April 30

Through My Eyes

Saturday April 30

(We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells his travels abroad!)

" Everything was far cleaner than I had ever seen before. I soon discovered that this emphasis on outward cleanliness extended even to the food, which was always exquisitely presented. It seemed to me that according to Japanese sensibilities, its arrangement on the plate was of greater importance than the taste. Another thing that struck me immediately was the huge number of cars and trucks that plied their way up and down the city streets, transporting people and goods throughout the day and night. I was particularly interested to find that, although Japan has achieved great material advancement, she has done so without losing sight of her traditional culture and values. Seeing this impressed on me the tremendous potential for good of modern technology.

Whilst in Japan, I was very happy to see a number of young Tibetan students studying there. I was also glad to meet some Japanese who spoke Tibetan and had a good knowledge of my homeland. As recently as the time of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Japanese scholars had come to Tibet to study. So it was a pleasure to re-establish, albeit as a refuge, links between our two countries.

My impressions of Thailand were quite different. I found the people there wonderfully easy going. This was in contrast to Japan, where even the waiters struck me as formal. That said, there are certain rules of etiquette to be observed in Thailand which I found to be distinctly difficult. According to Thai custom, the laity should always show respect for the Sangha, as Buddhist monasticism is properly known. However, it is considered entirely wrong for a monk to acknowledge such reverence, even when a person prostrates himself or herself. I found this extremely hard to get used to. Under normal circumstances, I always return greetings. And whilst I did my best to restrain myself, I often found my hand behaving independently!

Visiting Thailand on a subsequent occasion, this tradition presented me with an interesting problem when I was invited to lunch with the King. Should I or should I not shake his hand? He might consider it unseemly for me to do so. Nobody was quite sure. In the event, he came forwards and shook my hand warmly.

My only other difficulty in that country was the heat which, even more than in southern India, was stunning. That and the mosquitoes. Together they made sleeping very difficult. On the positive side, some of the senior monks I was privileged to meet were deeply impressive. As in Japan, there was much to discuss as our different traditions share many common practices-which helped me see that Buddhism in the Tibetan tradition is a very complete form of Buddhism.

In 1973, I made my first trip to Europe and Scandinavia. It lasted for over six weeks and took in eleven countries. By the end, I was completely exhausted. Yet I was exhilarated to have had the opportunity of seeing so many new places and of meeting so many new people. I was also pleased to renew some old acquaintances. It was especially good to see Heinrich Harrer once more. He was his usual, jovial self and his sense of humour was as coarse and earthy as ever. He had been to Dharamsala once, but it was many years since I had last seen him, and his yellow hair, about which I had always teased him when I was a boy, was now very grey. Otherwise, the years had not changed him much. His strong mountaineer's fingers still captivated me and, although he had collected even more injuries that when I knew him last, thanks to an accident whilst leading an expedition in New Guinea, he was altogether full of himself.

My first stop was Rome, where I met his holiness the Pope. As the aircraft came in to land, I was very curious to see whether the landscape offered any indications of the tremendous differences that are supposed to exist between East and West. Even though I had seen countless photographs of European cities, particularly in my collection of books about the First and Second Wars, I was still not quite sure what to expect. So it was with relief that I saw the same trees and vegetation and the same signs of human habitation that I knew from the East. Things were obviously not so different after all.

On landing, I went straight to Vatican City, where I found St Peter's Basilica in some ways reminiscent of the Potala, at least in terms of its size and great antiquity. On the other hand, the Swiss guards, in their very colourful uniforms, seemed quite comical. They looked almost like decorations. My talk with Pope Paul VI was very brief, but I took the opportunity to express to him my belief in the importance of spiritual values for all humanity, no matter what the particular creed. He was in complete agreement with me and we parted on very good terms."

( An amazing trip! 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 worked on the printing block which with we two working as one pulling strongly and patiently together is going quite well! After that, two as one we began working on the pages for a Windhorse project! I'll put them up for us to look over soon after we look over the latest progress on the printing block. After that I continued work on our a land of Tibet. 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 for now 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 30 (We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells his travels abroad!) " Everything was far cleaner than I had ever seen before. I soon discovered that this emphasis on outward cleanliness extended even to the food, which was always exquisitely presented. It seemed to me that according to Japanese sensibilities, its arrangement on the plate was of greater importance than the taste. Another thing that struck me immediately was the huge number of cars and trucks that plied their way up and down the city streets, transporting people and goods throughout the day and night. I was particularly interested to find that, although Japan has achieved great material advancement, she has done so without losing sight of her traditional culture and values. Seeing this impressed on me the tremendous potential for good of modern technology. Whilst in Japan, I was very happy to see a number of young Tibetan students studying there. I was also glad to meet some Japanese who spoke Tibetan and had a good knowledge of my homeland. As recently as the time of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Japanese scholars had come to Tibet to study. So it was a pleasure to re-establish, albeit as a refuge, links between our two countries. My impressions of Thailand were quite different. I found the people there wonderfully easy going. This was in contrast to Japan, where even the waiters struck me as formal. That said, there are certain rules of etiquette to be observed in Thailand which I found to be distinctly difficult. According to Thai custom, the laity should always show respect for the Sangha, as Buddhist monasticism is properly known. However, it is considered entirely wrong for a monk to acknowledge such reverence, even when a person prostrates himself or herself. I found this extremely hard to get used to. Under normal circumstances, I always return greetings. And whilst I did my best to restrain myself, I often found my hand behaving independently! Visiting Thailand on a subsequent occasion, this tradition presented me with an interesting problem when I was invited to lunch with the King. Should I or should I not shake his hand? He might consider it unseemly for me to do so. Nobody was quite sure. In the event, he came forwards and shook my hand warmly. My only other difficulty in that country was the heat which, even more than in southern India, was stunning. That and the mosquitoes. Together they made sleeping very difficult. On the positive side, some of the senior monks I was privileged to meet were deeply impressive. As in Japan, there was much to discuss as our different traditions share many common practices-which helped me see that Buddhism in the Tibetan tradition is a very complete form of Buddhism. In 1973, I made my first trip to Europe and Scandinavia. It lasted for over six weeks and took in eleven countries. By the end, I was completely exhausted. Yet I was exhilarated to have had the opportunity of seeing so many new places and of meeting so many new people. I was also pleased to renew some old acquaintances. It was especially good to see Heinrich Harrer once more. He was his usual, jovial self and his sense of humour was as coarse and earthy as ever. He had been to Dharamsala once, but it was many years since I had last seen him, and his yellow hair, about which I had always teased him when I was a boy, was now very grey. Otherwise, the years had not changed him much. His strong mountaineer's fingers still captivated me and, although he had collected even more injuries that when I knew him last, thanks to an accident whilst leading an expedition in New Guinea, he was altogether full of himself. My first stop was Rome, where I met his holiness the Pope. As the aircraft came in to land, I was very curious to see whether the landscape offered any indications of the tremendous differences that are supposed to exist between East and West. Even though I had seen countless photographs of European cities, particularly in my collection of books about the First and Second Wars, I was still not quite sure what to expect. So it was with relief that I saw the same trees and vegetation and the same signs of human habitation that I knew from the East. Things were obviously not so different after all. On landing, I went straight to Vatican City, where I found St Peter's Basilica in some ways reminiscent of the Potala, at least in terms of its size and great antiquity. On the other hand, the Swiss guards, in their very colourful uniforms, seemed quite comical. They looked almost like decorations. My talk with Pope Paul VI was very brief, but I took the opportunity to express to him my belief in the importance of spiritual values for all humanity, no matter what the particular creed. He was in complete agreement with me and we parted on very good terms." ( An amazing trip! 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 worked on the printing block which with we two working as one pulling strongly and patiently together is going quite well! After that, two as one we began working on the pages for a Windhorse project! I'll put them up for us to look over soon after we look over the latest progress on the printing block. After that I continued work on our a land of Tibet. 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 for now 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!)