Concerning class and activities

    Before commenting on the students' classes and various activities it is worth mentioning the field trip we went on the weekend of the 19th. We began at the Tibetan Department of Information and International relations (DIIR) in Dharamsala, where the protocol officer gave us the rundown on the multifaceted nature of this section of the Central Tibetan Administration.

    The DIIR handles information and publication of the environmental, political, and human rights conditions in Tibet. It is in charge of the education of the Tibetan community in regards to those things, and the publication of magazines and newspapers as well. We were given a tour of the DIIR complex, which handles the communications and publications in regards to the 11 offices of Tibet in New Delhi, Kathmandu, Geneva, New York, Tokyo, London, Moscow, Brussels, Canberra, Pretoria, and Taipei. The department also handles the publication of two Tibetan magazines and newspapers for the general Tibetan public. Below is a picture of the printing press.

    After our stay at the DIIR we moved on to the library of Tibetan Works and Archives, which is an integral part of the preservation of Tibetan culture. Founded by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1970, the library acts as a resource center for the promotion of the exchange of ideas between students and scholars. Since it's opening in 1970 the library has been active in acquiring manuscripts, artifacts, works of art, and books, and gives access to the Tibetan community to these things. It provides copies and prints of its holdings and is a reference center for such resources. The archives contain bibliographies and documentation of all of the artifacts and literature kept by the library, and is it's own publishing company as well. The colorfully shelved scrolls and Tibetan manuscripts were an impressive site to us, and really spoke of the rich heritage characteristic of Tibetan culture.

   
    Today marks the beginning of the third week of classes here at Sarah. Languages offered are Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, and Tibetan. Some of the more brave students are taking two languages at once, such as Tibetan and Hindi. Buddhist philosophy is taught by Geshe-la Graham Woodhouse, an accomplished British monk who has spent over 15 years in the area. He began the course with a history of the development of Buddhism in Tibet, as it came to popularity over the previously practiced Bon religion. He has now begun to introduce concepts such as the four noble truths and the six addresses of rebirth to the class.

    As an added supplement to the class Geshe-la Woodhouse is running 45 minute meditation sessions every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Those interested have been learning the value of breathing meditation, and how it can provide a healthy experience to the practitioner through relieving the mind of judgment and overactive thought. Slightly more eerie, but equally as valuable has been the meditation on death! The first session was today and I think the participants left with a sense of energy and urgency to use their time on this planet wisely!

    Tibetan medicine is taught by Dr. Raj, a specialist in ayurvedic medicine and traditional Tibetan healing arts. He teaches about interrelatedness of all of the systems functioning within the body, how they can be affected by the outside world, and what can be done to restore unbalanced parts to their natural rhythms. Remaining in harmony with one’s environment and spirituality are important concepts. Students will have the opportunity to visit his, and other clinics in the area to observe these medical practices firsthand.

    Other courses being taken include ethnographic field methods, where students learn interview and mapping techniques, as well as research project design. Coupled with the applied anthropology course taught by Dr. Akers the students will have a chance to turn project design into implementation by completing needs assessment surveys with the local community. Each student is conducting research as if he or she intends to create a business plan for a Tibetan merchant, provide health care to pre-diabetic monks, or streamline the efficiency of the check-in process for newly arrived Tibetan refugees. This research involves conducting interviews and talking with policy makers, members of the Central Tibetan Administration, monks, and laypeople within the community here and in nearby Mcleod Ganj.

    Optional activities for the students have been a good source of insight, exercise, and fun. Students that are interested a more action-packed experience than what meditation has to offer have been attending pulse-quickening martial arts classes, taught by program director Dr. Sidky. Basketball is played daily by the Tibetan students on campus. Both men’s and women’s teams have formed, and two students have even played games against opposing teams from Dharamsala and Mcleod Ganj! For tight muscles and stiff joints a few of us have participated in yoga class, taught by a very skilled member of our group! After one hour and a half session I felt as if I was walking taller and with more energy than I ever have before. The list goes on. Carom board, ping-pong, chess, roof-top jam sessions, trekking the Himalayas (!), badminton, shopping trips to Mcleod, camping trips, and more keep everyone happy and busy, with the occasional short night’s sleep.

    There are just three weeks left on the Sarah campus before students move to their homestays in Mcleod Ganj. Many have found their experiences here fulfilling, relaxing, or just plain comfortable, and wish they could stay the whole time! Others have been challenged by their stay here, have learned from it, and are open to the new experience that will be living with a Tibetan family.

    One last note of good news: Our private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been approved, and we are awaiting to hear of the exact date. Needless to say, we are all excited to meet the world leader, and to represent our school and country by listening to his words, asking of him questions, and showing our appreciation for him giving us his time and energy.

Thanks for reading,
All the best,
Zack

A Teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

On Tuesday, September 15^th we were all given the unique opportunity to attend a teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Institute for Buddhist Dialectics temple complex in Mcleod Ganj. We were among the 1,400 foreigners that registered to attend the event along with 2,600 other devotees. The Korean delegation who paid for the event sat within the walls of the Dalai Lama's inner chamber. His Holiness sat next to large statues of the Buddha of compassion and Guru Rinpoche, and spoke with a well-articulated and measured pace. We were given am/fm radios through which we could hear an English-translation of the talk, which was presented in the Tibetan tongue. We were surrounded by monks from our sitting mats, outside of the chamber, which were positioned only 45 feet away from His Holiness. Through open doors and windows some of us were able to catch glimpses of him as he spoke. For security reasons taking pictures was not allowed.

For nearly an hour before H.H.D.L. appeared the Korean group stood and recited a series of prayers in unison, to the beat of a gock block. As the series of prayers came to a closing the Dalai Lama’s envoy appeared, with His Holiness in the middle, at the far end of the large open-air hall. Devotees on both sides of his pathway extended their hands and bowed their heads reverently as he passed by and entered the crowded inner chamber.

He began by greeting those that were in attendance, and those whose first time it was to hear a teaching. He explained that the teaching was from the Mahayana section of Buddhism, and offered some briefly profound statements about existence, one’s true identity, and the nature of emptiness. He went on to provide an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, which I appreciated, having not studied the subject for over a year. He spoke of the four noble truths, and described each in detail, particularly the part about cessation of suffering.

As he taught Tibetan flat bread, or palay, was handed out from buckets held by monks, and butter tea was served in styrofoam cups (a modern development that TESI – Tibetan environmental group – is trying to change.) I personally drank four cups, as apparently the beverage is an acquired taste that not all enjoy!

After describing the four noble truths he talked about his role as a teacher, and argued that one must have the proper motivation for giving a teaching. One must not be motivated by fame, promotion, jealousy, or competition. It was his testimony that teaching with these things in mind would cause the accumulation of negative karma. He also explained that the role of the student during a teaching was not only to listen to gain personal benefits, but also to have deep faith in the Buddhist teaching.

Much of what was taught after this point was above my level of understanding. At times it was difficult to understand the English translator. At times I lacked the knowledge of the religion needed to be familiar with certain references. From what I could understand a large part of the teaching was His Holiness’ interpretation of an Indian master’s commentary on a text of the Buddha’s word. From Buddha, to Indian master, to His Holiness, it is no wonder that some of the points were lost in translation!

When he left, the spiritual leader walked directly past our group, not more than five feet away. Even if we couldn’t understand every detail of what was said the students and I left the temple feeling appreciative of the experience we had all shared. It is remarkable that the program has hit such a high point so early in the semester.

The first full day at Sarah opened with a hearty breakfast at 8:30am. Students were tired after traveling for so long, but arrived and ate. There was oatmeal with cashews, banana and apple fruit salad, pancakes with honey and peanut butter, and hard-boiled eggs. At 9:30am we all attended a brief orientation conducted by acting Principal of Sarah, Passang-La. He briefly described the history of the Institute, its purpose, student base, and founder, the venerable late Lobsang Gyatso.

After introducing our new living space Passang-La formalized a very basic set of rules by which we are all to abide by while living at Sarah: No drugs, no alcohol, no boys in the girls dorms, and no girls in the boys dorms. Straightforward and easy to understand.

The large concrete guesthouse resembles a dormitory more so than one might think from its name. It stands three stories tall, and stretches long enough to allow for six dorm rooms, and one special room on the far end of each floor. The dining hall sits on the ground floor, special purpose room on the second floor, and library/classroom on the third, each situated directly above or below the other two. The stairway continues to a roof access door, where students can dry laundry, relax to the view of the Himalayas after class, or stargaze at night. Not a bad break room.

After the brief orientation we were directed to a tea party in the lawn, across from the temple on campus. Students and faculty conversed over delicious chai and snacks, which were given as yet another friendly gesture of welcome to us all. Geshe-La Kelsang Damdul, the foremost contact for the Tibetan Studies Program, one of its program directors, and extremely well-learned lama, said a few words about his delight for the program and gave assurances for a good six weeks to come. We all refer to him as Geshe-La. It is a formal term equivalent to calling someone "doctor" who holds a PhD. A Geshe degree is earned after a rigorous program, which for Geshe-La lasted twelve years.

Afterwards Passang-La led a tour of the Sarah campus, beginning at the temple. Tibetan monks were receiving a teaching as we tip-toed past to view scriptures stored in beautiful colored wraps in the front, behind the altar of the Buddha. Many butter lamps lined the raised space at the front of the temple as well. The Buddha himself sits at over five feet tall, and offering of cookies and crackers lie at his side.

Passang-La also showed us the location of the library, which includes sections of both English and Tibetan books. Every year we make donations every year by buying our own books to give them in Mcleod. From the library we took the stairs to the roof. Passang-La pointed out both the girls and the boys dorms, and then allowed students to explore at their leisure. The rest of the afternoon we had free time to prepare for the official welcome reception at 7:00pm.

The students were then told that they were going to have the chance to perform a special song or dance for the Tibetans during the reception event. They were startled at the sudden glare of the spotlight, but resolved to put on a good show. They put theit heads together to come up with something worthy. With such a limited time frame, and equally as limited resources it was difficult at first to figure out what to do. In the end they decided to perform Miami’s fight song along with a re-written version about the Sarah Institute to honor them and show gratitude for being able to study amongst the students and faculty here. Other musicians in the group prepared two songs, one a duet, and one a group piece. Everyone practiced hard to be ready, as we knew that the Tibetans were preparing a show of their own, but we had no idea how amazing it would be.

The stage was set on the basketball court. A huge Tibetan national flag was hung across one of the hoops. It was at least twelve feet long and nearly reached the ground. Four spotlights lit up the width of the court from a few feet shy of the half-court line, all directed towards the shining flag. The light and sound table, off to the side, were manned by four Tibetans who were talking intensely, making small adjustments to their equipment, and doing sounds tests on the two center stage microphones on stands. There were at least one hundred and fifty chairs neatly set in rows. Half were red and half were white, split down the middle. At the front row several miniature coffee tables were set out at the base of the chairs, and a larger one spanned the front of the three chairs that sat directly in the front middle, which were reserved for perhaps the most honored guest staying among us: a nine-year-old rinpoche, or reincarnated master.

This particular child is so special because all of the signs that were followed by Tibetan masters pointed to him as the reincarnation of the founder of the Sarah Institute, or the venerable late Lobsang Gyatso, who was killed in the late 1990s by assailants of an opposing religious faction. I hesitate to write anymore about the details surrounding the circumstances of his death, because this issue is very sensitive, and is not one that I have learned enough about to publish here. What is important is that according to traditional Buddhist philosophy his soul was reincarnated as a human boy, was found by high-ranking members of the religion, and that he is now staying amongst us at the very place he created to preserve Tibetan language and culture. Amazing!

Following a warmly delivered welcome by Geshe-La we were blessed with the magnificence that was a Tibetan dance troupe. The opening act. These six guys, dressed in sneaks, jeans, white dress shirts, black coats, and fedoras, knocked our socks off with a dance to the tune of "this is your first time in India?", which to our delight was a bumpy techno rap with a catchy melody. Currently working on getting it up on Youtube, but because of the low Internet speed on campus I'll have to wait until we can make a trip into Mcleod Ganj. There should be a good Internet connection at a cafe there.

The rest of the event consisted of well-practiced cultural performances from many of the students at Sarah. Various regions of Tibet were represented through both dance and song, and the MC never missed the chance to slip in a joke or sly comment in between acts. The costumes were so well done they seemed authentic and historical. Three-stringed Tibetan drayuns, yak-fir boots and coats, beautiful flowing sari's for the women all showed well how rich of a cultural heritage Tibet has, and they were a harsh reminder as to what could be lost if Tibetan culture disappears. These reminders of history meshed in a strangely fascinating way with the ultra-modern in-your-face opening act we witnessed.

The Miami performance was done well considering the short amount of time the students had to prepare. The fight song went off without a hitch, and Tibetans clapped along during portions of it. The Sarah remix was celebrated with applause, and the musical encores, songs "Rise" by Eddie Vedder, and American traditional "You are my Sunshine" were also appreciated. The whole night was a great success and we all left the stage feeling good, and hopefully ready for day two!

On the Road to Dharamsala

After staying two nights in the YMCA hostel in New Delhi, we began the last leg of our journey to Dharamsala at 6:00am, after a modest breakfast of hard boiled-eggs, jam, and toast. The drive would finally take us thirteen hours, three stops, and through three regions of India.

We began in the National Capital Region of India, or N.C.R., which is home to the nation’s capital, Delhi. Our observations led us to believe that this area is more densely populated than the neighboring region to the north, Punjab. For over an hour we drove through what seemed to be the city of Delhi, and only upon passing the gigantic and unsightly landfill on the outskirts did the walls of urban sprawl seem to shrink. Many students gazed out of their windows, contemplating their new surroundings while others, more concerned with reaching their destination, plugged into iPods and mp3 players, closed their eyes and let the miles pass them by. Still more played cards, or made new friends with their jeep’s driver.

Our first stop was at a roadside station that served chai and various Indian foods, produce, sodas and fruit drinks. While on the road we were split into five Toyota hatch-back sedans that in the states would be called cross-over vehicles. Once again together as a group at the fueling station we were able to discuss our observations. Generally, traffic was thought to be insane, pity was laid on the working children, and the many regarded as impoverished and crippled were regarded with sympathetic eye.

Our second stop was for lunch at a clean little place called the Water Lily, where we were served authentic Indian cuisine that mimics what most of us are used to in the States: saag paneer, tikka masala, lentils and curry, complete with healthy servings of Nan. Having just gotten over a minor bout of food poisoning myself, this meal was a welcome stimulant to my palette, and the best I’d had in three days. Other students agreed, and we filled our stomachs with firsts, and seconds.

Back on the road it took us just a couple of hours to reach the Punjab region, home of the ethnic Punjabi, as well as the religious Sihks, and many Hindus as well. From what we were able to observe, the Punjab region can be characterized by lush farmlands. It rained the entire three hours it took us to drive through the region. As the monsoon season is still going on (but soon to end) this was expected. Nevertheless it added an additionally nerve-racking component to the already harrowing driving experience. Between the green flora, the pouring rain, high speeds, and the five jeeps piled high with bags and people, we sort of felt like we were in a scene from Jurassic Park!

By the time we reached Himachal Pradesh I was ready to arrive. From what I heard though the students had plenty to occupy them on the way up and thought for the most part that the drive hadn’t felt as long as it was. Just as we entered the mountains south of Dharamsala, about 60 kilometers out, the rain broke and a rainbow hung in the sky for the rest of the drive.

It was actually uncanny, and a bit of a good omen that the rain bow held it’s position until the very moment before we pulled into the Sarah Institute. I’ve never been able to see the end of a rainbow so clearly, where the pot of gold is supposed to be, but on this occasion it was visible until we came within a hundred yards or so, and led us directly to Sarah. Myself, Renate, Jackie, and Tibetan coordinator Karma-La all laughed and mused at what we took to be a positive sign.

When we pulled into Sarah we were greeted by waves and smiling faces. Each of the Tibetan students held a piece of paper with the name of their American roommate on it, as well as a ceremonial Khata. A Khata is a thin white shawl that is placed over the head and draped around the neck of an honored person or guest, and is done so by the hosting person. It is a way to show gratitude and respect. Each of the Miami students was greeted in this traditional fashion. While the jeep drivers handled the luggage the eager students exchanged greetings and chatted excitedly with the people they will live with here for the next six weeks.

We were served dinner in the dining room on the first floor. Tibetan fair consisting of sautéed vegetables, bread, rice, and bananas. The students spent the rest of the evening conversing with their roommates and getting to know one another in their rooms. I went straight to bed.

So far, so great. It's our last day in Bangkok, Thailand. Orientation is going well to the point of near perfection, as all of the students are readily sharing their hopes, fears, expectations, and aspirations for this semester, and are all actively launching themselves into Thai culture with gusto. Many students are looking to improve their language skills in Hindi, Chinese, and Tibetan. Others are looking forward to traveling, and the changes to one's comfort zone that travel brings. Still others are excited about living with members of another culture, and to being fully immersed in that culture. Students have also mentioned wanting to test their limits, learn about themselves, and form friendships with both members of the Miami group, and those existing outside. Some students have no expectations at all, and have chosen to go into the experience an open book.

Areas of study pursued by students include comparative reigion, anthropology, linguistics, Latin American studies, art education, political science, French, Chinese, and Spanish. Quite a diverse group!

More to come soon, with pictures and video,
all the best,
Zack