Places You Can Go – Within (NEPAL)

Places You Can Go – Within (NEPAL)

Heat. Heat. Hallelujah. Amen. Heat. Heat. Yeah, I’m I’m always looking for ways to improve 
my quality of life, you know what I mean? And   more so than improving the quality of life, like 
techniques that I’m actually able to implement. A lot of the time I think I want to try something 
and then I can never stick with it or something.   I don’t know which then just ends up making 
me feel bad about myself and it’s this like negative spiral you know what I mean and I’ve 
become curious about some of these techniques   like Buddhism become very curious about Buddhism 
you know they talk a lot about mental clarity and emotional balance and discipline mindfulness 
detached from from things I can’t help but wonder does that detachment automatically at odds 
with ambition like if I want to achieve all these things so I can be more effective and more 
ambitious does Does that even count anymore? Like,   is that not how you’re supposed to do it? I don’t 
know. So, I’m sure that’s a discussion. I don’t know a ton about it because I’m curious about 
just going and completely immersing myself in   a Buddhist environment and seeing if there’s 
anything that I can take away from it that’ll make me feel better about my life. It’s a 
beautiful day out right now, right? This day has been a tough day for me. And most days for 
me are tough days to be honest. And it’s like,   what am I doing wrong in my life that that’s the 
way that I feel? I should feel I have everything to feel good about. I’m relatively young. I have 
a great wife. I have I enjoy my my career and my stuff that I’m doing. So, is the human condition 
just an unhappy one? Maybe, but I don’t I’m not willing to accept that. Somehow in my brain, I’ve 
convinced myself that connecting with Buddhist principles would maybe help me in some way. If I’m 
going to go all the way with it, I think part of   the situation is like shaving your head um or 
like letting go of vanity in some capacity or something. And I’m not feeling great about that. 
But it would it feels like it would be a copout   to go and not. So, I’m going to try. I’m nervous 
about it in a way that’s unique from any trip that we’ve done before because maybe it’ll just come 
off as a stunt that makes no sense. Like maybe me doing this is not the way to do it. Why don’t you 
start by meditating 5 minutes a day or something?   You know what I mean? I just don’t know. Maybe by 
having these desires of this ambition and wanting to look better and feel better and have better use 
of my time, maybe that goes completely against all the teachings of Buddhism. Maybe in learning 
about all of this stuff, it will all start   to make sense. I would like to go live amongst 
Buddhist monks and see that if I can learn some stuff to take along with me and then maybe just 
be able to live the life that I want to live more,   whatever that means. In general, traveling feels 
so amazing. It gives you this perspective. It gives you time to like step back, look back at 
your life. And I hope that this can take it to   the next level because Buddhism has always struck 
me as a sort of belief system that is actionable and that you can actually implement into your 
daily life in a really positive possible way. So, I’m curious about learning about the different 
tiers. I’ll say this too, like I’ve been   worried that I’m not going to be able to sit 
properly, like you have to cross your legs. So, we literally spent time going to visit my boy 
Tom Kern to see if we could do some exercises to get my hips more open so I’ll be able to sit 
more comfortably in that position for a longer   period of time. Is this the first time you’ve ever 
gotten this request before? Uh, yeah. Yes. This is a new one. I’ve always struggled when I go on 
these trips to these different places to sit like this because everybody sits like this. Everybody 
sits on the ground and they sit like this. And the time has come where I I have like enough of a 
runway time where I could actually theoretically   make some progress. So that is the spiel, I guess. 
Yeah. Let’s see what you got. Like that’s that’s as much range of motion as you got to start 
this situation. It’s not great. I I thought I’d be working with worse. Really? So it’s not 
the end of the world. How long do you think you   can usually sit for before that becomes an issue 
without props? A minute. Okay. Okay. My hips very tight. Is that an indication of too much stress? 
Who knows, dude? Maybe the hips will miraculously open when I get amongst the mountain air cuz like 
I was saying before, it’s a beautiful day out. And   why why am I stressed? I should be able to connect 
with nature more. That’s part of Buddhism as well. So like mountains sound incredible to me. So 
that’s why we selected Nepal. Super excited and nervous. Maybe this will be a way to get get 
better. I think that just by saying get better, I’m already going against Buddhist teachings, but 
I want to learn. I’m curious about it. Who knows? We’re about to go on a very long trip. 
It’s 12 and 1/2 hours to Doha, Qatar, and then a 3-hour layover followed by another 
4-hour flight to Catandu. Probably be the longest travel day I’ve ever done. And the gate agents 
just made us check all of our carryons. So,   like we barely have any of our stuff, including 
my my headphones are in there. Which, look, maybe this is the beginning of the Buddhist 
journey. You know, we have everything we need.   You don’t need stuff. Just trying to take a bunch 
of deep breaths and connect with my inner peace or whatever. Or maybe just watch 10 movies. I 
feel more anxious for this trip than I usually do. I can’t fully put my finger on why, but 
I’m less excited and more tired and anxious. And I hope that goes away and I 
hope it just turns into excitement. It was a long flight and I probably slept 2 hours 
total. But at least we made a new friend who was   on an even crazier journey than we were. Meet 
Bradley, 18 years old and heading for naval deployment in Bahrain. Not only was his journey 
here insane, but it’s his first time flying on a plane. Bradley was on a four-legged flight that 
started in Norfol, Virginia, where he then flew to Chicago and then to New York and now to Doha, 
and he would eventually end up in sunny Bahrain. Just one more 4-hour flight 
till we made it to Nepal. But obviously it wasn’t going to be that 
straightforward. We traveled 20 hours, landed, and now we’re stuck on the 
runway because there’s a fire. The   good news is that we weren’t able to land at 
all. Not just they diverted us or something. It’s disheartening to travel a long day. So 
close to bed, but so far just got Oh yeah. Finally press fire. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. Time to link with our guide Pepe and our trusty 
driver Nido. We would be driving about 10 hours from Catmandeue to the Bigu Goomba Monastery 
in northern Nepal near the border of Tibet. It’s actually not that far in western 
terms, but the roads are tough for large   portions of the drive. You’re changing 
elevations, driving through mountains, basically the longest 82 mi that you could ever 
imagine. We got started super early to try to avoid the hustle and bustle, but it was only a 
matter of time until it started getting crazy.   Catmandeue is densely populated and there’s 
always a lot going on. The Catmandeue Valley is a world heritage site and is filled 
with a lot of really cool cultural gems. It’s a largely Hindu city with nearly 80% 
of the population identifying as Hindu. But it’s a significant city for Buddhists as well.   Swam Bunath, also known as the monkey temple, is 
a significant site to both Hindus and Buddhists. The Buddha Stupa, significant for Buddhists, 
is one of the biggest in the world. A stupa is a dome-shaped Buddhist shrine, often used 
to house relics or commemorate sacred sites. It was an amazing scene, but we 
were actually here for a reason. We need to make a quick pit 
stop to buy my monk clothing. Uh-huh. Hey, check hey. Monk clothing secured. Time 
to get back on the road. It took us hours to get out of cabin. Big 
city, lots of people, lots of traffic, but tons of cool, unexpected stuff 
at every corner. And as we started to get outside of Cmenu, the roads only 
got bumpier, dustier, and more chaotic. We drove for a couple more hours 
and then stopped in one of the   small towns we passed through to grab some lunch. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. All right. Please enjoy. Thank 
you. You going to have some, too? Cool. Struggling to wrap my head around what 
the days, but yeah, I I look forward to trying to learn some good stuff. Tomorrow morning, 
it’s going to start our day in the ministry.   Okay. They have a like small uh prayer in 
there. with monks in Nepali we call puja that means like prayer for the lord Buddha so 
in the morning we going to join with them then with clothes you have your monk’s clo you can 
dress up that’s there and join with forever. forever. Slowly but surely, things started to become 
more rural and more naturally beautiful. But the road started to 
become bumpier and bumpier,   and before we knew it, we needed 
to stop to get our brakes fixed. We started to climb high up into the 
Himalayas. I guess it’s a good thing we got everything settled with the car because 
the roads were not going to get any better. Forever. Forever. Don’t be lonely. We were almost there, but we did not have 
cell service and we weren’t quite sure how to get there. And as we were sitting there 
looking at the map trying to figure it out,   I realized that one of the things that I had 
set out to work on was being put to the test. What a preposterously long day. 18 hours 
of flying without most of my stuff, long runway delay upon arrival, unexpected 
car maintenance, and really tough roads for many hours. I started to feel proud that 
I’d been able to face the discomfort. Here’s how embracing discomfort supports 
the six virtues of Tibetan Buddhism. True generosity often asks us to give 
beyond what’s comfortable, our time,   energy, our attention, even when it stretches 
us. Discomfort reveals the edge where giving becomes transformative. Patience is forged 
in discomfort, whether it’s with people, pain, or uncertainty. Staying present with 
what’s unpleasant deepens your capacity to   endure without bitterness. Discipline requires 
restraint even when impulses push against it. Sitting with the discomfort of saying no to desire 
or habit strengthens inner integrity. Sustained effort demands that you work through fatigue, 
doubt, and resistance. Discomfort becomes a signal not to quit but to engage more consciously and 
courageously. Deep focus and concentration often arises only after passing through discomfort. 
Restlessness, sleepiness, agitation. Embracing these help stabilize the mind and enter 
stillness. Discomfort reveals where clinging and aversion live. Meeting it directly uncovers 
truth. Wisdom matures when nothing is avoided. We take our back. Okay. There we go. We made it, dude. Unbelievable. 
What an adventure. Insane scenery. Oh, this is great. This is really nice. Thank you. Good. Yeah. Yeah,   it’s great. This is perfect. Iconic. 
All right. Iconic. We’re very excited. So he the person who I talk with him here excuse university. Full remove. Yep. All the way. Huh? Stuck. Yeah. Yeah. I was still wondering about whether or not 
it was possible to let go of vanity while   still intending to improve your physical 
appearance within the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. And it seems to me now that you 
can. When you feel good in your own skin, you show up more openly and warmly. Looking 
good isn’t about stealing attention. It’s about being available, confident, 
and generous with your presence. Tending to your appearance with 
intention reflects inner discipline,   not to impress, but to express 
care and respect for the body. Embracing your appearance as it naturally 
evolves cultivates patience. You care for   yourself without fighting impermanence, 
allowing beauty, and aging to coexist with grace. Showing up consistently for 
your health, hygiene, and grooming build steady energy and discipline. Effort becomes 
sustainable when rooted in love, not insecurity. Mindful self-care can become a meditative 
act. Whether it’s brushing your hair or   walking mindfully, it draws you into presence 
rather than ego. And you see that beauty is impermanent and not who you truly are, but 
still worth honoring while it lasts. This balance of care and non-attachment reflects the 
true insight. Amen. Thank you. Done. Yeah. Thank you. I still don’t know what I look like, which 
is crazy. I don’t know what I look like. I can feel it. I just put a shirt on and it felt crazy. 
Um, but that felt like a really cool experience. decided to like sink my teeth in. You know 
what I mean? The monks were telling me like,   “You don’t have to.” And I was 
like, “Just go for it.” You know? Oh my god, dude. That’s wild. Wow. Wow. Wow. That’s wild. Dude, the widow’s 
peak is just so pronounced still. That’s crazy, bro. Jeez. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hallelujah. Heat. Heat. Big Goomba is technically a nunnery, 
which explains besides the main llama,   the female cast at the morning 
prayer. The monastery is also home to a Buddhist school for children, 
boys and girls, either who are orphaned   or whose family sent them there to become 
monks, which is a common practice in Nepal. It’s also common practice for researchers or 
students to visit the monastery in this fashion. Buddhist monks pray in the best interest of 
all beings. They’re praying for all of us. Every morning at 5:30 a.m., the monks conduct 
a puja, a ceremonial act of offering, prayer, and devotion performed to honor and 
connect with the Buddhas, bodhicattvas,   deities or spiritual energies. It is a core 
spiritual practice in Tibetan Buddhism. They pray every morning chanting sutras which 
are the words of the Buddha offering all beings enlightenment and mantras often associated with 
particular qualities like compassion or wisdom. The chanting is aimed at focusing the mind a 
form of meditation generating merit and good karma and to invoke blessings and divine 
presence. The sudden bursts of noise while seemingly chaotic to an onlooker 
have specific purpose. The instruments   are played to invite all beings visible 
and invisible to come hear the dharma or the teachings. The loud and dramatic 
sounds are believed to clear mental,   spiritual and environmental obstacles like 
ignorance, fear or spiritual interference making the space pure and sacred. By offering beautiful 
intense sounds, the practitioners are offering to Buddhas and bodhic sattvas as an expression 
of devotion and generosity. On a deeper level, the sound can jolt practitioners out of habitual 
sleepy mind states. In Tibetan Buddhism, sudden sensory experiences are sometimes used 
to cut through ego claim and bring immediate   awareness. The instruments are also used in 
sync with specific verses or invocations in the ritual liturgy. Every sound has a place and 
timing within the pujo. It is not improvised. It is offered in line with the six parameters. 
Virtues that help you bridge the gap between your current mind and your enlightened 
mind. Generosity, offering objects, prayers, merit. Discipline, maintaining 
respectful, virtuous behavior. Patience, enduring discomfort. effort, showing up and 
staying engaged. Concentration, mindful chanting, visualization, presence, wisdom, contemplating 
the nature of reality through text and practice. I had all these Buddhist ideas that I had 
arrived here curious about understanding. If I could understand these different ideas 
within the context of these paramedas, I might   be a step closer to living a high functioning 
Buddhist existence. In observing this puja, I thought it was funny to see that kids are 
just kids no matter where they are or what   they’re doing. Irreverent and mischievous while 
still maintaining their status as good pupils. The milk tea is made with black tea, milk, and 
sugar. They serve it every morning during the   puja. It is drank to sustain the body during 
long practice sessions. Milk tea is warming, energizing, and nourishing, especially 
in high altitude or cold environments   like this one. It’s a symbol 
of community and connection. It strengthens the bond among practitioners 
creating a harmonious atmosphere and serves   as a form of hospitality especially in communal 
practice settings like monasteries. Additionally, tea is first offered to the Buddhas, bodhicattvas 
and dharma protectors. This tea is placed on the altar or ritually offered during chanting. 
It represents pure generosity. Offering food or drink is a way of creating positive 
karma and honoring the enlightened beings. The morning ritual was so cool. get here and 
somebody sort of like very deliberately ringing the gong, calling everybody to come over and 
then seeing everybody sitting there doing their thing. Very, very cool. You know, hour and a 
half, get out of there at 7:00 a.m. Feels like you have the whole day ahead of you. Pretty 
sweet, but like surreal to be like watching   the sunrise and getting to participate in 
something like that in such a remote area. It is obviously authentic experience. Felt 
forceful. But yeah, very cool. Excited to do it again. We were given special permission to film 
and to dress the way the monks do. Things that aren’t always possible. So that’s cool. Nice do 
that. And we definitely appreciate it, you know. So this is the Beu Goomba Monastery which is 
in the Dolaka region of Nepal. Did I say that right? The province. Doa. Doa. Okay, I said it 
good. Literally in the middle of the Himalayan mountains with nothing for miles. Super remote, 
off the beaten path, very difficult to get to. The final three or so hours of our drive were 
on just like a road that you could barely call   a road. It was like basically going up the 
mountain, down the mountain, up the mountain, down the mountain. Finally get here. Uh the road 
itself is fairly new, too. Like before people   would have to take like a 4-day overland walking 
journey to get here. We’re like an hour and a half away from Tibet. And the monks here actually are 
Tibetan monks that speak Tibet. During our stay, we only left the monastery one time. We walk down 
the mountain to visit the nearby town. You’re right here. I am. So, these people in the town, 
do they ever come up and visit the monastery?   Yeah. It’s really rewarding just being in the 
middle of this rural setting with all, you know, people doing the stuff that they would do, the 
stuff that you would imagine to get through the   day like gathering stuff, walking around with 
their yak. Who knows what they’re doing with that yak? Where was he? Where’s he going? That 
I do not know. Yeah, most people are Buddhists in town. You think it’s cool that the centerpiece 
of the community is the Buddhist monastery? Cuz in a Buddhist area, as Praep was explaining to 
us, you got to have a monastery nearby because   you need monks for every significant moment, 
whether it’s good, bad, new year, birthday, wedding, death, anything. Monk’s got to pull 
up, do the blessing, have a meal, hang out, respect. Okay. Well, let me ask you this. When 
the monk comes over, what what happens? So you like when the monk comes to your house, what does 
he do? For New Year’s, for example, of course,   the monk comes over and what they just sit there 
and and hang out with you. Do they do a a No, no, no. Actually, on the day on the on the new year 
in the in Nepal, we call the loan. Yeah. on that day. So if the monk will come to our house either 
if we’ll going to visit to monastery on that day monks have to do a lot because they have to read 
their one books which is like a good uh prayer to everyone next next coming year. Got it. Got it. 
Got it. Got it. Got it. Okay. So they always come   do like a blessing for whatever happened to God. 
Exactly. And then do they stay for dinner? Yeah. Yeah. And then you chat with them. Yes. Yes. Yes. 
Of course. And they’re nice. They are. Oh, monks. Of course. The the Buddhist religion, we have to 
respect our monks because monks without the monks, we cannot celebrate our end. Got it. So, you got 
to keep the monks happy. Exactly. That’s the main point. You got to keep the monks happy. Excellent. 
All right. Let’s keep walking. Let’s keep going. Some of the local people we encountered on our   walk suggested we check out 
the town’s ancient monastery. America. We found this ancient monastery. They typically 
only open one time a year for like special events, but the guy happened to be here with 
the keys, so he’s taking us inside. Yeah, And while we were planning this trip, it’s 
like there’s plenty of places that you can   go and take like a Buddhist course that’s much 
more sort of catered to tourism and that’s used to it. I sort of didn’t want to do that. I wanted 
something that just felt a little more authentic, a little more raw, you know what I mean? 
I just thought that that would be like   the kind of vibes that I wanted. And I 
feel pretty good about this decision. One of the main centerpieces at the monastery is 
the giant prayer wheel structure. Prayer wheels are one of the most iconic and deeply symbolic 
objects in Tibetan Buddhism. At first glance,   they may seem simple, cylinders spun by 
hand, but their spiritual purpose runs deep. Spinning the wheel is believed to invoke the 
blessings and benefits of reciting the mantra,   but multiplied many times over depending on how 
many mantras are inside. Spinning the wheel is a physical expression of prayer but in movement. 
It allows practitioners to accumulate merit and purify karma even if they’re illiterate or unable 
to chant. The wheel unites body, speech, and mind making it a complete integrated practice even 
in a moment of passing. They are spun clockwise, which is the same direction that the mantras 
are written. It’s a way to make continuous   prayer effortless. The monks are cool, dude. The 
monks are cool. unfasable. It’s like intimidating. They are like very comfortable in their own skin 
doing their thing. Rocking it. It was fun that we It took like a little bit of convincing to 
get our friend to shave my head yesterday.   She’s like She’s like, “Let the llama do it.” 
Mom’s like, “Let her do it.” No, no, no, no, no, no. You look great. He was also like, “You don’t 
have to do this, dude.” I was like, “All right,   I’m trying to like go all in.” He’s like, “All 
right.” Then when he saw me today, he was like, Thank you for shaving my head, by the way. 
Appreciate. I love you. We’ve been given a lot more sort of freedom, which is nice. Like 
if you go and you take like a Buddhist course,   like the curriculum is very strict. Just 
like your entire itinerary throughout the day is going to be like very rehearsed and 
planned. Like we’ve just sort of been able   to do whatever we want. We got here and they’re 
like, “Oh, there’s like morning prayer at 5:30 to 7:00 and then that’s like basically 
it.” Yeah. Thank you. You are so tall. You’re good. Thanks for having us. I appreciate 
it. Thank you. It’s been fun. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate it. Appreciate it. Yep. It’s 
been a pleasure. My pleasure. No, our pleasure. Our pleasure. Llama life, dude. So, it’s chill, 
bro. So, is it hard to become a llama? Become a llama? Yes. How like what has to happen in order 
for you to be able to become a llama? You know Z when family have very young kids like around 5 to 
7 years if they want to make a llama for the kids they will put their kids in the ministry. So you 
started really young. Yes. So our this guy here he started when he was a little kid. Yes. Also months 
they have like this kind of chapter or courses same as like in school. Mhm. Then you got it. 
So if you do well then you can Got it. It’s like anything. Just a proper Buddhist monastery. People 
send their children here to learn. Monks live here and worship and work on the land. Do their 
tasks to kind of make the whole thing function. It’s sort of self sustainable. They grow their own 
food. All vegetarian green houses and water tanks. What do you want to do now? Breakfast. Our girl 
has been serving us amazing vegetarian meals three times a day. Apparently, it’s like rude to ask 
monks what their name is. So for a female monk, you say Ani. So we’ve been calling her Ani. That 
is not her name, but that’s sort of the title. Our   girl Anie. We love her. Then for the females, we 
call Anie. Yeah, it’s perfect. And that wood is comes from Tibet. That kitchen is amazing, too, 
dude. It’s just like so organized and clean. And I love it. Food’s been like flames. So good. And 
it’s like the same ingredients, you know? I mean, they have a farm. They have like a greenhouse and 
they they farm and they have all the food here. But it’s like amazing how many different things 
you can do with potatoes, dude. You know, we’ve had so many potatoes and they’ve been delicious. 
Like the potatoes have been the highlight for me   basically of every meal, but knocking it out of 
the park with the food for sure. We’ve got lucky. Every meal has been like a nice combination 
of a very healthy helping of rice. I was like,   I wonder how monks could even gain weight and 
then I see how much rice we’re eating. I’m like, okay, it makes sense. I guess theoretically 
it could happen. Nice vegetable medley,   bunch of different pickled selection. It’s 
been really fresh and really delicious. It’s so easy to be a vegetarian when 
somebody’s cooking for you. This is   just like proper salsa. Love to see it. 
But yeah, man. All really good stuff. One thing I noticed while living in 
the monastery was how additionally   calm I felt due to the simplicity 
of the things that I was eating. We were eating three hearty but simple vegetarian 
meals a day. Seems obvious that a good diet can help with your emotional balance, but I had never 
experienced it so dramatically. And emotional balance is one of the key ways to strengthen 
the virtues of a Buddhist friendly lifestyle. Blood sugar stability and proper nourishment 
reduce emotional swings that lead to impulsive or harmful behavior. A well-fed body makes 
discipline feel less like suppression and more like alignment. When your diet keeps 
your nervous system calm, it’s easier to   pause and breathe through discomfort. Food 
that supports gut health also supports mood stability and emotional endurance. Patience. 
Nutrient-dense meals sustain energy and mood, allowing you to show up consistently and give 
your best effort. Emotional regulation through diet means you’re less likely to quit when things 
get hard. Persistence feels more natural. A clean, calming diet supports mental clarity and 
emotional stillness. Concentration with fewer cravings or mood crashes. Focus becomes more 
effortless. A balanced emotional state supported by mindful eating makes space for insight. 
When the body isn’t agitated or starved, the mind can observe without distortion, allowing 
wisdom to arise from clear seeing. A steady, nourishing diet reduces scarcity mindset and 
emotional grasping. When the body feels supported, the heart feels more open. Generosity 
arises without clinging or depletion. 39 years. Wow. She is living in the same 
place. Wow. Can you ask her? She likes it   just as much now as when she was little to 
live here. Yeah. Yeah. She’s Yeah. Good. Doesn’t count. I don’t think so. They can change now. 
It’s supposed nice. That’s fun though, right? It’s a nice kitchen. Yeah. Relax. Put it up. Foreign speech. 
Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Yeah. Before this like this facility, they don’t 
have any place to house. Oh, I read that they   built it after the earthquake. After also their 
main mission is to cover the expenses expenses. Totally. Yeah. As she’s telling she’s really 
happy waiting here. Nice. Great. The past few years they have built a guest house to accommodate 
visitors who’d want to come here and stay. So,   I think they’ve done this to basically be less 
reliant on government funding as well as less reliant on donations from people. We’re in 
a pretty remote part of the country. So,   it’s a good thing as a visitor, but maybe not 
as fortuitous for them that this is not along sort of the welltrodden tourist routes. Like 
along the route to Everest, there are a ton   of monasteries and those towns are very well 
traversed and people are in and out. But here, tourists don’t come here. It’s just like harder 
to get to. So, if you’re interested in having like   a very unique experience, highly recommend coming 
here. I mean, we are the only visitors currently, and I know that they get some from time to 
time, but this is pretty much as authentic   as it gets. You know what I mean? This is not a 
whitewashed version of this. I suspect the cat will eventually be out of the bag and this place 
will probably have more visitors than they know   what to do with. Hopefully, that’ll be a good 
thing for them. Uh, but for now, I recommend coming and trying to check it out before everybody 
finds out about it because it’s pretty special.   And when we were selecting a place to come, like 
we got a lot of suggestions and a lot of them were just like much more convenient and places that are 
much more used to having tourism. And I spent a lot of time trying to find exactly what I wanted. 
And I think we did a good job. So come out, stay here. Like you’ll be supporting the monastery 
and you’ll get to have an incredible once in a   lifetime experience. So this is where we’re 
staying at. Guest house. It’s pretty sweet. So this is it. First floor. Not much going 
on down here. It is fully electric. Second floor. You’ll notice the outlets universal. 
Love to see it. Bedroom here. This is sort of the like chill zone. Come and hang 
out. There’s some chairs, a table. It’s also like really well designed in 
that it’s really hot today, but it’s   still maintaining like the nice mountain cold 
inside, which is good, play cards or whatever. And this is our bedroom, which is a little 
bit of a mess, but gets the job done. You notice here on the wall, our boy Dolly 
Llama, probably the most charismatic leader who was born into it, who 
we’ve ever had. Nice pink shades, nice view. It’s pretty foggy right now during the 
day, but you can see mountains in perpetuity into the distance from this angle. The Himalayas is 
beautiful. It’s very cool. The pace has been so nice and slow. I’ve taken two naps today. You 
know what I mean? In the midst of all this nature, being kind of aimless, getting to incorporate 
some of these Buddhist principles in real time. I can’t remember the last time I took a nap on 
a shoot. Not not to mention two. Pretty sweet. Being idle or simply doing nothing can powerfully 
support Buddhist virtues. I’ve started to entertain the idea that constantly doing can 
actually lead to doing less in the long run. Idleness teaches you to wait without pushing. In 
doing nothing, you sit with discomfort, boredom, and restlessness, growing the deep patience 
that can stay steady through all things. Paradoxically, rest refineses effort. Effort 
becomes wiser and more sustainable when balanced with stillness. Being idle renews your energy and 
ensures that your action comes from clarity, not compulsion. Stillness is the ground of meditation. 
In idleness, the mind has space to settle. You stop chasing thoughts and let awareness rest in 
itself, deepening concentration without force. Wisdom arises in spacious awareness, not 
in busyiness. Being idle allows insight to emerge naturally without agenda or grasping. 
You glimpse the non-doing at the heart of being. When you pause striving, you realize 
that presence is the most generous gift. You offer your attention, your stillness, 
and your availability without agenda. True discipline includes the restraint not 
to overdo. Idleness can be a form of ethical alignment. Stepping back from compulsive action 
to avoid harm, burnout, or ego-driven striving. Thank you. Thank you for letting 
us out, brother. This is cool. We spent a lot of time just hanging around. 
It’s a perfect place to put some of these Buddhist principles into practice. You know what 
I mean? The beauty of kind of being aimless for   a while. Everything you need right here. Immersing 
yourself in nature. It’s been very all everything, dude. It’s been everything, bro. But no, 
for real. like really really special. Time in nature has been shown to reduce mental 
fatigue and improve focus. When the brain isn’t overloaded, it performs better. Decision making, 
creativity, and even memory all get a boost. It’s literally a natural way to strengthen 
the connection to the virtues of Buddhism. Engaging with the land, walking, planting, hiking, 
tending builds embodied diligence. You experience joyful effort not as striving but as rhythm like 
the rising sun or flowing river. Nature teaches unconditional giving. Trees offer shade, rivers 
offer water, the earth gives food. Witnessing this inspires selfless, abundant generosity without 
expectation of return. Living in tune with nature nurtures discipline. You begin to act in ways 
that preserve life and honor interconnection. Nature moves in its own time. Seeds take months to 
sprout. Seasons change slowly. Being with nature cultivates the ability to wait, observe, and 
allow, softening the modern urge for control. Natural environments support stillness and 
presence. The sound of wind or water can anchor your attention and calm mental chatter, deepening 
concentration effortlessly. Nature constantly reflects impermanence, interdependence, and 
emptiness. Clouds form and dissolve. Life arises and returns to Earth. Being with nature can awaken 
deep wisdom into the nature of reality. This must all look crazy when it’s clear. This is almost 
scary. Like you can’t see if you could never see it and you know that there’s like big things 
there. It’s just like crazy to think like what   is there? I mean we know now there’s mountains 
obviously but it’s wild. It’s wild that the fog can cover up like the biggest mountains on Earth. 
Mount Everest is over there. Yeah. We’re only 50 miles away from Mount Everest right now. Hop 
skipping a jump. Scenery is amazing. Unbelievable. Once we get a rain then it will be really 
clear for the uh what was 10 days and again it’s start that’s why in the countryside we 
expect the rain as you can see it’s like four to five times. Mhm. And you said so far only 
one time right? We need more more rain. Bring the rain. I hope we the weather looks like 
we’ll have a rain again. Well let me tell   you this. I whenever I go anywhere it rains. 
Mhm. I don’t know if that means I’m good luck or bad luck. Exactly. That’s the good luck. 
But dude, I’m telling you, I’ve been like the   desert all over the world. I go, it rains. 
I be places it hasn’t rained in two years, it rains when I get there. Not even kidding. Grand 
Canyon, Adakama Desert, Jordan, and Wadi. Uh, not Wii Roman, Petra. I’m telling you. So, if it 
rains in a couple days, it’s cuz I was here. Get a little chilly here in the morning. So, rocking 
the piece, dude. My head is like cold now that the shouldn’t should have expected that. But I   did remember to put SPF on my 
head today. Hell dog, what up? I was thinking going into this that I was going to 
learn some like magical Buddhist tidbit and have   this Eureka moment that was going to solve all 
my problems. But that’s not really what this was. This wasn’t as much a crash course in Buddhism. 
And even if it had been, what could I expect to   learn in such a short period of time? You know, 
I think the magic here was being in the perfect environment to think about everything that I’ve 
previously learned in the most appropriate setting   possible. This is the most downtime I’ve had in 
years, and it feels amazing to have nothing to do and to just sit around and think about stuff. 
I know that maybe the highest level of this   is not feeling the need to think at all, but I 
found the downtime super useful for it. And in regard to my self-improvement journey, it’s been 
interesting to revisit my original take. You know,   I had it in my mind that I needed to like fix 
myself somehow and that this trip could be a step towards that. And I know that a Buddhist might 
say that we have everything we need and that we’re   perfect just as we are. But I still feel like 
there are things that I want to improve in my life. And maybe in my purest enlightened form, I’m 
supposed to detach from ambition and from results, but I don’t think I’m ready to do that. I like 
having goals. I now understand that it is possible to detach from results in a way that’s good for 
the mind while still maintaining ambition and a strong connection to Buddhist virtues. Discipline 
is based on intention, not outcome. You do what’s right because it’s right, not because it gets you 
ahead. Trust the process, as they say. The world won’t reward you on your timeline. Practicing 
patience helps you stay grounded and open   when results are delayed or different than you 
expected. You commit to giving your best effort wholeheartedly, not because you’re guaranteed 
success, but because it’s worth doing. Real effort is joyful because it’s not conditional on 
reward. True giving means offering effort, time, ideas, or resources without needing to control 
how they’re received or whether they succeed. You act generously, not transactionally. Focused 
presence dissolves anxiety about the future. In full concentration, ambition drops away. You’re no 
longer acting for some future version of yourself. You’re just here. Wisdom sees that all results 
are empty, impermanent, and interdependent. This doesn’t make life meaningless. It frees you to act 
not from ego or fear, but from compassion. I want to develop good habits to live a more enjoyable 
life. It feels like it’ll just take a couple good   choices in a row to get the ball rolling. It might 
not feel great all the time, but you can’t outrun the pain. You might as well feel it right now so 
that you can feel good more often. As I’m thinking about all this, I am completely surrounded 
by the most incredible nature. Feeling that connection that people talk about. I can’t quite 
explain the value of that beyond being able to say that it feels really good. And occasionally I’ve 
been able to just sit here and look out and that is all that’s happening. Nothing else. Maybe only 
just for a couple moments just looking out there, not thinking about anything. They say that’s good. 
I think it is too. I can’t really explain why, but it has to be good, right? So, let’s see 
if when I go back to my normal life if I can take any of this stuff with me. I think 
I’ll be able to. I think I’ll be able to

I have always been interested in Buddhism. As I get older and life gets more complicated, I find myself seeking solutions to solve life’s challenges. I thought, what if I could be a monk for a little while, what secrets could I unlock to make my life happier and more functional. For years I have dreamed of finding out, and I finally did it. The Bigu Gumba Monastery in the Dolakha region of Nepal, near the border of Tibet, is a true gem. I hope you guys enjoy, learn and take something away from this the way that I have.

Comment below if you have questions and thanks.

To visit Tom Kearn for Physical Therapy – https://vertehealth.com/

If you want to recreate this adventure or explore more of what Nepal has to offer, message Pradeep.
*Highland Treks Pvt. Ltd.*
pradeeptamang.paratrek@gmail.com
info@highlandtreks.com

*WhatsApp*:
+977-9841681591 
+977-9808380525

https://www.instagram.com/highland.treks/
https://www.facebook.com/high.landtreks/
Website:   https://highlandtreks.com/

Directed and edited by me
Shot by Zak Ray
Sound Mix by Joey Secchiaroli
Thumb by Brian Stefanik

Unlock extras like souvenirs, itineraries, BTS, directors commentary and much more at HTTPS://PATREON.COM/NOTJULIO

Standup tour dates at HTTPS://BEACONS.AI/NOTJULIO

PATREON – HTTPS://PATREON.COM/NOTJULIO
YOUTUBE- HTTPS://YOUTUBE.COM/NOTJULIO
TOUR- HTTPS://BEACONS.AI/NOTJULIO

Socials-
https://www.instagram.com/notjulio/?hl=en
https://x.com/Notjulio

@notjuliog

https://www.facebook.com/Giuliogallarotti/
https://www.patreon.com/notjulio
https://www.youtube.com/@notjulio
https://snapchat.com/notjulio