Sometimes in the city there are places that surprise you.
Finding solace in a major U.S. city can be difficult sometimes. We often think of open space like forests or parks as places of refuge from the drum of the concrete and wires. But sometimes the not-so-obvious places offer a surprise respite and can transport you to other worlds or even cultures.
One such place is the Sakya Monastery in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood. This Buddhist monastery was featured in the film Little Buddha by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Keanu Reeves and Bridget Fonda. It is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery housing a monk, a lama, and 2 Rinpoches. The prayer wheels above are just outside the front door surrounding a giant stupa (pictured below).
Stupa
Just approaching the monastery one already feels as if they are encountering another world. One may in fact imagine oneself in the Himalaya, having just climbed over a 17,000ft pass to a pastoral valley and this little monastery. We are lucky to have such places of cultural beauty right here in our city. The stupa above is surrounded by prayer wheels that one may spin and cast off good wishes to the world. Generally a clockwise rotation around the stupa is followed (unless you’re an adherent to the Bon religion from the Himalayan region, in which case, counter-clockwise it is) but I don’t think it matters much. Just spinning the wheels and thinking about the intention of them is probably enough.
Sakya Monastery
The monastery gives tours periodically and it’s well worth the effort if you choose to do so. Inside are giant Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, paintings on the walls of various deities, and two stone lions with polished granite spheres in their mouths that can be spun between their teeth. On Friday nights at 7:00 p.m. there are “calm abiding” meditation instructions given followed by a short meditation and a longer one at 7:30 if one chooses. Usually during this time you will also circumambulate the shrine room passing by those stone lions and spinning those spheres in their mouths each time you pass. There is also a “dharma shop” that’s open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. carrying various Himalayan crafts, prayer flags, and books.
Sometimes the places that offer solace from the day-to-day grind of the city are right here in the city. If we are willing to look hard enough or just stop for a moment to pay attention to what’s around us we might just be gifted with a surprise place of calm and transcendence. I often go to the monastery to just spin the prayer wheels if I’m in the Greenwood area. While in Greenwood I also often stop by Pema Kharpo and hang out with the shop owner Rigdzin. Again, here’s a little piece of the Himalaya right here in the city. Stuffed into this tiny shop are all sorts of treasures from the Himal. And Rigdzin is as nice a fellow as you’re likely to meet. Every time I leave that shop I feel better than when I went in. Pema Kharpo is right on Greenwood Ave just north of 85th on the east side of Greenwood. After visiting these two places you could really top off your Himalayan “staycation” by getting some Indian food. For that, unfortunately, you’ll have to leave the Greenwood area and head elsewhere.
I plan to post more on other places around the city that offer surprising respite from the urban hum. Thinking outside the box often leads us to unexpected treasures that make us, ironically, appreciate the city that much more, maybe just when we’ve begun to tire of it.
Click here for more info about the Sakya Monastery.
Prayer wheels--Tibetan prayer wheels often have the cultural motto "Om mani padme hum" on them which means, loosely, "May you have good wishes" or "May the world have good blessings". By spinning the wheels you cast off these wishes to spread out and encompass the entire world. The same may be said of prayer flags often seen on stupas, mountain passes, and at monasteries (or the front walkway of my house for that matter). It is hoped the wind carries these good wishes out to benefit everyone.
The Quiet Gardener 