The Upaya Zen Center offers spectacular trips to the frontiers, monasteries, temples of Mongolia and Nepal throughout 2008.

(Forimmediaterelease.net) The Upaya Zen Center offers spectacular trips to the frontiers, monasteries, temples of Mongolia and Nepal throughout 2008.

Upaya’s unique access to people and places in the Zen Buddhism practice guarantees travelers a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The Upaya Zen Center has developed the following unique travel itineraries to Asia with Carroll Dunham, anthropologist, writer, documentary film maker and Thomas Kelly, renowned professional photographer and documentary filmmaker:

August 7– 26 KAZAKH/ALTAI MOUNTAINS: Western Mongolia Horse Trip
Western Mongolia is rich in archeological sites that vary from ancient petroglyphs to stone carvings from early Turkish nomads. To travel in western Mongolia and visit this area’s nomadic people between the snow-covered peaks of the Altai Mountains means to experience something that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. One discovers new horizons, will experience the beauty of unexplored wilderness and the freedom of nomadic life. Cost: $4,300 (Plus international flights)

October 10 – 31 MANI RIMDU FESTIVAL IN NEPAL
Kelly and Dunham lead a intimate journey to the heartland of the Himalayas to witness the swirling colors of the Mani Rimdu festival and meet one of the greatest living Vajrayana masters of this century: Trulshig Rinpoche, senior retreat master for the Dalai Lama. Mani Rimdu tells a story in dance, where monk-dancers reenact the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet. Hidden within this drama of cultural history is the story of an individual’s awakening. The dance festival is a performance by radiantly costumed monks in the presence of venerated Trulshig Rinpoche. Meditation and yoga, and the deep joy of walking on trails in the Himalaya will clear travelers’ minds.
Cost: $4,100 (Plus international flights)

For more information, visit www.upaya.org.