Autumn in Lhasa

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October is an ideal time to visit Lhasa. What a joy to arrive to blue skies and golden leaves, to see the Potala Palace towering over the city, and to walk the Barkhor again. In late October, there are few tourists, just enough (in fact) to keep the restaurants open that serve western fare for the weary traveler.

Parade of Pilgrims

The Barkhor is the heart of Lhasa. It bustles with Tibetan pilgrims circumambulating the Jokhang temple and vendors selling everything from trinkets and T-shirts to fine paintings and jewelry. My host SV (now in her second year at Tibet University) and I take a stroll around and have lunch on the porch of the Gakyiling Restaurant, overlooking the Jokhang and the parade of pilgrims.

In a series of coincidences, I run into a dozen or so friends randomly that afternoon: students from Tibet University the summer before, teachers who have studied in Boston, and DM from SMC with his Boulderite girlfriend. My Tibetan friend TP joins us for the prized apple pie at Snowland Restaurant, and who should walk in… Prof. VDK, who had originally been scheduled to visit Lhasa in September. Very good to feel at home in Lhasa, despite a year’s absence.

DM joins us for a night on the town to see the Tibetan rock band, Namchak, at a local bar. In their unique style, Namchak combines folk and rock strains, juxtaposing the lilting traditional string instrument (called the dranyen) against the strident cords of an electric guitar. The lead singer likewise shifts between the open-throated ballads meant to be sung across a mountain valley and the quick pulse of rap. A decadent night out to begin the long weekend.

The Treasures of Mindroling

Early the next morning TP and her husband pick us up at the university to visit nearby Mindroling Monastery. SV and I are joined by her Tibetan friend KC, who had a keen interest in what the monks at Mindroling think of the early 20th century modernist Gendun Chöpel, who wrote a satirical lyric about the monastery. Before leaving, I am treated to (likely) the only cup of Starbucks Coffee available in Lhasa, care of SV who brought back an espresso maker and some fresh grounds from the US in September.

Mindroling is perched on a hill, tucked away from the Lhasa to Lokha road. It has a tranquil courtyard with a flock of pigeons making periodic circles around the rooftops of the two main assembly halls. The monastery is smaller than one would think, considering the fame of its founder, Terdak Lingpa, and the success of his lineage up until the present. On top of that, most of its 75 monks seem to be away, along with a khenpo whose phone number was given to me by a friend. Too bad. We are left with mostly young, uninformed monks as guides.

Mindroling’s treasures are on display behind an iron grated gate. Treasures, or terma, are sacred texts and objects said to be buried in the eight-century by the tantric master Padmasambhava and later revealed by the reincarnation of one of his direct disciples. Terdak Lingpa is a famous terton or "treasure revealer" from the 17th century. The young monks on hand are unable to point out which of the statues and other objects in the gated enclosure are considered to be treasures revealed by Terdak Lingpa, but the shop on the monastery grounds fortunately carries a small pamphlet with a list of treasures and accompanying photographs.

TP had prepared a picnic of potatoes, bread, fruit and Tibetan butter tea for us. Very nice to take a moment to relax in the monastery courtyard and soak in the tranquility of the site. By then, DM and his girlfriend have caught up with us by taxi. They join us for a short hike to the protector shrine on the hillside overlooking the monastery, where we could also see the ruins of the old retreat hermitages behind a low ridge.

From the main road, TP and her husband head back to Lhasa, and we flag down a bus that quickly covers the half hour to Tsetang where we spend the night.

Missed the Monkey Cave

In the morning, SV and KC hike to the monkey cave above Tsetang, while I lay in bed wiped out from the altitude and a combination of too little sleep in Lhasa, too much spice at dinner in Tsetang, and dehydration under the sun at Mindroling. It takes them 4 hours roundtrip minus an hour or so to explore the monkey cave and another above it dedicated to Avalokitesvara (the bodhisattva of compassion). According to legend, Avalokitesvara emanated as a monkey who lived in this cave and became the progenitor of the Tibetan people after being seduced by a local demoness.

On Horseback to the Palace of Tibet’s Early Kings

Only 15 minutes from Tsetang, Yumbu Lakhang towers above the Yarlung valley perched on a rocky crag. It is the citadel from which Tibet’s early kings conquered vast tracts of Central Asia during the height of the Yarlung empire in the 7th-9th centuries. The ascent is steep, and in my weary state that afternoon, I am able to make it to the top only with the help of a horse.

Inside the citadel are shrine rooms with statues and murals of the Tibet’s early kings and ministers. I stop to rest many times, and SV takes the opportunity to ask an old monk about the lore surrounding Tibet’s first king, Nyatri Tsenpo. Nyatri Tsenpo is depicted in one mural as a child being carried on the back of a hulky Tibetan. According to the old monk, Nyatri Tsenpo was brought to Tibet from India to serve as king, though a more popular story is that Tibet's first kings descended from the sky on a cord.

With the encouragement of SV and KC, I manage to circumambulate the citadel. For some time, we sit on the ridge amidst prayer flags billowing in the wind.

Painting the Face of Jowo Shakyamuni

A Tibetan friend in Boston, TD, sent $50 with me to offer at the Jokhang temple. On my last day in Lhasa, I ask a teacher at Tibet University over lunch about the best way to do this. It turns out that PD is friends with a number of monks at the Jokhang and reaches one of them right away by cell phone. He says that it is possible either to light 100 butter lamps or to add a layer of gilding to the face of the central statue, the famous Jowo Shakyamuni. According to Tibetan histories, this image of the buddha was brought to Tibet by one of the wives of the 7th century king, Songten Gampo. Both modes of offering are considered to bring merit and benefit the one who sponsors the offering, and I am honored to be able to do this on behalf of TD and her family.

Of the two options, painting the face of Jowo Shakyamuni seems more unique. First, we sit with the monk as he grinds small pellets of gold dust into a paste for gilding. Next, they let us into the gated enclosure of the inner sanctum where the Jowo image is housed as another monk (masked to prevent any impurities befalling the image) slowly brushes on the gold paint. The strokes across the cheeks and down the nose are gracious, and the Buddha image seems to radiate anew. They let me videotape the whole process, and I have sent this to TD and her family as a memento. Afterwards I still have 100 RMB left, which I give to the monk who helped us, and he promised to offer butter lamps for TD’s family.

Farewell Dinner

That night TP invites me for a farewell dinner. I am unsure how to navigate the many plates of food on a still-sensitive stomach. But the vegetable momos and other dishes are delicious. Her husband shows us videos from the trip to Mindroling, which are taken with the savvy eye of someone who works at the TV station. His 83 year-old mother refrains from the vegetarian fare and instead eats thukpa (a traditional meat and noodle soup) leftover from the night before. Between the picture sharing and amusing anecdotes, I catch up with TP about her current research and plans for the holidays.

I am sad to leave Lhasa the next morning. The Potala Palace is brilliant at dawn. On the plane, I steal a glimpse of the snow-capped peaks before we disappear into the clouds.

Travelers to Mindroling and Tsetang:

Mindroling is only an hour and a half from Lhasa now that a new tunnel has been completed. A taxi will take you right to the monastery for 200 RMB, or you can catch the Lokha bus and have them drop you off at the dirt road leading up to the monastery. It is an 8km hike from there, though you might be able to hitch a ride with a tractor for part of the route. It is possible to stay overnight at the monastery in a dormitory for 25 RMB. A small store in town has dried noodles and bottled water.

There is no shortage of cheap hotels in Tsetang, though some may be more insistent on foreigners having a permit than others. It cost us 60 RMB to hire a cab round trip to Yumbu Lakhang, though our Tibetan friend said he paid 30 RMB the year before. You can take a taxi back to Lhasa for 200 RMB. Alternatively, buses between Tsetang and Lhasa run frequently and cost 30-50 RMB depending on the size and speed of the bus. Smaller buses tend to make more local stops.

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