Ten Directions Buddhist Travel

24/09/2019

The 2019 Kagyu Monlam date has changed by one day. It now takes place from 15th to 21st December. 🙏 This affects two of our Buddhist Travel packages: Kagyu Monlam only, and Sharminub Retreat with Kagyu Monlam.

To learn more, go to https://buddhist.tendirections.de/en/

21/08/2019

We are delighted to offer you the opportunity to get to the Kagyu Monlam in Bodhgaya -- led by Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, and other high-level masters of the lineage. 😇

It can be combined with the Sharminub Guru Yoga Retreat (led by Jigme Rinpoche) since the Kagyu Monlam follows afterwards. 🙏 For more info, please go to... 👇

https://buddhist.tendirections.de/en/kagyu-monlam-2019/

KAGYU MONLAM Bodhgaya, India 14 - 20 DECEMBER 2019* *Dates are subject to change by the Kagyu Monlam committee. Kagyu Monlam has the following origin. The Tibetan word of Mon-lam can be translated to "Path of Aspiration." Many aspiration prayers are

19/08/2019

At the beginning of December the Guru Yoga Retreat will take place for the third time at the Sharminub Institute in Kathmandu, Nepal under the guidance of Jigme Rinpoche. 🙏

We have developed an add-on programme this year. Here we offer a Discovery Tour and a Relaxation Package before and after the retreat. 💆

We are happy to assist you in organizing and booking this beneficial journey. 😇 To learn more, go to... 👇

https://buddhist.tendirections.de/en/sharminub-guru-yoga-retreat-2019/

SHARMINUB Guru Yoga Retreat 3 - 9 DECEMBER 2019* *Retreat dates may change in case of Kagyu Monlam date change The Guru Yoga Retreat on the 14th Shamar Rinpoche in Sharminub, Kathmandu, Nepal, is coming into its third year. This 2019 retreat is dedicated to the Guru Yoga practice of the

12/08/2019

We could extend the application deadline for our pilgrimage to Central Bhutan to August 31st! 👍👇
https://www.tendirections.de/en/book/central-bhutan/

Travel to Central Bhutan and discover one of the last paradises on Earth. Varied landscapes, remote monasteries, and Buddhist holy places await you.

18/07/2019

Only a few days left to book your October pilgrimage to magical Bhutan! 🌏 Book by 1st August. 👉

https://www.tendirections.de/en/book/central-bhutan/

Travel to Central Bhutan and discover one of the last paradises on Earth. Varied landscapes, remote monasteries, and Buddhist holy places await you.

26/06/2019

We are delighted to offer you our Master Photo Course & Nepal Discovery Tour with the gifted Tokpa Korlo. Limited capacity (max. 10 passengers). Book by Monday (1st July) to save €100!

https://www.tendirections.de/phototour

Early Bird Alert! Imagine participating in an extraordinary course in pro photography -- by a master photographer, gifted artist, and talented coach -- while exploring Nepal's treasures, hidden gems, and sacred sites with a well-versed guide? Meet Tokpa Korlo. 📷 😃

Seats are limited. 10 pax max. Book by Monday (1 July 2019) to save €100. 🥳 👍

https://www.tendirections.de/phototour

08/06/2019

Pfingstkurs mit/with Lama Jigme Rinpoche. Very Happy :-)

08/06/2019

Wir fühlen uns geehrt und freuen uns sehr, am Pfingstkurs mit Lama Jigme Rinpoche un Renchen-Ulm teilzunehmen. :-)

We feel blessed and are very happy to attend the Pfingstkurs with Lama Jigme Rinpoche in Rechnen-Ulm. :-)

29/05/2019

Enjoy a little serenity immersion with short guided tour video from Sharminub Institute in Kathmandu, filmed by our friend Palbar.

Today in Sharminub 28 students from Diwakar Buddhist Academy are taking monastic vows with Drupon Nygyam.

20/05/2019

The Potala Palace in Lhasa looks truly majestic at any time of the day or year.

The Potala Palace as an icebreaker

01/05/2019

One of the magical places that you can easily visit during your stay in Kathmandu. It is also part of the itinerary for our new photo tour itinerary with Tokpa Korlo.

Morning in Bhaktapur

25/04/2019

Photo by photokhichuwa

16/04/2019

A bit of travel inspiration for the day: this is what you see during a take off when flying from Kathmandu to Bhutan.

We will be posting some new programs in Nepal and Bhutan soon. Are you ready to take off?

12/04/2019

Did you know that the biggest Buddhist temple in the world is located in Indonesia?

The Borobudur Temple was built in the 8th and 9th centuries AD in the Kedu Valley at the centre of the Java island.

The main temple is a stupa built in three tiers around a hill: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa.

The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,520 m2. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha.

The vertical division of Borobudur Temple into base, body, and superstructure perfectly accords with the conception of the Universe in Buddhist cosmology.

Of course, from the ground, it looks a bit different than on this drone video, but it is definitely worth visiting!

Is it true that Borobudur Temple is Solomon (Sulaiman) Legacy ? Borobudur Temple is a Buddhist temple. Adjacent to the temple of Borobudur is Pawon and Mendu...

05/04/2019

Traditionally, Buddhists circumambulate (walk clockwise) around important sites to create a connection with and pay tribute to the site. Circumambulation is often practiced as a form of meditation, focusing on the endless cycle of rebirth and the eightfold path that leads to freedom from suffering. Circumambulation sites might include stupas (structures that represent the seated Buddha), shrines, and mountains.

In Strava’s heat maps, the devotional movements of tired pilgrims become blazing symbols of sacred geography.

Thank you, Sandra Urania for sending us this beauty! :)

In Strava's heat maps, the devotional movements of tired pilgrims become blazing symbols of sacred geography.

22/03/2019

Spring is in the air. And Bhutan is no exception. But spring in Bhutan is of exceptional beauty.

On photos, you can see blossoming trees in the Jowo Temple of Kyichu, one of the oldest temples in the kingdom, originally built in the 7th century by the Tibetan Emperor Songtsen Gampo.

Photo (c) Alex Gavinsky

18/03/2019

Both marketing research and our own experience show that people like cats. 😁
And how about these Black hat brothers from the famous Tiger Nest Temple in Bhutan?

Photo by Alexey Gavinskiy

Black Hats Brothers of Taktsang (Tiger Nest), Bhutan

08/03/2019

At the kora (ritual circumambulation) around Jokhang, the main Buddhist temple of Tibet in Barkhor, Lhasa.

28/02/2019

We have already shared with you a photo of traditional archery competition in Bhutan earlier, and here is yet another spectacular traditional archery contest. This time in Tibet.

21/02/2019

To all our guides who make each travel unique. Thank you for doing such a great job!

See all our tours and guides at buddhist.tendirections.de

© Ten Directions GmbH

12/02/2019

A stunning view of Namtso Lake in Tibet, captured by Salva Magaz.

Yogis speak about inner space, inner peace and how it's linked with our external world perception.
Poets, painters speak about it too...
-- Namtso Lake Tibet, 2003

10/02/2019

We would like to share with you these touching "thank you" letters written by children studying in Diwakar Takdah School founded by late Shamar Rinpoche in Darjeeling, India.

With very little money one can make a very big difference in a child's life and since this year we are officially supporting two students: one in the boy's school and one in the girl's school, we would like to invite you to join us in this activity.

This support is made possible by Infinite Compassion Charitable Organization based in Renchen-Ulm, Germany. if you feel like joining the noble cause, you can find all the information on their website.

Sunday February 10th, 2019Thank you!0 0Story of Lhakpa Dhondup and his brother ThrinleyMy name is Lhakpa Dhondup. I and my brother Thrinley are studying at Takdah Diwakar Buddhist School in Darjeeling India. We are originally from Dolpa Kharpa (It is a very small village, not known ...Read More

05/02/2019

Today the Tibetan Buddhist community all over the world is celebrating a fest called Losar.

"Lo" stands for year, and "sar" means fresh or new. It is indeed what we, in the West, call New Year. Only in Tibet, and the whole of Asia, the New Year is not celebrated on the 31 of December, but in February. The exact date always moves a little bit back and forth, as in Tibet one follows the lunar calendar.

However, despite the date difference, it remains a moment of great celebration. It is the time to rethink the past year and to say goodbye to everything that has happened. And on the other hand, one looks towards the future and everything that the coming year is about to bring.

These two attitudes are very well expressed by the rituals, that are performed during Losar. It is a very folkloric display to participate in, and an unforgettable experience to witness. Day-and-night lasting rituals, accompanied by melodious chanting, prayers and musical instruments, colorful Lama dances of unimaginable complexity and beauty, and an immense display of offerings and decorations, are only one part of what a participant of such an event can witness. The inner aspect is to reconsider ones past actions and to inwardly acknowledge everything that happened, as-well-as to express gratitude for all the blessings one has received. And, as life is not all about dwelling in the past, one makes wishes, so that the coming year will be free of obstacles and hindrances on both material and spiritual levels.

Losar a celebration goes on for a week and is concluded by yet another offering ritual. That one is particular because this time the offerings are neither distributed nor consumed. This time the offerings are being offered into the fire, and rise to the sky in form of smoke. During this ritual one will often hear the word Lha (which literally means "gods", and is understood to be positive energies residing in the world) and a colorful mixture of dry flower petals and saffron-colored rice will be regularly thrown into the sky, thus symbolizing that the rejoicing in the event, and the granting of blessing for the success of all future projects.

May it be an auspicious beginning of the Tibetan New Year for everyone: taking part in the event or not. And may the "gods" let a rain of flowers fall down on this earth, thus blessing all its inhabitants with lasting happiness! This is what is believed in Tibet … and a taste of this can be felt in all corners of the planet.

Text - Viktor Römer
Photo (c) Tokpa Korlo / Dhagpo Kagyu Ling

02/02/2019

One more of our trips for this year is to Tibet on 12 - 26 of August, and it has a rather classical itinerary: a kora around Mount Kailash. But the one add-on that is special about it though is that the route also goes via Yangpachen, the seat of Shamarpas in Tibet.
Check out the page if you want to know more.

TIBET 12. - 26. AUGUST 2019 Pilgerreise zum Berg Kailash Tibet, das Dach der Welt, mit seinen wunderschönen Klöstern und atemberaubenden Bergwanderwegen, bietet einen unglaublichen Panoramablick auf die höchsten Berge unseres Planeten. Der spirituelle Einfluss dieses Landes ist eine entscheidende...

25/01/2019

Have you been to Ladakh yet? Did you see these deep blue skies? did you get to lose your breath among those astonishing landscapes?

I did. Some years ago I got to spend a month in this amazing land that is lost in time. It is so full of life and raw natural beauty, that ever since I have been thinking to go back. Both you and I have a chance to do it this summer, together with an amazing photo artist, Tokpa Korlo.

Check out his photos, and inscribe for a tour here: http://www.tendirections.de/ladakh-photo-tour-tokpa-korlo/

23/01/2019

"When you work hard every single day and there’s only so much money left after your regular expenses, you have to make certain it’s well spent. Spend your limited funds on what science says will make you happy." Spend on Experiences.
Travel with us. We guarantee experiences that you will remember for a long time. ;)

You don’t have infinite money. Spend it on stuff that research says makes you happy.

18/01/2019

In these days of a fast pace and constant change, it is soothing to know that some things stay unchangeable for hundreds and not tens of years.
If you feel that you need to slow down, and emerge into a slow-living for a while, go with us to Bhutan.

: Tiger’s Nest in 2009 (left) and Tiger’s Nest in 2019. Yup, nothing has changed 🙂. This is something you’ll notice while travelling in Bhutan - the environments and tourist landmarks are pristine and not overrun by crowds.

11/01/2019

A little throwback to the wonderful time in Sharminub during the Guru Yoga retreat with Jigme Rinpoche.

Here is what one of the participants sent us as a testimony:

Second Guru Yoga Retreat with Jigme Rinpoche in Sharminub.

Taking the flight from Frankfurt on my on, I was warmly welcomed at the airport by Ashok Travel
Kamal and Lama Nyima. They organized the shuttle to the hotels for everybody. I stayed close to
Sharminub in a homestay.

Next day the retreat started with the teaching of Jigme Rinpoche. We were all sitting around the
Stupa of Shamar Rinpoche. After first teaching and a nice break in the sun, we started to do the
Guru Yoga Practice.

Already everybody got the information of a wonderful event coming up next day: Karmapa giving
initiation of Amitayus. There were many people arranging around the large hall nice bouquets of
flowers, Everything was nicely prepared under the guidance of Jigme Rinpoche and Khenpo
Gyaltsen Zangpo. On Tuesday morning the monks from Kalimpong arrived. Many people from
different countries arrived. The organization was managed very well.

Karmapa arrived with many Rinpoches and gave also teaching about the initiation. The blessing filled the whole area. Everybody was so happy to be able to meet his Holiness and get the initiation from him.

Next days we went on getting teachings from Rinpoche and in the afternoon also once with
Khenpo Gyaltsen Zangpo. We practiced the Guru Yoga twice a day.

On Wednesday there was an excursion to Swayambu. As the group arrived on top, Karmapa arrived
also with his monks. He visited the site of the Swayambu temple and we could join him making
Kora. What a wonderful coincidence!

The whole retreat was so inspiring and helpful for our practice! Thank you very much to Rinpoche
and the Khenpo and Lamas of Sharminub. We felt so welcome in this place, with all the joyful
children.

And thanks to Ten Directions for the planning and the good cooperation with the Lama Nyima’s
group.

Text and photo copyright by Barbara Vornweg-Lutz

20/12/2018

More impressions of Monlam through eyes and lense of Tokpa Korlo.

I wish for a moment I could see the world the way Karmapa does. Through his eyes all things must be so beautiful. The hidden details he must see in those things we take for granted. The beauty that lies within. I watch the way he looks at things, how he holds everything. Like it’s the most precious and beloved item he has ever seen or touched. The way he examines them carefully. He looks really deeply at them, looking inside them, trying to see how they work, what they are made of, or how they might feel. Be it a book, a flower or something of seemingly no importance whatsoever, he looks at them all in that same way. There is no filter, no hierarchy or motive. Nothing could be more important, more interesting, or more beautiful than that which is here and now, directly in front of him. You can see that whatever he does, whatever he sees, whomever he meets; he puts all he has into that moment. Can you imagine the beauty of everything when looked at in this way? I wish to see the world in this way. I wish to see the real beauty inside of the seemingly mundane and insignificant. To see all things for the wonders that they really are. That is the quality of a great Bodhisattva, and only a Buddha sees the world in this way. To see the world through the eyes of a Buddha. The real beauty of this world is in the details that we may not see, unless we know how to look.

The Kagyu Monlam