For 22 days they climbed through the Himalayas to cross the border from Tibet into Nepal.

The Venerable Karma Sherpa, Rinpoche, along with a friend and a Nepali guide, left his family behind to continue his studies and life as a Tibetan monk, which began when he was eight.

Sometimes 3,000 feet above ground, they trudged through the bitter cold of the snowy mountaintops, the glare off the white snow causing his eyes to continually tear.

With only the samba, a Tibetan food mixture, bread, and the little money they brought for this journey in autumn of 1993, their basic necessities of life became scarce.

“One day we had no water,” Rinpoche said.

Now teaching in Champaign for the Tashi Choling Center that practices Mahayana, a sect of Buddhism, at Unity Church in Urbana, his attitude always remains positive and humorous.

“But later we got water and it was no problem,” he chuckled with a big grin.

Sleeping under trees and large rocks that provided shelter, they avoided towns where Nepali or Chinese police would be present.

At this time, under the Chinese government’s control of Tibet, Buddhist practices, teachers, monks, and schools were repressed, causing many others like Rinpoche to take refuge in Nepal and India. If the authorities caught Buddhist monks, they would be taken back to Tibet.

“We were very much afraid,” Rinpoche said.

Disguising themselves with Nepali hats and keeping their robes off, he said the police couldn’t tell that they were Tibetans.

They arrived in a reception center in Nepal that housed many Tibetans who crossed over.

“We were really fortunate we didn’t have any trouble,” he said.

For two weeks he rested there in comfort before traveling onto India where the Tibetan government resides in exile in city called Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama lives.

Living in a hut in the mountains above the city, he made pilgrimages to the holy places throughout India and Nepal, and received many teachings from monks of all different sects of Buddhism.

With some potatoes, tea, butter and barley, he cooked samba for breakfast, lunch and dinner, occasionally sipping tea throughout the day.

One day while walking into town for barley, Rinpoche ran into Robert Miller who went to Dharamsala to study the Tibetan language right after graduating from the University.

Walking into his hut, Rinpoche recalls Miller asking, “How can you live like this?”

Miller called his friend, Susan Taylor, who had a small Buddhist group meet in her Champaign home, which he was a part of before leaving. After telling her about Rinpoche’s situation, she and the group agreed to support him financially.

From 1998 to 2004, he lived off the $50 a month they sent, and Taylor supported him further, as he needed.

“It was an honor to support a monk,” she said.

After leaving India to teach at a Buddhist Center in England in 2004, Taylor finally persuaded Rinpoche to make the move to the United States.

“His family (members) are nomads,” Taylor said, “It’s his nature to want to explore.

By July he was living with Taylor and was adjusting to American life.

“It’s much better here,” he said of the U.S. “Everyone is friendly.”

Rinpoche has been attending Parkland Community College’s English as a second language classes. While his vocabulary is limited, his speech has improved overall, Taylor said.

He quickly recognized his love for television, as well. Often times, Rinpoche watches old western movies on T.V.

“John Wayne is nice,” he laughed, raising his thumb.

Taylor has enjoyed his company for the past two years.

“He’s very welcoming, warm and friendly – he radiates benevolence,” said Lily Chan, University alumna and practitioner of the Tashio Choling Center Rinpoche leads.

Rinpoche and Taylor began the group soon after his arrival and it has slowly grown since. With about 15 people attending per week and limited funding, the Unity Church has let them use their facility.

“Everyone is welcome,” said Marshall Bellville, who has attended the group and supported Rinpoche from the beginning.

Creating a sense of community through love and compassion is a main goal of their gatherings, Taylor said.

“We pray for all the world,” Rinpoche said at their Sunday gathering, leading prayer. “We (are) wishing long life for all the Champaign people, and Unity Church . and all America.”