Goodbye Boudanath

Such a wonderful last day around the Stupa. We did a little shopping and then met Chhewang for lunch. He had bought me a wonderful Thigh bone horn for Chod practice. In Chod the thigh bone horn used to be just that. A horn made from a human thigh bone. Usually of a child's. It was considered the best bone to have and was intended to make the user aware of the impermanence of life. These bones were readily available because of the high infant mortality and through sky burials. In northern Nepal and Tibet the bodies were dismembered and left on high platforms so that Eagles could devour the flesh. You have to remember that the ground would usually be frozen and there was not enough wood for cremation. Therefore Sky burials created charnel grounds were bones were left after the flesh had been removed.  This made thigh bones easy to acquire . Sky burials are still common place in remote areas, but the use of human bone for making trumpets nowadays is quite rightly frowned upon. In my Chod practice with Tempa Lama we actually used an old human thigh bone trumpet, but Chhewang bought me the next best thing, a metal trumpet that looks just like a thigh bone. I love it and will cherish it always. Thank you Chhewang. 

We did our last Koras tonight and as usual the Stupa had a gift for us. Tonight there was a group of dancers, we think from Taiwan, that were dancing in beautiful costumes in that wonderful slow controlled style of temple dancers. It was great to stand among the Tibetans and Nepalese, many of whom would never have seen anything like this. An old lady next to me kept nudging me, pointing at all the dancers and grinning in disbelief. Such a great end. Then on the way back to our hotel we left a little food and some of Dens clothes with some of the homeless. We didn't have much and there were so many of them sleeping on the roadside. 

Tomorrow afternoon we fly to Varanasi, not sure how good the internet access will be but will do our best to keep in touch. I have to say we are leaving Boudha with a heavy heart, but with so many wonderful memories. Thank you Boudha Stupa.