It was exciting to land in Paro on Sunday. The Paro airport happens to be one of the most hazardous airports in the world for landing. I’m told only 17 pilots in the world are authorized to land the Druk Airlines flights here. The descent is so steep the runway so short, and steep mountains surround the runway. You can see how beautiful the land is here. Bhutan is 70% forest.
This is the Rinpung Dzong, the largest monastery in Paro, built in the 1400’s. Then in 1644 the father of Bhutan, Zhabdrung Rinpoche, dismantled it and build a new dzong.
In 1646 the dzong was reconsecrated and established as the administrative and monastic center of the western region of Bhutan. Some scenes in the 1993 film Little Buddha were filmed in the Rinpung Dzong.
This is downtown Paro. It’s a sleepy little town in a peaceful and fertile area of Bhutan. As the main airport, most tourists arrive in Bhutan by air into Paro.
Lama D. is starting to do Dharma talks about Buddhism. Here’s one about seeds and fruits just posted.
This is a typical farmers’ market in Bhutan. I’m learning where to shop. One section of the Paro market is for imported Indian produce, and they use pesticides. Another area is for local Bhutan produce which does not use chemicals.
Monday night was the Strawberry full moon, and the Rinpung Dzong was all lit up. A beautiful, quiet panorama. Lama D. Made this video.
This is our house on the outskirts of Paro, next to a cow pasture. I have Wifi and cell phone. Here it is peaceful. I can meditate, and work on my books.
Our house is surrounded by wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets. Thousands of them on the roof, window moldings and cracks in the wood logs. My sister Ghalem pointed them out to me and told me with a smile it’s better not to disturb them. In Buddhism to hurt insects or their homes is considered a “sin”.
The wasps here are different. They aren’t scared of humans at all, in fact they seem to like us. It’s a sign of a harmonious relationship between humans and the insect world. That simply would not happen in the US, where my recollection is wasps are vicious and inclined to attack. Lama D. says they’re very peacful and kind. But he said: “If you wear a red color, they might approach you thinking you’re a piece of meat.”
Lama D. and I took a walk in the forest around our house.
We found a nice meditation spot near the creek to visit every morning.
My six books are coming along. The channeled Buddha Speaks book is both daunting and wonderful. Please send good wishes for its completion. There will be 36 chapters. Black & white illustrations are finished. So far he has given these 22 chapters:
- Biggest obstacles on the path
- Finding your highest path
- About my life
- Plenty of reasons to be angry
- Four Noble Truths
- The Middle Path, Avoiding extremes
- The Eightfold path in a nutshell
- Sex, celibacy, and why I was not celibate
- The five auspicious dreams and their meaning
- Think You Know? How false concepts block you
- Building your ABC root system
- Ten Lower Habits to Dissolve
- A Monk’s Diet
- Emptiness is: Nothing, Something, Everything
- Emptiness Meditation
- Start Here and Now
- Alternate Nostril Breathing to Calm the Mind
- Come as you are. Here and Now.
- Crossing the Ocean of Samsara
- Ice Cream Meditation
- Grief Meditation
- Reaching Out, Buddhism in Action
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Thanks for stopping by!
Next week will be very very quiet as Lama D. is going to Kathmandu for a week.
I’ll be setting up house here in Paro and working on my books.