Exploring Mustang
Ever since the Lama left our village, everyone has been very harmoniously co-existing. With his generous donations our village was reaching prosperity and developing as a whole. The medicine factory project had many doctors gathering herbs and making pills, as well as builders helping with the construction. Quite the same way there were many monks and nuns working on the printing press and restoration of the library. I have also heard of another project going on that involves going on an adventure but hadn’t received any donation from the Lama. I didn’t pay much attention because I thought it was gossip and I refuse to partake in such action.
One day me, my neighbor Becky and his wife were having some tea after some tantric practices of our daily deity yoga routine. He told me that there had been a major event up in a region called the Mustang. I had read about this region, it was a restricted area of the Himalayas that are presumed to hold tens and thousands of caves, some extremely old dating back to 500 years ago.These caves are are on the sides of cliffs that are very high with the mountain rock being unstable and can turn into debris really quickly. I didn’t believe that they existed because how could the ancient people have climbed up so high on unstable rock, let alone hand carve caves that have multiple stories and rooms. However Becky told me of a storm in the Mustang region that had caused the cliff side to crumble and fall revealing many caves and that there was an expedition group going. After I told her that I wanted to join she gave me a list of fellow villagers that were going and told me to gather information on how I could help.
I first went to Chogyam Dorje, a doctor friend of mine who was the only medicine man coming along for the ride. He gave me some more information on the people accompanying the group. The one person I was not familiar with was Chodak a hunter. Chogyam told me that Chodak knew his way around the mountains very well and that he was trust worthy. Chodak estimated a seven day journey to Mustang and a seven day journey back. Two of these days are going through thick forests. We were going on foot, and Chogyam told me that we had an iron worker Tenzin, who was building cleats for the limbers and climbing axes and nails.
It came to my mind to build frames for everyones backs that were light in it self so we could carry more back with us. Also I offered to make shaft sticks for everyone to balance themselves or clear their path in the lush forest. Just in case, I’m going to design an emergency float out of bamboo that roles up and is carried easy but if someone is hurt could be used as a medical stretcher bed. Im thinking of carving the insides of the bamboos to make it lighter to carry. We’re twelve people in total so this preparation will take up most of my building resources however because the Lama did not fund this project | am more than willing to contribute 50 building resources on my behalf and try to gather the rest. Food was provided from the Traders and Farmers. Also, I got into contact with Sam- one of the most generous crafts person in the village- who told me he would donate two pounds of nuts. This is great news because nuts are very high in protein and are also easy to carry.
Every one has a duty in this group, the equality and sense of wholeness in the group amazes me. Ritual being my secondary skill I have volunteered to perform a mandala offering before leaving the village and a cleansing fire offering ritual as long as there were group members climbing the unease natured rock of the cliffs of Mustang. I just wish for the weather to be good my good friend Chogyam says that when the weather’s nice the Gods are on your side. For such a dangerous mission i hope the Gods are on our side.
When it comes to the nature of what is inside these caves, there are many possibilities. Maybe texts that have never been discovered before is what awaits us, maybe some corpses. That will depend on what these recently visible caves were used as, burial grounds, libraries, or houses with kitchens and rooms. It is crucial for us to get ready as soon as possible and head off to these caves so that looters don’t get to the artifacts and ruin them before we can preserve our heritage and receive more knowledge about our traditions and past. So Ill get to work, no time to waste!
