DHARMA JOURNEYS: An Interview with Tony Kerwin & Janet Rantz

Their very first trip to Nepal is what led Tony Kerwin and Janet Rantz, members of for over 10 years now (and our tireless Building Team Leaders), to KSC. They went to see the tallest mountains in the world, and the experience brought them close to Buddhism. In Janet's words,

“The Himalayas are so huge that whenever I hear words like vastness and openness, I remember the mountains. They have entered our lives in every way.”

Recently, they made a 4th trip to Nepal, combining their love of the mountains, the culture, and their dharma practice. 30 days spent in tents, half of the time above 12,000 feet, immersed in the landscape with none of the normal routines, was like a retreat.

At one point they came across a mani wall (made of stones carved with prayers) that was miles long.

“We literally walked by miles and miles of mani walls that were 6 feet high and 10 feet wide,” Janet said.

They encountered a huge stupa with a water powered prayer wheel above the site of the village of Langtang that was destroyed in the earthquake. In reflection, Janet shared,

“The people there live their religion. It’s a part of their lives. They make daily offerings, burn juniper.”

This was a trip very much imbued with amazing experiences and fortuitous circumstances. In one instance, Tony and Janet hiked up to a gompa only to encounter a beautiful procession of resident lamas in their finery with instruments and parasols. What they had witnessed spontaneously was traditional greeting line to meet the new lama who was arriving at that moment to replace the lama who had passed away.

Among many other special places, they also visited a hermitage on the sacred mountain called ‘crystal mountain, little brother of Mt. Kailash.' This was the same mountain that Peter Matheissen visited in search of the snow leopard.

Thank you, Janet and Tony, for sharing your inspiring journey with us!