clean clothes are good travel buddies

Today, we did laundry in the river at Bhagsu, the way the Indian and Tibetan folks do it. It was a beautiful day! We hit the river at 10 am to utilize the morning and noon sunshine for drying. We had our pick of spots to wash, as it is the day before Losar, Tibetan New Year, so many people have taken the day off. By the time we were done scrubbing and rinsing, 11 other Tibetans had showed up to join in the washing fun. There were mountain goats romping around the rocks too, grazing on grass and bushes. An Indian woman was herding them down from the mountains to get fresh water and food by the river. She carried her knitting with her while she watched the goats. Oh, it was a great morning! It is so satisfying to hand scrub clothes and wring them out to dry in the sun. Then, we each picked a rock for medition, and just soaked up the sun on our faces while the clothes dried.

Tomorrow is our last day here in Mcleodganj. We have been around the Dharamsala area for 7 weeks now, but the road and rail are calling us to move on. We will celebrate Losar and say goodbye to some Tibetan friends tomorrow afternoon, and go to the temple in the morning to see the festivities there.

I am excited to hear that Obama is meeting with the Dalai Lama on February 18th. I think it is so important for the US to at least have a friendly relationship with the Dalai Lama and be accepting of Tibetans. We are a country full of people who believe in human rights; the situation in Tibet right now shows a complete disregard for human rights. I have asked my Tibetan friends what the most beneficial thing foreigners can do to help Tibet, and the answer is consistently to Talk about Tibet. I have a big mouth, and I will try to use it in a positive way.

I feel that before I head out of Mcleodganj I should share some things I have learned about the "situation", though I think it is better named a holocaust because of the mass demolition of people, buildings, rivers, land and the human spirit, that is happening in Tibet. I have only been learning about Tibet for a couple months, so my word is in no way the last word. I just want to pass along some facts with the hope that thoughts and discussion about Tibet can begin. Horrifying things happen to people all over the world, but this is a situation, a holocaust, a destruction of a way of life that has touched me personally.

For 60 years now the Chinese have occupied Tibet. Previous to this, Tibet was an unquestioned, autonomous region. Since the Chinese occupation, thousands of monasteries have been destroyed in Tibet. People who have been nomads their entire lives have been forced off the wild lands and into cities, where there is often no work. Now under Chinese rule, Tibetans are forced to abide by the population control law and many women are forced to undergo sterilization. Of course, those who speak out against a communist government are brutally punished or even killed, and if Tibetans are seen speaking to foreigners (there are cameras everywhere in the cities) they are immediatley brought into police custody for intense interrogation. The torture and lack of rights in Tibet is so horrible, that thousands of Tibetans are choosing to make the life-threatening journey across the Himalayas, through Nepal, and into India where they can seek exile. Many people loose limbs or their lives trying to escape, but the risks are worth it. In exile, they are faced with many difficulties, particularly concerning residency, jobs, and education, but they get to enjoy two great freedoms of democracy: freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

My friend Ludup has done a lot of writing about the importance of preserving Tibet's land and how the health of Tibet's environment directly effects the health of the world. He has taught me many things about the enviromental issues of Tibet; many issues are brought on by global warming, but also are rapidly accelerated by Chinese occupation. The land that has been claimed by the chinese has been deforested and heavily mined. China is using Tibet as a nuclear wasteland where they can test nuclear weapons and also dump the waste of nuclear weapons here. Tibet has been considered to hold the mostsignificant natural resources of forests, salt, minerals and water in the world. Obviously, this kind of waste heavily intoxicates the many great rivers and lakes of Tibet. It is interesting that China is carelessly contaminating the rivers that flow from Tibet into China, India and other South East Asia countries because these rivers provide their country with water. Ludup told me the production of energy for 47% of the world's population, produced mainly in India and China, is dependent on these rivers. Because of pollution and damming, some of these great rivers, like the Yellow River are actually drying up. Many other terrors are playing in the environment of "the roof of the world", a nickname for Tibet, like melting glaciers caused by global warming, but an important thing to see is that the enviromental destruction is not caused by Tibetans themselves. It is the chinese and their lack of enviromental and human rights policies that is causing this devastation to Tibetan land.

I saw a documentary the other night called "Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama". In it, the Dalai Lama said how he does not want people in the world to boycott China or be angry and vengeful. Instead, he emphasized his belief that communication is the best way to create change. He is adament that non-violence is the way to maintain, or in this case reestablish peace, even though some tibetans are begining to have disbelief in this method.

-Bear with me for a tangent- No other country uses this practice of non-violence to get what one wants. The Dalai Lama is a strong advocate for it, because, I think, he knows every action is connected to a greater action. If one is violent to others, they ultimately cause the most harm to themselves by turmoil in one's own mind. If I am angry, I cause much more stress to myself than I ever could to the situation that apparently caused my anger. This is why the path of non-violence is so important. Even if one's outward goal (say, autonomous rule in Tibet) is not achieved, one's mind has remained clear and at peace through active practice of non-violence in thought and action. And no matter what happens in life we are always living with our mind! This is a very important practice, and I find it so cool that it is a deep part of Tibetan culture.

The Dalai Lama has stated that he does not expect freedom from Chinese rule, but just wants the freedom for Tibetans to study and worship as they please, and maintain their traditional way of life. His attempts to communicate with China have been repeatedly turned down. This is where the dire importance of pressure on China from other nations comes in. Never before in history has a Dalai Lama sought so much communication with the leaders of other nations. But this is an interesting time, his people do not have their own country, and the Tibetans still living there continue to be violently persecuted, even when they respond consistently with non-violence. He needs to be friends with other nations, and needs their support for his people and their rights. So! I am happy to hear that Obama will meet him at the White House on Thursday.

I find it ironic that in an attempt to crush Tibetan culture, China has pushed Tibetans out into the world where they are actually more free to share their culture than ever before. This is the magic of a changing world. Their struggles are horrifying, but now we all are able to learn from them and know their gifts too.

If you want to know more about Tibet check out www.studentsforafreetibet.org or just google it in anyway you like since, thankfully, google does not filter our searches as is happening in China!

We will enjoy tonight with a Tibetan meal. It is like Christmas Eve in the US here tonight ... every where is closing early, or took the whole day off to prepare for Losar. I am happy to see everyone giving themselves a break.