Great Stupa

Today we slept in until 8 AM and then "team A" prepared breakfast. We ate organic oatmeal, eggs, and nan flat bread in a Tibetan tent that was set up next to the gonpa. Afterwards we did preliminary practice and then got ready to go on a tour of some local monestaries. The drive across Dehradun took about an hour, and the road was very bumpy. We arrived at the Tibetan colony and immediately could see the great stupa in Og Min Ogyen Mindrolling Monastery which is 185 feet tall and 100 square feet in width. It was the world's largest when built, and probably still is. I think it was started in 2000 and completed in 2002. It is called the World Peace Stupa and also The Great Stupa of Descent from Devaloka. At one point during the day a few of us were able to go inside and see the preparations for the drupchen, including a huge sand mandala that will be inside a special mandala shrine.

Thanks to Khenpo's ability to open doors for us we were able to meet several lamas while in the monestary complex including HH Karmapa, Tokup Rinpoche (a main disciple and attendant of Dilgo Kyentse, and Khenpo's first friend after he crossed the mountains from Tibet to Nepal); Kochen Rinpoche (abbot of the monestary); HE Minling Kenchen Rinpoche (current head of Nyingma Lineage); and Khandro Rinpoche (a very good English speaker and daugher of Mindroling Rinpoche, who just passed).

Getting kicked out of Cyber Cafe now!