I cannot seem to find the right words to start this. I know
what I want to write about to envelop what can be said about this place, but
something stops me from being able to untangle all the thoughts in my mind. Perhaps
this inexplicable quality itself can properly represent Nepal. I have not
understood much for this time, but what I do understand has made amazingly
perfect sense.
A few
days ago on a home visit, a girl told me her favorite thing about living in
Bhaktapur was the sense of family and unity between everyone here. If said
about any other place, I would have dismissed such a common cliché. Even to
someone who is slightly familiar with the city, this may have seemed crazy.
Bhaktapur, like most cities, seems overcrowded, confused, and never resting. To
claim that so many people, so busy, could possibly be anything like connected
is a bold accusation. However, I know now that this city is the only one that
deserves such an acclaim. Throughout all our time here, I have not seen an
ounce of violence, conflict, or any sort of malicious happenings. Instead,
everyone here greets everyone, helps everyone, and shares life with everyone.
Teamwork and cooperation are not options because no alternatives even exist.
What I
have to thank for this is unclear, but I do know one thing: I have never seen a
people so united by religion. At home, religion has become a topic of conflict,
unease, and even hatred; no one trusts anyone if they different in beliefs. Here,
this could not be more the opposite. Ironically enough, in Nepal, having a
mixture of different religious thinking is not only accepted, it’s commonplace.
More often than not, a person in Nepal will tell you they are Hindu, but
practice Buddhism as well, or vice versa. Everyone prays together. Everyone
celebrates together. Everyone is connected through common belief that whatever
they believe is best for the world.
That
being said, I am still awestruck by the way that religion manifests itself
here. The temples and shrines—many of which we have had the privilege of
visiting recently—are so intricate and detailed and cared for; in terms of
religion, I don’t even know what I don’t know, but I can tell you that the air
surrounding sacred places here is enough to make me feel something. It gave me chills to admire the pristine white
temple displaying the engraved story of a Hindu goddess, but it also comforted
me. There is simply something that calms me about being in a place that people
so deeply trust and put their faith in. Nevertheless, in Bhaktapur, this
feeling is not just in the temples, it is the city itself. Walking down the
streets, I feel the city itself sigh with love for its people, and I see the
people care for it more than someone cares for only a home.
Nepal
has me perplexed. But, I trust that the connections I have made here need no
explanation to me and are difficult for others to comprehend. The students, I
care for them and wish them all the fortune in the world. I feel that I have
now a greater understanding of life, as cheesy as that sounds, having met them.
The people and land here will never be forgotten nor will they ever leave my
heart.
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