A Bit on Tibet
We don’t usually write about politics in our blog. It’s a rather personal affair in our home. But, Tibet troubles us greatly. Nearly a year and a half ago now, Jacob and I had the fortune to visit Lhasa as part of an extended trip to China.
Never have we smiled so much that our faces ached at the end of each day.
Never have we met so many, oppressed and impoverished, who face each day with hope and kindness.
Never were we more aware of the Chinese domestic policies towards ethnic minorities.
All of the above photographs were taken during our tour of Drepung Monastery. At the monastery, we were able to observe many of the monks during their morning prayers and care of the temples. We will never forget the monk who stopped us in one of the alleys with a huge grin. In a series of pantomime and gestures, he compared his height to ours. He clearly took pride in being one of the tallest monks at the monastery and was delighted to run across two tall and gangly Western tourists.
The images of Lhasa these past few days are foreign and strange to us. In one showing cars burning in front of Jokang Temple, I at first didn’t believe it was in Lhasa. We had walked the Lingkhor, Barkhor, and Nangkhor with other pilgrims – crowded and hot in the summer sun. The Barkhor market was a throng of activity and my first taste of shopping outdoor markets in China. Inside the temple, as we circumambulated, we again witnessed monks caring for their temple. I will always remember the two monks carrying in what had to be at least a 100 lb cast iron kettle of steaming hot rice stored behind an altar.
As a Bhuddist, my heart aches and I am deeply troubled by what is taking place in Tibet. There is never an easy solution to a problem, but one that brings about violence on anyone’s part, cuts deeper. Violence brings further suffering to a people who already carry the burden of their spiritual leader exiled and the weight of a national government that fears free thought.
I wish the monks of Drepung continued safety and peace in their protests that they may relieve the suffering of so many Tibetans.
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