March 6

Through My Eyes

Saturday March 6

(We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he describes his return to Lhasa! )

" On 16 July 1951, the Chinese delegation duly reached Dromo. A messenger came running to the monastery to announce its imminent arrival. At this news, I felt both great excitement and great apprehension. What would they look like, these people? I was half convinced that they would all have horns on their heads. I went out on to the balcony and looked out eagerly down the valley towards the town, scanning the buildings with me telescope. It was a fine day, I remember, although it was the middle of the rainy season and water vapour rose in swirls from the ground as it warmed under the summer sun. Suddenly I spied movement. A group of my officials was heading in the direction of the monastery. With them, I could make out three men in drab grey suits. They looked very insignificant next to the Tibetans, who wore the traditional red and gold silk robes of high office.

Our meeting was coldly civil. General Chiang Chin-wu began by asking me whether I had heard of the Seventeen-Point 'Agreement'. With the greatest reserve, I replied that I had. He then handed over a copy of it, together with two other documents. As he did so, I noticed that he was wearing a gold Rolex watch. Of these two supplementary documents, one dealt with the Tibetan army. The other explained what would happen if I elected to go into exile. It suggested that I would quickly realise that the Chinese had come in genuine friendship. I would then certainly want to return to my country. That being so, I would be welcomed back with open arms. Therefore, there was no point in leaving.

Next, General Chiang asked me when I intended to return to Lhasa. ' Soon ,' I replied, not very hopefully, and continued to act as aloof as possible. It was obvious by his question that he wanted to travel back to Lhasa with me so that we could enter the city together, symbolically. In the end, my officials managed to avoid this and he set off a day or two after me.

My first impression, then, was rather as I had suspected. Regardless of all the suspicion and anxiety I felt beforehand, during our meeting it became clear that this man, although supposedly my enemy, was in fact another human being, an ordinary person like myself. This realisation had a lasting impact on me. It was another important lesson.

Having now met General Chiang, I was a bit happier about the prospect of returning to Lhasa. Preparations were put in hand for my return, along with all of my officials, and we set off towards the end of the month. This time, no attempt was made at secrecy and I travelled in much more elaborate style than on the way down. At practically every major village en route, I stopped to give audiences and short teachings to the local population. This afforded me the chance personally to tell people about what was happening in Tibet., how we had been invaded by a foreign army but how the Chinese were proclaiming friendship. At the same time, I gave a short discourse on a religious text which I generally selected for its relevance to whatever else I had to say. I continue to use this formula right up to the present day. I find it a good way of showing that religion has a lot to tell us, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. However, I am better at it than I was then. In those days I lacked confidence, although it improved every time I spoke in public. Also, I found, as every teacher does, that there is nothing like teaching to help one learn.

I was glad that there was so much to do on this journey. Otherwise I might have had time to feel sad. All of my family were abroad, except my father, who had died when I was twelve, and Lobsang Samten, who accompanied me now, and my only travelling companion outside the household was Tathag Rinpoche. He had come to visit me at Dromo to pass on certain important spiritual teachings and was now on his way back to his own monastery, which lay just outside Lhasa. He had aged considerably since I had last seen him during the previous winter, and now looked all of his seventy odd years. I was very happy to be in his company once more as not only was he an extremely kind man, but he was also a highly accomplished spiritual master. He was undoubtedly my most important guru. He initiated me into a great number of lineages and secret teachings, which had in turn been handed on to him by the most brilliant teachers of his day."

( A good preparation for returning to a difficult situation! 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 stringing your loom. Two as one we've gotten a lot done and over half the warp threads needed for the prayer flag are in place! Then I went up to the Grove to check on the trees and native plants and looked things over to see where the piles of tree food could be put. I rested by your Medlar tree as usual of course then headed back to our studio to do a bit more work on your loom. A box of fiber came in. It's amazing how much fiber there is in a half a pound! The loom actually looks a lot different than what we saw in your mirror! The frame is now on top of some of the boards from our gift from the Tenger to raise it up and make it easier to string and there is much more thread on the loom! It occurs to me that we should look at the forums together soon as they have considerable potential. There's much to be done! I'm going to put the pages on our infosite and work a bit on our a land of Tibet;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 March 6 (We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he describes his return to Lhasa! ) " On 16 July 1951, the Chinese delegation duly reached Dromo. A messenger came running to the monastery to announce its imminent arrival. At this news, I felt both great excitement and great apprehension. What would they look like, these people? I was half convinced that they would all have horns on their heads. I went out on to the balcony and looked out eagerly down the valley towards the town, scanning the buildings with me telescope. It was a fine day, I remember, although it was the middle of the rainy season and water vapour rose in swirls from the ground as it warmed under the summer sun. Suddenly I spied movement. A group of my officials was heading in the direction of the monastery. With them, I could make out three men in drab grey suits. They looked very insignificant next to the Tibetans, who wore the traditional red and gold silk robes of high office. Our meeting was coldly civil. General Chiang Chin-wu began by asking me whether I had heard of the Seventeen-Point 'Agreement'. With the greatest reserve, I replied that I had. He then handed over a copy of it, together with two other documents. As he did so, I noticed that he was wearing a gold Rolex watch. Of these two supplementary documents, one dealt with the Tibetan army. The other explained what would happen if I elected to go into exile. It suggested that I would quickly realise that the Chinese had come in genuine friendship. I would then certainly want to return to my country. That being so, I would be welcomed back with open arms. Therefore, there was no point in leaving. Next, General Chiang asked me when I intended to return to Lhasa. ' Soon ,' I replied, not very hopefully, and continued to act as aloof as possible. It was obvious by his question that he wanted to travel back to Lhasa with me so that we could enter the city together, symbolically. In the end, my officials managed to avoid this and he set off a day or two after me. My first impression, then, was rather as I had suspected. Regardless of all the suspicion and anxiety I felt beforehand, during our meeting it became clear that this man, although supposedly my enemy, was in fact another human being, an ordinary person like myself. This realisation had a lasting impact on me. It was another important lesson. Having now met General Chiang, I was a bit happier about the prospect of returning to Lhasa. Preparations were put in hand for my return, along with all of my officials, and we set off towards the end of the month. This time, no attempt was made at secrecy and I travelled in much more elaborate style than on the way down. At practically every major village en route, I stopped to give audiences and short teachings to the local population. This afforded me the chance personally to tell people about what was happening in Tibet., how we had been invaded by a foreign army but how the Chinese were proclaiming friendship. At the same time, I gave a short discourse on a religious text which I generally selected for its relevance to whatever else I had to say. I continue to use this formula right up to the present day. I find it a good way of showing that religion has a lot to tell us, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. However, I am better at it than I was then. In those days I lacked confidence, although it improved every time I spoke in public. Also, I found, as every teacher does, that there is nothing like teaching to help one learn. I was glad that there was so much to do on this journey. Otherwise I might have had time to feel sad. All of my family were abroad, except my father, who had died when I was twelve, and Lobsang Samten, who accompanied me now, and my only travelling companion outside the household was Tathag Rinpoche. He had come to visit me at Dromo to pass on certain important spiritual teachings and was now on his way back to his own monastery, which lay just outside Lhasa. He had aged considerably since I had last seen him during the previous winter, and now looked all of his seventy odd years. I was very happy to be in his company once more as not only was he an extremely kind man, but he was also a highly accomplished spiritual master. He was undoubtedly my most important guru. He initiated me into a great number of lineages and secret teachings, which had in turn been handed on to him by the most brilliant teachers of his day." ( A good preparation for returning to a difficult situation! 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 stringing your loom. Two as one we've gotten a lot done and over half the warp threads needed for the prayer flag are in place! Then I went up to the Grove to check on the trees and native plants and looked things over to see where the piles of tree food could be put. I rested by your Medlar tree as usual of course then headed back to our studio to do a bit more work on your loom. A box of fiber came in. It's amazing how much fiber there is in a half a pound! The loom actually looks a lot different than what we saw in your mirror! The frame is now on top of some of the boards from our gift from the Tenger to raise it up and make it easier to string and there is much more thread on the loom! It occurs to me that we should look at the forums together soon as they have considerable potential. There's much to be done! I'm going to put the pages on our infosite and work a bit on our a land of Tibet;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!)