June 14

Through My Eyes

Saturday June 14

( Back at Ganden.)

"The first rule of a Gelugpa is the withdrawal from life. This means a monastic withdrawal, a life on high Himalayan mountaintops where family is left at the front gate. this egoless, sexless life may seem unnecessarily harsh, but such isolation allows the philosophical monks to focus on their quest to understand the nature of perception, knowledge and reality. Gelugpa monasteries, such as Ganden, are as scholastic as they are monastic. A young monk or trapa, could come from anywhere in Tibet to study at one of Ganden's colleges or, tratsangs. Here he learns the basic laws that guide the Tibetan universe: wisdom and compassion. Yet all this changed at Ganden after the May 1996 shootings. The age-old Gelugpa scholarly tradition has been replaced by a Chinese-imposed campaign of patriotic education aimed at reprogramming monks. Chinese officials began indoctrinating monks at Ganden and then shifted to Lhasa's Sera and Drepung monasteries before moving on to other monasteries in outer Tibet, giving daily classes in Chinese history,law, and politics. At the end of these sessions all monks and nuns over the age of eighteen have to sign a statement of allegiance to the Chinese state and a rejection of the Dalai Lama; finally, they must be officially registered. At Ganden, in late August 1996, about 150 monks were expelled for failing their patriotic education. Also, many Ganden monks left on their own, traveling to India or Nepal after vacating their monastery to escape persecution or arrest. Currently, one of the greatest centers of learning in Tibet is collapsing, just as it appeared to be getting back on its feet.

I have no idea if the young monk with the pink radio was reprogrammed or if he passed his patriotic education or if he is now in prison, or even if he is dead. But I do know that the scholastic tradition of Tibetan Buddhism at Ganden is being methodically destroyed. ( Terribly sad isn't it? The Buddhist nuns have suffered a similar fate ( as you probably know already). Tomorrow we'll continue on to the marketplace at Lhassa. I'm still looking for more reading materials for us.)"

I promise to add more tomorrow...

*( please click here to read of the day with me )

* This is once again from Art Perry's book the Tibetans.

( Please see my spinning for you!.)

(I spent most of the day in the Grove. I'm still fighting that rather nasty flu or whatever it was but I'm almost up to full strength which is good because there is lots of work up there! I scythed grass which is now up to my mid thigh in many places and mulched and trained branches in the new planting which is now growing quite well! I'm actually watching the grass carefully to see how it responds to the cutting. With the sandy soil I don't want to disturb the balance because it may have a hard time reestablishing itself properly. Unfortunately Groundhog has taken to climbing into the trees at the top of the Grove and gnarfing off their foliage. I'll have to spray on some repellent on them and maybe bribe him with some corn. The fencing around the base of the trees isn't working ; he's just using it as a ladder! The rabbits have been in the new planting as well so I quickly put up the chicken wire fences around them even though I haven't gotten the conduit to anchor them in yet. The stream is still high so I put on the chest waders to cross the stream and then switch to regular shoes. Mom got lots of strawberries; she figures the bed will give us almost 100 quarts! The wildflowers are everywhere with all this water so I've lots of them to bring to us. I'd better get to sleep now. I'm sorry I've been writing a bit less lately; it's just that the day ends rather quickly these days with all the outside activity.

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

my one gentle beautiful patient dream bright

long dark mane in sunlight

so for now I bid goodnight... Sim-jah nahn-go!)


	Through My Eyes Saturday June 14 ( Back at Ganden.) "The first rule of a Gelugpa is the withdrawal from life. This means a monastic withdrawal, a life on high Himalayan mountaintops where family is left at the front gate. this egoless, sexless life may seem unnecessarily harsh, but such isolation allows the philosophical monks to focus on their quest to understand the nature of perception, knowledge and reality. Gelugpa monasteries, such as Ganden, are as scholastic as they are monastic. A young monk or trapa, could come from anywhere in Tibet to study at one of Ganden's colleges or, tratsangs. Here he learns the basic laws that guide the Tibetan universe: wisdom and compassion. Yet all this changed at Ganden after the May 1996 shootings. The age-old Gelugpa scholarly tradition has been replaced by a Chinese-imposed campaign of patriotic education aimed at reprogramming monks. Chinese officials began indoctrinating monks at Ganden and then shifted to Lhasa's Sera and Drepung monasteries before moving on to other monasteries in outer Tibet, giving daily classes in Chinese history,law, and politics. At the end of these sessions all monks and nuns over the age of eighteen have to sign a statement of allegiance to the Chinese state and a rejection of the Dalai Lama; finally, they must be officially registered. At Ganden, in late August 1996, about 150 monks were expelled for failing their patriotic education. Also, many Ganden monks left on their own, traveling to India or Nepal after vacating their monastery to escape persecution or arrest. Currently, one of the greatest centers of learning in Tibet is collapsing, just as it appeared to be getting back on its feet. I have no idea if the young monk with the pink radio was reprogrammed or if he passed his patriotic education or if he is now in prison, or even if he is dead. But I do know that the scholastic tradition of Tibetan Buddhism at Ganden is being methodically destroyed. ( Terribly sad isn't it? The Buddhist nuns have suffered a similar fate ( as you probably know already). Tomorrow we'll continue on to the marketplace at Lhassa. I'm still looking for more reading materials for us.)" I promise to add more tomorrow... ( please click here to read of the day with me ) This is once again from Art Perry's book the Tibetans. ( Please see my spinning for you!.) (I spent most of the day in the Grove. I'm still fighting that rather nasty flu or whatever it was but I'm almost up to full strength which is good because there is lots of work up there! I scythed grass which is now up to my mid thigh in many places and mulched and trained branches in the new planting which is now growing quite well! I'm actually watching the grass carefully to see how it responds to the cutting. With the sandy soil I don't want to disturb the balance because it may have a hard time reestablishing itself properly. Unfortunately Groundhog has taken to climbing into the trees at the top of the Grove and gnarfing off their foliage. I'll have to spray on some repellent on them and maybe bribe him with some corn. The fencing around the base of the trees isn't working ; he's just using it as a ladder! The rabbits have been in the new planting as well so I quickly put up the chicken wire fences around them even though I haven't gotten the conduit to anchor them in yet. The stream is still high so I put on the chest waders to cross the stream and then switch to regular shoes. Mom got lots of strawberries; she figures the bed will give us almost 100 quarts! The wildflowers are everywhere with all this water so I've lots of them to bring to us. I'd better get to sleep now. I'm sorry I've been writing a bit less lately; it's just that the day ends rather quickly these days with all the outside activity. And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow my one gentle beautiful patient dream bright long dark mane in sunlight so for now I bid goodnight... Sim-jah nahn-go!)