100 Travel Stories
Tibet: Om Mani Padme Hum
Tibet was a tough trip. With only 60% to 70% of the oxygen available at sea level at these high altitudes, the nights were especially difficult. I could sleep for about four hours, then spend the rest of the night struggling to breathe. The Tibetan high-altitude pills didn’t help much. The highest point I reached was 5,248 m.
I arrived in Lhasa on a small Air China plane coming from Kathmandu. The view from the plane was impressive: the entire snow-covered Himalayan range could be seen from above. Mount Everest was on the left side of the airplane.
All the passengers on the right side of the plane moved—and some even jumped over passengers on the left side—to get a better view of the world’s highest peak (8,848 m). The sudden shift in weight distribution made the plane tilt to the left!
Mt. Everest aerial view – Air China flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa
Tibet
Tibet Without the Dalai Lama
You cannot bring books about Dalai Lama, photographs of him, or Tibetan flags into Tibet. You also have to join an organized tour to visit Tibet; in my case, it was with G Adventures. The Chinese military has a strong presence in Tibet, and restrictions are strict. The days when monks and ordinary Tibetans lived more freely are long gone. Becoming a monk is also discouraged.
Tibetan prayer flags – Ryerson photo exhibition, Toronto
- Read the story of the Tibetan prayer flags photo
Lhasa – the “Place of the Gods”
At an altitude of 3,490 meters, Lhasa is one of the world’s highest cities.
The main places of interest in Lhasa are the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Sera Monastery.
Jokhang Square, Lhasa
Tibetan smiles
Barkhor market
Yak butter
Textile clews
The Potala Palace
The Potala Palace was the former residence of the Dalai Lama. With more than 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines, and 200,000 statues, the palace is really impressive.
“The first time I stepped onto the rooftop of the Potala Palace in Lhasa in 1985, I felt, as never before or since, as if I was stepping onto the rooftop of my being: onto some dimension of consciousness that I’d never visited before.” – Pico Iyer
The Potala Palace
432 steps to the top of Potala Palace
The White Palace
Beautiful sand mandala
“Sand Mandalas represent the universe and act as an architectural blueprint of the enlightened mind.”
The monks create the mandalas from coloured sand using small tubes.
Jokhang Temple
Jokhang Temple is the most sacred and important temple in Tibet.
Jokhang Temple
Wheel of Dharma
The pilgrims in Tibet are extremely devoted. Young and old, some carrying small children on their backs, pilgrims perform kora—walking clockwise around a temple—while spinning their prayer wheels in the same direction.
Tibetan woman and child – Lhasa, Barkhor Square
Some pilgrims come from far away by bus. Others walk for kilometres alongside the roads, always carrying their prayer wheels.
The pilgrims prostrate themselves by lying face down on the ground, extending their arms and sliding forward with wooden pads attached to their palms until their bodies are fully extended. The prostration can be repeated up to 108 times.
Tibetan pilgrims
Monk discussing with pilgrims
Deep devotion
Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery is one of the “great three” university monasteries of Tibet.
Sera Monastery monks
The highlight of my visit to Sera Monastery was watching the monks’ debates. In a courtyard, dozens of monks gather for lively discussions.
Monks debate
One monk stands while one to four or more monks sit on the ground in front of him. The standing monk begins the ritual with a karate-like movement. He holds his rosary around his upper arm, lifts his right foot, and, with his right hand extended, jumps toward the seated monk.
If the palm of his right hand faces downward, he is agreeing with the point being made. If the palm faces upward, he disagrees or insists that his own point is correct.
Quite a spectacular show to watch!
Ganden Monastery
Ganden Monastery lies in a natural amphitheater. The views from the nearby mountains are spectacular. Like Sera Monastery, Ganden is a university monastery.
Ganden
Ganden Monastery
Pilgrims at Ganden Monastery
Monks ceremony
Monks ceremony
The Burials
Traditional Tibetan burial practices include sky burial and water burial.
- Sky Burial: the body is traditionally dismembered and placed on a mountaintop, where it is left for birds of prey..
- Water Burial: the body is dismembered and the remains are placed in a river, where they are consumed by fish. This is traditionally one of the reasons some Tibetans avoid eating fish.
Water Burial place, Tibet
Gyantse
Gyantse fortress, Palcho Monastery, and the Kumbum – the largest structure of its kind in Tibet—are the main attractions of Gyantse.
Gyantse fortress
Palcho Monastery
Palcho Monastery Kumbum
Buddhist deities
Shigatse
Sakya Monastery in Shigatse is known for its collection of Tibetan murals, sacred Buddhist scrolls, and books.
Shigatse
Sakya Monastery hallways
Rongbuk
Rongbuk is the highest monastery in the world, at around 5,000 meters, on the northern side of Mount Everest.
Rongbuk
Rongbuk was the last stop before ascending to Everest Base Camp and the highest place where I slept.
Being there without enough oxygen was horrible, especially at night. It felt as if the devil was taking my soul…
The accommodation was a mountain guesthouse, the Thingri Snow Land Hotel. It was very basic, with a room temperature of about +5°C.
Thingri Snow Land Hotel: rooms and washer
The shower and washroom
Everest Base Camp
The next morning, everything was fine. After an 8 km trek, I reached Everest Base Camp, with a clear view of Mount Everest.
It was very impressive. The mountain looked so close that, for a moment, it seemed almost easy to climb.
Everest Base Camp
Om Mani Padme Hum
“The mantra Om Mani Pädme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Pä, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom.” – Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
The Itinerary
The route I took through Tibet: Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse – Sakya – Rongbuk – Everest Base Camp – Zhangmu – Kathmandu.
What I tried
- Being blessed by a monk while he was talking on his cellphone! The blessing consisted of being “hit” on the back of my head with a leather shovel.
- rying everything yak: yak meat, yak butter tea (with a very strong taste), and riding a yak.
Yak tongues and steak
Tibetan Soup
What I didn’t try
- Bungee Jumping from 160 m.
Tibet Map
“Tashi Delek!” (All the best)