May 6

Through My Eyes

Saturday May 6

(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 do not know if we always laugh at the same things as Westerners, but we can almost always find something to laugh about. We are what the Westerners call easygoing and happy-go-lucky by nature, and it is only in the most desperate of circumstances that our sense of humor fails us. But Lhasa was the only place where social life was so elaborate. Most people in the distant marches of Tibet had never been to Lhasa, or perhaps met anyone else who had been there. From year to year they tilled the earth and bred their yaks and other animals, and neither heard nor saw what happened in the world beyond their own horizon. I believe there are many such people, not only in Tibet but in all poorer countries in the world, whatever their system of government.

I do not pretend that every single Tibetan was a gentle and kindly person-of course we had our criminals and sinners. To mention a single example, we had many nomads, and though most of them were peaceful, some of their clans were not above brigandage. Consequently, settled people in certain neighborhoods had to take care to arm themselves, and travelers in such places preferred to go in large companies for protection. The people who lived in the eastern district where I was born, including the Khampas, were law-abiding on the whole, but they were the kind of people to whom a rifle is almost more important than any other possession, as a symbol of manly independence. Yet the sense of religion pervaded even the wildest of places and most of the wildest hearts. One would often see its symbol, too, in the poorest tents of nomads: the altar with the butter lamp before it."

( We certainly know of those butter lamps! 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 near our studio clearing around our trees and native plants and mulching which with we two working as one pulling strongly and patiently together. After that I headed up gang rinpoche ngah tso gi to complete the trimming around our trees and native plants. Then I repaired the electric fence, trimmed near the wires, and turned on the charger because Groundhog has begun munching again! I don't like this much as I mentioned but it works fairly quickly without hurting him that much and prevents a lot of harm being done to the trees which is something of a relief after the struggles of last year. In any case the comfrey is growing so he'll soon have something else to munch on. I have to move about a bit more carefully of course. I generally get a jolt now and then which is quite a nasty surprise of course! After that I rested by your Medlar tree then returned to our studio to spin for you then to get ready for our outreach event tomorrow and work on our a land of Tibet. 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 May 6 (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 do not know if we always laugh at the same things as Westerners, but we can almost always find something to laugh about. We are what the Westerners call easygoing and happy-go-lucky by nature, and it is only in the most desperate of circumstances that our sense of humor fails us. But Lhasa was the only place where social life was so elaborate. Most people in the distant marches of Tibet had never been to Lhasa, or perhaps met anyone else who had been there. From year to year they tilled the earth and bred their yaks and other animals, and neither heard nor saw what happened in the world beyond their own horizon. I believe there are many such people, not only in Tibet but in all poorer countries in the world, whatever their system of government. I do not pretend that every single Tibetan was a gentle and kindly person-of course we had our criminals and sinners. To mention a single example, we had many nomads, and though most of them were peaceful, some of their clans were not above brigandage. Consequently, settled people in certain neighborhoods had to take care to arm themselves, and travelers in such places preferred to go in large companies for protection. The people who lived in the eastern district where I was born, including the Khampas, were law-abiding on the whole, but they were the kind of people to whom a rifle is almost more important than any other possession, as a symbol of manly independence. Yet the sense of religion pervaded even the wildest of places and most of the wildest hearts. One would often see its symbol, too, in the poorest tents of nomads: the altar with the butter lamp before it." ( We certainly know of those butter lamps! 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 near our studio clearing around our trees and native plants and mulching which with we two working as one pulling strongly and patiently together. After that I headed up gang rinpoche ngah tso gi to complete the trimming around our trees and native plants. Then I repaired the electric fence, trimmed near the wires, and turned on the charger because Groundhog has begun munching again! I don't like this much as I mentioned but it works fairly quickly without hurting him that much and prevents a lot of harm being done to the trees which is something of a relief after the struggles of last year. In any case the comfrey is growing so he'll soon have something else to munch on. I have to move about a bit more carefully of course. I generally get a jolt now and then which is quite a nasty surprise of course! After that I rested by your Medlar tree then returned to our studio to spin for you then to get ready for our outreach event tomorrow and work on our a land of Tibet. 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!)