECMOL students to explore the major sites in town. They will also watch a hockey match and have some time to walk through the daily market. In the mean time, I’ll take advantage of this connection to post photos and words from the last week.



(bazaar photo) : We apologize for being out of touch, things have been as busy and nonstop as a day at the bazaar in Dehradun. Can you spot the VISpas?

Where the Himalayas Begin....

The group has arrived and settled in at Songsten. Songsten Library - Center for Himalayan and Tibetan Studies is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand. Prior to arriving to Songsten,the group visited the mystical pilgrimage city of Hardwar and observed Hindu worshippers partaking in bathing and ablutions to their deities. In the evening, the VIS group witnessed a Hindu ceremonial puja on the banks of the Ganges where they received blessings of water from the Holy Ganges and a tika on their foreheads from the Hindu Puntit. The group took off on a river raft adventure down the River Ganges encountering rapids whose names were coined by the famed Edmund Hillary himself. Throughout the day of rafting, we spotted cormorants having migrated all the way from Siberia as well as cod! Upon arriving to Songsten, we took a stroll around the center and visited a monastic youth school where we happened to visit during the beginning of the annual Buddhist yaknguk ceremony. The students have settled into a daily schedule here at Songsten where they are taking classes in Tibetan Script and Buddhism, specifically focusing on the 37 Bodhisattvas Teachings. They have a project to work in groups of three that include interviewing monks and utilizing the incredible Library. The hope is for students to gain a deeper understanding of a specific Buddhist concept and creatively present their project to the community of Songsten.



Songsten Library

Cedar buried in the sand!



The Ganges River also called "Ganga" after the Hindu Goddess Ganga.