A Cool America: The Catskills Nature

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Catskill Mountains, frogs, geese, horses, nature, nature photography, New Age, New York, Rail Trail, Russian Orthodox Monastery, Tibetan Buddhism, Upstate NY, wild flowers, wild life habitat, Woodstock New York

I am continuing my series on America’s cool and off-beat spots.

I live in a beautiful part of New York State, the Catskill Mountains. Renowned for its skiing in the winter and hiking in the warmer seasons, it is also home to various colleges, artist and New Age communities, as well as monasteries and spiritual retreats.

If you are ever in the Catskills, don’t miss the famous Woodstock, seat of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival. Check out my post with great pics: Woodstock, NY

Definitely visit the Woodstock Buddhist Monastery. Read my post + lots of pics: Woodstock Tibetan Buddhist Monastery

There are many other fascinating places to visit in the Catskills, including the New Age town of New Paltz, Russian Orthodox Monastery and the Peace Village. I am planning some posts about those in the near future.

But today’s post is all about the nature of the Catskills.

Many New Yorkers buy secondary homes in the Catskills because of its gorgeous mountains and unspoiled nature. Overpopulation, overconstruction and incessant traffic are a problem in most of the USA.

But the Catskills remain one of the few relatively pristine corners of the country, still preserving the beauty and charm of a long by-gone era.

Stamford, New York, known as the Queen of the Catskills, is located in the heart of the area.

In the olden days, when a railroad ran through town, well-to-do New Yorkers would vacation at the local summer and winter resorts. Some built grand summer homes. However, with the advent of automobiles, the rail road became defunct, and as fewer people came to Stamford, the town lost its luster, falling on hard times. But in the past twenty years, as buying of secondary homes became popular again, New Yorkers flocked here once more to destress and be with nature.

The defunct railroad has been turned into a nature trail, presently running for miles and miles to the neighboring towns. Dubbed the rail trail, it is my favorite place to hike, do photography and meditate.

I hear that the long-term plan is to revive the defunct rail road and bring big city traffic and commerce back to town. It would be a pity. The rail trail is a way for humans to interact with nature in a peaceful and unobtrusive way, and without creating unnecessary disruption of wild life habitats.

My hope is that the unique natural ecological system that so many people, animals, birds and other creatures can enjoy now won’t be destroyed, as humans attempt to re-assert their dominion over the area.

In Stamford, beautiful nature starts right at my doorstep.

Wild flowers on the rail trail.

Colors of the rail trail.

As I walk, scents of various blooms are intoxicating.

The mighty Delaware River starts right here, in Stamford, as a tiny trickle. It runs through the entire town and along the rail trail.

A cute pink frog from the river, whom I met on the rail trail and who graciously agreed to a photo op.

My favorite pond and its inhabitants.

I was lucky enough to capture him in flight!

My friends, Mr. and Mrs. Goose.

The Catskill Mountains are lovely any time of the year.

Horses on the rail trail.

And more beautiful horses.

A Cool America: Woodstock Tibetan Buddhist Monastery

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Buddha, Buddhism, Catskill Mountains, Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Karmapa, Holy Man, Kagyu, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, Karmapa, Mecca, Meditation, painting, photos, spirituality, tanghas, Tara, Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist Art, Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Tibetan statues, visiting Tibetan Buddhist monastery, WOODSTOCK, Woodstock New York

Woodstock, NY has a distinction of being a Mecca for artists, as well as heaven for holistic and spiritually oriented people. As such, it is home to the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery located on Meads Mountain Rd.

One day I am planning on traveling to Tibet, but until then, why not explore a cool piece of Tibet, located practically in my back yard.

The official name of the monastery is Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) and it is the North American seat of His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa. Founded in 1976, the monastery features the traditional teachings of the Kagyu lineage of the Tibetan Buddhism, who’d been teaching spirituality and mediatation since the 10th century. The Monastery is located in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, just above Woodstock.

The Monastery has a number of monks and it hosts meditations, discussions about spirituality and higher consciousness, retreats and other events.

Recently it welcomed  the Dalai Lama, as well as the Holy Man, Gyalwang Karmapa.

Monastery’s outer gate.

The inner gate.

The outside of the monastery.

Fu Dogs protecting the building.

Colorful Tibetan prayer flags are everywhere, surrounding the monastery with benevolent energy.

Tibetan symbols on top of the meditation building: 1. Wheel of life; 2. Stupa; 3. Victory banner; 4. Fruits of abundance; 5. Kalachakra.

Entrance into the mediation hall, painted with traditional Tibetan frescoes.

If you think this is beautiful, you aint seen nothin’ yet! The actual meditation hall is absolutely amazing. A WOW amazing! As someone who collects Asian art, I can totally attest to that! I was sooooo ready with my camera to snap those pics left and right. I was practically drooling! But… the very nice monks politely asked not to take any pictures inside the sacred space. Anyone is welcome to come in and meditate, but no photography is allowed in the meditation hall. So, I went in and sat on one of the pillows. I closed my eyes and meditated for a while. How I wanted to whip out my camera and snatch just a couple of pics of the magnificent Buddha statues towering at 25 feet, of beautiful thangkas and offerings! No one would see me do it, if I was really fast, would they?

But then, I thought of those monks and the trust they put in me, I thought of something intangible that I could distinctly feel in that room. What was it? The presence? Higher conscience?

As a result, my camera stayed in my pocket. I got up and went around the hall, taking in every statue, every piece of art and absorbing the atmosphere. After that, I exited the meditation hall, put my shoes back on and went outside without taking any pictures.

So sorry, no pics of the monastery’s most awesome room. But there are plenty of the rest. Enjoy :)

Inside the main building. Notice the floor? This beautiful design is called the mandala. It looks like a flower, specifically a lotus, and symbolizes harmony.

Ah yes, Thangkas… A thangka is a very special art form, particular to Tibet. They are painted by Tibetan Buddhist artists on canvas, using vibrant colors and oftentimes real gold paint. Nedless to say, because of that, they are awfully expensive.

The stroke is exquisitely fine; thangka’s design is usually very intricate, with lots of amazing images arranged in a very structured way around a main image of Buddha, Tara, Avalokiteshvara, or another diety.

The canvas is usually framed with silk brockade and can be hung on the wall, creating a striking senterpiece for any space. However, when not in use, thangka can be rolled up, like a scroll, thus taking up very little space. This to me symbolizes a very Buddhist notion of “traveling light through life.” I collect thangkas and can’t stop admiring the amazing artistry of their creators.

A very interesting fact about thangkas is that despite being truly unique masterpieces, the artists don’t usually sign their names on their creations. It is believed egoic and inapropriate, as all art and creation belongs to God.

Philosophical paintings by Karmapa:

Awakening from slumber.

Inquisitive mind – genuine wisdom.

Dance of illusion.

The thunder dragon.

Union of mind and wisdom.

Pics of the Dining Hall.

The monastery has an extensive shop where one can buy very high quality Tibetan insense (I shop exclusively there), as well as thangkas, Buddhist devotional items, statues, books and other art. It is pretty awesome. Here are some of the images:

The monastery has been conceived as a fully sustainable, green project. Caring for the Earth and all its beings is an integral part of the Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and practice.

Solar panels on the monastery roof.

The monastery is still under construction. They are looking for donations and additional funding.

If you are interested in donating, please visit their website: http://www.kagyu.org/

This is part 2 of my post: A Cool America: Woodstock, NY. Check out part one here!

A Cool America: Woodstock, NY

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1969 Woodstock Music Festival, Ann Hood, Augusten Burroughs, Bob Dylan, Hudson River, Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Max Yasgur, Nelson Rockefeller, New York, New York City, Shalom Auslander, United States, WOODSTOCK, Woodstock New York

Original photography by Author Lada Ray

In my life I had been to just about 30 countries, including some of the most picturesque, famous, as well as exotic and rarely visited locales. Some I remember with warmth, in others I’ll always I feel at home, even after years of absence, and there are a few I wouldn’t necessarily want to go back to. I am planning a series of posts about my various travels, with lots of pics (of course) and a fresh look at destinations both well-known and rarely traversed.

But for now… I’d lived in the USA for years. So, why not do a series on something closer to my present home: the genuinely cool places of America?

Today’s destination is the town of WOODSTOCK, NY, located not too far from my home in the Catskills. 

Woodstock, NY has forever been etched in the Americans’ genetic memory due to a certain event in 1969, which signaled a massive change in the mentality of this country towards the Vietnam War and which is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in popular music history.

500,000 music fans gathered between August 15 and August 18, 1969 on Max Yasgur‘s dairy farm for a weekend billed as “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music.” Families came with children and often slept straight on the grass during this rainy and muddy weekend. There were food shortages and sanitation problems. But in 3 days, 32 acts were performed, making many participating musicians famous overnight. Artists included Joan Baez, Santana, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead and The Who, to name a few. Music performances alternated with anti-war discussions and meditations, as well as yoga, breathing and healthy living classes. Both the participants and attendees felt remarkably peaceful and inspired.

Initially, no more than 50,000 people were expected and the festival was supposed to happen on Woodstock property, not far from the town itself. Hence the name: Woodstock Festival. But after the locals rebelled against the “invasion” of the “Hippies” and when it became clear that the festival attendance would break all records, the venue was hastily moved to the extensive dairy farm owned by Max Yasgur, some 60 miles (100 kilometers) away.

New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller called festival organizer John Roberts and told him he was thinking of ordering 10,000 New York State National Guard troops to the festival. Roberts was successful in persuading Rockefeller not to do this. Meanwhile, New York’s Sullivan County declared a state of emergency.

I daresay all these authorities, who wouldn’t see the great thing if it hit them over the head, were worrying about the wrong people. Unfortunately, in this regard not much has changed since then.

The town has long been a mecca for artists, musicians (like Bob Dylan), and writers, even before the music festival made the name “Woodstock” famous. The town has a separate Artists’ Cemetery. Film, and art festivals attract big names, and hundreds of musicians have come here to record. In April 2012, Woodstock hosted the Woodstock Writers Festival. Speakers inlcuded some of the notable names in literature: Ann Hood, Augusten Burroughs, Shalom Auslander, Kurt Anderson and Ned Leavitt.

The town is also home to the new Tibetan Buddhist Monastery.

Located between the foothills of the Catskills and Hudson River, Woodstock today blends music and the arts with robust holistic and spiritual communities. And yeah, Hippies are always welcome!

 

 

 

Read Part 2:  Cool America: Woodstock Tibetan Buddhist Monastery