ISABEL GARCIA, PERSONAL PASSAGE 2009
ISABEL GARCIA, PERSONAL PASSAGE 2009
Once I arrived Tsering, Passage staff, welcomed me with a beautiful Khata (a Nepali traditional scarf) and took me to the hotel in Thamel (the central part of the city) where I stayed the next two nights during orientation. The hotel was beautiful with a magnificent room overlooking the garden and the staff so welcoming and nice. Shortly after, Yanik, my program coordinator, came to the hotel to greet me and asked me if I wanted to hang out with the boys of Miami Ink since they were in town filming a new show called World Wide Tribe and he was the coordinator for the Ktm tour. I went to buy thangka paintings and rugs with the cast. They were buying the paintings from my host family so it was really nice meeting them as well. Let’s just say the beginning of the trip was surreal. I was so jetlagged and there I was helping professional tattoo artists pick thangka paintings for their house. After shopping we ate dinner at Hotel Yak n Yeti and spent some time chatting and exchanging experiences and taking recommendations of places to see.
The next day I arrived at the monastery and started the meditation course. I never thought I would be in such a magnificent environment. The decor and architecture of the monastery is very intricate and detailed. One can see everything is made with great effort and very well taken care of. The course started and I met my roommate, Marta. She is also from Colombia, which was a coincidence.
After unpacking we went down to the Gompa (monastery) for our first session. The professor and monk, Yeshi, is from Portland and very funny! He is also very wise and easy to understand. I learned a great deal from him and helped me a lot with questions related to psychology and Buddhism.
Among the teachings were the history of Buddhism and the different themes and practices that have evolved through the years. I enjoyed all the teachings until we encountered the theme of emptiness. It is based on the concept that there is no ego and the ego is just a limitation of our mind. This is difficult to understand/accept given my educational background; let’s just say I went to the bookstore after this teaching and bought several books on the subject. For Buddhists the spirit lies in the mind (not necessarily the head). Because the mind has no limitations–if it is aware and guided through the practice of meditation, one can experience things more fully without attachment. The whole concept of the limitless mind is what supports the idea of reincarnation and karma. The mind keeps on going from life to life, and the karma we have in this life is based on a past life and how able we are to train the mind in the current life. It is a very difficult and abstract concept however I find myself very interested in it. I have to say that after leaving the monastery I’ve been practicing meditation every morning and before going to bed, and I find it a very useful tool towards living a calmer, happier life. It is not to say that I am a changed person, but I’m glad I’m incorporating new useful things into my life.
After coming back from the monastery I moved in with my wonderful host family. Tsering La or Amala as I used to call her, which means mother in Tibetan, Wang La, the father, their two children Diki and Nawang, and Popola, the wonderful and charismatic 79-yr-old grandfather. It is a wonderful Tibetan family in which the father and grandfather are part of 7-generation thangka painters. Popola traveled across Tibet during the Chinese invasion carrying a thangka that has been blessed by several high lamas. The thangka itself is in good condition however we can see the deterioration of the painting by water when Popola was fleeing from Tibet.
My days in the house consist of waking up at 6:30 am and preparing for Nepali language class until 9 am. After that I go to the studio where I sit with Popola, Wang La and other painters to trace the different Thangkas. Popola and I communicate by sign language because he only speaks Tibetan and cannot understand the little Nepali I’ve learned. It is interesting seeing us talk—we are literally lost in translation! It is fun though and I greatly enjoy his company. Sweet, wonderful Amala serves as the mediator between us when he is checking my sketches. Amala is a very funny upbeat woman and makes everything so comfortable. She is constantly joking and cooks deliciously! She says she’s proud to having such a beautiful daughter (referring to me), and I have to say I’m proud and happy to have her in my life right now. I feel extremely blessed in being here and with this family.
My trip to Kathmandu was to pursue my personal interest in learning about Buddhism and Thangka painting. It was not until I met Sangeeta Thapa, owner and curator of Siddhartha Art Gallery during one of my excursions, that the idea to do an Art Therapy presentation came up. While talking about our mutual interest in art, she asked me about art therapy. I gave a brief description of the field, which led to conversations about social issues, physical illness and its emotional and psychological impact among other themes. Due to the relationship of art therapy and its function as a form of psychotherapy she offered me the opportunity to participate in a presentation with Kathmandu University fine art students. This opportunity also helped opened a new door as it allowed me to connect with local students in the Kathmandu art community and have an article published in Republica news daily about something that I truly believe in. Furthermore, it rejuvenated how I personally felt about my career. It gave me a fresh outlook of the different geographical regions and a new hope to utilize this emerging and developing field. I am thankful to the connections that Passage International provided since it allowed the space to explore the application of art therapy in a different context further encouraging the development of art and psychology as a healing tool.
