october 2026
dear friends,
complete dedication to awakening.
what would that look like? how might that feel?
to put an end to the cycle of ignorance and perpetual harm;
not for yourself, but for everyone else
with each breath, every meal, every action,
may this be of benefit to all sentient beings
~~~
highlights ✨
- studied for 2 months (so far) at Osel Ling, the monastery of Mingyur Rinpoche overlooking the sacred Kathmandu valley. such a precious gift for my life.
- spent a bit of time bumming around Japan. the deer in Nara were a hoot
- practiced the sublime state of Being for a week at the Asura Cave, the place of Padmasambhava’s enlightenment, just outside of Kathmandu.
i also made a personal website, nichosystem.com
sincere gratitude 🙏
- Rob, for the gentle smiles
- Steffen, for that ever-inspiring dispassion and sravaka diligence
- Franziska, for the gift of song and such easeful connection
- Jerrett, for a great tea session and opening up a whole new way of life to me
recent reading 📚
- White Lama (5) – amazing biography & incredible story right at the intersection of my passions. so well written and thoroughly researched
- Yasodhara and the Buddha (4.5) – i loved it. the writing at times wasn't for me but wow the ending was so beautiful. really well done.
- non-fiction: A Trackless Path (4.5), The Magic of Vajrayana (3.5), The Bliss of Inner Fire (3.5), The Story of Buddhism (3.5), A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism (3), Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines (2.5), Honoring the Land (2), Awakening the Sacred Body (1.5)
- fiction: Lost Horizon (4.5), The Rose of Tibet (4), Master & Margarita (4), Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (4)
so many good books 🤯
what's next 🗺️
i still have another ~6 weeks at the monastery here in Nepal, then i’ll be stationed in Thailand for a while, with maybe a short trip to India somewhere in between?
how’s autumn unfolding? any song/book recommendations?
i love you,
nicho
ཨོཾ་མ་ཎི་པདྨེ་ཧཱུྃ