2006 TibetHaus trip to Tibet
An Imaginary Slide-Show by Vessantara
I never thought that I would go to Tibet. I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to. Although I have a deep feeling for Tibetan Buddhism, I knew that visiting Tibet would bring me face-to-face with the results of the tragedy that has befallen the Tibetan people over the last half-century. Then about 18 months ago I read Elke Hessel’s article in Chökor describing the itinerary of a TibetHaus trip to Tibet that she was planning. I pictured myself visiting places in which great teachers such as Guru Rinpoche, Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa had lived, practised and taught. The idea moved me, but still I thought I wouldn’t go. Then I began discussing with Vijayamala, who I live with, what we might do in 2007. We would mention various possibilities and then in a joking way, either she or I would say ‘Or we could go to Tibet!’
Neither of us is quite sure how going to Tibet moved from being a joke to something we were definitely doing. We both seem to have missed a step in the process somewhere. I know that an important factor in deciding to go was that the trip would be led by Elke and her partner Puntsok Tsering. Elke was instrumental in setting up the Dagyab Projekt. She has visited Tibet about eight times, and has a great love of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan art. She had also consulted Dagyab Rinpoche about places to visit. I was particularly keen to see more out-of-the-way places in which intensive Buddhist practice was continuing. Puntsok is an artist who was brought up in Tibet. We also thought that other Chödzongpas that we have connections with were likely to be in the party.
So in early September we found ourselves at Kathmandu airport, boarding a plane at the beginning of a 17-day stay in Tibet. We have a saying in English that ‘one picture is worth a thousand words’, so let me show you some of my photos. As I’m in Cambridge and you’re wherever you are, you’re going to need to use some imagination€¦
Here’s the first one. This was taken from the plane flying towards Lhasa. I’d imagined us in some small aircraft, being buffeted around as we flew over the Himalayas. (I have a vivid imagination that can cause me a lot of trouble€¦) But as you’ll see from the wing of the plane in that photo, we’re actually on a big 747, courtesy of Air China. And those barren, sand-coloured hills below us are my first view of Tibet, as it was pretty cloudy as we flew over the high peaks.