January 17

Through My Eyes

Saturday January 17

(We continue to listen to Dalai Lama as he describes the beginning of the Chinese invasion.)

" Now from very early on, I have always had a great interest in science. So naturally, I wanted to find a scientific basis for this extraordinary event. When I saw Heinrich Harrer a few days later, I asked him what he thought was the explanation, not only for the earth tremors. but more importantly for the strange celestial phenomena. He told me he was certain that the two were related. It must be a cracking of the earth's crust caused by the upward movements of whole mountains.

To me, this sounded plausible, but unlikely. Why would a cracking of the earth's crust manifest itself as a glow in the night sky accompanied by thunderclaps and, furthermore, how could it be that it was witnessed over such immense distances? I did not think that Harrer's theories told the whole story. Even to this day I do not. Perhaps there is a scientific explanation, but my own feeling is that what happened is presently beyond science,something truly mysterious. In my case, I find it much easier to accept that what I witnessed was metaphysical. At any rate, warning from on high or mere rumblings from below, the situation in Tibet deteriorated rapidly thereafter.

As I have said, this event occurred just before the opera festival. Two days later, the omen, if that is what it was, began to fulfill itself. Towards evening, during one of the performances, I caught sight of a messenger running in my direction. On reaching my enclosure, he was immediately shown in to Tathag Rinpoche, the Regent, who occupied the other half. I realised at once that something was wrong. Under normal circumstances government matters would have had to wait until the following week. Naturally, I was almost beside myself with curiosity. What could this mean? Something dreadful must have happened. Yet being still so young and having no political power, I would have to wait until Tathag Rinpoche saw fit to tell me what was going on. However, I had already discovered that it was possible, by standing on a chest, to peep through a window set high up in the wall separating his room from mine. As the messenger went in, I hoisted myself up, and, holding my breath, began to spy on the Regent. I could see his face quite clearly as he read the letter. It became very grave. After a few minutes, he went out and I heard him give orders for the Kashag to be summoned.

I discovered in due course that the Regent's letter was in fact a telegram from the Governor of Kham, based in Chamdo, reporting a raid on a Tibetan post by Chinese soldiers, causing the death of the responsible officer. Already the previous autumn there had been cross-border incursions by Chinese Communists, who stated their intention of liberating Tibet from the hands of imperialist aggressors-whatever that might mean. This was despite the fact that all Chinese officials living in Lhasa had been expelled in 1949.

It now looked as if the Chinese were making good their threat. If that were so, I was well aware that Tibet was in grave danger for our army mustered no more than 8500 officers and men. It would be no match for the recently victorious People's Liberation Army (PLA).

I remember little else of that year's opera festival, save for the desolation I felt in my heart. Not even the magical dances performed to the slow beat of drums could hold my attention, the players in their elaborate costumes( some dressed to look like skeletons, representing Death) solemnly and rhythmically following an ancient choreography.

Two months later, in October, our worst fears were fulfilled. News reached Lhasa that an army of 80,000 soldiers of the PLA had crossed the Drichu river east of Chamdo. Reports on Chinese Radio announced that , on the anniversary of the Communists coming to power in China, the 'peaceful liberation' of Tibet had begun.

So the axe had fallen. And soon, Lhasa must fall. We could not possibly resist such an onslaught. In addition to its shortage of manpower, the Tibetan army suffered from having few modern weapons and almost no training. Throughout the Regency, it had been neglected. For Tibetans, despite their history, basically love peace and to be in the army was considered the lowest form of life: soldiers were held to be like butchers. And although some extra regiments were hurriedly sent from elsewhere in Tibet, and a new one was raised, the quality of troops sent to face the Chinese was not high.

It is useless to speculate on what might have been the result had things been otherwise. It is necessary only to say that the Chinese lost large numbers of men in their conquest of Tibet: in some areas , they did meet with fierce resistance and, in addition to direct casualties of war, they suffered greatly from difficulties of supply on the one hand and the harsh climate on the other. Many died from starvation; others must certainly have succumbed to altitude sickness, which has always plague,and sometimes actually killed, foreigners in Tibet. But as to the fighting, no matter how large or how well prepared the Tibetan army had been, in the end its efforts would have been futile. For even then, the Chinese population was more than a hundred times larger than ours."

( The beginning of terrible sadness in Tibet. 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 spent most of the day in our studio working on what to get for the Grove for this growing season. I finally got outside later in the day and went up to the Grove to check on the trees and native plants resting as always for a bit beside your Medlar tree. Then I returned to the studio to work on our a land of Tibet! I've posted a few notes on internet discussion forums asking if anyone knew any of the legends associated with Tibetan lakes as I haven't been able to find anything thus far elsewhere. It will be neat to see the replies! I'm going to put the pages 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 January 17 (We continue to listen to Dalai Lama as he describes the beginning of the Chinese invasion.) " Now from very early on, I have always had a great interest in science. So naturally, I wanted to find a scientific basis for this extraordinary event. When I saw Heinrich Harrer a few days later, I asked him what he thought was the explanation, not only for the earth tremors. but more importantly for the strange celestial phenomena. He told me he was certain that the two were related. It must be a cracking of the earth's crust caused by the upward movements of whole mountains. To me, this sounded plausible, but unlikely. Why would a cracking of the earth's crust manifest itself as a glow in the night sky accompanied by thunderclaps and, furthermore, how could it be that it was witnessed over such immense distances? I did not think that Harrer's theories told the whole story. Even to this day I do not. Perhaps there is a scientific explanation, but my own feeling is that what happened is presently beyond science,something truly mysterious. In my case, I find it much easier to accept that what I witnessed was metaphysical. At any rate, warning from on high or mere rumblings from below, the situation in Tibet deteriorated rapidly thereafter. As I have said, this event occurred just before the opera festival. Two days later, the omen, if that is what it was, began to fulfill itself. Towards evening, during one of the performances, I caught sight of a messenger running in my direction. On reaching my enclosure, he was immediately shown in to Tathag Rinpoche, the Regent, who occupied the other half. I realised at once that something was wrong. Under normal circumstances government matters would have had to wait until the following week. Naturally, I was almost beside myself with curiosity. What could this mean? Something dreadful must have happened. Yet being still so young and having no political power, I would have to wait until Tathag Rinpoche saw fit to tell me what was going on. However, I had already discovered that it was possible, by standing on a chest, to peep through a window set high up in the wall separating his room from mine. As the messenger went in, I hoisted myself up, and, holding my breath, began to spy on the Regent. I could see his face quite clearly as he read the letter. It became very grave. After a few minutes, he went out and I heard him give orders for the Kashag to be summoned. I discovered in due course that the Regent's letter was in fact a telegram from the Governor of Kham, based in Chamdo, reporting a raid on a Tibetan post by Chinese soldiers, causing the death of the responsible officer. Already the previous autumn there had been cross-border incursions by Chinese Communists, who stated their intention of liberating Tibet from the hands of imperialist aggressors-whatever that might mean. This was despite the fact that all Chinese officials living in Lhasa had been expelled in 1949. It now looked as if the Chinese were making good their threat. If that were so, I was well aware that Tibet was in grave danger for our army mustered no more than 8500 officers and men. It would be no match for the recently victorious People's Liberation Army (PLA). I remember little else of that year's opera festival, save for the desolation I felt in my heart. Not even the magical dances performed to the slow beat of drums could hold my attention, the players in their elaborate costumes( some dressed to look like skeletons, representing Death) solemnly and rhythmically following an ancient choreography. Two months later, in October, our worst fears were fulfilled. News reached Lhasa that an army of 80,000 soldiers of the PLA had crossed the Drichu river east of Chamdo. Reports on Chinese Radio announced that , on the anniversary of the Communists coming to power in China, the 'peaceful liberation' of Tibet had begun. So the axe had fallen. And soon, Lhasa must fall. We could not possibly resist such an onslaught. In addition to its shortage of manpower, the Tibetan army suffered from having few modern weapons and almost no training. Throughout the Regency, it had been neglected. For Tibetans, despite their history, basically love peace and to be in the army was considered the lowest form of life: soldiers were held to be like butchers. And although some extra regiments were hurriedly sent from elsewhere in Tibet, and a new one was raised, the quality of troops sent to face the Chinese was not high. It is useless to speculate on what might have been the result had things been otherwise. It is necessary only to say that the Chinese lost large numbers of men in their conquest of Tibet: in some areas , they did meet with fierce resistance and, in addition to direct casualties of war, they suffered greatly from difficulties of supply on the one hand and the harsh climate on the other. Many died from starvation; others must certainly have succumbed to altitude sickness, which has always plague,and sometimes actually killed, foreigners in Tibet. But as to the fighting, no matter how large or how well prepared the Tibetan army had been, in the end its efforts would have been futile. For even then, the Chinese population was more than a hundred times larger than ours." ( The beginning of terrible sadness in Tibet. 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 spent most of the day in our studio working on what to get for the Grove for this growing season. I finally got outside later in the day and went up to the Grove to check on the trees and native plants resting as always for a bit beside your Medlar tree. Then I returned to the studio to work on our a land of Tibet! I've posted a few notes on internet discussion forums asking if anyone knew any of the legends associated with Tibetan lakes as I haven't been able to find anything thus far elsewhere. It will be neat to see the replies! I'm going to put the pages 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!)