September 13

Through My Eyes

Saturday September 13

(We continue on to the Norbulingka as the Dalai Lama describes his becoming the leader of Tibet.)

"After a few days' travel , we left the area administered by Ma Pu-feng and the Tibetan Government formally announced its acceptance of my candidature. We now entered some of the most remote and beautiful countryside in the world: gargantuan mountains flanking immense flat plains which we struggled over like insects. Occasionally, we came upon the icy rush of meltwater streams that we splashed noisily across. And every few days we would come to a tiny settlement huddled amongst a blaze of green pasture, or clinging as if by its fingers to a hillside. Sometimes we could see in the far distance a monastery perched impossibly on top of a cliff. But mostly , it was just arid, empty space with only savage dust-laden winds and angry hailstorms as remainders of Nature's living forces.

The journey to Lhasa took three months. I remember very little detail apart from a great sense of wonder at everything I saw: the vast herds of drong ( wild yaks) ranging across the plains, the smaller groups of kyang (wild asses) and occasionally a shimmer of gowa and nawa, small deer which were so light and fast they might have been ghosts. I also loved the huge flocks of hooting geese we saw from time to time.

For most of the journey I travelled with Lobsang Samten in a sort of palanquin called a dreljam carried by a pair of mules. We spent a great deal of time squabbling and arguing, as small children do, and often came to blows. This put our conveyance in danger of overbalancing. At that point the driver would stop the animals and summon my mother. When she looked inside, she always found the same thing: Lobsang Samten in tears and me sitting there with triumph on my face. For despite his greater age, I was the more forthright. Although we were really best friends, we were incapable of behaving well together. One or other of us would make a remark which led to an argument and finally to blows and tears-but the tears were always his and not mine. Lobsang Samten was so good-natured that he could not bring himself to use his superior strength against me.

At last, our party began to draw near to Lhasa. It was by now autumn. When we were within a few days' journey, a group of senior government officials came out to meet us and escorted our party on to the Doeguthang plain, two miles outside the gates of the capital. There, a huge tented encampment had been erected. In the centre was a blue and white structure called the Macha Chennio, the 'great Peacock'. It looked enormous to my eyes and enclosed an intricately carved wooden throne, which was only ever brought out for the purpose of welcoming the infant Dalai Lama brought back home.

The ceremony that followed, which conferred on me spiritual leadership of my people, lasted one whole day. But my memory of it is vague. I remember only a great sense of homecoming and endless crowds of people: I had never thought there could be so many. By all accounts, I behaved myself well for a few years old, even to one or two extremely senior monks who came to judge for themselves whether I was really the reincarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Then, at the end of it all, I was taken off with Lobsang Samten to the Norbulingka ( meaning Jewel Park) which lay just to the west of Lhasa itself.

Normally, it was used only as the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. But the Regent had decided to wait until the end of the following year before formally enthroning me at the Potala palace, the seat of the Tibetan Government. In the meantime, there was no need for me to live there. This turned out to be a generous move as the Norbulingka was much more the pleasant of the two places. It was surrounded by gardens and consisted of several smallish buildings which were light and airy inside. By contrast the Potala, which I could see towering magnificently above the city in the distance, was dark cold and gloomy inside.

I thus enjoyed a whole year free of any responsibility, happily playing with my brother ad seeing my parents quite regularly. It was the last temporal liberty I was ever to know."

( An incredibly beautiful country! 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.

( Please see my spinning for you!.)

( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? With the rain coming, I put the wood under cover and worked in the Grove bringing up mulch and clearing a bit around the trees. The hornets' nest is getting quite big now and they are working fast to build it up. They were a bit irritable today and gave me a couple of warning stings! The stings aren't terribly painful; I just went on working and gave them a bit more space. It's fascinating to watch them build and fly in every direction to bring back materials. I'll bring us a picture of the nest tomorrow. Then I returned to the studio and worked inside the studio. It's coming well although part of the vacuum filter fell off and unbeknowst to me I was blowing dust into the air as I went along. It wasn't until I looked up and saw the haze around the lights that I realized what was happening. Pretty funny! It's fine now, my sister brought in an air filter which cleared things up! I'm hoping to paint the studio if we get a few dry days. I'll put this up 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 September 13 (We continue on to the Norbulingka as the Dalai Lama describes his becoming the leader of Tibet.) "After a few days' travel , we left the area administered by Ma Pu-feng and the Tibetan Government formally announced its acceptance of my candidature. We now entered some of the most remote and beautiful countryside in the world: gargantuan mountains flanking immense flat plains which we struggled over like insects. Occasionally, we came upon the icy rush of meltwater streams that we splashed noisily across. And every few days we would come to a tiny settlement huddled amongst a blaze of green pasture, or clinging as if by its fingers to a hillside. Sometimes we could see in the far distance a monastery perched impossibly on top of a cliff. But mostly , it was just arid, empty space with only savage dust-laden winds and angry hailstorms as remainders of Nature's living forces. The journey to Lhasa took three months. I remember very little detail apart from a great sense of wonder at everything I saw: the vast herds of drong ( wild yaks) ranging across the plains, the smaller groups of kyang (wild asses) and occasionally a shimmer of gowa and nawa, small deer which were so light and fast they might have been ghosts. I also loved the huge flocks of hooting geese we saw from time to time. For most of the journey I travelled with Lobsang Samten in a sort of palanquin called a dreljam carried by a pair of mules. We spent a great deal of time squabbling and arguing, as small children do, and often came to blows. This put our conveyance in danger of overbalancing. At that point the driver would stop the animals and summon my mother. When she looked inside, she always found the same thing: Lobsang Samten in tears and me sitting there with triumph on my face. For despite his greater age, I was the more forthright. Although we were really best friends, we were incapable of behaving well together. One or other of us would make a remark which led to an argument and finally to blows and tears-but the tears were always his and not mine. Lobsang Samten was so good-natured that he could not bring himself to use his superior strength against me. At last, our party began to draw near to Lhasa. It was by now autumn. When we were within a few days' journey, a group of senior government officials came out to meet us and escorted our party on to the Doeguthang plain, two miles outside the gates of the capital. There, a huge tented encampment had been erected. In the centre was a blue and white structure called the Macha Chennio, the 'great Peacock'. It looked enormous to my eyes and enclosed an intricately carved wooden throne, which was only ever brought out for the purpose of welcoming the infant Dalai Lama brought back home. The ceremony that followed, which conferred on me spiritual leadership of my people, lasted one whole day. But my memory of it is vague. I remember only a great sense of homecoming and endless crowds of people: I had never thought there could be so many. By all accounts, I behaved myself well for a few years old, even to one or two extremely senior monks who came to judge for themselves whether I was really the reincarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Then, at the end of it all, I was taken off with Lobsang Samten to the Norbulingka ( meaning Jewel Park) which lay just to the west of Lhasa itself. Normally, it was used only as the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. But the Regent had decided to wait until the end of the following year before formally enthroning me at the Potala palace, the seat of the Tibetan Government. In the meantime, there was no need for me to live there. This turned out to be a generous move as the Norbulingka was much more the pleasant of the two places. It was surrounded by gardens and consisted of several smallish buildings which were light and airy inside. By contrast the Potala, which I could see towering magnificently above the city in the distance, was dark cold and gloomy inside. I thus enjoyed a whole year free of any responsibility, happily playing with my brother ad seeing my parents quite regularly. It was the last temporal liberty I was ever to know." ( An incredibly beautiful country! 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. ( Please see my spinning for you!.) ( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? With the rain coming, I put the wood under cover and worked in the Grove bringing up mulch and clearing a bit around the trees. The hornets' nest is getting quite big now and they are working fast to build it up. They were a bit irritable today and gave me a couple of warning stings! The stings aren't terribly painful; I just went on working and gave them a bit more space. It's fascinating to watch them build and fly in every direction to bring back materials. I'll bring us a picture of the nest tomorrow. Then I returned to the studio and worked inside the studio. It's coming well although part of the vacuum filter fell off and unbeknowst to me I was blowing dust into the air as I went along. It wasn't until I looked up and saw the haze around the lights that I realized what was happening. Pretty funny! It's fine now, my sister brought in an air filter which cleared things up! I'm hoping to paint the studio if we get a few dry days. I'll put this up 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!)