January 24

Through My Eyes

Saturday January 24

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

" This threat to the freedom of Tibet did not go unnoticed in the world. The Indian Government,supported by the British Government, protested to the People's Republic of China and stated that the invasion was not in the interests of peace. On 7 November 1950, the Kashag and the Government appealed to the United Nations Organisation to intercede on our behalf. But sadly, Tibet, following her policy of peaceful isolation, had never sought to become a member and nothing came of this-nor from two further telegrams sent before the year was out.

As winter drew on and the news got worse, there began to be talk of giving the Dalai Lama his majority. People started to advocate my being given full temporal power - two years early. My sweepers reported to me that posters had been put up around Lhasa vilfying the Government and calling for my immediate enthronement, and there were songs to the same effect.

There were two schools of thought: one consisted of people who looked to me for leadership in this crisis; the other, of people who felt that I was still too young for such responsibility. I agreed with the latter group, but unfortunately, I was not consulted. Instead, the Government decided that the matter should be put to the oracle. It was a very tense occasion, at the end of which the kuten, tottering under the weight of his huge, ceremonial head dress, came over to where I sat and laid a kata, a white silk offering scarf, on my lap with the words 'Thu-la bap', 'His time has come'.

Dorje Drakden had spoken. Tathag Rinpoche at once prepared to retire as Regent, although he was to remain as my Senior Tutor. It remained only for the state astrologers to select the day for my enthronement. They chose 17 November 1950 as the most auspicious date before the end of the year. I was rather saddened by these developments. A month ago I had been a carefree young man eagerly looking forward to the annual opera festival. Now I was faced with the immediate prospect of leading my country as it prepared for war. But in retrospect, I realise that I should not have been surprised. For several years now, the oracle had shown undisguised contempt for the Government whilst treating me with great politeness.

At the beginning of November, about a fortnight before the day of my investiture, my elder brother arrived in Lhasa. I hardly knew him. As Takster Rinpoche,he as by now abbot of Kumbum monastery where I had spent those first lonely eighteen months after my discovery. As soon as I set eyes on him, I knew that he had suffered greatly. He was in a terrible state, extremely tense and anxious. He stammered as he told me his story. Because Amdo, the province where we were both born, and in which Kumbum is situated, lies so close to China, it had quickly fallen under control of the Communists. Straight away he had been put under duress. Restrictions were put on the activities of the monks and he himself was kept virtual prisoner in his monastery. At the same time, the Chinese endeavored to indoctrinate him in the new Communist way of thinking and to try to subvert him. They had a plan whereby they would set him free to go to Lhasa if he would undertake to persuade me to accept Chinese rule. If I resisted, he was to kill me. They would then reward him.

That was a strange proposal. First of all, the idea of killing any living thing is anathema to Buddhists.So the suggestion that he might actually assassinate the Dalai Lama for personal gain showed how little understanding the Chinese had of the Tibetan character.

After a year during which my brother saw his community turned upside down by the Chinese, he gradually came to the conclusion that he must escape to Lhasa to warn me and the Government of what lay in store for Tibet if the Chinese conquered us. The only way he could do this was by pretending to go along with them. So finally he agreed to do their bidding.

I gasped as he told me this. Up until now, I had almost no knowledge of the Chinese. And of Communists I was almost entirely ignorant, although I was aware that they had been causing terrible hardship for the people of Mongolia. Aside from that, I knew only what I had gleaned form the pages of he odd copy of Life magazine that came into my hands. But my brother now made it clear that they were not only non-religious but were actually opposed to the practice of religion.

I became very scared as Takster Rinpoche told me that he was convinced that the only hope for us was to secure foreign support and to resist the Chinese by force of arms."

( Rather sad that other nations never bothered to come to Tibet's aid. Considering all the presents that had given to the Dalai Lamas by foreign heads of state it seems rather pathetic too. 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? I began the day in our studio making boards from the Tenger's gift for your loom. Then I headed onto the hill and wandered about taking pictures before returning to our studio to continue working on the boards for your loom. I spent a bit of time working with some of the photo software and learned some helpful new techniques that we can use later. I hope you liked the picture of me looking into your mirror from our solstice place. I actually cut with a few other saws along with the one we were looking at particularly toward the center of the longer peices where the frame of the saw interferes with its movement. It's getting a bit late. I'm going to put the pages on our infosite; I'll put this up 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 24 (We continue to listen to Dalai Lama as he describes the beginning of the Chinese invasion. ) " This threat to the freedom of Tibet did not go unnoticed in the world. The Indian Government,supported by the British Government, protested to the People's Republic of China and stated that the invasion was not in the interests of peace. On 7 November 1950, the Kashag and the Government appealed to the United Nations Organisation to intercede on our behalf. But sadly, Tibet, following her policy of peaceful isolation, had never sought to become a member and nothing came of this-nor from two further telegrams sent before the year was out. As winter drew on and the news got worse, there began to be talk of giving the Dalai Lama his majority. People started to advocate my being given full temporal power - two years early. My sweepers reported to me that posters had been put up around Lhasa vilfying the Government and calling for my immediate enthronement, and there were songs to the same effect. There were two schools of thought: one consisted of people who looked to me for leadership in this crisis; the other, of people who felt that I was still too young for such responsibility. I agreed with the latter group, but unfortunately, I was not consulted. Instead, the Government decided that the matter should be put to the oracle. It was a very tense occasion, at the end of which the kuten, tottering under the weight of his huge, ceremonial head dress, came over to where I sat and laid a kata, a white silk offering scarf, on my lap with the words 'Thu-la bap', 'His time has come'. Dorje Drakden had spoken. Tathag Rinpoche at once prepared to retire as Regent, although he was to remain as my Senior Tutor. It remained only for the state astrologers to select the day for my enthronement. They chose 17 November 1950 as the most auspicious date before the end of the year. I was rather saddened by these developments. A month ago I had been a carefree young man eagerly looking forward to the annual opera festival. Now I was faced with the immediate prospect of leading my country as it prepared for war. But in retrospect, I realise that I should not have been surprised. For several years now, the oracle had shown undisguised contempt for the Government whilst treating me with great politeness. At the beginning of November, about a fortnight before the day of my investiture, my elder brother arrived in Lhasa. I hardly knew him. As Takster Rinpoche,he as by now abbot of Kumbum monastery where I had spent those first lonely eighteen months after my discovery. As soon as I set eyes on him, I knew that he had suffered greatly. He was in a terrible state, extremely tense and anxious. He stammered as he told me his story. Because Amdo, the province where we were both born, and in which Kumbum is situated, lies so close to China, it had quickly fallen under control of the Communists. Straight away he had been put under duress. Restrictions were put on the activities of the monks and he himself was kept virtual prisoner in his monastery. At the same time, the Chinese endeavored to indoctrinate him in the new Communist way of thinking and to try to subvert him. They had a plan whereby they would set him free to go to Lhasa if he would undertake to persuade me to accept Chinese rule. If I resisted, he was to kill me. They would then reward him. That was a strange proposal. First of all, the idea of killing any living thing is anathema to Buddhists.So the suggestion that he might actually assassinate the Dalai Lama for personal gain showed how little understanding the Chinese had of the Tibetan character. After a year during which my brother saw his community turned upside down by the Chinese, he gradually came to the conclusion that he must escape to Lhasa to warn me and the Government of what lay in store for Tibet if the Chinese conquered us. The only way he could do this was by pretending to go along with them. So finally he agreed to do their bidding. I gasped as he told me this. Up until now, I had almost no knowledge of the Chinese. And of Communists I was almost entirely ignorant, although I was aware that they had been causing terrible hardship for the people of Mongolia. Aside from that, I knew only what I had gleaned form the pages of he odd copy of Life magazine that came into my hands. But my brother now made it clear that they were not only non-religious but were actually opposed to the practice of religion. I became very scared as Takster Rinpoche told me that he was convinced that the only hope for us was to secure foreign support and to resist the Chinese by force of arms." ( Rather sad that other nations never bothered to come to Tibet's aid. Considering all the presents that had given to the Dalai Lamas by foreign heads of state it seems rather pathetic too. 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? I began the day in our studio making boards from the Tenger's gift for your loom. Then I headed onto the hill and wandered about taking pictures before returning to our studio to continue working on the boards for your loom. I spent a bit of time working with some of the photo software and learned some helpful new techniques that we can use later. I hope you liked the picture of me looking into your mirror from our solstice place. I actually cut with a few other saws along with the one we were looking at particularly toward the center of the longer peices where the frame of the saw interferes with its movement. It's getting a bit late. I'm going to put the pages on our infosite; I'll put this up 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!)