[Buddha-l] Nepalis in NYC

[Blumenthal, James]

The first Newari Buddhist temple in North America (maybe anywhere outside Nepal) was just built and consecrated in Portland, OR under the direction of Prajwal Vajracarya.
http://dancemandal.com/temple.php

Jim Blumenthal
________________________________________
From: buddha-l-bounces at mailman.swcp.com [buddha-l-bounces at mailman.swcp.com] On Behalf Of Dan Lusthaus [vasubandhu at earthlink.net]
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 12:18 PM
To: Buddhist discussion forum
Subject: [Buddha-l] Nepalis in NYC

Curious about how Buddhists from Asia live in the States? Here is a sordid
story from the NY Times that takes its time laying out background. Aside
from making Guru Gorakhnath about 300 years or so earlier than he was, it
includes interesting touches.

Some examples:

Mr. Sherpa, also known as licensed taxi driver No. 5301202, had succeeded in
attaining his asylum visa, and recently married a cheerful Nepali woman here
who encouraged his Buddhist faith. He adored playing with their baby
daughter, and spent evenings on the soccer field with friends.

Mr. Sherpa grew up in the Sindhupalchok District, in the Bagmati Zone, not
far from Katmandu. He arrived in New York in 2001 and had been driving cabs
pretty much since. He and his wife and baby live with his sister-in-law and
nephew, paying $1,500 a month for a two-bedroom apartment on 62nd Street
furnished with a small sofa and two junior mattresses on the floor covered
with faux tiger-skin quilts; idealized illustrations of the Manhattan
skyline hang on the walls.

MR. SHERPA received Mr. Chhantyal's usual wake-up call at 4 a.m. on Sept.
12. He said his morning prayers before the Buddhist shrine he had built
above the TV set, then grabbed the bag with his soccer gear, for after his
shift.

Both men, at different times, joined the crowded classes run by AJ Yellow
Taxi Tutors in a basement under a Thai restaurant, opposite the Himalayan
Yak. A framed photograph of the Dalai Lama hangs next to a sign that reads
"Cell Phone Rings: $5 Fine"


Warning. The story has also has violent and disturbing content.

Dan

_______________________________________________
buddha-l mailing list
buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com
http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l