OK! So, we got up this morning and went to the Drepung Monastery. It was beautiful and ancient and very steep. It still bears the scars of destruction during the Cultural Revolution. During it's height about 6,000 monks resided there, but now there are less than 600. As usual, it was full of places for the monks to study, eat and pray as well as beautiful statues, etc.
After Drepung, we headed to the Potala which was the full-time residence of almost all the Dalai Lamas. It's 13 stories tall and was constructed in the 700's. Quite a feat of engineering. We saw many tombs of various Dalai Lamas and beloved abbots. The tombs are interesting though since they hold very little of the actual bodies. Buddhists here have "sky burials," which consist of a designated person chopping up the entire body and leaving it out for vultures to consume. When the bones are picked clean, they dice them up and mix them with tsampa (barley flour) and yak butter and serve that to the vultures again out of the skull. Mostly, all you will find in the tomb is a bit of hair and/or some teeth. I know it might sound like a strange way to dispose of a body, but it is spiritual and sustainable.
Following the Potala, we had some lunch and headed to the Norbulinka, or Summer Palace of the 7th and 14th Dalai Lamas. It was pretty but unremarkable. The tour even showed the 14th Dalai Lama's bathroom, and I don't need to see that. However, there were bunnies hopping around the property which I enjoyed.
It was another great day in Lhasa. Tomorrow we have a free day (no tour guide) and I have a cold, so I'm planning to sleep in late and buy some warm clothes for Nepal (think yak fur). Love to everyone. -ell
1 comment:
I love checking your blogs every day. They bring back fond memories of all the lectures we attended on those snowy evenings in the Adirondacks. Back then it was famous climbers like Alex Lowe who were showing us photos of the Himalayas, Prayer Wheels, Monks, Monasteries etc. and talking about their experiences. Now it's my children who are showing me photos of their travels, and telling me about what they're seeing, and it's even more exciting to know your living the same experiences first hand.
It must be an incredibly moving experience to witness such Faith, especially when surrounded by the majestic mountains and monasteries which are of such historic importance, as well as being engineering marvels. I remember all the great climbers who had been all over the world, being moved by the incredible beauty of the area and the Faith of the Tibetans. I can't help but get excited every time I think of you being at the "Top of the World"
I understand why you were hesitant to post people praying on You Tube but I think it’s a wonderful thing to do. There is so much trash on the internet, it’s refreshing to see something so “Meaningful”, and may be it will have a positive impact on the people who view it.
XXOO Dad
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