How I made my Nepal Videos

While in Nepal last year I collected audio, video, and still images I could later assemble into multimedia pieces. I then used them to create videos about NGOs Bo Gangkar Manjushree School and Kopan Monastery.

I thought I would explain how these videos were done for the benefit of my fellow self taught, budget filmmakers. I am definitely not an expert. This is just how I did it.

First, equipment.

Video making equipment.

I used a Zoom Q3 pocket video camera because the audio quality is superior to other pocket video cameras. Zoom no longer makes the Q3 so I bought mine used on eBay for $52 plus $9.95 for shipping.

I could operate the Q3 by powering it with two AA batteries. I read I could film continuously for 30 minutes on one pair of batteries. So I traveled to Nepal with at least six Sanyo brand Eneloop rechargeable AA batteries and an accompanying wall rechargable battery charger purchased as a set at Costco.

(Note: the Q3 battery cover latch broke so I now hold the cover onto the camera using that piece of thin white elastic seen wrapped around the camera body. No big deal.)

If I had access to an electrical outlet while filming then I could operate the Q3 by connecting the Q3 to the electrical outlet using the AC wall charger that comes with the Q3 without having any batteries in the camera.

Another benefit of filming with the Q3 is that I could monitor the audio while filming using the Q3's external headphone jack and a pair of earbuds. I purchased the Panasonic PARPTCM125A from B&H for $12.35 and really like them.

The Q3 stores audio and video files on an external memory card, same as those used in digital cameras. I purchased a Sandisk brand 32GB 30mb/sec Class 10 ultra SDHC card (now discontinued) from B&H for $17.95. The benefit of using a card that holds 32GB is that if you are not traveling with a laptop and external hard drive, then you will still be able to record and save a lot of material. I read each hour of film would require 2GB of memory. If that is true then a 32GB card should be able to hold 16 hours of film.

Even though the Q3 can be used all by itself by just standing it up on a flat surface I chose to travel with the ultra pod table top tripod by Pedco purchased from B&H for $11.99.

The Q3 was versatile because of the high quality microphones built into the Q3. (The Q3 is made by the company Zoom, known for its stellar audio recorders such as the comparatively much more expensive H4n.) The Q3's microphones can be used to record audio while filming, or can also be used to simply record audio tracks.

If I had filmed outside then I would have wanted to cover the Q3's microphones housed at the top of the Q3 with a fake fur windscreen to muffle background noise such as wind.

Fake fur windscreen for sale on eBay for $29.90.

Why spend money on this? My mom hand sewed one for me using a scrap of light grey fake fur and a short piece of white elastic purchased at recycled craft store SCRAP PDX. DIY using YouTube. (Please ensure you are buying fake fur.)

For still photography, I used the point and shoot pocket size digital camera I already had and love - Canon Powershot s90 - purchased used on craigslist in 2011 for $260. (I see you can now get it on eBay for less than $100.) Since it's so small and light I could easily keep it in my day bag and snap photos in Nepal when inspired without drawing attention to myself.

Video Editing

All of the tools I used to make the Bo Gangkar Manjushree School and Kopan Monastery "HD" quality videos are available for free on the web.

- Windows Movie Maker 2012
- Audacity
- Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 with service pack
- Picmonkey
- Any Video Converter
- Wikimedia Commons
- 16:9 Aspect Ratio Calculator

I will walk you through the steps I took to make the Kopan Monastery video. I used a slightly different process to create the Bo Gangkar Manjushree School video and will explain as we go along.

First, note that once you start editing a video in Windows Movie Maker, you cannot move the files you have added to Windows Movie Maker around on your computer until after you have finished your video project. So make sure you neatly organize your files before you even open Windows Movie Maker to begin your editing project.

I created a folder on my desktop called "Kopan Video" for all of the assets I would be using to make the Kopan Monastery video. I then created these subfolders to organize the assets I would be using in the video.

Step 1:

Since some of the audio tracks I wanted to use in the Kopan Monastery video were recorded at particularly low volume, I needed to increase the volume of those tracks before adding the audio files to Windows Movie Maker.

First, I had to convert the audio files from .WAV format to MP3 format before I could import the audio files into Audacity for editing. I converted the audio tracks from .WAV to MP3 using Any Video Converter.

I then increased the volume of the audio tracks one at a time using Adacity and then saved the new tracks in my "Audio" folder on my desktop. This YouTube video explains how to maximize the volume of an audio track without ruining the sound quality.

Step 2:

Knowing that I would want to create an "HD" or "Full HD" quality video in Windows Movie Maker for uploading to YouTube, I assessed the video files I had to work with for this project. I considered whether or not I should edit the resolution of each video file.

Video cameras for sale can give you one or more of these filming options:

Option A:

1280 x 720

16:9 resolution

720p

This is called "HD"

Option B:

1920 x 1080

16:9 resolution

1080p

This is called "FHD" or "Full HD"

Option C:

640 x 480

4:3 resolution

480p

This is called "nHD" or "Standard Definition"

Each option produces a different size video image on your computer screen:

Option C produces the pink box. Option B produces the blue box. Option A produces the green box.
This graphic was taken from a webpage that thoroughly and clearly explains this principle.

Video cameras that only film in Option C settings will produce video images that are the size of the pink box. When uploaded to YouTube these videos will have letterboxing (black bars) around the sides of the image.

An example of letterboxing found on YouTube.

To make videos for YouTube that do not have letterboxing, you will want to film in Option A or Option B settings so you can get image sizes that are the size of the blue or green boxes above.

While Option A and Option B settings give you different size images (green vs blue) I think the video clips they both produce perform the same when uploaded to YouTube. They both give you an "HD" quality video that fills the entire screen. (No letterboxing.)

The trouble is, not all video cameras allow you to film in Option A or B settings. Some video cameras only allow you to film in Option C settings, which is not "HD."

For example, in my case the Zoom Q3 came in a "standard definition" model simply called the "Zoom Q3" and an "HD" model called the "Zoom Q3 HD." Since I bought the less expensive Zoom Q3 in keeping with my goal of creating budget films I am stuck with recording in Option C settings.

If you also have a video camera that only films in Option C settings but have a Mac computer then this is less of a problem. You can upload your Option C video footage to iMovie and then use the Ken Burns effect to transform your video footage into "HD" size video footage.

However, if you are using a PC and are therefore using freeware Windows Movie Maker and want to transform your video footage into "HD" size then you will need to use another freeware program MPEG Streamclip.

I really like Joe Crisco's How To video but here's another explanation of how to use MGEG Streamclip.

If you are not using freeware to make your video but are instead using Final Cut Pro then there is another way to creatively transform your video into "HD" size.

However, if like me you are using freeware and you do not want to crop and/or degrade the quality of your original video file using iMovie or MGEG Streamclip then come to terms with the fact that your "standard definition" video clips can still be used to make a "HD" video but the video clips you use in that "HD" video will have letterboxing when viewed on YouTube. That's what I finally did.

Next, I needed to convert all of the video clips from the WAV format they were filmed in on the Q3 to a format accepted by Windows Movie Maker. I used Any Video Converter to convert each WAV file into a WMV file.

I then saved all of these WMV video files in my "Video Clips" folder on my desktop.

Step 3:

I decided on a title for my Kopan Monastery "HD" video and then created the opening credits for my video using PicMonkey. I did this by adding the text to a "transparent canvas" that I made "HD" size, 1920 x 1080.

I wrote down the name of the font I used as well as the color wheel numbers for all of the colors I used in the PicMonkey graphics. If you forget to write down the color wheel numbers then you can try using this website to identify those numbers later.

Next, you need to assign a size to your transparent canvas before you can save it. You could size it in keeping with either Option A or Option B's settings. It doesn't really matter because both Option A and Option B produce "HD" quality files. Option B just produces a larger file size, 1920 x 1080 as compared with Option A's 1280 x 720 file size. So I just chose to use the larger, better quality Option B file size when assigning a size to my transparent canvas.

Creating the opening credits in PicMonkey.

I then saved the graphic to my "Photos" folder on my desktop as a PNG file.

Note that I chose to use one of the free fonts that comes with PicMonkey but you can get much fancier than that by using a font from DaFont.com. Learn how to use DaFont with PicMonkey here. After downloading your chosen fonts make sure to install the fonts on your computer.

Step 4:

While I was making the opening credits I took a few minutes to create a custom thumbnail graphic for my Kopan Monastery "HD" YouTube video.

Pick a still photo from your photo collection that you want to use as the custom thumbnail graphic. Upload that photo to PicMonkey. Resize the photo to 1920 x 1080 in keeping with Option B settings for "HD" video.

Then select the option to add "your own" overlay. Click on "my computer" and then select the PNG file you created in Step 3. (In my case that was the yellow and gold colored text you see below.) You can then reposition the text over the photo.

Adding my custom overlay to an image using PicMonkey.

When you are happy with the way the text looks over the photo, save the graphic to your "Photos" folder on your desktop as a JPEG file.

Later, when you upload your finished video to YouTube, follow these instructions to upload your pretty thumbnail graphic to YouTube.

I added the pretty thumbnail I created in PicMonkey to YouTube so I did not have to use one of the three auto generated thumbnail images generated by YouTube seen above my pretty thumbnail.

Step 5:

I next added the opening credits graphic I created in Step 3 to my Kopan Monastery video project using Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 with service pack. I did that by following these instructions.

Adding the opening credits to a video clip in Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 with service pack.

I then saved ("encoded") the newly finished video file with the opening credits graphic overlay in my "Video Clips" folder on my desktop.

Fortunately, just like Microsoft Word, the freeware I am demonstrating here - Microsoft Expression Encoder 4, Windows Movie Maker, and Audacity - allow you to frequently save your projects as you are working on them. Just like with Microsoft Word, if you save the project then you can close the program when you need to take a break, and then return to your project at a later time and continue working on the project.

However, the project saving process works a little differently in this freeware as compared with Microsoft Word. When you save a project in this freeware, you are simply saving a link to the project housed within the freeware. You are not downloading and saving a file to your computer's hard drive.

This is the reason you cannot move your photos, audio, or video clips around on your computer while you are still working on the project in the freeware. If you move a file between work sessions then when you reopen the freeware the freeware will not be able to locate the files used in the saved project.

My "saved projects" folder on my desktop containing the links to all of my project files in Windows Movie Maker and Microsoft Expression Encoder 4.

I created a "saved projects" folder on my desktop to house the saved project files. To resume editing a project in one of these freeware programs, simply click on the saved project file on your desktop. The freeware will open to where you left off with that given project.

Step 6:

Next, I selected the still photos I wanted to use for the Kopan Monastery "HD" video. Fortunately, I personally took 99% of the still photos I felt I needed to use to illustrate the story.

However, this was not the case when I made the Bo Gangkar Manjushree School video. I found the photos I needed by performing keyword searches on Wikimedia Commons.

Each time I downloaded a photo from Wikimedia Commons, I had to make note of the photo's URL so that I could later go back and retrieve the details I would need to credit the photographer. Each time you use a Creative Commons photo you need to credit the photographer in the manner specified by that photographer.

Attribution rules and creative ways to satisfy those rules are helpfully laid out on wiki.creativecommons.org and creativecommons.org.au.

I created a Google Docs spreadsheet to keep track of the attribution information for each photo I planned to use in my Bo Gangkar Manjushree School "HD" video. This spreadsheet was incredibly helpful.

My Google Spreadsheet to track required photographer attribution details.

You might notice I used the free program Bitly to shorten URLs in preparation for their inclusion in the Bo Gangkar Manjushree School "HD" video credits that roll at the end of the video.

Credits at the end of Bo Gangkar Manjushree School video.

Step 7:

Next, I prepared the still photos I had selected for use in the Kopan Monastery "HD" video. I performed all of my photo editing in PicMonkey.

At minimum, each photo had to be resized from its original file size to "HD size" before I could upload the photos to Windows Movie Maker. By doing this, I was able to force my photos to fill the entire screen in my YouTube video, instead of letterboxing like the video clips that I chose not to force into "HD size" using MPEG Streamclip.

My photos that I forced into "HD size" fill the whole video screen in YouTube.

As pointed out earlier, if you want your video or still photo file to be "HD" and fill the entire YouTube screen (no letterboxing) then you will need to make your file "HD" size. This means your file must follow the settings for Option A or Option B listed above since both options produce "HD" size files. Since both Option A and Option B list a file resolution of 16:9, your file can be any size, but the file size has to comply with the 16:9 resolution rule.

Math skills are not needed in order to satisfy this rule. You can simply use my new favorite tool, the 16:9 Aspect Ratio Calculator alongside PicMonkey.

Upload your photo to PicMonkey. Determine the ideal width of the image, depending on how much (if any) of the image you want to crop out. Then take the width number of your desired image and paste it into the 16:9 Aspect Ratio Calculator. The calculator will then tell you the height you will need to use for that particular photo in order to alter it the way you want while still maintaining the 16:9 ratio.

Even if you do not want to alter the photo by cropping etc you will still need to upload the photo to PicMonkey and utilize the 16:9 Aspect Ratio Calculator to resize the photo to 16:9 ratio. If you are instructed to crop the photo in order to comply with the 16:9 aspect ratio then do it. If you do not, then your photo will be letterboxed when you upload your video to YouTube.

Alternatively, you can play around with the photo in PicMonkey, cropping and overlaying the photo over a background to create the desired effect while still keeping a 16:9 aspect ratio. I found inspiration in these ideas for creative video clip editing.

This is an example of an edit I did for use in the Bo Gangkar Manjushree School video that shows the man from head to toe, but maintains the 16:9 aspect ratio. Credit: Derivative of 'Farmer and goat in Kaule, Nepal.' by Jules Henze / http://bit.ly/1Eaof5T / Creative Commons license BY-SA http://bit.ly/1jxQJMa

Then save your resized photos in your "Photos" folder on your desktop.

Note that if you alter a photo downloaded from Wikimedia Commons for inclusion in your video - by cropping the photo, for example - then you will need to make note of that in your video credits. Explore the links listed in Step 6.

I should also include a disclaimer that I am not an expert on how to attribute Creative Commons works. I simply did my best to follow the rules when I made my own videos. You should do your own research before making use of and attributing Creative Commons works.

Step 8:

After completing the above steps I was able to begin creating my "HD" video in Windows Movie Maker.

I opened Windows Movie Maker and before doing anything else made sure to set the video format to "HD" by going to "Project" and selecting "Widescreen (16:9)".

Setting Windows Movie Maker up so my edited video will be a "HD" video that takes up the whole YouTube video screen.

I then started importing my saved video clips and photo files from the "Video Clips" and "Photos" folders on my desktop into Windows Movie Maker.

This is what my Windows Movie Maker Kopan Monastery project looked like after I saved the project for the 20th time.

I made sure to save my project frequently as I worked on it in Windows Movie Maker. I saved those project files in my "saved projects" folder on my desktop for easy retrieval.

Each time I saved the project, I gave the file a brand new name. For example the 20th time I saved the Kopan Monastery "HD" video project, I titled it "Kopan - 20". This way, I could easily open an earlier version of the project if I chose to do so.

Step 9:

I invested a lot of energy into editing down the length of my video project. I would trim video clips until I thought I couldn't trim out another second without degrading the story. Then I would take a break, and walk away from the computer. Then I would come back and trim some more.

Step 10:

I found it is essential to finish editing the visual elements of the story before starting work on the soundtrack. I will not go into a thorough overview of how I use Windows Movie Maker. There are so many good Windows Movie Maker tutorials on YouTube. I found this tutorial by Simon Davis on how to integrate still images into my video project particularly helpful. I also liked Es Her Mess' tutorial on how she uses overlays created in Microsoft Expression Encoder.

Step 11:

Next, I gathered together all of the audio clips I would need to make my "HD" video.

I had some audio assets I had recorded in Nepal using my Zoom Q3's audio recording feature. If necessary I could have also extracted audio segments from the video clips I had recorded on my Q3.

You can also download Creative Commons licensed sounds from these Creative Commons sound websites and then attribute the audio files to the artists who shared them with you in your video credits. See Step 6.

Step 12:

I then imported my audio files into Windows Movie Maker. I arranged and edited my audio files in Windows Movie Maker by aligning the various audio clips with the video clips and photos.

Unfortunately it is not possible to "lock" an audio file to a video clip in Windows Movie Maker. So if you move a video clip from one part of the video to another, then you will have to manually move and then realign the corresponding audio clip, and vice versa. I have found this to be one of the most time consuming aspects of video making in Windows Movie Maker.

Once I finished editing the video and audio mix, I carefully went through the entire video to ensure all of the small details are correct. I double checked the audio levels, transitions between video elements, video segment audio levels and fade in and outs, and the audio mix where the audio from video segments overlaid imported audio segments.

I only moved on to the next step when I felt the video reflected the story I wanted to tell and was just about ready to put on YouTube.

Step 13:

I then added the movie credits at the end of the film. I used Windows Movie Makers' built in credits feature for the Bo Gangkar Manjushree School video because I wanted the long list of credits to scroll vertically up the screen in the traditional Hollywood style.

I used PicMonkey to create simple graphics for use as credits in the Kopan Monastery video. By making my own credits I was able to repeat the PicMonkey font style and colors I had used in the opening credit graphics.

This PicMonkey created graphic closes out the Kopan Monastery video.

Step 14:

I then worked with and finalized the video's soundtrack using Audacity.

I extract the audio from my video project as one single, long audio file by following the steps outlined in Simon Davis' tutorial. I saved the audio track in my "Audio" folder on my desktop.

Next I used Any Video Converter to convert that saved audio track into a WAV file. I saved that WAV file in my "Audio" folder on my desktop. I was then able to import that WAV file into Audacity so I could edit my video's soundtrack.

Step 15:

My main goal was to increase the volume of the soundtrack for better playback in YouTube. Before I could optimize the overall soundtrack volume, I first had to even out the different parts of the soundtrack so that the soundtrack would play at about the same volume from start to finish.

The Kopan Monastery video soundtrack was a bit of a mess when first imported into Audacity, with sharp variations in sound volume.

Unfortunately I could not find a quick and painless way to even out the volume of the audio track. You have to work your way through the soundtrack from 00:00 minutes until the end, increasing or decreasing the volume in small segments using your eye to ensure the audio track segments are all at the approximately same volume level. eLearningExpert explains how to do that in this tutorial.

I found a bit of a necessary shortcut. The first and third segments of the audio track were so flat (low volume) that it was difficult to manually work with those segments' sound waves.

I highlighted the first significantly lower segment and used the Amplify feature to increase the sound of just that one segment. Andrew Mercer's tutorial covers how to properly use the Amplify function without distorting the soundtrack quality.

While that made it easier to work with those two segments' sound waves, the volume was then too high for those segments in relation to the unamplified segments. So I then had to lower the volume of the amplified segments in order to even out the overall soundtrack volume. However, it was still a good shortcut.

I then followed Barry Graves' tutorial for some finer points on how to fade in and out segments of the audio track. Although not explained in the tutorial I found I could use the fade in and out feature to smooth out the transitions between different segments of the Kopan Monastery "HD" video soundtrack.

After all of that meticulous manual editing, the audio track looked like this.

Kopan Monastery video audio file in Audacity after sound volume had been equaled out and fade in and out tools had been applied to the audio track.

The overall volume was still too low for viewers who would be listening to the Kopan Monastery "HD" video soundtrack on their laptops, iPads or smartphones, but the volume level was now at least consistent from 00:00 through until the end of the audio track.

I then amplified the entire track as one single unit following Andrew Mercer's advice, thereby ensuring I maximized the sound volume without allowing the sound to "clip."

The first unedited Kopan Monastery audio track is on top. The final edited and amplified audio track below. Huge difference.

I then saved the final edited and amplified audio file as a WAV file in my "Audio" folder on my desktop.

Step 16:

I then imported the WAV file I created in Audacity into my Windows Movie Maker project.

This is what my Windows Movie Maker Kopan Monastery video project looked like when I was almost done with it.

I then made sure the audio levels for all of the video clips in the project were set to zero, so that only the imported audio track that now overlaid the video and photo clips would be audible by viewers.

I watched the video from start to finish to ensure it played smoothly, and then exported the video from Windows Movie Maker, saving it on my hard drive as a video file. (This is different than saving the project. Now, you are finally saving the actual movie file to your hard drive. It is time to celebrate.)

Next, I uploaded that video file to my YouTube account.

There are a variety of opinions out there on what are the best settings to use when saving your video for uploading to YouTube. I found this advice from the Windows team, which was also echoed by the YouTube team. Someone else suggested these custom settings.

Whatever settings you choose, just make sure to download the video file first and then manually upload the file to YouTube instead of clicking on the social media shortcut buttons found in Windows Movie Maker.

If you are having trouble uploading your video file to YouTube then check to see if your file type is compatible with YouTube. If it is not then easily convert your video file to a YouTube compatible file type using Any Video Converter.

Best of luck with your budget "HD" video projects.

Retracing my journey: Kopan Monastery November Course

Lama Zopa Rinpoche's first teaching during the November 2014 Course - November 29, 2014.

I got to spend more than a month (46 days, to be exact) studying and practicing Tibetan Buddhism at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal last year. I had traveled there to take the One Month Lam Rim Meditation Course, better known to many as "the November Course".

I had heard little about the course before committing to it, but it didn't take long after arriving at Kopan to realize how fortunate I was to be at Kopan and in the course. I decided early on to capture the experience on film, audio, and still photography so that I could later try to convey the power of it to others.

This is the result of that effort.

I would like to thank my friends at the Puget Sound Blood Center and Lisa Pike Sheehy for encouraging me to share this story.

You can read a more detailed account of my experience of the November Course, or see a photo journal of my time in Nepal on my blog.

Nepal Adventure in Photos

I arrived at the Kathmandu, Nepal airport last November 5 ready for the month long "November Course" at Tibetan Buddhism study center Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu.

I lived at Kopan Monastery for the following 45 days.

I left Kopan Monastery on December 20 for Gaden Jangtse monastery in south India to continue my studies with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

These are the highlights of my time in Nepal - in photos.

Welcome to Nepal and Kopan Monastery, my home for the following 45 days.

A tour of Kopan Monastery's campus.

A tour of nearby Khachoe Chakyil Ling Nunnery (Kopan Nunnery), which like Kopan Monastery was founded by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe and is part of NGO Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition.

The November Course was held in the main gompa at Kopan Monastery. The middle row is a photo of my seat and books.

November 16, 2014 Thought for the Day written on the Kopan Monastery office message board.

Life during the Kopan Monastery November Course. That's my bed in the bottom right corner, and an amazing book I was reading, The Search for the Panchen Lama, in the top right corner.

Kopan Monastery is a functioning monastery for young men from Tibet, India, and Nepal. They live, study, work, and practice Tibetan Buddhism at Kopan Monastery year-round.

Friends and my Kopan Monastery November Course Discussion Group. We met daily to discuss the material taught by our teacher, western monk Venerable Thubten Gyatso, who is in the middle right photo.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrived at Kopan Monastery on Thanksgiving Day, Nov 27. He taught us daily from Nov 30 until Dec 9. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave his first teaching during this year's November Course in the Kopan Monastery stupa garden on the evening of Nov 27.

I looked at this Wheel of Life painted on the outside of the Kopan Monastery main gompa each time I placed or retrieved my shoes from the shoe rack below it. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching in the Kopan Monastery gompa as part of the November Course.

We took a tour of nearby Enlightenment for Animals on Nov 26, home to rescued goats. Injured cow Christmas lives at Kopan Monastery. Enlightenment for Animals, Kopan monks and nuns, friend Lama Dhundup, fellow students, neighbors and I looked after a sick male calf discarded outside of the Kopan Nunnery. Some male calves are not valued because they don't produce milk. In the USA they are sold for their flesh and hides, used to make "buttery soft" leather goods.

Kopan November Course field trip to practice at nearby UNESCO world heritage site Boudha Stupa, the holiest site for Tibetan Buddhists outside of Tibet.

Kopan Monastery November Course field trip to practice at nearby Swayambhunath Stupa.

We concluded the 2014 November Course on Dec 11 with a Long Life Puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, held in the Kopan Monastery main gompa.

The Long Life Puja celebration continued outside of Kopan Monastery with guests of honor the very young Geshe Lama Konchog and his student Tenzin Zopa whose stories are told in the 2008 film Unmistaken Child.

Celebrating Lama Tsongkhapa Day with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kopan monks and fellow students at Kopan Monastery.

Exploring Kathmandu, Nepal before the November Course began on Nov 11 and after it finished on Dec 11. Students taking the November Course are not permitted to leave Kopan Monastery's campus during the course.

Historic Durbar Square, Kathmandu.

Volunteering with Street Dog Care in Kathmandu.

Visiting Room to Read's Nepal office, Teach for Nepal, Padmaknya Multiple Campus (women's college), and the US Educational Foundation center in Nepal.

Visiting Lama Dhundup's Bo Gangkar Manjushree School for Nepali youth from rural Nepal. More in an upcoming post.

Visiting and practicing at Swayambhunath Stupa with Sumi.

Nuns and youth entering the site of the sacred Boudha Stupa.

Visiting and practicing at Boudha Stupa.

Boudha Stupa at night.

If you would like to read the stories behind these photos then you can check out my three blog posts from Nepal: My First Week in Nepal, Kopan Monastery November Course and Last 5 Days in Nepal.

The Kopan Monastery November Course is an annual event. This year's November Course runs from November 14 - December 14. Registration begins on August 15. The course fills quickly so register as soon as possible if you intend to take the course this year.

India Adventure II: Nepal Earthquake

I was online in an internet café in Dharamsala, India on Saturday uploading my last blog post when I got a message from my friend Sowmya in Bangalore, asking if I was in Nepal. (I spent most of last November and December at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal and was planning on returning to Nepal last month.) My heart sank as I read Sowmya's next sentence about an earthquake in Nepal.

I did not feel the Nepal earthquake. Life here in the mountain town of McLeod Ganj in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh continues on as normal. 

I am in McLeod Ganj, India indicated on the map by the white circle in India. Kathmandu is indicated on the map by the white circle in Nepal.

I have been following developments in Nepal through my friends' posts and FPMT daily emails. I am particularly grateful to Venerable Sarah Thresher for her frequent updates. I remain worried about my friends in Nepal, even though they are OK.

Friends Update

Lama Dhundup, the Nepali monk who founded a nonprofit for children from rural areas of Nepal that I visited last November, is in Singapore. His nephew and the children’s caretaker are at the house in Kathmandu with the children. They are all OK. He wrote: My kids are save but we most change our hostel because very denger to stay that's hostel. Please help to our hostels kids and our Nepali.

Lama Dhundup's kids underneath their shelter. Unknown photographer.

Logha Nyima, a young Nepali monk I met in India last year who is now studying Chinese and English in Nepal, is OK.

My Israeli friend Gilad who I got to see in Nepal last year, studies Buddhist Philosophy and Tibetan language in Kathamandu. He is still in Kathmandu, putting his skills as a trained acupuncturist to use. I saw this message from him yesterday, Wednesday, April 29:

Dear Friends! sorry I cannot write you all individually. In the last few days we were out in the extremely badly hit area of Helambu, trying to assess the situation and provide relief, food, medicine and shelter to many who lost their homes and family members. every village we walked through is completely destructed with many casualties. Here are some pic's I took today and yesterday. at a remote village called Jatan which was yet to receive any help four days after the earthquake many were seriously injured, without even the slightest sanitation for their open wounds. we opened a makeshift clinic last night and treated many serious patients from the surrounding villages too and today walked down with two badly hit girls to the helicopter pad in Melamchi. it is still a mess in organizing things so we do the little we can with Phakchok Rinpoche's guidance. if you wish to help us personally then you can donate here. thanks Gilad

PS - Malamchi Bazar is the gateway town to Helambu (Yolmo), were the army sends helicopter from and takes the injured to KTM (Kathmandu Airport). Malamchigaon is on the west side of Sermathang (we were in the its west). It was also totally destroyed, but with minor casualties. Melamchigaon village Monastery sadly collapsed. The Guru Rinpoche cave survived, but all the villages from there to Thimbu are destroyed too. TarkteGyan im not sure, some valleys were hit more severely than others.

Rescue work in Nepal. Photo by Gilad Yakir.

Rescue work in Nepal. Photo by Gilad Yakir.

Rescue work in Nepal. Photo by Gilad Yakir.

Rescue work in Nepal. Photo by Gilad Yakir.

Rescue work in Nepal. Photo by Gilad Yakir.

Rescue work in Nepal. Photo by Gilad Yakir.

Sharnon, a friend from New Zealand that I met last year in India was in Nepal during the earthquake. She temporarily stayed on the tennis court at the Hyatt in Khathmandu. She was able to evacuate to London.

Lobsang, the Kopan Monastery monk who I was in a November Course discussion group with last year, is safe at Kopan Monastery. So is my friend Yonten, who works in the Kopan Monastery office.

Jasmine and the Street Dog Care team that I volunteered with in Kathamandu last year are OK. They have updates and are fundraising.

Lozang and Amy, good friends of mine that I met in Bodhgaya and spent so much time with this year are in Nepal but are OK – they are with our teacher, Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery.

In addition to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the abbot of Kopan Monastery, Khen Rinpoche, was at the monastery. Tenzin Ösel Hita was at a coffee shop outside of the gates of Kopan Monastery with his pilgrimage group of westerners, who have since evacuated to Delhi. (Ösel is the thirty year old reincarnation of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teacher and co-founder of FMPT and Kopan Monastery, Lama Yeshe.)

Venerable Sarah Thresher, who is also at Kopan Monastery said that Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Ösel, Khen Rinpoche, and the senior monks took full control of the situation after the earthquake on Saturday.

Kopan Monastery and Nunnery Update

Friends at Kopan Monastery had just finished lunch when the earthquake struck on Saturday. I heard some of the Kopan monks have lost family and friends, but everyone at Kopan Monastery is OK. Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s sister, Ani Ngawang Samten and everyone in Lawudo are also OK.

Venerable Sarah Thresher said that after the earthquake struck, Lama Zopa Rinpoche went to the stupa garden at Kopan Monastery where I spent a lot of time last November and December when I was there for the November course. The Kopan community did the prayers recommended by Kadrola for earthquakes, as well as a Buddhist practice called tonglen. She said that as they prayed, the earth was shaking – sometimes strongly. Then Lama Zopa Rinpoche began to teach, and gave oral transmissions for thought transformation practice.

The monks who live and study at Kopan have moved into a different building – Ri-gyab, while other monks are staying in the “tent city” that has been set up in the stupa garden at Kopan. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is staying in the large yellow tent. The nights have been cold and wet, and it has been raining.

Kopan Monastery stupa garden. Unknown photographer.

Kopan Monastery stupa garden. Photo by Ueli Minder.

Kopan Monastery stupa garden. Photo by Ueli Minder.

Kopan Monks sleeping outside. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Kopan Monastery stupa garden sleeping arrangements. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Venerable Sarah Thresher said most tourists have left Nepal or trying to get out. Kopan rests on a hilltop on the outskirts of Kathamandu. When you are at Kopan, you can easily see and hear planes flying overhead. She said “The noise from the airport is constant flights and rescue missions.” I cannot imagine what that must feel like, for those at Kopan right now.

My friends at Kopan are staying in the tents because it is not safe to stay in the buildings. One of Kopan Monastery’s two smaller gompas – Chenrizig Gompa – sustained damage, as did an older guest room, and some pipes broke. Ani Fran at Kopan said the Chenrizig Gompa may need to be torn down and rebuilt.

The internet also became scare on Saturday and I think the electricity was off on Saturday. It seems that as of Tuesday, April 28 the electricity and internet are working at Kopan, and commercial flights are now coming into the Kathmandu airport.

Damage at Kopan Monastery. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage at Kopan Monastery. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage in Kopan Monastery restaurant/cafe. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage in Kopan Monastery - basement of Chenrizig Gompa. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage at Kopan Monastery - Chenrizig Gompa. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage at Kopan Monastery - walkway around the back of the large gompa. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage at Kopan Monastery - inside of Chenrizig Gompa. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage at Kopan Monastery - Chenrizig Gompa. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage at Kopan Monastery - flight of steps. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage at Kopan Monastery - inside of Chenrizig Gompa. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Damage at Kopan Monastery - Chenrizig Gompa. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

I heard the Kopan Nunnery is in worse shape than the monastery, but that everyone at the nunnery is OK.

Looking dow n from Kopan Monastery after earthquake, Nepal. Photo by Venerable Sangpo Sherpa.

Kopan Monks’ Volunteer Efforts

The Kopan monks got right to work on Saturday, helping with relief efforts in Kathmandu.

A note from a Kopan staff member, written on Saturday, April 25:

“As soon as we came to know about the many tragedies that had happened in the city, we setup an Emergency Relief Team. The first thing that came into our minds to do was to donate blood. We went off to the Red Cross blood bank of Nepal to check. On the way, we witnessed on the roads and heard from the radio that many people were dead. At night, all the people across the city are camped either in the road or open places. There is no light. All the medium of communication are jammed. You can feel the fear from people’s faces. Hospitals are full of corpses. Helicopters are flying all over the city. The government announced to stay away from any tall buildings or the like. It was declared five days off for all the schools across the country. It’s so creepy to see the affected area. Many buildings got cracked. Some might go down if it shakes again. People across the country are scared and tense. The government announced relief teams are on the way and international teams are arriving.

As we arrived at the Red Cross center. They were so happy to receive our help. At once, they asked us to bring people to donate. We came back to Kopan and made a list of donors. There were more than 40 people and we sent 10 of them as the first group. As first group reached the Red Cross, they told us to stay as standby. So, the first group went to Bír-Hospital and donate blood and whatever we had — medicine, bandages and gloves. The rest of the group stayed back as a backup. The mild shaking kept coming and one more strong shock came at 1:00 p.m. with rain and thunder.”

Kopan Monastery Emergency Relief Team. Unknown photographer. From Kopan Monastery School Facebook page.

The monastery continued this work the following day, reporting:

“The second day [after the earthquake] started with mild shaking around 8:00 a.m. After lunch we had an emergency meeting as we had come to know that many people were having a hard-time. We, along with our friends from overseas, decided to give any help to needed areas. A Search Team was setup and went in all directions to find out what and where we are needed.”

“As the day one, we saw all the people either on the road or open places. Most of them staying under the tents which is not water proof. Most of them asking for tents (water proof) rather than food and water. Government announced to distribute the tents but it's still stuck somewhere, and foreign add tents are not arrived yet. For the time being food, water and medicine seems ok in the valley. Most relief thing is that some people started to open their shops, so that people can buy whatever they need.

We found some Redcross rescue team are patrolling around. We met the team officer and introduced ourselves as Volunteers from Kopan Monastery. They looks so tired but became so excited to hear about our helps. We gave them our contact number and told them to call us any time for any helps. While we were waiting for others reports at Kopan, Lama Zopa Rinpoche begins to give pre-initiation teaching to monks and guests who specially came for it.

After the dinner all of us (monks and laypeople) gathered at Ri-gyab to pray for those people who deceased in this tragedy. Another shock was came during the puja. Later we found out that it was 4.5 magnitude earthquake. However, we concluded the session with extensive dedication pray around 10:30 p.m. Finally, we learned that the most affected areas are outside valley, where people can't get there easily. In this area the best help can provide only through helicopters.”

Kopan Monastery Emergency Relief Team. Unknown photographer. Photo from Kopan Monastery School Facebook page.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Activities:

Venerable Sarah Thresher reported on how things are going at Kopan Monastery.

Lama Zopa has been living in the stupa garden at Kopan Monastery day and night - leading prayers, teaching, greeting people who come up to Kopan Monastery, and keeping people positive and relaxed.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the stupa garden with Kopan Monastery students. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Venerable Sarah Thresher said “You can see how Lama Zopa Rinpoche is keeping the small monks calm and focused on prayers instead of worrying. It went on like this for hours and hours with different prayers and teachings and lungs all gathered around Lama Zopa Rinpoche.”

Phil Hunt, coordinator for the Animal Liberation Sanctuary, a project of Kopan Monastery, was enroute to Nepal when the earthquake struck, and made it safely to Kopan on Sunday. (All of the animals and the sanctuary are OK.) Phil posted a video of Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the stupa garden on Sunday:

On Monday, April 27 Venerable Sarah Thresher said “The very first day Lama Zopa Rinpoche told us there is no point being worried and afraid, we must pray. So we have been doing prayers to control the earthquake, prayers for the people who have died, prayers to destroy the self cherishing and self grasping minds from where the negative karma as arise that cause all the suffering. One student asked Lama Zopa Rinpoche if she should stay at Kopan or go down and help, Lama Zopa Rinpoche replied that she should stay here and pray for ALL sentient beings because prayers are powerful and even if she went down she may or may not be able to help even one sentient being.”

She  also said “Lama Zopa Rinpoche told us on the day of the earthquake that when the building started shaking violently … Lama Zopa Rinpoche himself immediately did tonglen--taking on the sufferings of sentient beings, A-L-L sentient beings, and dedicating to them every single happiness and merits.”

You can join them in their prayers. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has advised doing these prayers.

On Tuesday, April 28 Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant, Venerable Roger wrote this, summarizing Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s activities that day:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche taught mostly on emptiness and how earthquakes and Chöd are similar– they raise fear and you can use that. Lama Zopa Rinpoche also taught, “The earthquake came from one’s own self-cherishing mind. … So take all the blame and put it on one’s own self-cherishing. … Don’t blame outside, don’t point the finger outside to others.”

Venerable Sarah Threshere wrote on Tuesday night, April 28 that Lama Zopa Rinpoche led a “very rousing and powerful Guru puja tonight. We recited the Eight Prayers for the dead again. Lama Zopa Rinpoche made very extensive dedications.”

That afternoon while teaching in the gompa Lama Zopa Rinpoche said "Bad conditions like earthquakes are like the guru who persuades us to practice Dharma."

Lama Zopa Rinpoche leading prayers in the large gompa where I had class last year during the November Course. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche leading prayers in the large gompa. Photo by Venerable Sarah Thresher.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche will be leaving Kopan soon – his teaching tour begins in New Zealand next week.

Ways You Can Help Nepal

My friend Sharnon posted on Tuesday, April 28 saying “The situation is really bad here. A killer storm from Pakistan is apparently on its way here. The village where we were staying on retreat and all the other mountain regions in the north-west have been decimated. They have no food supplies and water has been contaminated by landslides. Monsoon is coming, and then winter. Access is only by helicopter now. If those who have survived the quake are to survive the aftermath, they are going to need help. Please donate if you can. www.asia-ngo.org/en/ or www.z2systems.com/np/clients/chokgyur/donation.jsp”

My good friend Amy that I spent so much with in Bodhgaya last month, sent out an urgent email from Nepal:

Email Subject Line: Help needed for earthquake. A village is freezing to death.

So little internet please apologize for this message it's garbled. I'm in Nepal. There's been an earthquake. A village is connected to monastery. They lost 98 of 100 homes. By good luck director of theHimalayan People's Project, Beth is here. She has the ability to trek life saving weather appropriate food and tents to village in less than 2 days. Food and a tent for a family cost $500 each. $50,000 will save the families. We are in a race with time and cold. lf through your workplace or individually you can help donate or raise funds please help. Aid won't reach this village in time, we've contacted governments and aid agency no help is coming.

Best Wishes

Amy

Lozang also put out a plea for help, sharing the HPP fundraising campaign, with some additional insight:

“Many people stranded up in the mountains without food or shelter they won't last long without help.”

Thame Village. Photo from HPP website.

The village Amy and Lozang are referring to Thame, the birthplace of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The village is in the Upper Solo Khumbu region of Nepal, near Mount Everest. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has asked us to help Thame. Beth Halford, who Amy refers to, is the CEO of HPP.

I have some additional updates about Beth and Thame from the Himalayan People’s Project (HPP) Facebook page:

“I have just heard from Beth, who was in Kathmandu when the earthquake struck on Saturday. She was caught by falling masonry and received a mild concussion but is otherwise fine.”

“Up until the end of last week Beth was in the Upper Solo Khumbu region, near Everest, researching further projects.  The villages she visited have been badly affected by the earthquake.  In Thame 100 homes have been lost and 20 people have died.  There has so far been no news at all from Thamo but we are anticipating a similar situation there.  The conditions at night are freezing and the monsoon rains are not far away.”

There is more news on HPP’s website:

“Nepal is a country currently living in fear. In Kathmandu people are sleeping on the streets in fear of their lives and in awful conditions.  The situation is just as bad, if not worse, in remote villages.

At the moment the international aid efforts are focused on getting people off Mount Everest and, to a lesser degree, helping people in the Kathmandu valley.  There is little being done for the people in rural areas.”

HPP is trying to raise $50,000 so they can provide each of the 100 families in Thame Village with a tent and food. The organization has people ready to go up into the mountains with aid as soon as HPP has the funds to purchase the necessary supplies. Any funds raised in excess of $50,000 will go directly to rebuilding Thame in mud term. Donate here. Note that HPP is a registered charity in the UK, and donation amounts on the HPP website appear in British pounds. You can donate in USD.

According to the FPMT blog, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has also been helping Thame Village:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is keen to help Thame, the town where he was born [near Mount Everest in the Solu Khumbu region], in particular, two families he has connections with. And so he sent $3,500 for both families to help them with a tent and food. Through a lama there who does all the pujas for the dead of the poor families, we are trying to identify the families who now need help with food and tents. (Nobody wants to stay inside buildings.) We are going to try and focus on helping poor families in the area who have lost their homes. [FPMT International Office has established the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund to support these efforts.]

Yesterday, FPMT sent out an update saying that aid for all 100 families is being flown up to Thame. It is the first disbursement from FPMT's Nepal Earthquake Disbursement Fund.

On Monday, April 27 Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant, Venerable Roger gave us information about how we can help Kopan Monastery and Nunnery:

I have asked FPMT International Office to set up a Nepal Earthquake Support Fund. This fund will begin the task of supporting Kopan Monastery and Nunnery and other effected FPMT centers in the area with any initial emergency needs, and then later on, will offer ongoing support for rebuilding. We will also use these funds to help others, as in the example of Thame.

Funds are needed to provide food and shelter to 800+ monks and nuns at Kopan Monatery and Nunnery, as well as structural repairs and renovations to the buildings at the monastery and nunnery to make them safe so the monks and nuns can move back into the buildings.

According to the FPMT e-newsletter, “if sufficient funds are raised, grants may also be provided to other carefully vetted organizations providing earthquake relief efforts. We will be providing updates on exactly how all donations from this fund are used. Already Lama Zopa Rinpoche has offered $3,500 for immediate relief in Thame for tents and food."

To learn more and offer support to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund go here.

Stay in touch:

To read all of the latest updates and news from FPMT.org on the Nepal earthquake,

visit FPMT’s “Updates from after the Earthquake” page.

You can also follow Kopan Monastery School on Facebook.

Note:

The “Discover Buddhism” course scheduled to begin on May 3 at Kopan has been cancelled because Kopan will slowly run out of food and water. Students registered for the course are being asked not to travel to Kopan.