Includes visits to Yungdrung Ling and remote Menri monastery , Exploration of ancient Bon settlements, meetings with the drogpas of remote Upper Tibet, and the amazing Lake Namtso, with its ancient Bon and Nyingma caves and petroglyphs. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not a 'trek," but, still, not meant for everyone, requisites are a strong interest in the ancient traditions of Tibet, an appreciation of the spiritual nature of the area, as well as health, endurance and a positive attitude.
If you are interested in Bon and Old School spirituality of Tibet, or in the history of Zhang Zhung, you should know about this Zhang Zhung Program and Exploration, May 14,2009 (see Below), with one of the world's great explorers. This program will fill quickly. It is not a trek but involves some camping. The trip to Mustang is a trek for those who love trekking, ancient art and unspoiled Tibetan culture.
HH sponsored (ongoing) specialist on pre-Buddhist Tibet.
Recipient of post-doctoral fellowship from American Society of Learned Societies, 2007
National Geographic Grant, 2006, and many other top level grants
Discovery Channel film of Guge, 2006
Chosen as one of the 120 greatest living explorers in new book, Adventurous Lives, Adventurous Dreams
Published books with elite European presses
University of VA, visiting scholar
Discover of Zhang Zhung civilization in Tibet
Close associate of HH Menri Khenpo, head of Bon and Lopon Tenzin Namdak, senior-most Bon scholar.
25 intensive years of exploring the Himalaya
Professional mountain and cultural and pilgrimage guide since mid-1980s
From an interview with John in The Washington Post:
John Vincent Bellezza has begun to put a historical and archaeological foundation under the legend of Zhang Zhung. Tramping 30,000 miles across an area about the size of Texas and California combined, Bellezza documented 512 sites in northern and western Tibet, indicating that a far-flung civilization preceded the empire. Zhang Zhung was real, perhaps even an empire in its own right.
Here are some of the many links for your exploration:
About John Bellezza, and his extensive work (Includes The Bellezza Newsletters)
The 2009 Pilgrimages
Bon Foundation 'Menri Road' Report
ZhangZhung.org
Bon Future Fund
NPR Interview with Alex Chadwick
Ligmincha.org The place to find the Bellezza Books.
Parabola Magazine Review of Four of John's books
Pilgrimage Contact:
Adventures Within Reach
2527 Broadway St.
Boulder, CO 80304
Toll free: 877.232.5836
Local: 303.325.3746
Fax: 915-242-1272
Email: info@AdventuresWithinReach.com
This page from friends of John Bellezza at the Philadelphia Meditation Center (John led two wonderful pilgrimages for us in 2000; Feel free to contact.)
The Snow Lion is a celestial animal of Tibet. It symbolizes fearlessness, unconditional cheerfulness, east and the earth element. It is one of the Four Dignities. It ranges over the mountains, and is commonly pictured as being white with a turquoise mane. In Mainland China, the Snow Lion is called a Fu Dog.
The roar of the Snow Lion embodies the sound of 'emptiness' (Sanskrit: Sunyata), courage and truth, and because of this is often a synonym for the Buddhadharma, the Buddha's teachings, as it implies freedom from karma and the challenging call to awakening. It was considered to be so powerful that just a single roar could cause seven dragons to fall from the sky. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
