a land of Tibet

We're in our coracle on the Dabpa chu on our way to Dabpa and the Dabpa Yangteng Gon! You notice I've put the Litang Chode to the north of Litang as I didn't note that this was where it was in earlier drawings. You noticed this though I think! Anyway, it's about 20 kilometers or 12 miles to the east of Dabpa on a hill which must have a view of the Dabpa chu although our Footprint Tibet handbook doesn't mention it. There are a few hundred monks associated with the Dabpa Yangteng Gon; perhaps not all of them are here since the tulkus Dzeme Tulku in Paris and Gosok Rinpoche in India are not in residence here. Still though they have the shamanic ability to assist the activities of those working with them even from where they are! In any case they probably worked a lot to raise funds outside Tibet for the needed restoration. You notice I haven't mentioned Dorje Shukden in the poem. That's because this particular deity is a source of tremendous conflict among Tibetans today. Dorje Shukden or Dorje Shugden as he is sometimes called is one of the protector deities associated with Tibetan Buddhism in much the same way as Dorje Drakden the Nechung oracle. For some reason the Dalai Lama has placed a prohibition on practices involving the deity possibly due to energetic dangers involved. Unfortunately, if accounts are accurate, followers of the Dorje Shukden practices have been actively persecuted by their fellow Tibetans and the conflict is a tremendous source of bitterness. At least I believe that's the situation. Tibetans are as human as anyone else and have conflicts they must resolve as any people will. These conflicts must be especially heightened by the anxiety that being in exile causes. Tibetans are struggling for the very existence of their culture! Anyway, that's possibly why the image of Dorje Shukden is covered in the corner yet is placed in front of Hayagriva as a poster. Our Footprint Tibet handbook mentions a Labrang which is probably the smaller temple where the images of the lineage holders are. It must also then have been designed as the residence for the Tulku since a Labrang is actually the residence for a tulku at a monastery. It now is also used as a tea room for visiting guests. We can turn the Mani wheel below then go into the Labrang to drink our tea! There's a lot more to add but as usual two as one we'll add to the notes later beautiful one!


	Through My Eyes * We're in our coracle on the Dabpa chu on our way to Dabpa and the Dabpa Yangteng Gon! You notice I've put the Litang Chode to the north of Litang as I didn't note that this was where it was in earlier drawings. You noticed this though I think! Anyway, it's about 20 kilometers or 12 miles to the east of Dabpa on a hill which must have a view of the Dabpa chu although our Footprint Tibet handbook doesn't mention it. There are a few hundred monks associated with the Dabpa Yangteng Gon; perhaps not all of them are here since the tulkus Dzeme Tulku in Paris and Gosok Rinpoche in India are not in residence here. Still though they have the shamanic ability to assist the activities of those working with them even from where they are! In any case they probably worked a lot to raise funds outside Tibet for the needed restoration. You notice I haven't mentioned Dorje Shukden in the poem. That's because this particular deity is a source of tremendous conflict among Tibetans today. Dorje Shukden or Dorje Shugden as he is sometimes called is one of the protector deities associated with Tibetan Buddhism in much the same way as Dorje Drakden the Nechung oracle. For some reason the Dalai Lama has placed a prohibition on practices involving the deity possibly due to energetic dangers involved. Unfortunately, if accounts are accurate, followers of the Dorje Shukden practices have been actively persecuted by their fellow Tibetans and the conflict is a tremendous source of bitterness. At least I believe that's the situation. Tibetans are as human as anyone else and have conflicts they must resolve as any people will. These conflicts must be especially heightened by the anxiety that being in exile causes. Tibetans are struggling for the very existence of their culture! Anyway, that's possibly why the image of Dorje Shukden is covered in the corner yet is placed in front of Hayagriva as a poster. Our Footprint Tibet handbook mentions a Labrang which is probably the smaller temple where the images of the lineage holders are. It must also then have been designed as the residence for the Tulku since a Labrang is actually the residence for a tulku at a monastery. It now is also used as a tea room for visiting guests. We can turn the Mani wheel below then go into the Labrang to drink our tea! There's a lot more to add but as usual two as one we'll add to the notes later beautiful one! * courtesy of A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions. The information for the sketches is courtesy of the Footprint Tibet handbook by Gyurme Dorje. ( please click here to return to my spinning for you!)