Interview with Joseph Chinnock on Travelling in Nepal

When did you first get interested in Nepal?

I travelled to Nepal the summer after my college freshman year intending to trek to Everest Base Camp the long route. I contracted dysentery and altitude sickness on the trek and ended up losing fifty pounds (this was when I weighed 155) and literally crawling back to Kathmandu. I took a meditation class at Kopan Monastery and they asked me to stay the two weeks until my flight left and recuperate. That was my introduction to Nepal and Buddhism as well as the spectacular scenery of the Himalayas and the kindness of the Nepali people.

Why do you think it benefits Americans to travel in the Himalayas?

If you like the Rockies than you will love the Himalayas. Sometimes living in Boulder I still look twice as high and then realize the mountains here go to 14,000 rather than 28,000 feet. The culture of Nepal is so warm, inviting, considerate, old, and rich with traditions, it really makes every day feel like a party even though it is a poor country.

India, Bhutan, and Pakistan also have amazing treks and climbs through the Himalayas. If you’re new to the area than the Annapurna trek is amazing, can be done in ten to fourteen days, and will show you a panorama of the Himalayas that is breath-taking.

What is your favorite aspect of taking Westerners to the Himalayas?

Seeing them enjoy the culture. Nepalis are incredibly friendly and open and I have never seen anyone go away without having the time of their lives. For example, in Nepal you are supposed to bargain for everything including vegetables at the market. I was a lousy negotiator, so the women selling vegetables used to pick out the best ones and give me a discount because they knew I couldn’t do it myself.

What is the hardest part about travelling in Nepal?

The poverty at times can be rough to see. On the other hand you often are in a situation where a small contribution in attention, talent, or money can have a huge impact. For example you can sponsor a kid to go to school for about a hundred dollars a month and that will transform the child’s life.

With all the poverty and hardship in that area of the world, what do

you think Westerners can do to help the Nepali people?

Go and experience it. Connect with them and you will have plenty of opportunities arise to serve just as you will receive a lot of love and friendship in return.

What is the most inspiring experience you've had in Nepal?

There were so many. Being invited to be my friend’s best man at his wedding featuring elephants and a saxophone player, having people on the Mustang Trek give us shelter in their tiny home when a freak snowstorm hit, or just sitting with friends and talking, drinking tea while their kids play. All lovely times.

Want more info?  Contact Joseph at jcboulder@gmail.com

Tibetan Medical Flower Essence Project

Tibetan medicine has a long herbal and alchemical history and those come together in the creation of chulen, or flower essence remedies, that address physical, emotional and spiritual illnesses at the deepest levels. Traditionally chulen pills are made from rare plants, flowers, mosses, semi-precious and precious stones, as well as pieces of holy relics such as robes of enlightened meditation masters and saints.

These essences have become so popular that some of the plants they are composed off have been stripped bare from the Himalayas. Also the energies these essences work with are so subtle that an essence can be made using the energetic imprint of the materials, leaving the plants themselves in place to thrive.

We have partnered with traditional Tibetan doctor Amchi Smanla in Ladakh, India (web.www.smanla-guesthouse.com) to create a flower essence using traditional methods, but for Westerners, who tend to experience a lot of Wind disorders such as anxiety, insomnia and overall restlessness. This essence is perfect for raising your overall energy levels as well as your Windhorse, roughly translated as destiny.

We will be giving away a dozen of this essence in return for a 250 word essay on why you would like the essence and then another 250 word essay on the effects of the essence on your body and mind.

This is what the ancient texts say about this type of essence: All disease is eliminated, your lifespan is increased, and your complexion and body vibration improve. They make you appear younger and eliminate wrinkles and gray hair. You gain great wisdom and clarity of mind. You can easily achieve realizations such as great compassion, loving kindness, and wisdom; the positive mind arises without difficulty.

This essence is an antidote to all diseases common to humans; the elements they contain balance your internal nervous system. Therefore, they are an essential medicine for controlling all disease. Normal body odor transforms into perfume, speech into mantra, and mind into wisdom. As a result, you attract all positive energy magnetically, like sources of honey-nectar attracts bees. All dakas, dakinis and positive spirits become your friends and come to help.

Want more info about the give-away?  Contact Joseph Chinnock at jcboulder@gmail.com.

Some ingredients in addition to the essence being blessed by over 100,000 mantras:

Tibetan Name	Common Name	Latin Name
1 A-ru-ra	Chebulic Myrobalan (benefits all diseases)	Terminalis Chebula Retz
2 Ra-nye	Polygonatum Cirrkifolium
3 Le-tre	Heartleaved Moonseed	Timospora Cordifolia
4 Se-wai me-tog	Wild Rose	Rosa Sericea
5 Tri-ngag		Callicarpa Macropylla
6 Kur-kum	Saffron	Carthamus Tinctorius
7 Ka-ko-la	Greater Cardamon	Amonum Subulatum
8 Tag-ngu	(for bile)	Drosesa Peltata
9 Ba-ru-ra	Belleric Myrobalan	Terminalia Bellerica
10 Chu-shing	Banana Tree
11 Ha-lo me-tog	Mallow
12 Ba-lui me-tog	Himalayan Silverfir, like Azalea  (for phlegm, T.B.)
13 Li-shi	Clove	Syzigum Aromaticum
14 Chu-kang	Bamboo Manna
15 Kyu-ru-ra	Emblic Myrobalan	Emblicia Officinalis
16 Nye-shing	Aspargus	Spinosissimus
17 Lug-mig	Aster	Aster Flaccidus
18 Ut-pa-la	Utpala	Nelumbo Nucifera
19 Me-tog lang-da
20 Tsa-di	Nutmeg (for wind disease)	Myristica Fragras
21 Pe-ma ke-sar	Petals of Ironwood	Tree Mesua Ferrea
22 Dang-tzi	Honey
23 Mar	Butter
24 Cha-ka
25 Se-ma		Tribulus Terrestris
26 Lug-mug		Pedicularis Diveriana
27 Pang-gyen	Gentian
28 Wang-lag	Orchid Root  (like ginseng; gives strength and energy)	Gymnademia Crassimerius
29 Sug-mel	Lesser Cardamon	Elletaria Cardomonium
30 Ug-chö me-tog	(for improvement of sense organs)
31 Chang	Wine