May 1

Through My Eyes

Saturday May 1

(We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells of his trip to Peking.)

" About a year after the departure from office of Lobsang Tashi and Lukhangwa, the Chinese suggested that the Government send some officials to China, to see for themselves how marvellous life was in the Glorious Motherland. A party was duly assembled and taken on a tour of the People's republic. When they came back after many months , they submitted a report which was full of praise and admiration and lies. I realised at once that this document had been written under supervision, as by now I was used to the fact that it was often impossible to speak the truth in front of our new masters. I too had had to learn a similar form of communication: how to put on false appearances when dealing with the Chinese under difficult circumstances.

Not long after, in early 1954, I myself was invited to go to China. This seemed like an excellent idea. Not only would it enable me to meet with Chairman Mao in person, but also it would give me the opportunity to see something of the outside world. But few other Tibetans were happy with the idea. But few other Tibetans were happy with the idea. They were afraid that I might be kept in Peking and not allowed to return-some even felt that my life could be in danger and many did their best to dissuade me from going. I had no fear for myself however, and I made up my mind to go no matter what anyone told me. Had I not been so decisive, I doubt whether the proposal would have come to anything.

In the end I set out, together with a retinue which included my family, my two tutors, my two tsenshap ( an new one having been appointed after Trijang Rinpoche became Junior Tutor). the Kashag and a great may other officials. In all we numbered about five hundred. When we departed one morning during high summer, a formal farewell was held on the bank of the Kyichu river, with musical bands and a parade of officials. Tens of thousands of people attended, many carrying religious banners and burning incense to wish me a safe journey and a happy return.

In those days, there was still no bridge over the Kyichu and we crossed in animal-skin coracles, to the accompaniment of chanting by Namgyal monks positioned on the other side. As I climbed aboard my own special vessel, which consisted of two of these coracles strapped together , and turned to wave goodby to my people, I could see that they were in a highly emotional state. Many were crying and it looked as some were on the point of throwing themselves into the water, convinced they were seeing me for the last time. I myself felt a mixture of sadness and excitement, just as I had on leaving for Dromo four years previously. It was heartbreaking to see my people distraught. At the same time, the prospect of the adventure that lay ahead was very thrilling to a young man of nineteen.

The distance from Lhasa to Peking is approaching two thousand miles. In 1954 there were still no roads connecting the two countries although the Chinese had begun work on one called the Qinghai highway, using Tibetan forced labour. The first part was complete, which enabled me to travel a short way in the Thirteenth Dalai Lama's Dodge car. It too had been transported across the river. My first stop was at Ganden monastery, about thirty-five miles from Lhasa, where I took the opportunity to remain for a few days. This was another moving experience for me. Ganden is the third of Tibet's great university monasteries. When I left to continue my journey to China, I noticed something very strange. A statue of one of the protector divinities of Tibet, which is represented as having a buffalo's head, had clearly moved. When I had first seen it, it was looking down with a rather subdued look on it's face. Now, it was facing East,with a very ferocious expression. ( Similarly, I heard that at the time of my escape into exile, the walls of one chapel at Ganden ran with blood.)

I resumed my journey by car. But it was not long before I had to exchange this stately form of transport for a mule: the road had been washed away as soon as we reached the Kongpo region, and many bridges were down. The going quickly became very dangerous. There was constant floodiing from mountain streams carrying melted snow and there were frequent landslides. Rocks and boulders often came thundering down amongst us. Being late summer, there was some heavy rainfall and there were long stretches when the mud came halfway to a person's knees. I felt very sorry for the older people, who sometimes struggled to keep up.

Altogether conditions were very bad. Our Tibetan guides tried very hard to persuade the Chinese who escorted us to alter course so that we followed the traditional high-altitude routes rather than the projected course of the road, which they thought was unsuitable. But the Chinese insisted, saying that if we went that way there would be no facilities. So we went on. It is something of a miracle that more than three people were not killed. Those that died were innocent, young Chinese soldiers from among those made to stand joined together along the side of the track to shield us from avalanches. I felt so sorry for these people. They had no choice. Several mules also fell over a precipice, bursting their guts."

( A grim journey. I promise to add more tomorrow...)

*( please click here to read of the day with me )

* This is from the book Freedom in Exile The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth

Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Through my eyes

( Please see my spinning for you!)

( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? As our heart is warm in shared hope and steadfast resolve so our precious snow mountain in the land of the ancestors is covered with cherry blossoms! I'm trying to bring us more pictures of the Grove It will be even more beautiful next year! I began the day bringing up hoses,fencing and other things we'll need in the Grove. Two as one we pulled strongly together. After that I returned to our studio to work on your loom. With us working two as one it's going quite well; we've a bit more to go for the full width of a prayer flag. I hope you liked the picture of me from our sacred place. I'm not using our harness as it's easier to test the thread movement on the bench top.After that I headed up to the Grove again to move the fence away from the native plants near your Medlar tree so that it will have more room since it's growing strongly. There's a fair amount of fencing work to be done this year. I'm waiting on more planting until we can work on this together. The spirits are glad you are coming beautiful one! It took awhile as I had to scythe there a bit. Then I continued scything near the trees before returning to our studio to work on our a land of Tibet. I'm going to put the pages on our infosite;I'll put this up so we can rest.

And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow

my one gentle beautiful patient swift dream bright

long dark mane in sunlight

so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)


	Through My Eyes Saturday May 1 (We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells of his trip to Peking.) " About a year after the departure from office of Lobsang Tashi and Lukhangwa, the Chinese suggested that the Government send some officials to China, to see for themselves how marvellous life was in the Glorious Motherland. A party was duly assembled and taken on a tour of the People's republic. When they came back after many months , they submitted a report which was full of praise and admiration and lies. I realised at once that this document had been written under supervision, as by now I was used to the fact that it was often impossible to speak the truth in front of our new masters. I too had had to learn a similar form of communication: how to put on false appearances when dealing with the Chinese under difficult circumstances. Not long after, in early 1954, I myself was invited to go to China. This seemed like an excellent idea. Not only would it enable me to meet with Chairman Mao in person, but also it would give me the opportunity to see something of the outside world. But few other Tibetans were happy with the idea. But few other Tibetans were happy with the idea. They were afraid that I might be kept in Peking and not allowed to return-some even felt that my life could be in danger and many did their best to dissuade me from going. I had no fear for myself however, and I made up my mind to go no matter what anyone told me. Had I not been so decisive, I doubt whether the proposal would have come to anything. In the end I set out, together with a retinue which included my family, my two tutors, my two tsenshap ( an new one having been appointed after Trijang Rinpoche became Junior Tutor). the Kashag and a great may other officials. In all we numbered about five hundred. When we departed one morning during high summer, a formal farewell was held on the bank of the Kyichu river, with musical bands and a parade of officials. Tens of thousands of people attended, many carrying religious banners and burning incense to wish me a safe journey and a happy return. In those days, there was still no bridge over the Kyichu and we crossed in animal-skin coracles, to the accompaniment of chanting by Namgyal monks positioned on the other side. As I climbed aboard my own special vessel, which consisted of two of these coracles strapped together , and turned to wave goodby to my people, I could see that they were in a highly emotional state. Many were crying and it looked as some were on the point of throwing themselves into the water, convinced they were seeing me for the last time. I myself felt a mixture of sadness and excitement, just as I had on leaving for Dromo four years previously. It was heartbreaking to see my people distraught. At the same time, the prospect of the adventure that lay ahead was very thrilling to a young man of nineteen. The distance from Lhasa to Peking is approaching two thousand miles. In 1954 there were still no roads connecting the two countries although the Chinese had begun work on one called the Qinghai highway, using Tibetan forced labour. The first part was complete, which enabled me to travel a short way in the Thirteenth Dalai Lama's Dodge car. It too had been transported across the river. My first stop was at Ganden monastery, about thirty-five miles from Lhasa, where I took the opportunity to remain for a few days. This was another moving experience for me. Ganden is the third of Tibet's great university monasteries. When I left to continue my journey to China, I noticed something very strange. A statue of one of the protector divinities of Tibet, which is represented as having a buffalo's head, had clearly moved. When I had first seen it, it was looking down with a rather subdued look on it's face. Now, it was facing East,with a very ferocious expression. ( Similarly, I heard that at the time of my escape into exile, the walls of one chapel at Ganden ran with blood.) I resumed my journey by car. But it was not long before I had to exchange this stately form of transport for a mule: the road had been washed away as soon as we reached the Kongpo region, and many bridges were down. The going quickly became very dangerous. There was constant floodiing from mountain streams carrying melted snow and there were frequent landslides. Rocks and boulders often came thundering down amongst us. Being late summer, there was some heavy rainfall and there were long stretches when the mud came halfway to a person's knees. I felt very sorry for the older people, who sometimes struggled to keep up. Altogether conditions were very bad. Our Tibetan guides tried very hard to persuade the Chinese who escorted us to alter course so that we followed the traditional high-altitude routes rather than the projected course of the road, which they thought was unsuitable. But the Chinese insisted, saying that if we went that way there would be no facilities. So we went on. It is something of a miracle that more than three people were not killed. Those that died were innocent, young Chinese soldiers from among those made to stand joined together along the side of the track to shield us from avalanches. I felt so sorry for these people. They had no choice. Several mules also fell over a precipice, bursting their guts." ( A grim journey. I promise to add more tomorrow...) ( please click here to read of the day with me ) This is from the book Freedom in Exile The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet. Through my eyes ( Please see my spinning for you!) ( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? As our heart is warm in shared hope and steadfast resolve so our precious snow mountain in the land of the ancestors is covered with cherry blossoms! I'm trying to bring us more pictures of the Grove It will be even more beautiful next year! I began the day bringing up hoses,fencing and other things we'll need in the Grove. Two as one we pulled strongly together. After that I returned to our studio to work on your loom. With us working two as one it's going quite well; we've a bit more to go for the full width of a prayer flag. I hope you liked the picture of me from our sacred place. I'm not using our harness as it's easier to test the thread movement on the bench top.After that I headed up to the Grove again to move the fence away from the native plants near your Medlar tree so that it will have more room since it's growing strongly. There's a fair amount of fencing work to be done this year. I'm waiting on more planting until we can work on this together. The spirits are glad you are coming beautiful one! It took awhile as I had to scythe there a bit. Then I continued scything near the trees before returning to our studio to work on our a land of Tibet. I'm going to put the pages on our infosite;I'll put this up so we can rest. And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow my one gentle beautiful patient swift dream bright long dark mane in sunlight so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)