Philosophy class in the prayer room at IBD

We leave for the airport in Delhi in less than a week! Things have been busy as we wrap up the final days, but also filled with good things. His Holiness is giving a series of teachings to Russian clientele on emptiness and “dependent arising”. Tomorrow is the second of three teachings. The third one is reserved for those that have received a certain level of Tantric initiation. Contrary to popular belief, the practice of Tantra has more to do with visualization and meditation than it does erotic sensibilities. Unlike the path to enlightenment suggested by the Sutra teachings, Tantra holds that one can achieve enlightenment in one lifetime. In this lifetime. In Buddhist philosophy class, Gesehe Kelsang Damdul has been explaining to us a method by which we can all experience the divine within ourselves. According to this philosophy, each and every one of us has deity-like qualities within ourselves, and when we practice visualizing particular gods and goddesses, we become more like them, and more able to demonstrate a compassionate attitude to our fellow man and woman.

We’ve recently taken a field trip to the Dolma Ling nunnery. Initially constructed by the Tibetan Nuns Project, the Dolma Ling nunnery is one of two new facilities in the Dharamsala area. We were given a fantastic chance to interview the original founder of the Tibetan Women’s Association and current Director of the TNP, Rinchen Khando Choegyal. It was a Saturday, the second of the month to be precise, which means that for Tibetans it was a holiday. Rinchen sat down in front of us and explained that because it was her holiday she could have chosen to refuse to meet with us. She then wondered aloud about what kind of purpose life would have if she had made this decision, and asserted that she was thrilled to have the chance to speak with us all. She did so calmly and professionally, and instantly made a lasting and positive impression on me.

Dolma-ling Nunnery

Butter tea in the making!

Fried eggplant!

The discussion went from a description of the current Tibetan Nuns Project to a broader range of conversation about the education and role of Tibetan women in exile. One student asked Rinchen if she thought it would be a good idea for the nuns to develop an attitude focused on international human rights activism. Up until that point most of the questions and comments had been about the inner-workings of the nunnery, the hopes that many of them had to succeed and gain advanced degrees, and the challenges of seriously pursuing the lifestyle of a nun. Rinchen answered with characteristically calm poise, saying that the idea of an outward and selfless focus was indeed a goal of the TNP, and commented that such a view works well with the pillars of Buddhism. Many of the nuns, because of her efforts now have the chance to work towards the highest level of ordination, which had previously been reserved for monks. Another positive development in gender equality is the fact that the nuns are learning the systems of logic and fervent debating style typically practiced solely by their male counterparts.

Under the umbrella of the TNP many positive changes are taking place, and the women engaged in these pursuits seem to be embracing this change, and pursuing its fruits actively.

This weekend we are all moving back down to the Sarah College, coming full circle to the place where we began this three month journey. It’s time for Sarah’s annual picnic, and we’ll all be present for the three days of R&R taking place on campus. A group of about eight students will be heading down to Agra on Monday to visit India’s most famous monument, the Taj Mahal. The rest of us will indulge in good food, carom board, and the company of our Tibetan friends.

Yesterday we had a small tea ceremony with all of the host-families who were nice enough to put up with us for six weeks! In all seriousness, it was a sincere gathering. Khatas were presented to the family members, and the sweet tea flowed freely.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I have a feeling that our three months abroad was time well-spent. As is usual for programs of this nature we have been confronted with many of the challenging realities of the Tibetan diaspora. We’ll all come away with a better sense of what it means to be a Tibetan, and what it means to be a Tibetan in exile. In addition, our immersion into their rich culture has yielded for me a greater understanding and appreciation for the religious aspects. According to the Dalai Lama there are three different types of Buddhism: Buddhist religion, Buddhist science, and Buddhist philosophy. The fact that practitioners are not limited to studying or participating in any of these three forms is admirable. It creates an open environment for research. His Holiness contends that if science reveals that a specific part of Buddhism is wrong, they will change their philosophy. This open-ended approach to religion, science, and philosophy is perhaps one of the reasons why Buddhism has gained such a worldwide popularity, much like Wikipedia!

Since we’ve been here teachings have been sponsored by the Mongols, Russians, Taiwanese, Koreans, Singaporeans, and have been attended by peoples from countries all across the board. This is as multi-cultural as it gets, and hopefully we have all learned much from our experiences. One of the greatest pen-names of our time, Mark Twain, has put it this way:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.”

I thoroughly agree with his stance on travel. Study abroad programs like these, that put an educational twist on recreational travel, are effective vessels for turning academic learning into real-world experience. My hope is that a greater understanding and appreciation for others’ worldviews can be created and maintained through the accumulation of experiences such as these.

Thanks for reading,
Zack

The program continues, and field trip to TCV!

    Since the audience with His Holiness life in Mcleod Ganj has returned to normal. Classes and projects continue. Our esteemed Buddhist philosophy teacher, Geshe-la Graham Woodhouse left for south India last weekend on his way back home to England. Geshe-la Kelsang Damdul, assistant director of the Institute for Buddhist Dialectics, who spent six weeks last year in and around the Oxford campus, is now teaching in his stead. We are continuing to have guest lectures in Dr. Akers’ applied anthropology course. Last week we had representatives from the Tibetan Womens' Association, as well as the Secretary of Education. The group from TWA spoke about Tibetan Womens' role in the movement into exile in 1959 and their position within the modern government in exile.
 
     In the past two days the weather has turned from clear and warm during the day to cold, rainy, and overcast all the time. To my Tibetan host family this type of change is pey yak poo doo, or “very good”. It hasn’t rained here since the end of the monsoon season in late September/early October. In fact, according to my host family, the last two years have been especially dry, with water shortages causing many families to have to traverse a steep hillside down to the river to wash their clothes. Much of this dry weather is attributed to a lack of snow on the mountains during the winter, which according to the locals, seems to be a growing trend caused by global warming.
 
    Two recent field trips have been an inspiring source of information for us. The weekend of October 31st we were given a tour of the Tibetan Reception Center, where Tibetan refugees are cared for until they can receive and audience from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Each refugee that crosses over the Himalayas, usually during the winter, first checks into the reception center in Katmandu, Nepal. Their troubles don’t end when they reach the Nepalese border. Many refugees are turned back, and nuns and women laypeople are often beaten and raped by members of the Nepalese army. Once they reach the Reception Center they are checked in, and after a few days, sent to Delhi, where further processing ensues. After only one or two days they move again to Dharamsala, where they will be granted an audience with His Holiness, and will receive his blessing. Many of the new arrivals we saw still had the rosy cheeks characteristic of the high plateau people.

    Last weekend we spent Saturday morning at the Tibetan Children’s Village, a school for Tibetan refugee children, as well as for some boarders and day scholars. By and large the majority of the students are refugees that have come over from Tibet. Their parents have sent them to receive an education or to join a monastic order. Others that are older come on their own will, recognizing the comparatively large amount of freedom that they have in India. From the reception centers in Katmandu and Delhi they are sent to one of TCVs branch offices to begin their school if they are under 18. If they are between the ages of 18 and 50 they are sent to one of the Tibetan Transit schools, where they will learn various vocational and trade skills.

    Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the visit to TCV is enjoying the company of the youngest children in the baby room. Each year students bring stuffed animals, clothing, and toys for the youngsters to enjoy, and this year was no exception. Mutton for lunch the day before kept my immune system on high alert, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to stray too far away from the bathroom that day. However, I managed to get many photos from Renate Seiwert, and was there in spirit. (photos to be added ASAP.)

TCV

 

 Students having fun in the baby room