TIBET

                                                          Lhasa, Tibet

 

      Most of Tibet is too arid and cold to support human life. Geographically the country is about the size of France. The huge plateau has an altitude between 1000-5000 meters (3900-15400’). The Qamdo region in the eastern plateau is at a lower elevation and is drained by the headwaters of the Salween, Mekong, and Yangtze Rivers. The Lhasa area has a greater rainfall than the rest of Tibet, the climate is less severe, and most of the population lives here. Semi-nomadic shepherds who tend herds of sheep, yak, and horses live on the uplands surrounding the valleys. The towering Himalayas, surrounding the Tibetan plateau on three sides, made it an insurmountable obstacle to travelers and invaders.

     The country has existed since the 7^th century as a remote mountain theocracy based on the mystical tenets of Lamaism. Here feudal Lamas, whose spiritual authority was matched by their complete control of internal affairs, ruled the population. Some reigns were benevolent, others were ruthless. After the 9^th century the monasteries became increasingly more political, and in 1641 the Yellow Hats crushed their rivals, the Red Hats. The Yellow Hats adopted the title of Dalai Lama (Ocean of Wisdom).

     The autonomy of the lamas waxed and waned during various Chinese dynasties, with almost complete independence enjoyed during the Republican era, 1912-1949. The revolution brought changes. China invaded Tibet in 1950, and in 1951 military action and pressured negotiation reestablished China’s sovereignty. After years of increasing suppression, a revolt broke out and the Dalai Lama escaped disguised as a scholar walking over the Himalayas to India, where he remains today. Known as the Living Prince of Peace, the Dalai Lama is now elderly.. After 9/11 he called President Bush to express his condolences.

     Widespread persecution of the Tibetan people continued, reaching a peak during the Cultural Revolution. Between 1950-’70, over a million Tibetans were killed, 100,000 were exiled, and most of Tibet’s cultural heritage destroyed. Thousands of monks and nuns were sent to labor camps. Hundreds of ancient monasteries were destroyed. Arbitrary agricultural reforms such as imposed planting of unfamiliar crops, and the collectivization of yak and goat herds undermined traditional Tibetan culture. The population further destabilized when the Chinese government encouraged non-Tibetan Chinese to settle in Tibet. In spite of such hardships the Tibetan culture has continued to thrive under the stewardship of the exiled Dalai Lama, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.     

    Chinese built factories and infrastructure, so don’t understand the Tibetan ingratitude. The Chinese honestly believe that they saved the Tibetans from feudalism and that their continued occupation is a mission of mercy. For a long time the Tibetans saw the situation very differently as they found it hard to forgive the destruction of their monasteries or the assault on their religion and culture.

     One afternoon six of us went to visit the Sera Monastery, an active temple where monks are in training. Founded in 1419, Sera means stone hill. It also is the name of a ‘roseberry bush’. At one time every family sought to send a son to become a monk and the monastery accommodated 5000-6000 monks. But like other religions fewer people are choosing the celibate life. Many monks were persecuted or killed during the revolution. Today there are about 700 monks at the Sera Monastery. Upon entering the temple we saw a monk sitting on the floor printing. He was fast and it was fascinating to watch him. The pages were about 4 X 15 inches and he printed 100 copies of the page before going on to the next page. Pressing prayers onto cloth was the first form of printing.

    As we circled the temple we saw a few pilgrims moving clockwise with their prayer wheels and beads. The really intriguing thing here was the philosophical debates taking place in the shaded courtyard.

    At 3 o’clock a monk on the roof banged a gong to alert everyone that the two-hour debates were about to begin. The monks work in pairs, with the older monk asking a newer one a question. If answered correctly the older monk slapped his hands, palms together. If the answer was wrong he slapped his open palm with the back side of his right hand. If he pulls the prayer beads up his arm to the elbow it means that he will teach the newer monk the correct answer. It was extremely noisy in the courtyard and I wondered how anyone could even hear a question, much less answer it. It was an interesting visit.

    There are 500 million Buddhists in the world who believe that time on earth is temporary. Out of death and destruction comes life. Buddhist art is not self-expressive, each part has a meaning and artists do not sign their work.

    Each morning we opened our drapes and curtains wide to allow the sun to shine through and warm up the room. It was effective. We had clear , warm, sunny days all the time we were in Tibet. It stayed light until after 9:00 PM but did not get light in the morning until 7ish.

   Tibet has an interesting culture. It was a fantastic visit.

You may want to check posts: Jochang Temple 8-25-11, Tibet & Yak 6-13-10, Potala Palace 2-9-14

ZAGREB, CROATIA

                                      Croatia's Capital
      Only 30 min from the Slovenia border, Zagreb, Croatia’s capital is a contrast to tourist coastal towns.  After centuries of being the de-facto religious, cultural, and political capital of Croatia, Zagreb became the official capital after independence in 1991.  With a population of one million, one in every five Croats lives there.

The capitol is hard to miss

     The 11^th century city, located on the southern slopes of the Medvednica hills, spreads up from the Sava River. The present city started as two medieval towns, Kaptol and Gradec, separated by the river. They merged in 1850, and like most medieval towns it has an Upper and Lower Town (Donji Grad).  Civic and historic monuments are in Lower Town as well as landscaped parks and open spaces while medieval landmarks are in Upper Town.

     Lower & Upper Towns are separated by Jelacic Square, the city’s main square. It is the hub of the city with its cafés, shops, trams, and baroque buildings. The gracious and hospitable city suffered little fighting or damage during the recent war.  A funicular runs every ten minutes to Upper Town. For a fee of 3kn one can enjoy the quick 55 second ride. We did.

       In Historic Upper Town street names can be confusing, as locals call them something other than what the signs say. Upper Town is the medieval heart of the city. At the overlook we had a great view of the city below.

      Our docent-led walking tour started at the Mirgoj cemetery. It is a lovely quiet area where many locals come to get away from the busy city. All religions are buried there. The cemetery is large and is bordered on the front by big long arcades. Walking down the wide walkway we noted crypts in the outer wall. Many were also buried under the walkway.. The arcades had several cupolas that were topped with the religious design of each religion housed within its section. There was a conventional cemetery beyond the arcades. These arcades provide quite a collection of lovely and varied sculptures. 

      It is a most unusual cemetery and was a very lovely landscaped quiet place. The landscape provided a lot of shade and it was easy to understand why people might take a respite here

 

One gorgeous day

     The 1841 St. Marks church had a most unusual mosaic roof. There are several mistakes in the coat of arms. It is reversed and the lion heads do not form a proper Y. The proper red is replaced with blue. None the less it is a beautiful colorful roof.

      The inside of the Church of St. Catherine is intricately decorated, while the outside is Zagreb baroque. This is typical of the mansions also--simple outside, but ornate inside.  It is still the most important church. In the mid 13^th century Tartars destroyed the church and used it as a stable. The quake of 1880 destroyed the rebuilt church. The present church, built to protect against Turks, is of neo-gothic design with Renaissance towers.    

      Zagreb has much to offer and although we would have liked to spend more time here, it was the very end of a fantastic trip and I think we all were anxious to get home. The city is on my return list.