April 12, 2009 Tengbouche Easter in the shadow of Everest

Today we moved up to the Tibetan Monastery town of Tengbouche. All the villages from here are “ches”. I’m sure it means something but I haven’t figured it out. Some one joked the Nepalese weren’t very creative – this from people who came up with New York, New York.

Today I am thinking about my faith. It is Easter and I am a long way from home. Religion underlies a lot of life in this region. The country of Nepal is primarily Hindu but the Khumbu region is primarily Buddhist. At one time KTM was the central trading place for salt coming from the Tibetan plateau to India to the south. Here Hinduism met Buddhism. I am told that there has been quite an overlap here because of the geographic isolation of KTM.

About all I know of Hinduism is the burning of the dead along this river in KTM. Virtually every day you will see these funeral pyres on the holy river next to a four lane bridge. The smell is about what you would imagine. At least the smoke makes sure there is a lot of crying for the dead guy even among commuters who forget to put their car windows up.

This morning Puchhanga Lhomi, my climbing partner, Bill Burke and I celebrated Easter Sunday together. It was a very special time for me. We actually had communion. Since I couldn’t talk my pastor, Jay Bailey, into doing the three week hike to base camp with us (he thought having five hundred other members and a family were more important) we had communion on our own volition. Puchhanga is a very rare Christian in an almost totally Buddhist region. We each prayed for our families back home and the safety of our team. When Bill and I finished Puchhanga prayed in Lhomi. I didn’t understand a word but knew everything he prayed. It is amazing how people from such vastly different worlds can share a common belief system that transcends all the differences.

I find Buddhism a very interesting religion. Some argue that it isn’t really even a religion but more a life code. Not sure I agree with that. I think it is a religion filled with symbolic practices, icons and ceremonies. On almost every high point along the trail there will be a chorten. A chorten is a structure that looks like a small temple. Supposedly it is bad luck to pass it on the right. I generally comply when others are around. But when I am by myself and it is out of my way I take the shortest way. I figure getting to the next camp without collapsing is good luck too. But there is the tension. I don’t want to offend anyone when there is no cost to me. It gets a bit more tricky when it involves paying the monk to bless you. There is a custom here of taking a Kata (a light scarf) to the Head Monk with 100 rupes (I think that is the current rate for a deluxe blessing) rolled up in it. Some junior Monk will make sure you got it loaded. The Head Monk takes your kata and lets the money drop out like he is shocked you put that in there. Then he puts it over your head and gives you a piece of candy – no joke. I think it was a lemon drop in 2006. It really worries the Sherpa if you don’t participate. On the other hand there are hundreds of Sherpa buried in glacier who never passed a chorten on the right. This year I didn’t participate so I wonder if the Sherpas will be watching to see if I get smitten. In their defense their religion is non-exclusive so why shouldn’t I cover all my bases. They could be a Christian and a Buddhist – no worries – the more the better. So they have a hard time understanding that I’m a one religion kind of guy.

It doesn’t end on the hike in. At base camp each team will have a Puja ceremony where a little old monk will read and chant for hours in front of an elaborately built square stone altar for hours. This Monk has he base camp franchise apparently because he seems to do them all for every team. The Sherpas put there climbing gear on the altar. Also on the altar will be Cokes, Pringles, Beer, Liquor, Snickers and butter sculptures. Once the Monk is finally done everyone throws rice in the air and chears. Then they put up the Puja pole from which strings of prayer flags cover the team camp in every direction. Every flap of the each prayer flag is supposedly a prayer. Then everyone throws flower at each other. Great handfuls. It looks like an explosion in a bakery. Then the party begins. Now the newly blessed beer and liquor are consumed in vast quantities by the Sherpas – the last they will be allowed until the climb is over. This party is marked by dancing and singing to every thing from Nepalese music to American oldies. Whatever else it might be Buddhism might or might not be they sure know how to party.

The puja is important because no Sherpa will enter the ice fall until the blessing is done. I understand ours is scheduled for the 20^th.

An Easter I’ll never forget.