KHUMBU TREK
PHOTO GALLERY
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Expedition Dispatches
Satellite phone updates from the 1998 American Everest Expedition
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Mencin |
The Puja
Sunday, April 12, 1998 — Base Camp (17,500')
The Lama prepares
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The puja is a ritual cleansing of evil, bad luck, or bad karma performed
in a variety of different circumstances and locales — it also varies from
region to region. A puja can be performed by a Lama or a Monk who
understands and reads ancient Tibetan script. (Not to be confused with
modern Tibetan, their relationship can be roughly considered like that of
Latin to English.)
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The blessing
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DRUMS
CYMBALS
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For our puja, Lama Gyalzen of Pangboche Gompa was contacted and a
request was made for him to come to basecamp to preside. In anticipation of this, the
Sherpas erected an altar, or lhapsung. This is an area that they consider
holy and where they burn Juniper every evening and morning.
Our lhapsung was a large rectangular stone structure with three upright
stones on the top representing roughly, the lama-god, the mother-god, and
the father-god which are universal in Buddhism. The gods to which our
puja was directed also included gods from this region, the Solu (Numbur and
Khagang), and the Khumbu (Khumbila). These local gods are represented by
the mountains above Thyangboche. The Sherpas believe that each mountain is a
god.
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Actuating prayer flags
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During the puja, the Lama sat in front of the lhapsung and read the ancient
Tibetan script, while playing a Tibetan drum and using a pair of brass
dishes as cymbals. He blessed the offerings of food, drink, prayer flags
and khatas. At some point during the ritual, these items took on a holy
aspect. A prayer flag before this was just a piece of cloth; afterwards one
must treat it with respect, not step over it, and keep it clean. The khatas
took on an aspect of good luck; the food and drink were considered ritually
cleansed.
Burning juniper and incense represents good luck and a purification of the area. Rice was passed around, and at certain key times during the reading of the puja, it was thrown to the sky by everyone.
It is meant to draw attention, as in "We are here, grant us good-luck." Sometimes, the rice is touched to the heart and head before being thrown which represents that the gods are in the heart and in the thoughts.
Large plates of food are offered to the gods during the ceremony, while a
small fraction is tossed as an offering, the rest is considered declined
by the gods and meant to be consumed. Near the end of the puja, the food is
passed around and consumed by the group as a ritual meal. Some foods have
their own special significance, such as Chang (a local, mild, alcoholic beverage.)
Its consumption, in moderation — the gods are only allowed to drink the amount equal to the hollow in the wrist behind the
thumb — is said to release the heart and open the mouth.
At the end of the ceremony a bowl of sampa is passed around, and people smear the rice paste on each other's faces to represent good-luck and welcome.
It is a very colorful and joyful celebration, and the atmosphere is one of
relaxation. The Sherpas take its meaning seriously while enjoying its
implementation.
— David Mencin, Expedition Scientist
