Dharamsala: In the news, the Dalai Lama is always reported to be in
Dharamsala but actually he, and thus I, stay higher up in mountains in this
very small town (3 main one lane roads) called McLloyd Gangh which stretches up and down a ridge for more than a mile. I would say only about 150 yards of that mile is actually level. Otherwise, to traverse that mile, you
probably ascend or descend about 12 stories. Needless to say, there were
lots of stunning views all around although often obscured by clouds or mist
so I found it quite easy to understand why the place is “the second rainiest
place in India.” Luckily, being from Seattle, I didn’t mind much as the
really heavy downpours usually lasted less than a half hour and I was rarely
in a rush. Besides, it was cool in the evenings and the thunderstorms were
great. From my hostel window, I could watch the resident pack of monkeys
swing from the pine trees.
The Dalai Lama experience: I was quite lucky to be in town for a teaching
that his Holiness held as they keep the schedule top secret so you can’t
really plan ahead to be in town for his visit. Although, a three hundred
plus Taiwanese delegation obviously knew as they came to town for the nine day lecture series that went from 12:30 to 4:30 every day. To attend the
teaching, you have to provide two passport photos and to fill a form out with your passport info to get a security badge and then you must pass thru a metal detector. No cameras are allowed either. When the Dalai Lama entered the temple area behind his security team (no guns) and in front of this mysterious Indian couple and one Indian army guy with a rifle, he passed within five feet of me. I would say he is about 5′8″ but quite stooped
around the back. He definitely did seem to just beam calmness and serenity.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about me after about an hour of the
teachings. I hadn’t gotten a transistor radio so I couldn’t hear the
simultaneous English translation broadcasted from a Nepalese station (go
figure!) and I got lost in the Mandarin Buddhist terminology that was being
translated after his Tibetan. I had struck up a conversation with this
American woman, who had been studying Tibetan Buddhism for more than 8 years in Nepal, before he arrived about the previous three days of lectures and she even told me that the week’s teachings were like a Buddhism 501 course.
The Tibetan experience: I volunteered to have English conversation with ex
Tibetan political prisoners one hour each evening when I was free. I ended
up talking with the sons of ex-political prisoners who were taking part in
this year long school in which they cram English and computer skills. Both
of their fathers had been in prison for 18 plus years due to pro-independence activities. I also had interesting conversations in cafes or where I refilled my water bottle with two other prisoners. Very grim life if you are political activist in Tibet what with beatings using electric cattle prods, torturing, and very bad prison conditions. From what I gathered and what I read in a New York Times article about the Dalai Lama’s new “prime minister” as it were, the Tibetans are going to start ramping up their non-violent protests as they realize that the train from China will reach them in 2008 and the Dalai Lama could die at any time. If he does, his reincarnation
might disappear like the second highest lama, the Panchen Lama, already has. I did my part with brainstorming on some PR type activities.
