teachings

The last two days have been emotionally taxing.

Yesterday was the the telling of some of the Jataka tales by HH the Dalai Lama. We were given the morning off from class so that we could attend. Ari and I went at 6am (though i was awake at 4 but my amala wouldn't let me go without tea and breakfast). We were told that HH would leave his residence at 7 and go to the temple to pray before he began his teachings. When we arrived, we were pointed to the foreigner entrance and patted down for cameras and cells (and i guess weapons as well). When we entered the temple, it was already busy, probably a couple hundred people, which we were soon to find out was nothing. We found a spot right in front on the aisle that HH would walk down. We took our seats on the ground and hung out for awhile, me attempting to hand off the food that my amala had sent with me, in case i was still hungry. When the commotion started around the gate to His residence, everyone got on their knees, as security kept people from standing up. I wasn't expecting to me truly struck by him walking past, i was expecting it to be cool, but cool is far from describing what i felt. When he came out behind some important lamas and surrounded by security, it was indescribable. We locked eyes for maybe a split second and as cliche as it sounds to say that he saw to my soul, its as close as i can get in words to what i felt. There were some tears for sure in the audience, and i didnt feel close to tears, but it was a truly amazing feeling. After he passed by, he went up stairs to pray with the monks. Meanwhile, we filled in to seats. Ari, Kyle and i had great seats right in the middle in direct line with the throne that he would sit on for the teaching. In class we were told to try and avoid sitting with the foreigners and to mix in with the Tibetans, especially if our families were going. None of our families went, but we still didn't want to sit with the foreigners. But evidently we didnt have much of a choice. Security moved us out of the Tibetan section and we ended up in the way back. And then the fun began. The amount of people who filled into the temple complex was unreal, i had guessed that 600-700 people could sit on the ground, but my guess is that there were at least a thousand people there. In a two foot radius from me, I counted 12 people. One grown man in my lap, one with his knees on either side of me, and people on all sides. The worst part was that the family in front of me kept waving people in from the sides (who were standing) to come sit down like there was room there. I cant even tell you how many times i was stepped on. i listened to the translation on the radio for awhile, which was extremely well done. HH told the story about how the Buddha in a previous life had purposely reincarnated as a fish and how he had saved the fish from drought and death through his compassion. The tale was interspersed with HH's comments and interpretations. He even made a joke, which was made obvious by the translator saying "HH makes a joke:..." I ended up taking off the headphones for the last hour, as the teachings are even better in Tibetan even if you dont understand what is being said. The ending procession was mayhem, when at the point that the Dalai Lama is past you, all you can think about is getting out with your body in one piece. Evidently at the end of the teachings, HH passed onto the audience the ability to gain merit. I guess no amount of prayer wheel spinning and repetition of mantras will gain you merit unless HH has given you the ability to receive that extra credit merit. So now i have a better chance of not being reborn as a hungry ghost.

Today we had two lectures, one about the middle-way policy and one about independence for Tibet. Initially i was all about the middle-way, and even at the end of the day, i have my doubts still about independence, but our speaker touched my heart on some level. His name is Lobsang Tsering, and he was the first person to come out against the Dalai Lama's middle-way policy. I wont get into his arguments, but i have never met a man who literally has put his soul on the line for eternity for what he believes. He is truly a broken, saddened man who has given up his Buddhist beliefs for his higher belief and desire for a free Tibet. He is willing to spend eternity in the hell realms of samsara to spend this life time fighting for a free tibet. and to this point, to no avail. It was really moving, again something that is very hard to put into words.

Sorry this is shorter, but the work is piling on here, and the next 2 weeks are going to be super intense, and then we are off to Bhutan. I think posts will be less frequent from now on, ill try to at least get something onto my computer and then when i have a few minutes transfer them at an internet cafe.