August 9

Through My Eyes

Saturday August 9

(Still at the Dalai Lama's birthplace in Takster.)

" Once I remember being told, there was a terrible famine in nearby China. As a result, many poor Chinese people were driven over the border in search of food. One day a couple appeared at our door, carrying in their arms a dead child. They begged my mother for food, which she readily gave them. Then she pointed at their child and asked whether they wanted help to bury it. When they had caught her meaning, they shook their heads and made clear that they intended to eat it. My mother was horrified and at once invited them in and emptied the entire contents of the larder before regretfully sending them on their way. Even if it meant giving away the family's own food so that we ourselves went hungry, she never let any beggars go empty-handed.

Tsering Drolma was eighteen years older than me. At the time of my birth she helped my mother run the house and acted as my midwife. When she delivered me, she noticed that one of my eyes was not properly open. Without hesitating, she put her thumb on the reluctant lid and forced it wide-fortunately without ill effect. Tsering Dolma was also responsible for giving me my first meal, which, by tradition, was a liquid made from the bark of a particular bush that grew locally. This was believed to ensure a healthy child. It certainly worked in my case. In later years, my sister told me that I was a very dirty baby. No sooner had she taken me in her arms than I made a mess!

I did not have much to do with any of my three elder brothers. Thupten Jigme Norbu, the eldest, had already been recognized as the reincarnation of a high lama, Takster Rinpoche( Rinpoche is the title given to spiritual masters and means , literally, "Precious One), and was installed at Kumbum, a famous monastery several hours away by horse. My next brother, Gyalo Thondup, was eight years older that me and by the time I was born he was away at school in a neighboring village. Only my immediate elder brother, Lobsang Samten, remained behind. he was three years older than me. But he too was sent to Kumbum to be a monk so I hardly knew him.

Of course, no one had any idea that I might be anything other than an ordinary baby. It was almost unthinkable that more than one tulku could be born into the same family and certainly my parents had no idea that I would be proclaimed the Dalai Lama. My father's recovery from illness was auspicious, but it was not taken to be of great significance. I myself likewise had no particular intimation of what lay ahead. My earliest memories are very ordinary. some people put great emphasis on a person's first recollections, but I do not. Amongst mine I remember, for example, observing a group of children fighting and running to join in with the weaker side. I also remember the first time I saw a camel . These are quite common in parts of Mongolia and occasionally they were brought over the border. It looked huge and majestic and very frightening. I also recall discovering one day that I had worms- a common affliction in the East."

( 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 gentle one! I spent the day in the studio carving,tidying up and working on the website. It works well because I can upload files while I'm carving in the studio and monitor the process periodically. I've gotten just about all of Through My Eyes copied to our infosite. I got a lot done on our lotus blossoms! It's hard to tell how far I am though as the final modelling stages are hard to estimate timewise. Let's read some more from the Tibetan language book if you would like and then rest.

And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow

my one beautiful patient dream bright

long dark mane in sunlight

so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)


	Through My Eyes Saturday August 9 (Still at the Dalai Lama's birthplace in Takster.) " Once I remember being told, there was a terrible famine in nearby China. As a result, many poor Chinese people were driven over the border in search of food. One day a couple appeared at our door, carrying in their arms a dead child. They begged my mother for food, which she readily gave them. Then she pointed at their child and asked whether they wanted help to bury it. When they had caught her meaning, they shook their heads and made clear that they intended to eat it. My mother was horrified and at once invited them in and emptied the entire contents of the larder before regretfully sending them on their way. Even if it meant giving away the family's own food so that we ourselves went hungry, she never let any beggars go empty-handed. Tsering Drolma was eighteen years older than me. At the time of my birth she helped my mother run the house and acted as my midwife. When she delivered me, she noticed that one of my eyes was not properly open. Without hesitating, she put her thumb on the reluctant lid and forced it wide-fortunately without ill effect. Tsering Dolma was also responsible for giving me my first meal, which, by tradition, was a liquid made from the bark of a particular bush that grew locally. This was believed to ensure a healthy child. It certainly worked in my case. In later years, my sister told me that I was a very dirty baby. No sooner had she taken me in her arms than I made a mess! I did not have much to do with any of my three elder brothers. Thupten Jigme Norbu, the eldest, had already been recognized as the reincarnation of a high lama, Takster Rinpoche( Rinpoche is the title given to spiritual masters and means , literally, "Precious One), and was installed at Kumbum, a famous monastery several hours away by horse. My next brother, Gyalo Thondup, was eight years older that me and by the time I was born he was away at school in a neighboring village. Only my immediate elder brother, Lobsang Samten, remained behind. he was three years older than me. But he too was sent to Kumbum to be a monk so I hardly knew him. Of course, no one had any idea that I might be anything other than an ordinary baby. It was almost unthinkable that more than one tulku could be born into the same family and certainly my parents had no idea that I would be proclaimed the Dalai Lama. My father's recovery from illness was auspicious, but it was not taken to be of great significance. I myself likewise had no particular intimation of what lay ahead. My earliest memories are very ordinary. some people put great emphasis on a person's first recollections, but I do not. Amongst mine I remember, for example, observing a group of children fighting and running to join in with the weaker side. I also remember the first time I saw a camel . These are quite common in parts of Mongolia and occasionally they were brought over the border. It looked huge and majestic and very frightening. I also recall discovering one day that I had worms- a common affliction in the East." ( 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 gentle one! I spent the day in the studio carving,tidying up and working on the website. It works well because I can upload files while I'm carving in the studio and monitor the process periodically. I've gotten just about all of Through My Eyes copied to our infosite. I got a lot done on our lotus blossoms! It's hard to tell how far I am though as the final modelling stages are hard to estimate timewise. Let's read some more from the Tibetan language book if you would like and then rest. And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow my one beautiful patient dream bright long dark mane in sunlight so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)