TIBET

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Lhasa

A well-known symbol of Lhasa is Potala, the historical residence of the Dalai Lamas. 

Bakhor square is the center of the Tibetan quarter in Lhasa. It is full of pilgrims, tourists and merchants selling prayer flags, jewelry and other souvenirs.

Jokhang monastery dominates the Bakhor square. Every day it is full of pilgrims from all over Tibet. Notice the golden Wheel of Law and two deer on its roof.

The wheel of Dharma (or Wheel of Law) represents Buddhist teachings. Two deer were the first two listeners of Buddha's teachings after he reached enlightenment.

Pilgrims show their devotion by making prostrations in front of the entrance to Jokhang.

Sera monastery

Pilgrims in front of the Sera monastery. The prayer wheel is span to send off prayers that are either inscribed on the wheel itself or written on a paper rolled inside the wheel.

A "Kora" (ritual circumambulation circuit) encircles every monastery or any other sacred place. At monasteries, koras are usually lined with large prayer wheels, that pilgrims spin as they walk by.

The Buddhist wheel of life represents the never-ending circle of rebirths. According to one's deeds in this and previous lives the next reincarnation happens in one of six realms shown on the wheel (three are good, three are bad).

Dialectics (the art of debating) is one of the essential skills that every monk has to master. In the Sera monastery it is practiced in the debating courtyard every afternoon. Debates happen between two people. The standing person poses questions and the sitting opponent tries to answer them. Posing of questions is accompanied by stylistic gestures that include clapping and stamping.

MOVIE 
Short movie showing debating monks [2s, 915kB]
(This movie is in QuickTime format. Free player can be found at http://www.quicktime.com )

Drepung monastery

Assembly hall where monks gather to recite sacred texts is found in every monastery.

Decorations traditionally made of silk hang from the ceiling in the assembly hall. There are five colors in use (blue, white, yellow, green and red) that correspond to the five basic elements (water, metal, earth, wood and fire).

We have witnessed monks cleaning the monastery library. Every old book was unwrapped, its yellow silk cover was washed, the book dusted and then wrapped again.

Tibetan books are written on sheets of paper that are not bound together. Some of the books stored in monasteries are hundreds of years old.

Big laundry. Monks are washing covers of books.

A pilgrim carries indispensable yak butter that is going to be added to butter lamps in all chapels inside the monastery. The smell of yak butter is everywhere.

Part of a monastery kitchen. Pressure cooker is an essential piece of equipment in the high altitudes of Tibet.

Economical and environmentally friendly way to boil water.

After three days of acclimatization we were able to hike up to 4000m. From the hill above the Drepung monastery we had beautiful views of the Lhasa valley (3600m). 

Near Drepung is the Nechung monastery which was the seat of Tibetan State Oracle until 1959. All major government's or Dalai Lama's decisions were consulted with the oracle. The oracle left Tibet along with Dalai Lama in 1959 and lives now in exile in India. Decoration of the monastery is very spooky. Blood-colored entrance doors are painted with human skins.

Nam-tso Lake

Pilgrims are crossing the last pass before reaching the sacred lake Nam-tso (70km x 30km). The pilgrims carry all the equipment they need for their several week long journeys, including tents, blankets, gas canisters, cooking equipment, food etc.)

Every pilgrim adds a prayer flag to the mountain already present in the pass.

Tangula mountains (over 7000m high) create a beautiful backdrop to the Nam-tso Lake (4718m).

Pilgrims with prayer wheels walk the kora leading along the lake shore (small kora takes only 1.5h, the real big kora leads around the entire lake and takes several days on a horse).

Most pilgrims are dressed in traditional colorful costumes.

There is seemingly never-ending stream of pilgrims.....

Tents accommodating pilgrims on the shore of the lake

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