Hi
My wife and I are going to Nepal in September and were planning to visit Lhasa, nonetheless for about five days, we are not sure if it would be a better option to stay in Kathmandu and visit/stay the Kopan monastery as this would provide a more real experience with tibetan culture instead of taking an organized tour in Lhasa mainly consisting of visiting incredible sites which are now more of a museum than the real thing. We will appreciate any comments. If Lhasa is a recommendation, we would appreciate any reference to tour agents in Kathmandu and what you paid for your trip to Lhasa, we have already contacted Yeti Travels and Natraj tours.
TIBETAN CULTURE LHASA OR KOPAN MONASTERY IN KATHMANDU?
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It would appear that you have to decide between two very different experiences.
Kopan Monastery offers a course of study. It would be like attending school for a month, or visiting a school for a week.
Buddhistic studies for a novice monk is a very long haul. It takes years to get to the stage of a "geshe" - a doctorate, so to speak. Just as getting a doctorate in the West is a long haul. Measure this amount of effort against spending a week at a school/university and you'll see that you are but barely scratching the surface.
However, I commend you for wishing to spend time learning about Buddhism.
On the other hand, Tibet itself is the heartland of the Tibetan form of Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism. Even if places such as the Potala have been turned into museums, I believe, IMHO, you will gain a lot more by going to Tibet and seeing all the richness and variety that it has to offer. Tibetan Buddhism is hardly dead just because some of its major monuments have been turned into museums by the Chinese.
Just my opinion. Let us know how you decide.
Easy traveler:
Thank you very much for your help, I was feeling inclined to visit Tibet and your comments were of great help. Do you know any travel agent in KTM you can recommend, also do you know if I would have to pay everything before getting there? I feel a little uncomfortable about providing credit card information or making full payment without knowing the agent. Thank you very much again for your help!
In response to traveling in Tibet. I am an expat living in Shanghai. Two weeks ago, my son and husband spent a week in Tibet and enjoyed it very much. We used a Hong Kong Travel Agency that has an office in Shanghai. The guides they provide are wonderful. I have recommended this agency to many people and everyone has been very happy. Please feel free to email me at Myszk@AOL.COM I should note that I have no connection with the agency other then that of client! My job in Shanghai is not related to tourism, unfortunately. Myszka in Shanghai