Hey folks,
This past weekend we split up into small groups and completed a "village assignment." In other words we went off to a random village and did research on it. My group was assigned to Chauntra, which is home to a Tibetan settlement, a Central School for Tibetans, a Tibetan Childrens Village school, and a large monastery.
The monastery is the Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö Institute, is brand new, incredibly beautiful, currently houses 600 monks, and contains a Huge Buddha that is probably 10 or 20 meters tall. We explored it and then met a group of young monks playing Carrom board. We sat down and played for over 3 hours.
Last week on wednesday myself and a few others went to see a long life ceremony for His Holiness the 17th Karmapa. It was an incredible experience. Horns were playing, hundreds of monks chanting as well. And at the end he individually blessed each of us. And then the monastery served lunch for everyone. mmm
Tomorrow we're going to attend teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama!
Rock on,
Sam
ps I realyl tried to upload pictures but it took FOREVER and then errored... sorry maybe next time?? I'm ready for bed.
Learn Tibetan?
Nga nang la dro gi yö. = I am going home.
Nga kasang cha tung pa yin = I drank tea yesterday.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Lucky
Hello friends,
Today is monday, and another free day. As promised here are some photos of my adventure up to now:
The first picture was taken this morning when I had an audience with Venerable Ling Rinpoche. He's 22, and the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama's senior tutor. He will be the teacher of the next Dalai Lama. He knows perfect english and was asking about where I'm from and what I'm doing here. He asked if I was religious and I said we're learning about Buddhism. He responded that he knows a little about that! I went with my Amala and her friend, she said it was very lucky to meet him.
This is a view of Delhi, big, dirty Delhi. But the sunset was beautiful!
The second picture is of two monks debating at Namgyal monastery.
Next is a stereotypical picture of a sunset.
Then a stupa and lots of prayer flags.
Next are three Tibetans turning prayer wheels. Those prayer wheels contain the mantra Om Mani Pema Hum written 180 million times. No joke.
This is a sign updated almost every day in Dharamsala, it is right across the street from my home.
This last picture is the view from the roof of my house. Theres a rainbow. Its beautiful.
Love, Sam
Today is monday, and another free day. As promised here are some photos of my adventure up to now:
The first picture was taken this morning when I had an audience with Venerable Ling Rinpoche. He's 22, and the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama's senior tutor. He will be the teacher of the next Dalai Lama. He knows perfect english and was asking about where I'm from and what I'm doing here. He asked if I was religious and I said we're learning about Buddhism. He responded that he knows a little about that! I went with my Amala and her friend, she said it was very lucky to meet him.
This is a view of Delhi, big, dirty Delhi. But the sunset was beautiful!
The second picture is of two monks debating at Namgyal monastery.
Next is a stereotypical picture of a sunset.
Then a stupa and lots of prayer flags.
Next are three Tibetans turning prayer wheels. Those prayer wheels contain the mantra Om Mani Pema Hum written 180 million times. No joke.
This is a sign updated almost every day in Dharamsala, it is right across the street from my home.
This last picture is the view from the roof of my house. Theres a rainbow. Its beautiful.Love, Sam
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Friday
Hey folks,
Thanks for the kind words to everyone who commented! it was starting to feel like I was writing to myself!
So today is friday and I'm still sick.. Its not terrible, just a bad head cold. BUT, I took this opportunity to explore Tibetan Medicine. I went to the Men Tsee Kong clinic a few days ago and saw a traditional Tibetan doctor. The way that Tibetan Medicine works is they talk to you and read your pulse to tell whats wrong. By reading your pulse they can literally figure out what is happening in your body, the causes, and how to fix it. Its pretty crazy. So the doctor and another younger Tibetan woman who I assumed was an apprentice doctor both read my pulse while asking questions about the sickness. They then gave me a series of Tibetan medicine that I have to take after each meal for 1 week. I have 3 different medicines, I take a different one after each meal. They are small brown pills that I crush up and then eat with hot water or tea. They taste terrible, very bitter, but at the same time, they're made out of plants collected in Tibet and Ladakh in the Himalayas. Theres no chemicals in Tibetan medicine! You also need to have faith in the medicine for it to work. They say you normally get worse before you get better while taking Tibetan medicine because instead of treating symptoms it teaches your body how to fight the sickness. So hence I am still sick! But hopefully it will be done soon.
So Renee brought up an important point about Nepal that has the potential to impact my semester. The Maoists, who have been working with the Nepali government for the past two years have withdrawn from the government and are beginning "three weeks of street protests." They are upset because, among many other things, the government has refused to abolish the monarchy before the upcoming national elections. SO, this, paired with the bombings in Kathmandu two weeks ago, may result in a change of plan for us. SIT is still figuring out if we will be allowed to go, it may be too dangerous, but we'll see how the next few weeks go. Unfortunately, if we can't go to Nepal, then we won't go to Tibet either, because it is much more difficult and expensive to go to Tibet without going through Nepal. So if we are unable to go to Nepal, we will probably go to Bhutan instead. While I would be really disappointed to not go to Tibet, Bhutan would be a pretty incredible experience. It is still within the realm of Tibetan civilization, and it is the home of Gross National Happiness.
Anyway, that is the latest update from me. Still plugging along! I promise I'll get some more pictures up soon! This is the only one I have because I used it in a paper I just turned in. It is the front of the Tsuglagkhang Temple at Namgyal Monastery. The steps face the front entrance to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's compound. Speaking of His Holiness, we are going to receive teachings from him in October! And we're trying hard to get a private audience as well...
Peace,
Sam
Tibetan:
Aa gi lobtra re = That is a school
Nga tso lobtruk re = We are students
Nga tso trom la dro gi yin = We are going to the market
Nga po-ke yakpo yew! = Tibetan is good! :)
Thanks for the kind words to everyone who commented! it was starting to feel like I was writing to myself!
So today is friday and I'm still sick.. Its not terrible, just a bad head cold. BUT, I took this opportunity to explore Tibetan Medicine. I went to the Men Tsee Kong clinic a few days ago and saw a traditional Tibetan doctor. The way that Tibetan Medicine works is they talk to you and read your pulse to tell whats wrong. By reading your pulse they can literally figure out what is happening in your body, the causes, and how to fix it. Its pretty crazy. So the doctor and another younger Tibetan woman who I assumed was an apprentice doctor both read my pulse while asking questions about the sickness. They then gave me a series of Tibetan medicine that I have to take after each meal for 1 week. I have 3 different medicines, I take a different one after each meal. They are small brown pills that I crush up and then eat with hot water or tea. They taste terrible, very bitter, but at the same time, they're made out of plants collected in Tibet and Ladakh in the Himalayas. Theres no chemicals in Tibetan medicine! You also need to have faith in the medicine for it to work. They say you normally get worse before you get better while taking Tibetan medicine because instead of treating symptoms it teaches your body how to fight the sickness. So hence I am still sick! But hopefully it will be done soon.
So Renee brought up an important point about Nepal that has the potential to impact my semester. The Maoists, who have been working with the Nepali government for the past two years have withdrawn from the government and are beginning "three weeks of street protests." They are upset because, among many other things, the government has refused to abolish the monarchy before the upcoming national elections. SO, this, paired with the bombings in Kathmandu two weeks ago, may result in a change of plan for us. SIT is still figuring out if we will be allowed to go, it may be too dangerous, but we'll see how the next few weeks go. Unfortunately, if we can't go to Nepal, then we won't go to Tibet either, because it is much more difficult and expensive to go to Tibet without going through Nepal. So if we are unable to go to Nepal, we will probably go to Bhutan instead. While I would be really disappointed to not go to Tibet, Bhutan would be a pretty incredible experience. It is still within the realm of Tibetan civilization, and it is the home of Gross National Happiness.
Anyway, that is the latest update from me. Still plugging along! I promise I'll get some more pictures up soon! This is the only one I have because I used it in a paper I just turned in. It is the front of the Tsuglagkhang Temple at Namgyal Monastery. The steps face the front entrance to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's compound. Speaking of His Holiness, we are going to receive teachings from him in October! And we're trying hard to get a private audience as well...Peace,
Sam
Tibetan:
Aa gi lobtra re = That is a school
Nga tso lobtruk re = We are students
Nga tso trom la dro gi yin = We are going to the market
Nga po-ke yakpo yew! = Tibetan is good! :)
Monday, September 17, 2007
FREE DAY!
Today is our first free day after 8 straight days of class... woohoo! Yesterday we had a talk by a guy (I forget his name...) who has been to Beijing 5 times to directly negotiate for Tibet as envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In other words, he's a big deal. It was quite interesting, obviously His Holiness is a proponent of his Middle Way approach to Tibetan autonomy instead of independance. This is a big point of contention in the Tibetan community.
Tibetan is going well, we know enough to be able to read the language now! Thats a pretty big stop for an alphabet that is completely new. There are so many exceptions in how letters sound. In addition to learning the 30 letters and 4 vowels, we also have to learn the three suoperscript and 4 subscript letters, which all change their root letter in a different way. Its pretty exciting!
Dharamsala is really great, its a really fun place to be and to hang out in. I think that I'll be coming back here for the five weeks of independant study project. My idea right now is to research activism in exile, specifically regarding the build up to the 2008 olympics in China. Its crazy that we only have 2.5 weeks left here before going to Nepal. We're all really looking forward to it!
My homestay has been going well, my amala is awesome. I tried making momos the other day, what a mess... My pala can make like 8 different shapes, and I could barely make them stick together.
On another note, I'm sick... I spent last night in the hotel.
Keep on rocking,
Sam
ps, the title of this blog is kind of misleading, we only go to Tibet for about 3 weeks, most of the program is actually in India.. But oh well.
pps, is anybody actually reading this blog?
Learn Tibetan:
Sim ja nango = good night
Nga lo nyeeshutsachik yin. = I am 21 years old.
Tibetan is going well, we know enough to be able to read the language now! Thats a pretty big stop for an alphabet that is completely new. There are so many exceptions in how letters sound. In addition to learning the 30 letters and 4 vowels, we also have to learn the three suoperscript and 4 subscript letters, which all change their root letter in a different way. Its pretty exciting!
Dharamsala is really great, its a really fun place to be and to hang out in. I think that I'll be coming back here for the five weeks of independant study project. My idea right now is to research activism in exile, specifically regarding the build up to the 2008 olympics in China. Its crazy that we only have 2.5 weeks left here before going to Nepal. We're all really looking forward to it!
My homestay has been going well, my amala is awesome. I tried making momos the other day, what a mess... My pala can make like 8 different shapes, and I could barely make them stick together.
On another note, I'm sick... I spent last night in the hotel.
Keep on rocking,
Sam
ps, the title of this blog is kind of misleading, we only go to Tibet for about 3 weeks, most of the program is actually in India.. But oh well.
pps, is anybody actually reading this blog?
Learn Tibetan:
Sim ja nango = good night
Nga lo nyeeshutsachik yin. = I am 21 years old.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Howdy
Hello,
Today is tuesday, day two of formal classes. This means that we don't have much free time anymore. 2.5 hours of Tibetan in the morning, and then a lecture or two in the afternoon. Lots of reading and projects. Yesterday's discussion was on the concept of Orientalism, or rather the Occident (America, England, France)'s perceptions towards the "East." It is rooted in colonialism and domination by the west over the "East." We looked at views of Tibet in particular, what they are, where they came from, and why people think that way. Then we talked about Donald Lopez's book Prisoners of Shangri-La, where he argues that Tibetans have adopted and played up western perceptions of Tibet and that it has led to ultimately "imprison" or impede the Tibetan independence movement. I disagree with Lopez, and I didn't like his book.
There are many perceptions of Tibet and Tibetans that westerners have. For example that all Tibetans are spiritual, compassionate, nonviolent, Buddhist, vegetarian... The fact is that none of these are true as a rule. Though vegetarianism is a rising movement, most Tibetans eat meat. Tibetans in Tibet before 1949 were definitely not nonviolent...
Anyway, I figured I'd through in a little of our discussion so you know what we're up to!
I got sick yesterday for the first time, that sucked. But I feel good today. I helped my Ama-la make chapatis for dinner. We don't eat until 9 at night, but its ok. They're trying to help me learn Tibetan but its quite hard! We just finished learning the alphabet and its pronunciation and then just today we learned several super and subscripts that change all the pronunciations!
Time for class,
Sam
Today is tuesday, day two of formal classes. This means that we don't have much free time anymore. 2.5 hours of Tibetan in the morning, and then a lecture or two in the afternoon. Lots of reading and projects. Yesterday's discussion was on the concept of Orientalism, or rather the Occident (America, England, France)'s perceptions towards the "East." It is rooted in colonialism and domination by the west over the "East." We looked at views of Tibet in particular, what they are, where they came from, and why people think that way. Then we talked about Donald Lopez's book Prisoners of Shangri-La, where he argues that Tibetans have adopted and played up western perceptions of Tibet and that it has led to ultimately "imprison" or impede the Tibetan independence movement. I disagree with Lopez, and I didn't like his book.
There are many perceptions of Tibet and Tibetans that westerners have. For example that all Tibetans are spiritual, compassionate, nonviolent, Buddhist, vegetarian... The fact is that none of these are true as a rule. Though vegetarianism is a rising movement, most Tibetans eat meat. Tibetans in Tibet before 1949 were definitely not nonviolent...
Anyway, I figured I'd through in a little of our discussion so you know what we're up to!
I got sick yesterday for the first time, that sucked. But I feel good today. I helped my Ama-la make chapatis for dinner. We don't eat until 9 at night, but its ok. They're trying to help me learn Tibetan but its quite hard! We just finished learning the alphabet and its pronunciation and then just today we learned several super and subscripts that change all the pronunciations!
Time for class,
Sam
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Week two in Dharamsala begins
Tashi Delek!
Today is sunday, and a lot has happened since the last time I wrote. For one, I have moved in with my homestay family! We met them yesterday and moved our things in. My Ama-la (Tib: mother) has a stand at the main market where she sells shawls. My Pa-la (Tib: father) works at the Tibetan cooperative handicraft shop where he makes carpets. In addition I have several brothers younger and older than me, and one younger sister. And in addition to that, we share three rooms. A kitchen, and two bedrooms. My bedroom I share with my Pa-la, it also is the shrine room. That means it is filled with pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, statues of the Buddha and Guru Rinpoche, and Thangkhas of the Buddha and other deities. A thangkha is a sacred painting, essentially.
Dharamsala is still fun, theres lots to explore and new neighborhoods that I have only just discovered. Still lots of tourists. I don't like the tourists. Yesterday I had breakfast at an Indian restaurant for 10 rupees. In case you were wondering, thats 25 cents.
I have gone to the Nyingma monastery ( I think thats what it is called, I'll look it up) several times. It is the monastery of His Holiness. In the temple there is a huge statue of the Buddha. In the courtyard one time there were monks debating. Essentially one monk sits on the ground and the other stands. The seated monk makes a statement about a Buddhist text, and the standing monk then tries to refute it using specific examples from that or other texts, all from memory. Whenever the standing monk makes a point they clap their hands very loud. It is quite animated! Debating is an incredibly difficult aspect of monastic education.
We have continued with our Tibetan classes, learning more phrases and beginning to learn how to read Tibetan script. Tomorrow we begin with our formal language teachers, as orientation is now over. Its really fun but still very difficult. I am trying to practice with my family, but if I don't have a pad to write down what they teach me, then I forget...
I'm off to go exploring, keep on rocking,
Sam
learn Tibetan:
Thu je che = thank you
Thu je see = please
Nga sha sa-gi me = I don't eat meat!
Today is sunday, and a lot has happened since the last time I wrote. For one, I have moved in with my homestay family! We met them yesterday and moved our things in. My Ama-la (Tib: mother) has a stand at the main market where she sells shawls. My Pa-la (Tib: father) works at the Tibetan cooperative handicraft shop where he makes carpets. In addition I have several brothers younger and older than me, and one younger sister. And in addition to that, we share three rooms. A kitchen, and two bedrooms. My bedroom I share with my Pa-la, it also is the shrine room. That means it is filled with pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, statues of the Buddha and Guru Rinpoche, and Thangkhas of the Buddha and other deities. A thangkha is a sacred painting, essentially.
Dharamsala is still fun, theres lots to explore and new neighborhoods that I have only just discovered. Still lots of tourists. I don't like the tourists. Yesterday I had breakfast at an Indian restaurant for 10 rupees. In case you were wondering, thats 25 cents.
I have gone to the Nyingma monastery ( I think thats what it is called, I'll look it up) several times. It is the monastery of His Holiness. In the temple there is a huge statue of the Buddha. In the courtyard one time there were monks debating. Essentially one monk sits on the ground and the other stands. The seated monk makes a statement about a Buddhist text, and the standing monk then tries to refute it using specific examples from that or other texts, all from memory. Whenever the standing monk makes a point they clap their hands very loud. It is quite animated! Debating is an incredibly difficult aspect of monastic education.
We have continued with our Tibetan classes, learning more phrases and beginning to learn how to read Tibetan script. Tomorrow we begin with our formal language teachers, as orientation is now over. Its really fun but still very difficult. I am trying to practice with my family, but if I don't have a pad to write down what they teach me, then I forget...
I'm off to go exploring, keep on rocking,
Sam
learn Tibetan:
Thu je che = thank you
Thu je see = please
Nga sha sa-gi me = I don't eat meat!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Hello from Dharamsala!
Tashi Delek! friends out there in the world, I am writing to you from the town of Mecload Ganj, sometimes called upper Dharamsala. This is the home of H.H. the Dalai Lama, as well as the center of the Tibetan exile world. It is incredible! We arrived today after an overnight train and 3.5 hour jeep ride. We have spent the past few days in Delhi beginning our orientation, getting accustomed to India and starting our language class! Tibetan is quite challenging but so enthralling to learn. Our group is great, 26 of us all together and another girl is meeting us this weekend. This week we are continuing orientation and on saturday we meet our homestay families and move in with them for the next 4-5 weeks. Dharamsala is a really interesting place, there are a lot of westerners, for better or for worse. The city however, is beautiful. There are two main streets, with a temple in the middle. Lots of restaurants, cafes, and Tibetan stores. Indian and Tibetan food is super-delicious. So many flavors!
Well that is all for now, we have to be up bright and early for yoga tomorrow morning! Then we start learning fieldwork and exploring Dharamsala.
Take care and write me letters or emails or post comments!
Sam
learn Tibetan:
nga Sam yin - I am Sam
Well that is all for now, we have to be up bright and early for yoga tomorrow morning! Then we start learning fieldwork and exploring Dharamsala.
Take care and write me letters or emails or post comments!
Sam
learn Tibetan:
nga Sam yin - I am Sam
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