Our Annual Losar Tibetan Immersion Trip

We invite you to take an extraordinary journey! Experience a glimpse of Tibetan Buddhist monastic life within the walls of a monastery located in the largest Tibetan settlement outside of Tibet, in Bylakuppe, South India.  Many new experiences await you!  Get immersed in the enthralling sounds of early morning chants, meet high Lamas and learn from their wonderful teachings, take a walking meditation in solitude around the quiet grounds of the monastery. Culminating your experience will be witnessing the authentic celebration of Losar, the Tibetan Buddhist New Year, and participating in the local festivities with the Tibetan community.

For details about this amazing annual journey, every February, read the 2024 brochure and sign up asap! Registration opens Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

Reflections about the 2023 Losar retreat

by Marjorie Ochstein, March 2023

Our trip to India for LOSAR 2023 really expanded my view of the world and especially my view of the Tibetan experience in India. Seeing and meeting the monks of Tashi Lhunpo and witnessing the work they are doing daily to preserve Tibetan life, culture and religion showed me what people can do in the face of aggression and even possible extinction.

After all that flying time from the USA to the beautiful, modern Bengaluru airport, we were expertly driven out of the city to our first stop, Mysore. The road was mostly on a modern highway and it gave me time to get oriented and to observe the countryside and the people while learning Indian "roadway etiquette.” We motored along listening to popular Indian music, which I really enjoyed. I recommend doing that especially when visiting a new country.

About halfway to our stop for the night, we took a break for lunch at a clean, well-run roadside restaurant with all the modern facilities a westerner would need. Later, as we pulled up to our hotel in Mysore we found that the hotel was preparing for a wedding, which gave us a little bit of glimpse into Indian wedding preparations. After a delicious dinner in the hotel, we passed some of the wedding well-wishers in the hallways who were dressed in amazing gowns and tunics.

The next morning we toured the Mysore Palace which had quite large, beautifully painted rooms with artifacts that had belonged to the Shah and his family including portraits, a collection of silver boxes, silver doors, two silver chairs and a golden throne.

The next day we traveled on to the busy town of Bylakuppe in the Tibetan Protected Area of India where we got our first glimpse of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and the impressive prayer hall as we approached the front gate. We were shown to our modest rooms at the guest house where each room was equipped with two single beds, cabinets for our belongings and our own large bathroom with a shower.

Close by and down the hall was the kitchen and dining room. During our visit, the guest house cooks provided us with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They observed our individual preferences and offered us meals based on our tastes and diet requirements with a variety of choices. Each meal included hot and cold drinks, juice, breads and assorted fresh fruits. I really enjoyed having the cooks and others in the same room eating at their own table. It allowed us to interact with some of the monks in a comfortable, informal atmosphere and even have a few laughs. And the food was good! In addition, we had some meals in the main dining room of the monastery with all the residents and even went to a private home on the campus for a fun, traditional dinner celebration of the new year.

The most important events occurring during our visit were, of course, the celebrations of the end of the year and the beginning of the new year. I was amazed by the Cham performance with its intricate and beautiful costumes. I marveled at the stamina and dedication of the dancers in spite of the heat of the day, while we were comfortably seated in the shade with a generous supply of snacks and tea.

On the morning of the Cham dance we made a very early morning visit to the prayer hall. When I left the guest house at 5:20 AM it was still very dark and there was a foggy mist everywhere. The younger monks were chanting at the entrance to the hall as the older monks filed in. I was welcomed in by one of the monks stationed at the door and shown to the comfortable pillows at the back of the hall where visitors can sit. We listened to the prayers and meditations in the richly painted, pillared prayer hall that were presided over by Khabje Khen Rinpoche Tehor Zeekgyab Tulku. We even witnessed the rooftop ceremonies where the sounds of the trumpets and horned instruments filled the air.

During the five days and nights we stayed at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, we met with the leadership and gained an understanding of what their goals are for maintaining and sustaining the monastery and the Tibetan people and their culture. We toured the fabulous new library where the precious religious texts are kept and where they are being digitized so they can be accessed world wide. We toured the school where all the young monks are being challenged academically and where they are learning the skills they will need to succeed in a modern world.

Within the monastery I experienced the positive and upbeat attitude of the Tibetan people who are so warm and welcoming. I am thankful that I was able to go there to learn about this fascinating religion and culture. My visit reassured me that the Tibetan people and their culture will flourish and that the concepts of Tibetan Buddhism will help guide the rest of the world to a more peaceful and happier existence.