NEPAL
Spiritual Journey and Sat Nam Rasayan Retreat with Sven Butz (D + EN)
5.-15.3.2023 (waiting list)
Sat Nam Rasayan Retreat in Nepal (D + EN)
“In my personal experience, it’s really important to have times of retreat. Undistracted focus on your meditation gives you the opportunity to stabilize your meditative mind. In it, you can release and heal deep-seated wounds and distractions.”
Sven Butz
Our trip from 5-15.3.2023
Surrounded by the highest mountains and spiritual places of power in a unique nature we follow the traces of Padmasambhava. We meet yogis and scholars and deepen our meditation practice in this incomparable setting.
The first days we stay in the Tibetan quarter near the great stupa in the Kathmandu valley and then go for 3-4 days into the mountains of the Himalayas to the retreat with meditation and Sat Nam Rasayan.
Day 1: Arrive and visit the largest stupa and the surrounding Tibetan monasteries.
We will circle this stupa several times and can say our mantras or good wishes while doing so. The stupa is also called “Wish fulfilling jewel”.
Day 2: Swayambunath Stupa excursion
Mythology: According to Swayambhu Purana, the entire valley was once filled with a huge lake from which a lotus grew. The valley became known as Swayambhu, which means “self-created”. The name comes from an eternal, self-existing flame (svyaṃbhu) over which a Sūpa was later built.
Day 3: Trip to Pharping about 1.5 hours from Kathmandu. We visit the cave where Padmasambava meditated. One of the greatest yogis ever. There is a handprint of him there. Below this cave, in an ancient Ganesha temple, the goddess Tara manifested herself out of a rock. We will be able to meditate in both places.
Day 4: Another excursion will be to a yogi in the Changu Narayan mountains who lives on a mountain top in a small mud house. We will have tea with him and can ask questions. The place is a strong power place in which there are many rock crystals.
Day 5: Another excursion this time on foot to the Tibetan monastery Kopan Monastery or nunnery Nagi Gompa.
Day 6: Trek to Pashupatinath, one of the most important pilgrimage sites for the followers of Shiva. A very old temple complex on the sacred Bagmati River.
Day 7: Another possible excursion to a yogi and scholar named Shyam Baba in the mountains north of Kathmandu.
Note: Since the yogis themselves are often on the move, it is not always possible to guarantee whether they are currently on site.
Day 8-10: After these many impressions we retreat back to the mountains and have time to go inward and reflect.
Also here we will stay in a historical special place: Namo Buddha also called Tagkmo Lu Jin, which means Tigress Body Generosity. It is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Himalayas. Here a prince (an incarnation of Gautama Buddha out of compassion gave his body to a half starved tigress so that she could feed her cubs).
Prerequisites for this retreat:
You are in very good physical and mental condition and have several years of Sat Nam Rasayan experience.
Contact: carmen@turiya.de
Spiritual journey in Nepal
5.-15.3.2023 | Includes 10 nights accommodation, partial meals (Himalaya: 4x breakfast and dinner, Kathmandu: 6x breakfast), bus rides. Your flight, visa, tests, other meals, etc. are exclusive.
Single room approx. 1.590 €
Double room approx. 1.340 €
The number of participants is max. 11. planned start in Kathmandu is on 5.3.2023 at 1.00 p.m..
The retreat in Nepal is scheduled every year around March.
Preparation & Worth Knowing
Not only the capital Kathmandu is a treasure chest full of traditional art, culture and lived spirituality. Nepal is a multiethnic and multilingual country. The small independent country inspires with a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, which can only be found here worldwide.
Entry
Info about passport, visa, visa-on-arrival:
Entry documents
You can find much more useful information on the website of the German Foreign Office, please inform yourself here:
Travel and safety information
Important documents
- Passport
- Vaccination card
- Cash, credit card
- List of important addresses and contact details
- 2-3 passport photos
- Copies of all important travel documents (passport, visa, airline ticket, international health insurance, other insurance policy, etc.)
Means of payment
Exchange cash
It is best to stock up on cash in local currency immediately after your arrival in Nepal. The exchange of EUR (or also USD) as cash is possible without any problems in numerous exchange offices or also in the hotel. You can use the currency converter to find out the current daily exchange rate of the Nepalese Rupee to the Euro. www.umrechner-euro.de
Withdraw cash or pay cashless?
Credit cards are increasingly accepted for payment of larger amounts for a fee (especially VISA), but the vast majority of all purchases are still only possible with cash.
Cash withdrawal by credit card (Master Card or Visa Card) or EC card (Maestro only, not V-Pay) is only possible in the larger credit institutions in Kathmandu and is bound to the very limited opening hours.
Packing list
Honestly, it does not matter if you forget something. In Kathmandu you can buy everything. In March, temperatures range from 5° to 25° degrees.
What you should definitely take with you:
- well broken in trekking shoes
- Sunglasses
- Daypack
- Water bottle
- Travel adapter
- …
Good to know
Every nation has a way to express gratitude and respect. In Nepal, one uses both hands and not just one when handing over or receiving something, especially money.
Most people from Western cultures have grown up with the norm that you don’t eat with your fingers. If you come to Nepal, you should be prepared to do it! It is polite to eat with your hand, but you never use your left hand for this, only your right.
How do you greet each other in Nepal?
The use of both hands is considered a gesture of respect. In Nepalese women do not usually shake hands in greeting, the greeting “Namasté” fits better.
Clothing
In the tourist district Thamel it doesn’t really matter what you are wearing. There the tourists are among themselves anyway. Nevertheless, in Nepal women should keep their shoulders, knees, calves and waist covered if possible.
Social behavior
Public displays of affection between a man and a woman – from holding hands to kissing – are not welcomed in Nepal. A change in thinking can be observed here, especially among young Nepalese. On the other hand, it is very common for same-sex men to hold hands and lie in each other’s shoulders together on the streets. This does not mean that they are homosexual.
- “Saving face” and not “losing face” play a significant role in Nepal, as they do throughout Asia. This is one of the reasons why Nepalese people are very generous.
- Never use your left hand to greet, wave, give or accept items.
- If you want to point to something, don’t use a single finger, use the flat, outstretched hand.
- Anything that has touched personal saliva is considered unclean. For example, you never share your spoon or use it to scoop food from a communal pot.
- Try to sit so that the soles of your feet are not facing a statue or another person.
- When you enter a house or temple, please remember to take off your shoes.
- Please photograph locals only with their permission.
Temple
- When you enter a private home, temple or monastery, it is customary to remove your shoes. In the temples you also put all other items made of leather.
- No headgear or sunglasses. Shoulder and knee should be covered.
- Photos are not welcome.
If you accidentally disobey one of the rules, no Nepalese will hold it against you. Ultimately, it pleases them that you are trying to adapt to Nepali culture.