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    Tricycle Pilgrimage: Self-arising talisman Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 05 Dec 2012
    Phalluses are a common sight in Bhutan. They're thought to ward off evil spirits. They are often nailed to trees or posts, or painted onto the outside walls of houses and shops. At Chimey Lhakang, or the Temple of the Divine Madman, in Bumthang, visitors are tapped on the head with a phallus, which is thought to bring fertility to those hoping to have children. Our guide referred to the sacred object as "the mighty flaming phallus of discerning wisdom of the Divine Madman." The Divine Madman, or Drukpa Kungley, remains a revered historical figure in Bhutan and is remembered as a great master of Vajrayana. After the visit, one witty Tricycle pilgrim let the rest of us know that she had morning-after pills on hand should anyone feel the need. More »
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    Tricycle pilgrims make it to the Tiger's Nest Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 24 Nov 2012
    Tricycle Pilgrims are troopers—most of us made the arduous hike to the Tiger's Nest, or the Taktsang Palphug Monastery, as the Bhutanese call it. Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), who brought Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet and Bhutan, is said to have meditated there in a cave for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours. Built in 1692, the monastery was rebuilt after a fire in 1998. I should add that we not only made it up but also made it back down. Some sore muscles but nothing serious! Image: Approaching the Tiger's Nest, Paro Valley, Buthan. © Risto Kuulasmaa. More »
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    Tricycle Pilgrimage: Today's Teaching from Kathmandu Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 20 Nov 2012
    From today's teaching at Shedrub Ling: It's not enough to think you understand impermanence and then to forget about it. The real dharma practitioner is someone who contemplates impermanence many times throughout day. Only then do our fixations begin to loosen, our attachments begin to break. Only then do we finally begin to relax. –Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche Image: Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche at the White Gompa. © Risto Kuulasmaa. More »
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    Tricycle Pilgrimage: One Love Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 20 Nov 2012
    Tricycle pilgrimage co-leader Justin Kelley gave interfaith harmony a big boost earlier today with his newfound Hindu friends. Photographer and fellow pilgrim Risto Kuulasmaa dubbed the pic "One Love," appropriately enough. The new friendship was struck up along Kathmandu's Bagmati River, where the caves of Tilopa and Naropa are a stone's throw from the famed Pashupatinath Temple, the holiest site in Nepal and one of the Hindu world's most important temples built to Lord Shiva. The mix of Hindu and Buddhist traditions characterizes the region. Image: Buddhist monk Justin Kelley with newfound friends. © Risto Kuulasmaa. More »
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    Tricycle's Pilgrimage to Nepal & Bhutan: Kathmandu Paid Member

    Posted by James Shaheen on 19 Nov 2012
    Tricycle began its first pilgrimage to Nepal & Bhutan on Sunday in Kathmandu, where 25 of us gathered at the Tibet International hotel, within viewing distance of the Great Stupa at Boudhanath. After settling in and getting to know one another, we spent part of the following day at Shedrub Ling monastery, where the Ven. Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche offered teachings. Rinpoche sat before some 300 mostly Western students, some permanent residents, and others hearing teachings for perhaps the first time. Throughout our journey, we'll be posting quotes from the teachers we visit, accompanied by photos taken by fellow pilgrim Risto Kuulasmaa, who has joined us from Helsinki. The following quote and the above picture were taken from yesterday's teaching: More »
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    Thai Taxi Talismans Paid Member

    Posted by Alex Caring-Lobel on 02 Oct 2012
    Artist Dale Konstanz has been addicted to taking Thai taxis since he moved to Bangkok in 2003. They became not just a way to get around, but an opportunity to chat with the drivers, practice his Thai, and learn about the culture. For his book, Thai Taxi Talismans, Konstanz has compiled the best of his photos of Buddha images, lucky charms, and pop culture paraphernalia that sit on dashboards and dangle from rear-view mirrors in Bangkok cabs. Read an excerpt and look through our slideshow of some of the talismans below: Thai Taxi Talismans More »