April 22

Through My Eyes

Saturday April 22

(We continue listening to the Dalai Lama as he tells of his experience of Tibet in My Tibet written by he and Galen Rowell!)

" I have mentioned soldiers. We had an army, but it was very small. It's main work was to man the frontier posts and to stop unauthorized foreigners from coming into the country. This army also formed our police force, except in the city of Lhasa which had its own police, and in the monasteries. In Lhasa the army added military color to ceremonies and lined the route whenever I left the palaces. It had a curious history. Early in the century, when we were having trouble with the Chinese, my predecessor decided to bring the army up-to-date by employing a few foreign instructors for a short while. Nobody could tell which was the best foreign army to model it on, so he had one regiment trained by Russians, one by the Japanese, and one by the British. The British system turned out to be the most suitable, so the whole army was organized along British lines. The British instructors left Tibet during the time of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, but up till 1949 the army still used British words of command in its drill, since there had been no such martial words in our language, and among the Tibetan marches played by its military bands were the melodies of ' It's a long way to Tipperary, ' 'Auld Lang Syne,' and 'God Save the King.' But the words of these tunes, if any Tibetan ever knew them, were forgotten long ago. However, I do want to give the impression that our army was anachronistic or absurd; it was not. It had never been brought up-to-date by being mechanized, because that was impossible. It was far too small to defend our large country against attack, but for its own limited purposes it was quite effective, and its men were brave. "

( Tibetans were more concerned with subduing inner mental forces so as to make outward conflict unnecessary. I promise to add more tomorrow...)

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

* This is from the book My Tibet by the Dalai Lama and Galen Rowell.

( 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 headed out to wander about for awhile in the rain taking pictures. After that I returned to our studio to tidy up in our studio for awhile then work on some business stuff before working on our a land of Tibet. 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 22 (We continue listening to the Dalai Lama as he tells of his experience of Tibet in My Tibet written by he and Galen Rowell!) " I have mentioned soldiers. We had an army, but it was very small. It's main work was to man the frontier posts and to stop unauthorized foreigners from coming into the country. This army also formed our police force, except in the city of Lhasa which had its own police, and in the monasteries. In Lhasa the army added military color to ceremonies and lined the route whenever I left the palaces. It had a curious history. Early in the century, when we were having trouble with the Chinese, my predecessor decided to bring the army up-to-date by employing a few foreign instructors for a short while. Nobody could tell which was the best foreign army to model it on, so he had one regiment trained by Russians, one by the Japanese, and one by the British. The British system turned out to be the most suitable, so the whole army was organized along British lines. The British instructors left Tibet during the time of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, but up till 1949 the army still used British words of command in its drill, since there had been no such martial words in our language, and among the Tibetan marches played by its military bands were the melodies of ' It's a long way to Tipperary, ' 'Auld Lang Syne,' and 'God Save the King.' But the words of these tunes, if any Tibetan ever knew them, were forgotten long ago. However, I do want to give the impression that our army was anachronistic or absurd; it was not. It had never been brought up-to-date by being mechanized, because that was impossible. It was far too small to defend our large country against attack, but for its own limited purposes it was quite effective, and its men were brave. " ( Tibetans were more concerned with subduing inner mental forces so as to make outward conflict unnecessary. I promise to add more tomorrow...) ( please click here to read of the day with me ) This is from the book My Tibet by the Dalai Lama and Galen Rowell. ( 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 headed out to wander about for awhile in the rain taking pictures. After that I returned to our studio to tidy up in our studio for awhile then work on some business stuff before working on our a land of Tibet. 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!)