It has been almost exactly four years now since I first came to India to live and work with Tibetan refugees in settlements in the north of the country. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, the people were some of the kindest I had ever met, and my eyes were opened to one of the greatest, but largely silent, political/identity struggles of our time. I heard harrowing stories of refugees escaping over the Himalayas, of torture in the TAR (Tibetan Autonomous Region), and the systematic destruction of one of the most beautiful, loving cultures. I saw some of the purest devotion to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan culture and some of the strongest commitment to protecting what they could, but also signs of resignation buried deep behind the smiling eyes. I was faced with difficult questions as to why the US would not take action and I had to try to explain something that was far too complex for a sixteen year old to ever understand. Something about Tibet and its people captivated me and has continued to enthrall me long after my visit ended. I continued to learn as much as I could about Tibet, coming to greater understandings of the current situation through in depth analyses of the conflict and through the attempt to develop a peace proposal for a peace and conflict class I took at AU. And then, four years later I finally had the chance to visit another Tibetan settlement in India through one of our weekend trips planned by our program.
In this visit to Bylakuppe, the first Tibetan settlement in India, about a six-hour journey from Manipal, community members warmly greeted us with traditional white silk scarves. We were treated to tea and biscuits as we met with the Tibetan Women’s Association and the leader of the Tibetan Youth Council learning about the work they do in Bylakuppe and for Tibetan refugees across India and around the world. They accompanied us to a traditional Tibetan medical center where we learned about ancient systems of Tibetan medicine and its practice today. We ate a delicious lunch of momo’s (Tibetan dumplings) and other wonderful food with a group of the sweetest women from the women’s association, and accompanied one of them to the Golden Temple, learning tid-bits about the settlement and Buddhism along the way. As we wandered, we passed monks and nuns in their maroon robes and colorful prayer flags high above our heads rippled lightly in the breeze. We came upon a local fishpond where we fed the enormous fish writhing below us and learned about how new fish are added to the pond each year on the Dalai Lama’s birthday and about the general Tibetan commitment to serving all living things and to respecting nature.
Our visit seemed to short, but the time we did have was incredible. It revived so many memories of my previous experiences and of all the wonderful people I had come across. It was such a pure reminder of human kindness and resilience but also of deep-seeded struggle. Though short-lived, it is a visit I will always keep close to my heart.
In this visit to Bylakuppe, the first Tibetan settlement in India, about a six-hour journey from Manipal, community members warmly greeted us with traditional white silk scarves. We were treated to tea and biscuits as we met with the Tibetan Women’s Association and the leader of the Tibetan Youth Council learning about the work they do in Bylakuppe and for Tibetan refugees across India and around the world. They accompanied us to a traditional Tibetan medical center where we learned about ancient systems of Tibetan medicine and its practice today. We ate a delicious lunch of momo’s (Tibetan dumplings) and other wonderful food with a group of the sweetest women from the women’s association, and accompanied one of them to the Golden Temple, learning tid-bits about the settlement and Buddhism along the way. As we wandered, we passed monks and nuns in their maroon robes and colorful prayer flags high above our heads rippled lightly in the breeze. We came upon a local fishpond where we fed the enormous fish writhing below us and learned about how new fish are added to the pond each year on the Dalai Lama’s birthday and about the general Tibetan commitment to serving all living things and to respecting nature.
Our visit seemed to short, but the time we did have was incredible. It revived so many memories of my previous experiences and of all the wonderful people I had come across. It was such a pure reminder of human kindness and resilience but also of deep-seeded struggle. Though short-lived, it is a visit I will always keep close to my heart.