Goodbye Tibet

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On our last day in Tibet we visited the family of our guide in their small village between Lhasa and Shigatse. The village was shielded from the road by a high embankment and consisted of about thirty families. The small traditional houses were without running water or indoor plumbing. Our guide showed us the (very public) place outdoors designated for bathing. Though there was a small manmade channel running in back of the houses for irrigation, we were told for drinking, bathing, and other purposes water was carried up from the river in buckets.

The river ran far below, down a fairly steep embankment broken only by the winding road. We climbed a ladder into the house, as the ground floor was reserved for the livestock: sheep, goats, chickens, cattle, yaks, etc. Inside, the family was preparing for the New Year by erecting new prayer flags and cooking dinner.

The inside of the house was dimly lit We were shown the kitchen, a small, dark, earthen room, but were carefully instructed not to take any photos as it might upset the protective deity living in the stove. Interestingly enough, though the house was simple and sparsely decorated it was not without a huge, brand new television, gleaming from amongst a pile of dusty blankets. It was the only thing that I could see that distinguished the house as belonging to the modern world rather than a century past. Apparently the government is attempting a step toward so-called modernity by forcing the families out of traditional homes such as this and into more contemporary models. Some of the neighbors had already moved, though the government allowance for relocating did not even begin to cover the cost of a new house.

Our guide and her nine brothers and sisters had grown up in this house, though now most of them had moved to Lhasa, leaving an elder sister and her mother to tend to the farm. Several members of the family were back visiting for the New Year, including our guide's three young nieces and small nephew. They took us on an impromptu tour, walking amongst the houses and climbing the hill near the small irrigation canal. It was a very peaceful place and I imagine a very healthy one for children to grow up, running, climbing, and caring for the animals.

We returned to the house for dinner, which included yak butter tea and yak meet and after dinner homemade barley beer. Our hosts were incredibly kind and hospitable, and we really appreciated their generosity allowing us into their home on a holiday.

We left and made our way back to Lhasa along the twisting highway. On long drives in Tibet it is a very common sight to see the hilltops marked with crumbling ruins, the old foundation of some monastery destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The vast majority of monasteries were destroyed during this time and though some have since been rebuilt most remain only as a deserted pile of rubble.

Tibet was both a wonderful and a sobering experience as well as an extremely complicated one. I will not delve into the complex and controversial politics of modern Tibet but instead would like to end on a positive note.

The struggle of Tibet has been idealized and upheld by the Western world for decades, myself included. It has found itself at the center of a new age philosophy propagated by liberal-minded westerners searching for spiritual enlightenment and self-discovery. Even before its takeover by the Chinese it was regarded by British explorers as the magical kingdom of Shangri-La, pristine, untouched, and magical. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it is human nature to believe in such things that Tibet, its people, and its religion have come to represent for many; such as deep spirituality, peace, and unspoiled beauty.

In truth, despite its isolation the land and people of Tibet are as real as any other, and virtually unaware of their country's symbolism in the eyes of the outside world. They lead hard lives, especially the majority of the population that lives outside of the city limits, nomadic herders at the mercy of the elements.

However, there is something extremely impressive about the faith of the Tibetans, that deep unquestioning devotion that is incorporated into their everyday lives, however difficult. It is that quality, I think, that makes them so inspirational to outsiders.

One of the most poignant images that stick with me occurred as we were riding the train out of Tibet, somewhere in the north en route to Qinghai. The country was cold and sparse, green fields giving way to jagged, snowcapped peaks. A small paved road paralleled the train tracks for a time. Along this road, in the early morning light, several Tibetans were walking on their pilgrimage to the holy city bundled in fur coats. They would take a couple of purposeful strides and then fall in prayer, literally sliding on their stomachs across the asphalt. Kneel, pray, stand, and repeat. Their prayer was so rhythmic, and I was amazed by their religious devotion in a place secluded save for a few indifferent train passengers.

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Photos

Kids
The children of our hosts, they were characters!

Comments

[ruzz]

nice place
Qinghai and Tibet always on my list..nice plateau..