Freedom In Exile (Dalai Lama)

I always wanna to read more...One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time. Carl Sagar,US astronomer & popularizer of astronomy (1934 - 1996). Know him? That brainy who put up a case for high surface temperature of VENUS, when others thought its balmy paradise. And no doubt, brainy won..

Packing up. Found this book lying around. Author, Dalai Lama, winner of Nobel Peace Prize. Hmmm. Decent, if you wanna know more about Tibet; the spiritual side. Definitely is only one side of the story. The whole Tibet-China drama,what it meant for the Tibetians etc. So.. probably, a trip to Tibet, get some understanding yourself may help. Any case, try catching the movie " Kundun", based on the lama life story. Haha.. I happen to have the film. Beg meeeeeee... Actually, Tibet is a safe bet, if you wanted something different for your next holiday. Climate, typical downy special. Different in various area and vary greatly in a single day as well. But if you are talking about Lhasa, its in the centre, so its nicer for travelling. But altitude wise. All I can say is... Endure and perhaps doing some physical training before the trip helps.

For me, what I like most, is the Tibetan Buddhism. The entire story about the reincarnation of the Living Buddha, how they search for these soul boys, the Celestial Burial Service (Sky Funeral). All these charms me.

Abit on the Sky Funeral.
Celestial Burial, which is also known as “Bird Burial” is the ordinary burial service in Tibet, and the ceremony normally held by the farmers, herders and ordinary people. Buddhists believe that Celestial Burial represents their wishes to go to heaven. There are celestial burial places and professional celestial burial masters in every district. When a person dies, he or she is bent into a sitting position, with the head against the knees. The body is wrapped in white Tibetan cloth and laid on an earthen platform on the right behind the door. Lamas read the scripture aloud to release the soul from purgatory. The family will choose a lucky day and ask the body carrier to carry the body away to the celestial burial platform. "Su” smoke is burned to attract condors, Lamas chant sutras to redeem the sins of the soul, and a professional celestial burial master deals with the body. Then the condors come, and attempt to eat the body. If the body is eaten, it shows the dead person has no sin and that the soul has gone peacefully to Paradise. If not, the remains of the body will be collected and burnt and the Lamas chant sutras to redeem the sins of the dead. The Tibetans believe that the condors on the mountains around the celestial burial platform are “holy birds” and only eat the human body without attacking any small animals nearby. The service often takes place in the morning. The body should be sent to the destination before dawn and the service begins while the sun is rising. Visitors should not go to watch the service without permission.

Actually, you can pay to watch such service in Lhasa. But I didnt. Respect is the word. Next entry, I will show you some pictures that I took in Tibet. Ciao!