Acharya Mahashraman Ahimsa Yatra Nepal
Birgunj - Kathmandu - Biratnagar

1. Nepal Entry
2. Touring Birgunj to Hetauda
3. Ascending from Hetauda to Kathmandu
4. Camping in Kathmandu
5. Descending from Kathmandu to Janakpur
6. Cross border Tour - Janakpur to Biratnagar

Section 4: Camping in Kathmandu

4.5: Nepal Jolted Again

Moments after another severe earthquake in Nepal on 12th May)

8^th May:

For around a week the morning hour assembly was held at current campsite at Motilal Duggar family residence. Today Acharya Mahashraman decided to organize it at the premises of Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Niketan. Weather-wise, thunderstorm with rain started around midnight which increased the cold.

9^th May:

Five days long workshop on character (Sanskaar) building for children and teenagers concluded today in presence of H.H. Children had chance of direct interaction with H.H. and had Question-Answer session today. It was planned to have an international level camp for children for character building in Kathmandu but it got cancelled due to earthquake. As the schools are closed due to earthquake, a smaller version of the planned camp was organized al local level to make better use of children’s holidays. Camp was organized from 5th to 9th May for young mass under 18 in which 28 boys and 58 girls participated. Sessions were conducted by monks and nuns between 9 Am to 4 PM.

Ex-Prime Minister of Nepal Mr. Madhav Nepal visited H.H. in afternoon. He mentioned - “Your journey to Kathmandu must be very challenging. Taking such a long and difficult mountain path in itself is a big spiritual exertion.”

Power Minister of Nepal Mrs. Radha Gyawali, Director of Tax department Mr. Kaliprasad Pokhrel and Mrs. Usha Raje Rana from Royal Rana family visited H.H. today. Mrs. Usha Raje is sister of Mrs. Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan.

10^th May:

Sadhvi Ritamabhara from India visiting Acharya Mahashraman

Nepal senator Mr. Anand Prakash Pokhrel and Mr. Kanchan Chandra Wade visited H.H. Sadhvi Ritambhara from India also visited H.H. today.

11^th May:

Acharya Mahashraman with President of Nepal at President House

Acharya Mahashraman went to the Nepal President House in the morning hours. President of Nepal Dr. Ramvaran Yadav had invited H.H. to President’s House during his Birgunj visit. Expecting tremors, they met at open area with tent in this premises. The president briefed on the situation upon earthquake. H.E. mentioned - “I was inside this building during the earthquake. It got difficult to come out during those moments. Some parts of the house have got impacted.  Then I stayed in tent for 6 days. People of Nepal have got united to help out victims. We received aid from India, America and 34 other countries. Please bless us during these difficult times that our country comes back to path of development.”

The President himself was a Doctor in profession and as Acharya Mahashraman takes long walks, the President recommended H.H. to get the legs massaged in the evening hours after long walks and also put a pillow underneath the legs while sleeping. Nepalese translation of the book “Aao Hum Jeena Sikhein” authored by Acharya Mahashraman was gifted to the President.

Acharya Mahashraman coming out of the President House

Ex-Prime Minister of Nepal and President of Maowaadi party Mr. Baburam Bhattrai visited H.H. in the afternoon. Ex-Vice Prime Minister and Ex-Finance Minister of Nepal also visited H.H. today.

It started raining heavily with severe thundering in late evening hours. Hailstorm also started after a while. It got very cold during the night.

12^th May:

Morning hour discourse assembly on 12th May

Horrible earthquake on 25th April had shocked entire Nepal. Severe and mild tremors have been occurring in the last days but as the days were progressing, the severity and frequency of these tremors are reducing and so is people’s fear, doubts and sorrow. Slowly things have started to get normal. Morning hours assembly sessions in presence of H.H. had also resumed.

Acharya Mahashraman came out of camping room upon the earthquake

It was 12.54 in the afternoon. Acharya Mahashraman was taking rest after lunch. Suddenly the earth started shaking and in few moments it started rocking. After around 30 seconds the intensity of tremor reduced and H.H. together with monks quickly moved out of the building to the open tent area in same premises. Earth was still shaking but intensity has come down considerably. Nuns, in their campsite, too came out in open area. Counting of monks was done as per guidance by H.H. Few monks who had gone out, came back soon to the campsite.

As per American scientists, this earthquake was of intensity 7.3 in Richter scale. Epicenter of this earthquake is around 70 KM east of Kathmandu at Kodari in Nepal. Similar mass destruction got repeated as it happened on 25th April. One of the biggest impacts this earthquake had was inducing even more fear in people mind as the event repeated in span of just few days. Fear prevailed everywhere and so was uncertainty and grief.

Nuns in Kathmandu came out of their camping room upon the earthquake

After a while, Mukhya Niyojika Sadhvi Vishrut Vibha together with all the nuns arrived at H.H. campsite. News of safety from Sadhvi Pramukha and nun group camping in Birgunj also arrived soon. Tremors of today’s earthquake were also felt in Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Delhi and Rajasthan. Entire Terapanth order was anxious to get good news about Acharya Mahashraman. H.H. got a message issued to the entire community to assure them.

Sadhvi Pramukha Kanakprabha with nuns in Birgunj sitting outside the camping room in Birgunj after the earthquake

H.H decided to continue staying in same premises. Tremors were felt occasionally but the intensity has considerably come down. H.H went back to camping room at around 3:30 PM.

Emotional Moment: Retrospection & Confession

After the evening hour meditation, H.H. directed the monk group to sleep in ground floor of the building from safety perspective. H.H. inspired monks saying - “we should not be fearful but be cautious.  Anything can happen anytime, nothing can be predicted so let’s retrospect on our past and correct ourselves.”

All the monks stood in a line, as per formal retrospection cum correction process. H.H. also stood up and chanted Namashkar Mahamantra. Taking the witness of Arhats and Siddhas, H.H. guided monks to observe numbers of fasts and read multiples of 1200 stanzas based on their monkhood years. Monks gracefully accepted it. H.H. also mentioned to individually meet if someone has something for confession.

H.H. got seated again and directed - “monks of a group should sleep at same place if possible. In the respective rooms one of the monks should always be awake taking turns and wake up others in case of earthquake.” Similar guidance was sent to nuns group as well and H.H. advised them to sleep at ground floor at their campsite.
At around 2:10 AM in night, a severe but momentary tremor was felt together with a wired noise. Another low intensity tremor was felt again at 3:10 am.

13^th May:

Acharya Mahashraman had rejected the requests from monks-nuns and followers to leave Kathmandu after the first earthquake and had decided to continue with the same travel plan. Those requests started to echo again after this second earthquake. H.H. travel path from Kathmandu to Biratnagar is through the mountains. As per latest information, there are landslides at 17 places on this route and at some places the road is fully damaged or blocked after the second earthquake. In such a situation the request for revisiting the travel plan was even stronger. Warnings of more earthquakes were hinting to leave Kathmandu as soon as possible. Community representatives were strongly requesting H.H. to change the camping and travel plan.

Meeting in presence of Acharya Mahashraman for discussing next steps

A meeting was organized at 9:30 AM in presence of H.H. and participated by monks, nuns and followers. Camping and upcoming travel plan were deeply thought upon and discussed. Three options seem to come out:

1. Keep the upcoming travel plan as it is
2. Suspend the upcoming journey on foot and prolong the stay in Kathmandu for a while
3. Reach Biratnagar by air-plane

Monks-nuns and followers presented their opinions on these three options. Considering exceptional situation, most of the people were supporting the 3rd option of travel by plane. Main reasons for people supporting 3rd option:

1. Anytime a landslide can happen on the journey route. When huge rocks falls down it is generally not easy to escape
2. The campsites identified for halting during journey have been impacted by earthquake and have got cracks on the wall. In case of earthquake striking again, these places are not safe. Some of the places have got fully damaged. Many of these places are in mountains or at the base of mountains.
3. Possibility of re-occurrence of severe earthquake in Kathmandu and places near it.

H.H. listened to everyone and noted important points in diary but didn’t decide anything. There was growing concern for H.H. upcoming travel in followers, not only from Kathmandu but also from other areas in Nepal and India. H.H. repeated the retrospection cum correction with nuns in the morning and the nuns accepted the guidelines with humility.

Another meeting was organized in the afternoon to continue the discussion of morning hours meeting for next steps. After deep thinking H.H kept the decision with himself.

Vice President of Nepal Mr. Parmanand Jha in discussion with Acharya Mahashraman

Vice President of Nepal Mr. Parmanand Jha visited H.H. in the evening. Expressing his feelings, he mentioned - “because of your holy presence in Kathmandu, the damage is much lesser than what it could have happened. Nepal citizen get moral support from your presence here.” Discussing on upcoming travel plan, the Vice President suggested resuming the journey on foot only if it gets conducive.

Consulate of Belarus Mr. Ajay Sumargi and Executive Director of Global Volunteers Affairs Buddhist Foundation Mr. Stephan Hong also visited H.H. today.

14^th May:

No severe tremor was felt during the day and night. Everyone is curious to know the decision on upcoming travel plan but H.H. preferred to keep it with himself. Usual morning hour assembly was also organized.

15^th May:

Advisor of Maowadi Party Mr. Girirajmani Pokhrel and Secretary of Pashupatinath Temple Mr. Govind Tander visited H.H. in evening hours. Usual morning hour assembly was also organized.