Debating Courtyard
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Sera Monastery, Tibet
Five kilometres north of central Lhasa is Sera Monastery, one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa monasteries (the other being Drepung). It was once home to 5000 monks. Today it houses just 250.
The monastery is a self-contained complex with its own cobbled streets and white-washed buildings. Every now and again a red-orange robed monk appears and just as quickly disappears down an alley.
The highlight of the monastery is the Debating Courtyard where tourists are allowed between 3 and 5pm. Inside the walls, clusters of monks sit in shady corners, under trees debating various issues. A facilitating monk asks questions and responds to the answers by slapping his hand. Some of the monks look animated, others look bored. As I don't understand the language it's difficult to know whether they are discussing philosophy or what they are having for dinner tonight. Even so it's a colourful spectacle.
Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet
There are video cameras poised over Jokhang Square watching the moves of Tibetans. I remember at the internet cafe I went to last night I couldn't access my blog or the BBC, other news sites or even Hotmail, but put it down to a lousy connection. This is the worst censorship and repression I have ever come across.
Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet
The roof of Jokhang Temple offers spectacular views of Jokhang Square, the Potala Palace and the Himalayas.
Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet
The Chinese brutality doesn't end there. In 1995 the Dalai Lama identified Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a six-year-old boy, as the 11th Panchen Lama. Within a month the Chinese had abducted him and ordered senior lamas to come up with the second, Chinese-approved choice. Beijing's interest in controlling the appointment of the Panchen Lama is in the fact that he may be influential in identifying the future reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. I asked some Tibetan pilgrims what they though of the current Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, many see as a government puppet. They unanimously said he was not the 'real' one and had no respect for him.
Meanwhile the youngest political prisoner in the world is still under house arrest somewhere in China. There are groups campaigning for his release:
www.atc.org.au
Sign the petition - http://gopetition.com/petitions/release-the-kidnapped-panchen-lama-of-tibet-gedun-choekyi-nyima.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gedhun_Choekyi_Nyima or read 'In search for the Panchen Lama' by Isabel Hilton
Free Tibet http://www.freetibet.org/
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/
Meanwhile the youngest political prisoner in the world is still under house arrest somewhere in China. There are groups campaigning for his release:
www.atc.org.au
Sign the petition - http://gopetition.com/petitions/release-the-kidnapped-panchen-lama-of-tibet-gedun-choekyi-nyima.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gedhun_Choekyi_Nyima or read 'In search for the Panchen Lama' by Isabel Hilton
Free Tibet http://www.freetibet.org/
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/
Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet
The Jokhang was originally founded in 639-647 AD. Inside the main area are six larger-than-life statues of various Buddha incarnations. There is also a photo of the 10th Panchen Lama, the number two-spirtual leader after the Dalai Lama, and a hero of Tibet. There are photos of the Panchen Lama wherever you go in Tibet.
The reverence for the 10th Panchen Lama comes from his stand against Mao Zedong, refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama and going as far as asking him to 'liberate' Tibet after presenting him with a catalogue of the atrocities committed by the Chinese. This was a kick in the teeth to the Chinese who endorsed his appointment.
The Chinese responded by throwing him in jail for 14 years and torturing him. Many Tibetans believe he was poisoned by the Chinese on his release and didn't die of a heart attack as reported.
Jokhang Square, Lhasa, Tibet
Jokhang square is Lhasa's stunning centrepiece. A huge square flanked by Jokhang Temple on one side and the Himalayan backdrop on the other. Market stalls and pilgrims fill the space on the ground. Above is endless blue sky. I could people-watch here tirelessly.
Lhasa, Tibet
The market which fills the streets around the Jokhang sells everything from yak butter and cheese to household goods and tourist paraphernalia. It's a feast of colour and a photographer's paradise.
Barkhor Circuit, Lhasa, Tibet
My tour group is staying in Lhasa for a few days to acclimatize before we head to higher ground. I'm thankful for this as I do not sleep well and am still suffering the effects of altitude.
Last night some of the group talked about getting up early to watch sunrise over the Potala Palace. I would love to see that but today I don't feel well and sleep until 10.30.
A few blocks away from my hotel, the Tibetan-style Banakshol, is the Barkhor Circuit, trodden by hundreds of pilgrims every day. At the heart of the Barkhor, which is also home to a bustling local and tourist market, is the Jokhang Temple, the most revered religious structure in Tibet.
(Photo - Jokhang Temple, Jokhang Sqaure)
Lhasa, Tibet
Lhasa is divided into the Chinese quarter and the Tibetan quarter. I'm staying in the Tibetan part of the city which seems less glitzy and westernised than the the rest.
The city is 3700 metres above sea level. By the evening I have a thumping headache and am having trouble breathing, even though I have been drinking copious amounts of water. I'm forced to abandon my yak steak at Dunya restaurant, take some painkillers and go to bed.
Tibet
I emerge from Gongkar airport to a view of high mountains. It's sunny but the air is incredibly dry. I know this because my hair hasn't frizzed freakishly as it did in Kathmandu. Lhasa is a 55-kilometre drive through a barren landscape. There is hardly a soul to be seen. Just rivers, bare mountains and endless skies.
The bus stops off at a Buddha monument covered in white prayer scarves. The higher the scarf is placed, the better the next life will be.
As we drive into the capital Lhasa, the Potala Palace takes my breath away. I've read how utterly awe-inspiring it was, but I'm still not prepared for this. Sitting on top of the Red Hill its intimidating presence looms overs the city like a sentinel.
(Photo - prayer scarves and Buddha monument)
To Tibet
I'm flying to Tibet today and I can't wait. I've joined a tour group as the Chinese have made it difficult and expensive to travel independently beyond the capital, Lhasa.
I'm really excited about Tibet. Ever since a friend conjured up images of vast, desolate landscapes and monasteries perched on top of mountains I haven't been able to dispel the dream of visiting. So much so that when I arrived in New Zealand I changed my travel plans and booked a flight and tour for three months later.
I'm advised to leave my valuables in the hotel in Kathmandu as baggage handling between Kathmandu and Tibet isn't the most secure. At Kathmandu airport I seem to go through endless security checks even though these are half-hearted. The guard rummages through the top section of my bag intrigued by a sanitary towel but not at all interested in the contents at the bottom of my bag.
The flight to Lhasa takes just under an hour and passes through dramatic mountain scenery. Everest is pointed out to me as a peak as high as the aircraft. It's a strange sensation to be flying at the same height as a mountain.
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