April 2

Through My Eyes

Saturday April 2

(We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells of his hobbies and pets!)

" As a thirteen or fourteen year old, I had acquired my first box camera through the good offices of Serkon Rinpoche, the lame tsenshap.

At first, I entrusted the exposed films to him for development. He then pretended that the films were his own ( to save me from embarrassment if I had photographed anything that might be considered unworthy of the Dalai Lama) and took them to a merchant. They were then processed in India. This procedure always caused him -because if my subject matter really had been unsuitable, he would have had to take responsibility! Later on though, I constructed a darkroom at the Norbulingka and, from Jigme Taring, one of my officials, learned how to do this work myself.

Another hobby that I resumed after moving to my new home was that of mending watches. Having more space than before, I was able to set aside a room as a workshop, for which I acquired a proper set of tools. For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by watches and rosaries, a facet of character that I share with the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Often, when I look at our differences in nature, I think that it is not possible that I am his reincarnation. But considering our interest in watches and rosaries, I realise that of course I must be!

When I was very young, I carried my predecessor's pocket-watch. But what I always longed for was a wrist watch - although some people advised me against it. As soon as I was old enough to convince Serkon Rinpoche that I needed them, I arranged for him to buy me a Rolex and an Omega from the Lhasa market. Incredible as it may seem, even in those far off days before the Chinese had arrived to civilise us, it was possible to buy Swiss watches in Lhasa. In fact, there were few things that you could not buy from the market- everything from Marmite and Yardley's soap from England to last month's edition of Life magazine were quite easily obtainable.

Needless to say, the first thing I did with my latest acquisitions was take them apart. When I first saw the tiny pieces that comprised the mechanism, I regretted my haste. But it did not take me long to put them back together again or to learn how to slow them down and speed them up. So I was delighted when I was finally able to have a proper workshop to do these things. I repaired quite a few apparently hopeless cases for family and friends and still to this day like to keep my tools handy, although I no longer have time to do very much of this work. Besides, so many watches that are made today are impossible to open without scratching. I fear that I have disappointed a number of people whose timepieces have been returned to them in full working order, but in less than pristine condition.

That said, I have managed more or less to keep up with modern technology, although, of course, digital watches are outside my scope. I need admit only to a couple of failures. One of these was the beautiful, gold Patek Philippe sent to me as a gift by President Roosevelt. With separate movements for the second hand and date, it was beyond me- and beyond the professional repairers I sent it to as well. It was not until I took it personally to the manufacturers whilst on a visit to Switzerland a few years ago that anyone has succeeded in getting it to run properly. Fortunately, it was in the hands of an Indian repairer at the time of my escape from Lhasa. Another failure was a watch belonging to a member of my Government: I regret to say that I had to send it back in an envelope-in pieces.

At this point I can perhaps mention the three cats which I have owned whilst in India. The first of them joined my household towards the end of the 1960s. It was a black-and-white spotted female called Tsering, who had many good points, amongst which was her friendliness. I have few rules for any creature that joins my household, other than that they are compelled to be monks and nuns, but Tsering had one major failing which I, as a Buddhist, could not tolerate: she was unable to resist catching mice. I frequently had to discipline her for this. It was on one of these occasions that I regret to say she met her end. I caught her in the very act of killing a mouse inside my house. When I shouted at her, she ran to the top of a curtain, where she suddenly lost her grip, fell to the ground and was mortally wounded. Despite all the attention and care I could give her, she did not recover and died within a few days.

Not long afterwards, however, I discovered a small kitten in the garden, which had apparently been abandoned by it's mother. I picked it up and noticed that its hind legs were crippled in just the same way as Tsering's were when she died. I took this creature into my house and looked after it until eventually it was able to walk. Like Tsering, she was also female, but very beautiful and even more gentle. She also got along very well with the two dogs, particularly Sangye, against whose furry chest she liked to lie."

( Tibetans believe that animals reincarnate and that human beings can also reincarnate in animal form should their spiritual development require it. 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? I began the day in our studio spinning for you then continued work on the printing block which with we two working as one pulling strongly and patiently together is going quite well! After that I wandered around the studio taking pictures of the stream. It's not the highest it has ever been but it's quite high and it's still raining! It's a ways from the studio though. After that I worked on our a land of Tibet. Two as one we've noticed a few mistakes locating things on the drawings which we'll fix later. You'll notice the usual changes in the pages. Two as one we've fixed a few more mistakes on the pages. I'm going to put the pages up on our infosite; I'll put this up a bit early 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 April 2 (We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells of his hobbies and pets!) " As a thirteen or fourteen year old, I had acquired my first box camera through the good offices of Serkon Rinpoche, the lame tsenshap. At first, I entrusted the exposed films to him for development. He then pretended that the films were his own ( to save me from embarrassment if I had photographed anything that might be considered unworthy of the Dalai Lama) and took them to a merchant. They were then processed in India. This procedure always caused him -because if my subject matter really had been unsuitable, he would have had to take responsibility! Later on though, I constructed a darkroom at the Norbulingka and, from Jigme Taring, one of my officials, learned how to do this work myself. Another hobby that I resumed after moving to my new home was that of mending watches. Having more space than before, I was able to set aside a room as a workshop, for which I acquired a proper set of tools. For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by watches and rosaries, a facet of character that I share with the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Often, when I look at our differences in nature, I think that it is not possible that I am his reincarnation. But considering our interest in watches and rosaries, I realise that of course I must be! When I was very young, I carried my predecessor's pocket-watch. But what I always longed for was a wrist watch - although some people advised me against it. As soon as I was old enough to convince Serkon Rinpoche that I needed them, I arranged for him to buy me a Rolex and an Omega from the Lhasa market. Incredible as it may seem, even in those far off days before the Chinese had arrived to civilise us, it was possible to buy Swiss watches in Lhasa. In fact, there were few things that you could not buy from the market- everything from Marmite and Yardley's soap from England to last month's edition of Life magazine were quite easily obtainable. Needless to say, the first thing I did with my latest acquisitions was take them apart. When I first saw the tiny pieces that comprised the mechanism, I regretted my haste. But it did not take me long to put them back together again or to learn how to slow them down and speed them up. So I was delighted when I was finally able to have a proper workshop to do these things. I repaired quite a few apparently hopeless cases for family and friends and still to this day like to keep my tools handy, although I no longer have time to do very much of this work. Besides, so many watches that are made today are impossible to open without scratching. I fear that I have disappointed a number of people whose timepieces have been returned to them in full working order, but in less than pristine condition. That said, I have managed more or less to keep up with modern technology, although, of course, digital watches are outside my scope. I need admit only to a couple of failures. One of these was the beautiful, gold Patek Philippe sent to me as a gift by President Roosevelt. With separate movements for the second hand and date, it was beyond me- and beyond the professional repairers I sent it to as well. It was not until I took it personally to the manufacturers whilst on a visit to Switzerland a few years ago that anyone has succeeded in getting it to run properly. Fortunately, it was in the hands of an Indian repairer at the time of my escape from Lhasa. Another failure was a watch belonging to a member of my Government: I regret to say that I had to send it back in an envelope-in pieces. At this point I can perhaps mention the three cats which I have owned whilst in India. The first of them joined my household towards the end of the 1960s. It was a black-and-white spotted female called Tsering, who had many good points, amongst which was her friendliness. I have few rules for any creature that joins my household, other than that they are compelled to be monks and nuns, but Tsering had one major failing which I, as a Buddhist, could not tolerate: she was unable to resist catching mice. I frequently had to discipline her for this. It was on one of these occasions that I regret to say she met her end. I caught her in the very act of killing a mouse inside my house. When I shouted at her, she ran to the top of a curtain, where she suddenly lost her grip, fell to the ground and was mortally wounded. Despite all the attention and care I could give her, she did not recover and died within a few days. Not long afterwards, however, I discovered a small kitten in the garden, which had apparently been abandoned by it's mother. I picked it up and noticed that its hind legs were crippled in just the same way as Tsering's were when she died. I took this creature into my house and looked after it until eventually it was able to walk. Like Tsering, she was also female, but very beautiful and even more gentle. She also got along very well with the two dogs, particularly Sangye, against whose furry chest she liked to lie." ( Tibetans believe that animals reincarnate and that human beings can also reincarnate in animal form should their spiritual development require it. 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? I began the day in our studio spinning for you then continued work on the printing block which with we two working as one pulling strongly and patiently together is going quite well! After that I wandered around the studio taking pictures of the stream. It's not the highest it has ever been but it's quite high and it's still raining! It's a ways from the studio though. After that I worked on our a land of Tibet. Two as one we've noticed a few mistakes locating things on the drawings which we'll fix later. You'll notice the usual changes in the pages. Two as one we've fixed a few more mistakes on the pages. I'm going to put the pages up on our infosite; I'll put this up a bit early 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!)