Tag: China

The Gifts of Freedom

The Gifts of Freedom

It is in Freedom-
And only in Freedom,
That a singer may sing-
May sing in Joy.

It is in Freedom-
And only in Freedom,
That a dancer may dance-
May dance in Ecstasy.

It is in Freedom-
And only in Freedom,
That an athlete may Excel-
May excel with Pride.

It is in Freedom-
And only in Freedom, 
That an artist may Flower-
May flower to Fruition.

It is in Freedom-
And only in Freedom,
That each may find their self-
And each their sense of Dignity. 

By-Lhasang Tsering
  • Lhasang Tsering is a writer and a poet, an outspoken advocate of Tibetan Independence.
Lhasang Tsering : Poem

Sanglo-The Next Year

Sanglo-The Next Year

When we made that Great Escape
You said, with great hope
we will return Sanglo-the next year,
And it never came by in sixty years

When we plant trees under the scorching sun
You said, what’s the need
we will return Sanglo- the next year,
And now the trees grew old and aged

When we replaced bamboo by the break walls
You said, what’s the need
we will return Sanglo-the next year,
And now you are eying on buildings

When we cry for our parents on the other side
You said, what’s the need
We will return Sanglo-the next year,
And it never came by in sixty years

By-Sonsnow

Audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Truly blessed by an audience with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at his residence after a successful Tibetan Youth Congress 18th General Body Meeting held at Dharamshala. He spoke for an hour and encouraged us to be committed and dedicated as always. He has gone through all the 22 resolutions we have adopted upon 9 agendas and advised us to put our effort into preserving and protecting the rich Tibetan language.

Tibetan Youth Congress was formally established at a conference of Tibetan Youths in Dharamshala on 7th October 1970 attended by 315 delegates from various Tibetan Settlements in India and Nepal. His Holiness graced thrice in a week-long meeting and advised the attendees, “Despite facing different difficulties and challenges, establish your will and determination like a mountain.”
Since then, we have been living up to his guiding principles and contributing to the just cause of Tibet in many ways.

I am Tibet

I am Tibet
The Mountains and Minerals
Which the dragon continues to mine and market,

I am Tibet
The Rivers and Rivulet
Which the dragon continues to dilute and pollute, 

I am Tibet
the Monks and Nuns
Which the Dragon continues to disrobe

I am Tibet
The trees and Monasteries
Which the Dragon continues to destroy and demolish 

I am Tibet 
The Grassland and Grazing ground
Which the Dragon continues to Fence Forcefully 

I am Tibet
The lakes and Lagoons
Which the Dragon continues to hollow out for Fishes 

I am Tibet
The burning bodies and the Freedom Flames 
Which the Dragon continues to Cover 

By Sonsnow

A mother and daughter were arrested

23 years college-going girl Tashi Yangkyi and her mother Rigzin Dolma, age 76 were arrested on 13th August 2022. They were accused of having contact with outside Tibetans and sharing unauthorized images. Her mother was released on the 14th but where about of Tashi Yangkyi was still not known. Family members were informed by the Chinese authorities that she was detained in local custody for three days and was later taken to another custody. 
Where about of her is still not known by the family members and what unauthorised pictures they have shared and circulated are still not disclosed by the authorities. 

By Sonsnow
News Source: tibettimes.net

Propaganda Tool

I have seen several videos of this kind, where the Chinese Covid Teams are traveling far and wide to the remote regions of Tibet to test nomads. What worries me the most is that the Chinese government is making its best effort to use the Pandemic as a Propaganda Tool. What if they become the primary source of the Pandemic in many of the remote regions in Tibet? After all, the general public and the common masses will be blamed for all the Chaos it may cause.

What a way to treat the common man? That too in front of the Camera. With this, we will understand how the Chinese authorities are treating the Tibetans who are put behind the bars for no reason.

My Late grandfather

My Late Grandfather
A resembling picture I randomly picked from the net
My grandfather is one of the few Tulkus we have in our region. He is a monk with few words, and duly does his daily rituals. He enjoys chanting prayers all day long with his musical ritual items. He was not only revered and respected by the people around his locality, but people from a distant district come to see him and regularly seeks his advice and blessings.
He was the one who taught me the Tibetan alphabet. Tibetan script was developed into its present form as early as the 7th century by Thonmi Sambhota, one of the ministers of 33rd King Songtsen Gambo. He was sent to India to learn, and he returned with a Tibetan script based on the Sanskrit script.
My grandfather constantly pushes me to practice my Tibetan calligraphy on a wooden plate. I must have gained a great knowledge in Buddhism and perfectly putting the Tibetan script in different styles if I were lucky enough to stay a little longer under his training and tutoship. But unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough and had to leave him and others in the same year I left my country. When he is happy, he tells us the tales from the great epic Ling Geser Gyalpo, to which I am fond of listening, and sings the poems in a great rhythm. To my utter surprise and astonishment, he got a permanent bulb-like bump on his head, and he choose not to share how the bump was developed. Out of my curiosity, I often ask him about the same and touches it when he wears a smile on his face. But I wasn't a lucky kid who had the priviledge of understanding all the things they have gone through. Later on, I understood that he was beaten by the Chinese soldiers during the culutral revolution in Tibet that destroyed more than 97% of the monasteries and nunneries and disrobed 93% of the monks and nuns.  If I knew about the same when I was with him in Tibet, I would have annoyed him with endless questions.Some of the people whose name still lingers in my mind were Tsering Losar, Sonam Rinchen and Phakpa, etc. Who suffered the same fate under the Chinese repressive policies. 
Sadly, my grandfather passed away few years back, and I send him some prayers from the Land of Lord Buddha for a swift rebirth. 

By Sonsnow

* "tulku" is an honorary title given to a recognised reincarnate Lama

Looking for Tibet

87-Year-old HHDL looking out at the view in the early morning from his residence in the remote Himalayan village of Lingshed, Ladakh, UT, India on August 11, 2022. (Photo by Tenzin Choejor)

“At the age of 16 I took responsibility for Tibet at a difficult time and in so doing I lost my freedom.  At the age of 24, I lost my country and became a refugee. I have met all kinds of difficulties, but as the Tibetan says, ‘Wherever you are happy, you can call home, and whoever is kind to you is like your parents.’  I lost my country, but I’ve been happy and at home in the world at large.  Living a meaningful life is not about acquiring money and other facilities; it’s about dedicating your life to helping others as much as you can.”

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

As His Holiness sits silently without a slight sign of his usual smile, 

My heart pains in great depth. 

As His Holiness gazed towards the homeland hills, as far as his eyesight can reach, My heart pains in great depth. 

As His Holiness prays for the well-being of his people, who he couldn’t reach out to, 

My heart pains in great depth. 

By Sonsnow