High in the Himalayas, this sacred place is not just a destination—it is a spiritual home where ancient [Vajrayana] traditions are kept alive.
I created this film to honor their way of life and share the profound peace of this holy site.
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The Legend of Namo Buddha
I'm so hungry that I can't feed my cubs.
Located in the Kathmandu Valley, Namo Buddha is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in Nepal. It is the place where, according to legend, the historical Buddha [as the Bodhisattva] in a previous life sacrificed [parts of] his body to feed a starving tigress and her cubs [Mankiala]. This [unlikely but legendary] act of supremecompassion (karuṇā) echoes through the monastery to this day.
(Aron Kiss) Discovering a hidden hermitage of Buddhist monks at a peaceful meditation center in the Himalayas of Tibet (which the Chinese authorities insist is part of China).
Ancient Buddhist monks found alive in remote Himalayas: Experts fear what they’re guarding
In Lhasa, Tibet, 1924
(Voyager) April 28, 2025: In the remote, icy Himalayan peaks, ancient monks have been reportedly found alive, sitting in deep meditation and untouched by time. These mysterious figures, seemingly defying death, have sparked awe and fear among experts. What secrets are they guarding, and why are they hidden in isolation? Whispers of divine rituals and ancient relics have surfaced, leaving the world to wonder if these monks hold knowledge that could reshape humanity—or destroy it. What lies beyond the veil of their silence? #Voyager Subscribe ➡ @voyagerspace
For centuries Tibet has been known as the last home of mystery [excluding the even more mysterious Bhutan, Sikkim, and to some extent Nepal], the hidden, sealed land, where ancient mysteries still survive that have perished in the rest of the Orient (Asia).
Many people have written about Tibet and its secret lore, but few have actually penetrated it to learn its ancient wisdom. Among those few was Madame Alexandra David-Neel, a French Orientalist.
A practicing Western Buddhist, a profound historian of religion, and linguist, she actually lived in Tibet for more than 14 years.
She had the great honor of being received by the 14th Dalai Lama;
she studied philosophical Buddhism and Tibetan Tantra at Tibet's great centers;
she meditated in lonely caves and on wind-swept winter mountains with yogi hermits; and
she witnessed forbidden corpse-magic in the forests.
Magic and Mystery in Tibet tells the story of her experiences on the Rooftop of the World, among lamas and magicians.
It is neither a travel book nor an autobiography but a study of psychic discovery, a description of the occult and mystical theories and psychic training practices of Tibet.
She tells of great sages and sorcerers that she met, of the system of monastic education, the great teachers and their disciples, Tibetan folklore about their spiritual athletes, reincarnation (rebirth) and memory from previous lives.
She also discusses elaborate magical rites to obtain the siddhis (supernormal powers), the horrible necromantic magic of the pre-Buddhist Bonpa shamas (Bon shamans), mental visualization exercises to create disembodied thought forms (tulpas), visions, strange phenomena derived from physical yoga postures, control of the body-heat mechanism (tumo), breathing exercises; sending “messages on the wind,” and much similar material.
An unusual aspect of Madame David-Neel’s book is that she herself experienced many of the phenomena she describes, yet she describes them with precision and in a matter-of-fact manner, permitting the reader to draw his own conclusions about validity, interpretation in terms of psychology, and value.
Particularly interesting for the modern experiencer are her detailed instructions for tumo (the yoga of heat control) and the creation of thought projections. More
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author becomes an adept in Tibet, 1933
At the age of 18, Alexandra David-Néel had already visited England, Switzerland, and Spain on her own, and she was studying in Madame Blavatsky's Theosophical Society.
"She joined various secret societies – she would reach the thirtieth degree in the mixed Scottish Rite of Freemasonry – while [both] feminist and anarchist groups greeted her with enthusiasm...
"Throughout her childhood and adolescence, she was associated with the French geographer and anarchist Elisée Reclus (1820–1905). This led her to become interested in the anarchistic ideas of the time and in feminism, that inspired her to publish Pour la vie (For Life) in 1898.
"In 1899, she composed an anarchist treatise with a preface by Reclus. Publishers did not dare to publish the book, though her friend Jean Haustont printed copies himself and it was eventually translated into five languages."
In 1891, she visited India for the first time and met her spiritual preceptor, Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati of Varanasi [7].
She was 21 years old when she converted to Buddhism in 1889, according to Raymond Brodeur, which she noted in her diary published under the title La Lampe de sagesse (The Lamp of Wisdom) in 1896. More
Hey, what's the difference, Buddhism is Buddhism, right? No. The differences are so vast that they make one form or school nearly unrecognizable from another. There are at least three or four Buddhisms, but many more when culture is factored in. This website is partial to "orthodox" Early Buddhism, the many forms of Theravada (particularly Burmese, Sinhalese, and Thai).
But there's no denying the extreme value of the "reformed" Mahayana schools, with their mix of Hinduism, Taoism, and indigenous shamanism. One should parse what is missionary Buddhism from what practices and beliefs were present before Buddhism arrived and not confuse the Dharma (the Buddha's Teaching) with many other beliefs. The bathwater was not thrown out just because the baby arrived. There are throughlines for all forms of Buddhism no matter how far afield they travel.
Note that Theravada ("Teaching of the Elders") only represents 10% of the Buddhist experience in the world, whereas Mahayana ("Great Vehicle") is a big tent with many disparate members that would not really go together but do because everyone accepts the mainstream by default and some even prefer it.
What's the difference? Would YOU prefer a Buddhism centered on Amitabha, a "Cosmic Buddha" of Infinite Light, or a Queen of Heaven who is the Goddess of Compassion Virg Yin Guanyin -- or a lackluster tradition about an actual historical human guy named Siddhartha Gautama who mostly refuses to do magic and prefers the "miracle of instruction" over the other more flashy miracles?
We think the answer is clear. But people on this planet, by and large, will stick with whatever they were born with. Right, Catholic readers? Lol. We were Catholic, we were Christian, we were Jewish, we were atheists, we love (animistic) shamanism, and now we fancy ourselves lapsed agnostics (like Monty Python said).
So one way the Dhamma (Pali) came to be practiced was the post-Brahmin version that went north. Technically, it is a Mahayana school, but it is actually Himalayan Vajrayana (as distinct from the related Mongolian, Russian, and Siberian versions), where -yana means "vehicle." Let us take a peek at a lama's life in a form of Buddhism so influenced by Bon shamanism that it is all about ritual, black magic, and a whole lot of Hinduism by another name.
(One may ask how Tibetan Vajrayana survived and came to be so widely known. The CIA and the American Empire, at odds with the Chinese Empire, had a lot to do with that). Which Buddhism is the "right" Buddhism? Viva la difference.
Tibetan Monk: A Day in the Life of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk | Tibet Travel
Tibet Travel (Tibet Vista) What is the daily life of a Tibetan monk or lama? This is one of the most intriguing aspects when we talk about the Tibetan plateau, now a quarter of China's total territory. Learn more at tibettravel.org.
This video lets us have a glimpse of what a monk’s daily life is like in Tibet, which is shown as we followed a head monk, who lives in the Jhoden Monastery, about three hours driving east of the Tibetan (formerly imperial) capital Lhasa.
He leads a fairly peaceful and simple life. His daily schedule consists of morning Buddha offering (puja), meditation (bhavana), praying for the peace and a good harvest for the villages around his monastery, and night chanting (paritta).
Buddhist monastics are living a happy and simple, but it’s not easy. They need to keep pursuing their Buddhist practices, studies, and praying for the blessings of the Goddess of Mercy Kannon (Kwan Yin, Guanyin, Avalokita).
From the early morning to the late night, see how he will enjoy the day. Hoping all will enjoy the video and let us know what you think.
The Unknown Life of Jesus: original text with photographs and map by Nicolas Notovitch has 4.6 out of 5 stars with 114 ratings. Notovitch was born into an aristocratic Jewish family but converted to Christianity in his youth.
A prolific Russian journalist, author of 12 books, (and some say a spy), he travelled widely in the East, visiting India, formerly Buddhist Afghanistan (Gandhara), and Buddhist Ladakh (formerly part of Tibet).
After a horse-riding accident that broke his leg, Notovitch recuperated at a Tibetan Buddhist lamasery (monastery) called Hemis Gompa.
There he heard of an ancient written manuscript that revealed astonishing information on the 16 "Lost Years of Jesus" -- the period between Jesus Christ's visit to the Jerusalem Temple at the age of 12 and his baptism in the Jordan River, about which the Bible is strangely silent.
The Tibetan manuscript relates that Jesus (called Saint Issa in the East) spent this time traveling to India and Tibet to study the spiritual disciplines of the East. He then returned via Persia to Israel, where he taught for a few years until his eventual crucifixion (torture by Roman soldiers reserved for political criminals).
This account was published by Notovitch in 1887 as The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ. It caused an immediate sensation, stirring passions on both sides, shaking the foundations of Orthodox Christianity and raising a storm of controversy that, after more than 125 years [after its publication], has not yet abated.
This is an exciting, thought-provoking book, essential reading for anyone interested in the life of the historical Jesus the Nazarene [not a place but a sect designation for vegetarian/vegan, according to Christspiracy]. More
This version includes an introduction from Yogi Ramachakra from his book, Mystic Christianity, giving additional insight into the 18 unknown years of Jesus Christ's life with an afterword by Baird T. Spalding from his book, Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East. Nicolas Notovitch journeyed to Ladakh (Tibet) in 1887 and discovered manuscripts in a Buddhist monastery describing some of the unknown years of Jesus Christ. In these manuscripts the Jewish-Christian godman (sadhu) is referred to as Saint Issa.
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Nicolas Notovitch, translated by Connelly and Landsberg, Greatest Audioibook, Feb. 23, 2013; Lost Years of Jesus; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly
The secret of Tibetan Buddhist monastics' rainbow transformation
(China Insights) Where does a human life ultimately go? [It is like asking where a flame goes when it goes out. Where does it go? The question is nonsensical even though we would like to think it must go somewhere and where that place could be, it does not travel somewhere but just goes out then and there.]
A remarkable answer is given in the unique region of [a giant country called] Tibet [which is a quarter the size of the country that took it over, which was the communist regime] in China.
The rainbow [body] transformation of a Tibetan lama or ani (monk or nun) at the time of passing is a unique phenomenon that attracts people to search for the essence of life.
This Rainbow Transformation refers to the practice of esoteric Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, in which the body of a meditator who has attained nirvanasamadhi can instantly transform into a rainbow of light and disappear [a display of siddhis].
It is a strange and colorful sight. Rather than a legend, it is a miraculous sight that many people have witnessed.
In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party seized power in mainland China. After invading Tibet, as in other parts of China, the Communist Party tried to promote atheism [because "religion is the opium of the masses" and wanted that energy directed to the benefit of the state not individual spirituality or the unseen beings and godlings] among the Tibetan people. But the party was unsuccessful.
The people living in Tibet are almost universally Buddhists, and their strong belief in the Buddha and his teachings [Dharma] comes from the culture and one's enlightenment and witness of miracles in the course of their confidence in the validity of Buddhist teachings.
ABOUT: China Insights is covering a wide range of stories about or related to China and its role in the world. Support allows CI to produce more high-quality videos. Consider donating at paypal.com/paypalme/China... #Tibet #rainbowtransformation #Tibet #rainbowtransformation #Tibetrainbowtransformation
China Insights, June 17, 2021; CC Liu, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
It is a large complex of Buddhist temples, monasteries, and meditation caves nestled on a mountain, the meditation site for some of Tibetan Buddhism's greatest lamas and masters. Some of these Buddhist meditation masters sat for up to three years with very little food or water.
Visiting Drak (Druk, Brag) Yerpa is a great day trip outside of Lhasa. It combines with a visit to Ganden Gompa, a famous Buddhist monastery, in the afternoon.
As one of the holiest centers of Vajrayana Buddhist thought, Drakyerpa Monastery is of particular interest to those interested in Buddhist meditation and to visitors preparing to trek through Tibet.
The elevation of the caves is at 4,400 meters, which makes it a great acclimatization trip when getting ready to make it to Everest Base Camp. It also makes for nice "down time" during a recovery day after a long drive to Mt. Everest.
King Songtsen Gampo and his two foreign queens are said to have meditated here in the Peu Marsergyi Lhakhang. This cave was the site of their discovery of self-arising symbols of Buddha-body, speech, and mind.
Later, Padmasambhava (aka Guru Rinpoche) concealed many holy Buddhist objects around the Yerpa Valley, including the celebrated ritual dagger of Sera (aka Sera Phurzhal). This dagger was eventually found by the treasureseeker Darcharuba at Sewalung.
Padmasambhava spent several months in retreat in the Dawa Puk. The cave is one of the three most significant places of spiritual attainment in all of Tibet (drub-ne).
In the ninth century, Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje stayed at Drak Yerpa in solitary meditation, prior to and after his assassination of the apostate anti-Buddhist King Langdarma.
One day, exploring Thiksey'sThikse Gompa near Leh, Ladakh, in Buddhist India (in ancient times a remote part of Tibet), I was awed by Tibetan novice monks standing around smiling.
Naturally, being an American with some fancy technology, I wanted to photograph them in the eerily clear atmosphere on the rooftop of the monastery on the Rooftop of the World, overlooking the backside of Mt. Everest and its neighboring mammoth mountains. This sent them into a panegyric. But what they were saying was not that I was great.
Why Thikse? To snap this Buddha
They were saying they would gladly let me snap away IF I promised to send them a copy of their photos once they were developed.
(They must have originally thought I had an instant camera, which they must have seen do its magic because they sure seemed to want the rare aristocratic opportunity to behold themselves in portraits. By now, they probably all have smartphones with Elon Musk and Bill Gates providing Internet access. Ah, to return and see them all grown up like these explorers managed to do).
I found myself alone in Thikse's meditation hall in front of Maitreya, which is odd in India no matter where or when one goes. This is the best Maitreya statue, but it's too tall to be indoors. The only way to get a full picture of it (because, look, one is only seeing the upper half) is to paste a photo taken of it downstairs to one taken of it upstairs. Looking around, I noticed a little door, a hatch, a mysterious portal. And as any Ugly American might, I decided to follow it without permission. How many mysterious portals does one ever get to enter in life?
Behind the wooden glitz and ancient glamor of the meditation hall, it was dark and creepy, a sooty, abandoned construction site. (Don't read on as it only encourages exploratory nosiness and writing about it).CONTINUED BELOW
Hidden Tibetan Buddhist monastery | Our World: Return to Zanskar | BBC documentary
Entrance to the Himalayan monastery
(Danny Bull) This is a journey into the heart of India's Zanskar Valley in Buddhist Ladakh, following two Western travelers who are returning after first visiting 30 years ago.
This is a region lost in time with centuries old monasteries (gompas or lamaseries) built into rock faces and caves.
This film looks at the unique Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist culture of Zanskar and how the local people are dealing with change following road construction into their once isolated valley.
The filmmakers end up at one of the most stunning Buddhist monasteries on the Zanskar River, Phuktal Monastery (not pronounced \F*ck-Tall\ like it looks but \pook-tal\, which means "Cave of Liberation"), sometimes spelled Phugtal or Phukthar Monastery.
Here in Ladakh the filmmakers observe a unique prayer ceremony and speak to Buddhist monks who have lived in seclusion for decades, striving for awakening and liberation.
This was the attic, bare wooden beams and creaky flooring. There was a thick, modern sleeping bag and another, next to a shiny new gas-electric generator. It must get awful cold, I thought, but could this be how monastics survive on the Rooftop of the World? Then I saw a sawhorse and horror. As an idealistic and longtime Buddhist vegan, what I saw didn't make sense. Bon?
Through the poor light, I began to discern a jerkifiedcarcass. DonnerRugby Party? It was shriveled and being stripped off piece by piece, propped up on the sawhorse in violation of the Monastic Disciplinary Code I was familiar with. It's a violation to keep food in one's room. Who killed it? Maybe it was found dead? Maybe workers and guests stayed here?
Who dehydrated it to preserve it before it rotted? Mountain Life is so unlike the botanical wonders and plant-based diversity of delicious South Indian cuisine. Tibetan barley flour wrapped momos (using Indian wheat that is full of just as much toxicgluten) stuffed with anything a plane crash survivor might resort to.
How could an American be so nosy? Who else would be? On that same trip, I attended an ancient dance ceremony inside Hemis Monastery (the place where Jesus of Nazareth stayed and trained when Jesus was a Tibetan Buddhist monk). Now imagine if I had seen any hatches and followed them into the monastic library or seen paintings and paraphernalia of the West's religious idol? I could have been the new Nicolas Notovitch.
HEMIS FESTIVAL: The most esoteric festivities include the mystic mask dances of Ladakh, collectively referred to as chams performances, an essential part of Tantric tradition, performed only in those gompas that follow the Tantric Vajrayana teachings, where monks perform tantric worship.
(Sprouht) July 21, 2024: I asked the Dalai Lama's Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist monks (lamas) and a nun about their biggest regrets and advice for their younger selves at the Dalai Lama's monastery in Northern India at Dharamshala, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, high in the Himalayas. Here's what I learned.
Where's the Panchen Lama? He's leader No. 2
[TibetanVajrayana Buddhism is unlike other forms of Buddhism because it is part Esoteric Mahayana Buddhism, which is a form of Hinduism, and part Bon shamanism, which is full of black magic and witchcraft indigenous to the Himalayan region. Tibet was once a great empire reaching from Bangladesh to Mongolia to Hunza Land in Pakistan, encompassing parts of China, Bhutan, Nepal, Ladakh/India, Kashmir, abutting Central Asia.
The Tibetan Empire grew rich, had its Vatican at Potala Palace in Lhasa. This angered Communist China, which invaded to depose the Tibetan Empire and "free" its serfs from religion and subservience to state-worship and communism, during the Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong.]
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