Blogging the Dalai Lama

Curious monks at His Holiness’ temple in Dharamsala

“Do you want some chili on your momos?” asks the smiling Tibetan lady who is doing a brisk trade outside His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamsala, India. “Yes, please,” I reply. I get five delicious, just-made potato momos in a small bag and stand in the middle of the road to enjoy and to check out the scene. A LOT going on. We are on lunch break from His Holiness’ teachings. They start around 9:00 or 9:30 am and go on until 11:30-Noon. And then again for a few hours in the afternoon.

The street is packed with what must be hundreds of monks and nuns, a few Western monks and nuns, a lot of Tibetan people, a lot of “Westerners” (the catch-all description for people from Europe, the USA, several other countries), some Indian people, several lepers begging, a few cows, a large number of monkeys and several vultures, hawks and crows overhead. As they say, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Food, tea, sacred texts and the odd thangka are sold in the streets alongside, rows and rows of stalls selling rosaries, Tibetan “antiques,” sweaters, shawls, all manner of stones and artifacts, really beautiful jewelry and religious paraphernalia. The trading instinct is very strong, all vibrant and alive. The charity instinct is very strong as well, as I notice many, many people of all descriptions giving to the beggars.

Over the loud speaker we hear a young Tibetan woman advocating Vegetarianism. A tall Kampa walks by with a bright red string braided in his hair. These scenes offer a colorful, complex and exciting backdrop to the extreme profoundity of His Holiness’ teachings in Dharamsala, His Holiness’ home in exile and the seat of the Tibetan Government in Exile.

The author with two of the three “singing nuns,” Dhamchoe and Nyidon. (Photo: John Hoban)

The afternoon teachings are about to start and all of a sudden, the monks and nuns form a long, orderly line and everyone else starts to form a line too (not so orderly). We have to get past security, and everyone is equally checked very carefully. Once in, my husband and I climb up the stairs to the enormous courtyard filled with people of all ages sitting on cushions on the floor.

The visual impact of His Holiness’ Temple, the very large gathering of Tibetans, clergy and “foreigners,” the rosaries, chords, and other amulets hanging on strings up and down the courtyard to receive the blessings that come from the talks and the general feeling of alertness, excitement and devoutness is beyond description. It’s easy to see prayer flags swinging on the tall pine trees and mountains from the courtyard and to feel the cool breeze.

The camaraderie among the attendees and good feeling all around is evident, and this before anything has even happened. I noticed a very old Tibetan man climbing the stairs up to the courtyard, stick in hand, he seems to “own the place.” In fact, this is one of the really remarkable things, the Tibetan people of all ages (we noticed several children of school going age and younger) really feel that this temple is “their place,” it clearly doesn’t just belong to His Holiness. I may add that there are several elderly “Westerners” walking around the place and also Western children and babies, in addition to the other age groups.

Anyway, I was about to burst out with emotion at being there and couldn’t believe the genuine feeling all around. I’ve had the good fortune of hearing His Holiness teach in Europe, and remember being incredibly shocked and moved the first time. Walking into the big hall where His Holiness was teaching in Glasgow, I really felt I had stepped right into another world. The sense of goodwill from all the attendees and the depth and sophistication of His Holiness’ teachings, was beyond any experience I’d ever had. The overwhelming feeling then was “this is SERIOUS stuff.” In India, it just keeps getting better and better. Not necessarily easier but definitely better, one meets “the real thing.” And the real thing in this case is strength, as in what happens when a community takes internal architecture seriously. One also meets the practice in living form. Of course, it’s not all flowers and chocolate, but if you are going to find it anywhere (and believe me, I’ve tried), it’s here.

Context is important, so important in fact, that it’s impossible to be here and to escape the horrible heartbreak of the tragedy of Tibet. This “brings it home” like nothing else. Attending His Holiness’ teachings in India, is “special,” you get the whole shebang and more.

Despite the fact that His Holiness makes his entrances and exits four times a day for 10 days, the excitement is palatable, as the thousands of people become mentally united and turn their attention to the gate that opens and to the genuinely powerful, modest and very energetic figure that emerges, the 14th Dalai Lama. Like a Mexican wave in a football stadium, the crowd bends as he walks by, huge smiles and also some tears. He is sure footed, loving and obviously very intelligent, all in one blurred second. No drama, just deeper and deeper layers.

His Holiness sits, crossed legged and begins to teach. I feel that he is teaching to me directly, later on I found out that many others had that same feeling. All the Westerners take out the FM radios, he teaches in Tibetan and it’s translated into various languages, transmitted via FM radio. The teachings are intellectually challenging and it’s important to listen with full attention in order not to miss any vital point. This is not a place to hang out, it’s serious business. But there are also great messages about ethical behavior, the development of gentleness and many other things, that put the heart immediately at rest. Both the mind and the heart are engaged, and the body sitting on the floor getting stronger.

The teachings are interpreted and delivered with the most effective combination of insight and humour. I look around and meet the eyes of some lively Tibetans, big smile, nod. Then am amazed at the sight of two very young Western children just standing there by their parents listening intently and calmly. How can that be? Other babies in their mother’s arms, no problem. Some people reading the text along with His Holiness. Is this really possible? A mainly refugee community (with current and severe problems and increasingly difficult circumstances) listening seriously to teachings about compassion, being of service to other beings, not harming etc. These are not just slogans or wishful thinking, but the rigorous,internal science developed over centuries by the Tibetan people. His Holiness is living proof that it works, not just in words either.

Sign outside the door of His Holiness’ temple in Dharamsala

The whole atmosphere is a result of His Holiness’ manifestation. It feels like a communal fortification (for the good). And definitely not in that goody-goody way, but really solid without any hidden aggression. All the attendees at the teachings got endless amounts of benefits. Extra teachings, an initiation, blessed food, witnessing the Nechung Oracle in trance just to name a few. For a man who lost his country and home and became a refugee, His Holiness gives a great sense of prosperity and abundance. It’s obvious he has endless inner resources and skillful means of utilizing them. The kindness in him is so strong that everyone becomes kind around him, but he is no pushover. And he works, really, really hard. Mainly though, he is is a living EXAMPLE. All of a sudden, the whole Tibetan crowd bursts out laughing, a second later we hear the translation on the FM radios, everyone else bursts out laughing.

—Written and photographed by Isabela Basombrio-Hoban

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For video of His Holiness’ teaching in Dharamsala, see DalaiLama.com.