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Audiences With Lamas and Abbesses
At some religious sites, we’ll have audiences with Lamas, Rimpoches or, Abbesses. These are fascinating, and we travel with an interpreter, so you can always ask questions. Lamas are part of an unbroken lineage, and an audience places you in touch with a direct link to ancient wisdom.
 We usually arrive with an offering of an embroidered khata prayer scarf for a Rinpoche. And for a nunnery, we’ll also bring flowers, which are received by a maroon-robed novice. .jpg) Some audiences are formal and ritualistic. Many others are relaxed and social, and are followed by snacks & tea, with the entire monastic order, including the young monks or nuns. The “baby lamas” are usually delightful, and they are always very interested in us. These memorable interactions are full of good fellowship and laughter.
Being a monk isn’t all spiritual. After one audience, we had a pickup game of some sort, which was a bit like cricket, with a group of crimson-robed monks, until they were called to afternoon prayer.
There may be times when we visit a monastery (male) and a nunnery (female) that are adjacent. On occasion, the group may be divided. John will lead the men to an audience with the High Lama, and another leader will lead the women to an audience with the Reverend Mother Abbess. We’ve found that this type of visit is very interesting, and lets each group have a deeper, more focused type of experience.
 Also in our evening meditation meeting, once or twice we’ll divide the group the same way- men and women. This lets the leaders guide each group in eyes-closed exercises that address some areas of growth and change that are specific to men, and some that are specific to women. Many travelers say these times create a feeling of focus, that allowed them to have some valuable “ah-ha!” moments at a deep level.
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