Discovery, Recognition and Enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama, compiled by Khemey Sonam Wangdu, Sir Basil J. Gould and Hugh E. Richardson. Published by Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, India and distributed by Paljor Publications, New Delhi, India. The book can also be purchased by visiting www.tibetgift.com
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From the time the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thubten
Gyatso ascended the throne, he contributed a great deal in promoting Buddhism,
strengthening the political arena, improving the life of his people,
maintaining the status of Tibet as an independent nation and so forth. Although
this account cannot include them all, I would like to relate a few incidents
when he clearly predicted certain events which were to come true in the future.
In 1920, when repair work was underway in the
eastern wing of the Potala, the Dalai Lama very carefully instructed the
artists to paint a blue bird on the wall of the stairs to the north of the West
Chamber and a white dragon on the wall to the east. All the knowledgeable
people gathered there, including the mural master, were somewhat perplexed by
the instruction, which made no sense to them either historically or
scripturally. The symbolism became clear in later years; the blue bird
indicated that he would pass away in the Water Bird Year, while the white
dragon to the east pointed to the year of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s
enthronement in the Iron Dragon Year. Then, in the Water Monkey Year, in response
to a long life puja offered by the
monks of the three principal monasteries and the monk and lay government
officials, he addressed them as follows:
I was first recognized and enthroned as the Supreme Liberator of the World in accordance with clear prophecies and portents, making it unnecessary to follow the practice of the golden urn ceremony. Then, according to tradition, I studied under holy tutors, notably Regent Ta-tsag Hotoktu and Khenchen Yongzin Phurchog Rinpoche. I memorized daily the religious texts, including the liturgical chants. I received the primary and secondary monastic ordinations and practiced the debate on the Five Major Treatises of Buddhism. Besides, I received empowerments and instructions in the profound Sutra. Working hard daily, without interruption, in accordance with my intellectual capacity, I presume to have achieved a considerable level of scholarship.
However, when I reached the age of 18, the
political responsibility of Tibet fell on me. Although I lacked spiritual and
political experience, I took the responsibility at the unanimous request of the
clerics and laity of Tibet and upon the counsel of the Heaven mandated Emperor.
Since then, I have had no freedom for personal leisure. With my mind weighed
down day and night under the heavy responsibility for our religious and
political wellbeing, I have been striving hard, honestly and to the best of my
ability to advance the cause of Buddhism, to strengthen our political system,
and to promote the welfare and happiness of my subjects.
When the British army attacked Tibet in the Wood
Dragon Year, I thought that it would be an act of undoing past deeds if I
appeased them for my personal wellbeing and thus undermined our ultimate
political interests. Knowing that it had been worthwhile to come to the help of
each other (Tibet and the Manchus) ever since the priest-patron relationship
was established between the Fifth Dalai Lama and the Manchu Emperor, I braved
the hardships of travelling over the northern plains of Tibet and through
Mongolian and Chinese towns to go to the Golden Chinese Capital of Peking and
to talk about our immediate and long
term problems. The Emperor and the Dowager
Empress received me with great respect and honor. Before long, the Emperor and
the Dowager Empress passed away one after the other. Huan Tung was installed as
the new Emperor. Having related the conditions of Tibet in detail to him and
his father, I returned home with the interest of Tibet in my heart.
On my return, I discovered that the Amban had
poisoned the Emperor’s ears, as a result of which the Chinese army, led by
General Chao Erfang, reached Tibet with an intent to seize political power. I,
the sovereign, and my ministers, who held the political power, made for the
Arya Land of India. Enduring all the hardships of the journey, we reached there
safely and protested persistently to the Chinese government through the British
government. We also performed intermittent ritual prayers for our religious and
political causes. Thus, due to the unfailing power of the profound truth of
karmic law, the civil war in China altered the situation and its forces and
commanders, having become like a reservoir cut off from its source, were thrown
out. And, I returned to Tibet, the land of my rule.
From the Water Ox to the Water Monkey Year, a new
era of glorious and complete happiness prevailed in Tibet. People, high and
low, enjoyed happiness in peace. Since this is well documented and well known
to all the clerics and laity, it would only lead to verbal excess to relate
this in detail. Thus, I mention this only briefly. You all must feel grateful
and contented. It is possible that my act of shouldering the political
responsibility has brought benefit. If this has happened, it is my aim and I am
contented. I will neither boast about it, nor do I expect recognition even the
size of a sesame seed.
Considering my advanced age now, I feel a strong
inclination to abdicate spiritual and political power in order to dedicate the
last phase of my life completely to spiritual practice so that I will have a
virtuous support in my long journey through future lives. But, I don’t have the
heart to ignore the genuine trust placed in me by the protector deities, who
have associated themselves with me as a shadow does a body, by my refuge lamas,
and by my subjects, high and low, who have had spiritual and mundane
relationships with me. I, therefore, continue to make the most of my knowledge
and ability to shoulder the responsibility. However, I am now nearing
fifty-eight and everyone must know that I will not be around for long to
shoulder the spiritual and political responsibilities.
Therefore, you must foster a harmonious
relationship with the militarily
powerful neighboring countries of India and
China. Efficient and well
armed troops must be deployed on contentious,
minor borders. These troops must be well trained to repel invasions from other
sides. Furthermore, the five degenerations are spreading these days. More
particularly, the communist system is spreading widely. The recognition of
Jetsun Dampa is banned. The monastic properties are confiscated and monks are
inducted into the army. Buddhism is being wiped out. We continue to hear such
stories from Da-khurel (Ulan Bator).
It is certain that Tibet, a land which combines
spiritual and secular values, will face a similar problem from both within and
outside. If we are unable to defend our land under such a circumstance, then
all the realized holders of the dharma, including the Victorious Father and son
(the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama), will be eliminated without a vestige and
the properties and traditions of the reincarnate lamas and monasteries will be
lost. Moreover, our political system, as founded by the Three Dharma Kings,
will be relegated to an empty name. The government officials of Tibet will .be
deprived of their inheritance and properties, and enslaved by the enemy. ‘the
people of Tibet will be subjected to so much suffering that they will not be
able to endure the day and night. Such a time will certainly come.
Therefore, it is necessary to work unerringly for
the common cause of Tibet’s spiritual and political systems. Presently, we are
enjoying happiness, which is the envy of others. It is up to the monk and lay
officials to use this opportunity to work unremittingly to strengthen our
political system so that we have no regrets later and remain prepared to face
the challenges of the future both diplomatically and militarily. It is the duty
of high and low clerics and laity and all the subjects of Tibet to exercise
consideration and work “ unerringly in unity, for our common cause. To do so
without deviation is in accord with the prediction of the chief Guardian Deity,
who said, “There will be no cause for anxiety and fear as long as all the
people fulfil their duties according to the wishes of the
Spiritual Master Meaningful to Behold (the Dalai
Lama).” This is true.
I, on my part, will offer protection and help to
all those who work with dedication and honesty for the common spiritual and
political cause of Tibet. They will be blessed with success in their endeavors
while the unscrupulous ones will meet with failure and punitive consequences.
It is evident that the blessing of long term success does not come to those who
indulge in selfish, partisan and sycophantic acts for short term goals and
ignore the collective spiritual and political well being. And, it is pointless
to regret it later. I can see that Tibet’s present well being will endure as
long as I am alive. But ultimately, as I stated earlier, you will suffer the
consequences of your individual actions. This is the clearest guidance I can
give you from my experience and reasoning. I cannot give more comprehensive
advice to anyone else. You perform many external prayer rituals for my long
life. The most important thing is the inner ritual prayer, which is to keep my
words in your hearts and devote yourself to the common cause of Tibet with
repentance for past mistakes. If you do this, I will also do my utmost to
further the cause of our religious and secular polity for as long as I live.
Similarly, I shall help the officials as per their positions and performance
while making efforts to secure happiness for my subjects for a hundred years.
There is no greater ritual prayer than this.
This is all I have to say in response to your
united request for advice. Day and night, in the course of your four
activities, you must think seriously on this advice and act accordingly without
deviating from this. This is important.
In this address, the Dalai Lama clearly predicted
the future of Tibet. Then on the thirtieth day of the tenth month of the Water
Bird Year (1933), he passed away at the age of fifty-eight in order to
demonstrate the truth of impermanence, leaving the entire nation in deep grief.
The National Assembly then convened in the
presence of the prime minister and his cabinet, to discuss matters related to
the administration of national affairs. After several rounds of discussion it
was decided to select three high ranking lamas, Gaden Tripa Mi-nyag Ami, Reting
Rinpoche and Phurchog Rinpoche, as candidates to be regent. This was to be
decided by means of conducting zantag-lot
in front of the Avalokiteshvara statue in the Potala palace. The divination
selected Reting Hotoktu, but the then prime minister, Langdun Gung Kunga
Wangchug continued in office to assist the regent.
Various signs were witnessed that clearly
indicated the reincarnation would be born in north-eastern Tibet. For instance,
the Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s body which was placed facing south, spontaneously
turned its face towards the east more than once; the state oracles Nechung
Chogyal Chenmo, Gadong Neysrung Chenmo, Samye Nojin Chenpo and others turned
twice towards the east while in trance and paid homage by offering scarves;
clouds formed into various auspicious shapes on the north
east horizon; snapdragons bloomed underneath the stairs in the east of
the discourse arena; and fungi shaped like stars and antlers grew from
underneath the stone plinth of the wooden column in the northeast of the shrine
where the memorial stupa of the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama was under
construction.
Among his many responsibilities, Regent Reting treated the search for the
next incarnation as the most urgent. He went to Lake Lhamo Latso in Chokhor-gyal
in 1935 (the Wood Pig Year) to perform an intensive sadhana with his party for several days. This lake is located ten
days journey south-east of Lhasa and is very popular among the devotees of the
goddess, as one’s future can be seen in the lake’s surface. The Second Dalai
Lama consecrated the lake following his pure vision and declared that it
embodied the life force of the Goddess Rimati. When the search for the
Thirteenth Dalai Lama was underway, detailed information about him appeared in
this lake: the house in which he was born and so forth. Indeed a lake of great
blessing.
At the conclusion of his sadhana, the regent saw in the lake three groups of dbu can letters, “A”, “KA” and “MA”. He also saw a three-storied
monastery, with its second floor in a turquoise color and the rooftop adorned
with rgya phib in golden color; and a
threadlike path leading towards the east from the monastery reaching up to the
foot of a hill where there was a one storied house with a blue roof. The regent
noted down all these visions in writing, keeping the information confidential.
All these indications led to the decision to form
search teams to journey to various regions in eastern Tibet. As a result, high
ranking lamas and trulkus from Sera,
Gaden and Drepung consulted the state oracle Nechung for instructions and three
search teams, each consisting of four members, were formed.
The regions of the south-east and Dagpo were
assigned to Phurchog Jamgon Rinpoche who was accompanied by Tsedrung Thubten
Jangchub, Changkhyim Thubten Tsephel and Shodrung Phunrabpa. Serje Hardong
Khangser Rinpoche drew Chamdo and the Dokham area with Tsedon Tenpa Jungney,
Tsedrung Laytsen Tsultrim Chophel and Shodrung Laytsen Driyulpa in attendance.
Serje Hardong Kewtsang Rinpoche led the party of which I was a member; with
Nagchu Khenpo Tsedrung Khenrab Tenzin and Tsedrung Lobsang’I’sewang. We were
sent to A-rig and other regions of Amdo in the north-east.
The Samye protector deity, while in a trance,
gave the cabinet ministers a ritual mirror to be used for testing the
candidates. However, the deity, as was often the case, gave no clear indication
which team should be given the mirror. So, the regent instructed the Samye
based Zasag Gyaltsen Phuntsog and Teji Shenkhawa to call on the deity for
clarification. The deity told them to send the mirror with the team led by
Kewtsang Rinpoche- the team to which I belonged. The other objects for testing
the candidates included: His Holiness the Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s yellow and
black rosary, his small ivory damaru
which had been used to call his attendants, and his walking stick made from
cane. Also included was a copy of the confidential account of the Regent’s lake
vision and his introductory letters to the then Panchen Lama, Governor Ma, the
head lama of Kumbum, and monastery administrators and civil officials in those
regions.
Our journey in search of the new reincarnation
was to begin on the fifth day of the ninth month of Fire Rat Year (1936). The
night before we left there was an unreasonably heavy snowfall and next morning
when I went to seek blessings at the Jokhang, I noticed knee deep snows on the
road. At about nine in the morning all the team members gathered at Kewtsang
Rinpoche’s residence, Daring House, and we began our journey from there. It was
a fine, sunny day with clear skies and the previous day’s snow had already
melted, making the road clear and easy to travel on. In fact it was the most
wonderful day we had ever experienced. Our journey took us through Dromtod,
Chakri Tramo and other regions, reaching Nagchu, where we stayed for ten days
to arrange provisions and organize pack animals. From Nagchu we traveled via
Sog-tsandan monastery, Malazhi and Khyungpo Tengchen to reach Riwoche. Except
for a few barren mountainous areas, the landscape we passed through was mostly
lush green, with beautiful meadows and passes. A high pass ahead to cross the
next day would almost certainly herald a heavy snowfall to welcome us
throughout the night and continuing until we reached our next stopover. However
nothing happened to threaten our lives, although I suffered from frostbite in
my leg, a condition which still affects me to this day in cold weather. To
encounter snow is a good omen and these heavy snowfalls on our way were seen as
an indication that our team would succeed in discovering the reincarnation and
be able to escort him to his palace in Lhasa, the Potala Palace.
We were a little hesitant to travel beyond
Riwoche, as a short time ago there had been encounters between Tibetans and the
Upper Zilings on the Tibetan Chinese border at Keygudo. To clarify the
situation, we sent a letter to the Panchen Rinpoche, who was then staying at
Keygudo. While Kewtsang Rinpoche arid my other team members were at Riwoche, I
went to Chamdo to seek advice from the two governors there, one of them being
my brother Surkhang Surpa Wangchen Tseten.
After a month’s stay at Riwoche, we continued our
journey, following Panchen Rinpoche’s advice. We traveled via Chaksamkha, Shoda
and Nangchen reaching Keygudo on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month. On
the second day of the new year (Fire Ox), we called on Panchen Rinpoche at his
chamber and presented him the regent’s introductory letter and new year gifts.
During our meeting, he said, “It is the most urgent matter to discover His
Holiness’ reincarnation. While in Kumbum I have examined several children and
found three possible candidates, who possess all the good characteristics.” He
then gave Kewtsang Rinpoche a list of the three candidates. Later on we met
Panchen’s chief attendant at his residence, where he conveyed to us the Panchen
Rinpoche’s advice concerning the fact that we were the responsible persons
specially delegated for that mission and that we should not just rely on the
list he had given to us, but should make a thorough search in the regions both
far and near. He deputed Tsechogling Trulku and Ngulchu Trulku to help us in
our work and Tedhing Las-tsenpa to guide us on our journey. He also promised us
a supply of additional pack animals saying, “Soon there will be caravans
arriving here and you can join them on their way back to Ziling.”
The arrival of the caravans was considerably
delayed due to heavy snowfalls but immediately they arrived, we sent a group of
servants ahead as the advance party and in the third month we left Keygudo,
travelling via Ra-nyag monastery, Lab monastery and the adjacent regions of
Tongkhor. Most of this region is barren desert with no inhabitants so we had to
pitch our tents at every stopover. In this way we traveled for the next twenty
days, eventually reaching Tongkhor-khar, where Chieftain Tseling Dechang of
Ziling and several other Tibetan businessmen, in all fifteen horsemen, came to
receive us. We spent the night there. On the lush green plains of Chunag, the
monastic authorities of Kumbum received us in a big tent and offered us tea,
rice and white scarves. There were representatives from eight monasteries and
eighty estates, and over 60 horsemen were present to receive us. Amidst this
grand mounted procession, we proceeded to Kumbum Jampaling monastery arriving
on tenth day of the fourth month of Fire Ox Year. As soon as we arrived, the
white clouds in the sky formed various auspicious shapes and sent down light
showers a fortunate sign. When I saw the monastery and its architecture, an
unusual feeling of joy and hope thrilled through me. I said to myself, “Most
probably this is the monastery our regent saw reflected in Lake Lhamo Latso.
Maybe we will have the good fortune of discovering the reincarnation.” At
Kumbum, all the team members stayed separately at different estates: Kewtsang
Rinpoche in Chesho estate, myself at Aja-si, Tsechogling Trulku at Serti, and
Ngulchu Trulku at Mi-nyag estate.
Kumbum, in its remote past, was a land of nomads
and it was in one of those nomad families that Lord Tsongkhapa took birth.
Kumbum monastery is known for its sandalwood tree, which is said to have grown
out of the blood spilled and absorbed into the soil at the time of Tsongkhapa’s
birth, and for the stupa of one hundred thousand Manjushri images. A new
sandalwood tree had branched off from the main tree in front of the stupa, its
leaves and branches imprinted with the seed syllables and images of Lord
Tsongkhapa. With its unique image of the protector deity Chogyal, known as
gsung byon ma, meaning the image that speaks, and the four corners of the
monastery naturally resembling the “Four places of power”, this monastic
complex is no less blessed than the Lumbini garden, Buddha Shakyamuni’s
birthplace. The Third Dalai Lama blessed and named the monastery Kumbum
Jampaling. In addition, a line of Dalai Lamas, such as the Great Fifth, Seventh
and the Thirteenth Dalai Lama have visited and blessed this monastery. The
monastery housed about 3, 500 monks, studying scriptures and practicing
meditation in the four departments specializing in dialectics, tantra,
Kalacakra and medicine. The monks were also proficient in religious ceremonies
and tantric rituals, as they generally conduct such rituals either in the common
assembly hall or in their respective departments on all the important religious
days.
The offerings of about twenty different butter
sculptures exhibited in the forecourt of the monastery, during the Monlam
festival, spoke of the monks’ skill and talent in religious arts and sculpture.
Two of the sculptures, which depicted the life of Buddha according to the Avadanashataka, were of special
attraction- i.e. the ones created by the monks from first grade prajnaparamita
classes of Gomang and Sera Jetsun commentary.
With the help of Panchen Lama’s representative in
Ziling, Amdo Aku Tsondu, who was a very knowledgeable man, we applied for an
appointment with the Governor Ma. I do not remember the exact date, but I think
it was in the fifth month that we went to Ziling, staying at Amdo Aku Tsondu’
residence. There was no reply from the governor for the next three days. On the
fourth day, an official came with a reply, which said that our appointment had
been scheduled for two days time. Pretending as if he was giving us his
personal advice, the officer said that we should bring along whatever gifts we
had for the governor.
Our gifts included a great variety of items, such
as brocades, woolen goods, incense, antlers, musk, and leather. We gathered the
Tibetan business people based at Ziling and with each one holding a different
gift, we moved in a procession passing through the street and finally reaching
the Yamon, the governor’s secretariat. While we were in his waiting room, an
alarm bell suddenly rang and all the Chinese present, in and outside the
waiting room, left one after the other, leaving us alone. The alarm had in fact
been to warn the people that a Japanese aircraft was soaring overhead, as those
were the days when there was a clash between China and Japan. In reality no
such aircraft came that day. After a while, all the Chinese came back to their
respective places. Then came our turn to see the Governor. We presented him the
regent’s introductory letter and the gifts, explaining to him in detail the purpose
of our coming to Ziling. He greeted us with tea, fruits and several other
tidbits and expressed his felicitations on our safe arrival, before commenting
that all communication with him should be done through his officer Hru-zhang.
The next day, we met Hru-zhang and four other officers of Ting-zhang rank and
presented them our gifts.
Back at Kumbum, we met the monastic authorities
and other high ranking lamas and reincarnated lamas and presented them the
regent’s introductory letters along with our offerings.
Then the real search began. Each member was to go
to different regions and make their search. Kewtsang Rinpoche carried out his
search in the area including Ja-khyung, Ra-khog and Kumbum with its six
sub-regions; I made my search in Ziling, Khyamru and Kangtsa, and Venerable
Khenrab Tenzin and Lobsang Tsewang were assigned to the Par) Choten, Than-gon,
Shaman Taklung, and Rabgyal. We continued our search in our respective regions
for a period of about two and a half months. Throughout my search I found only
a few boys, who according to their parents, were born with various auspicious
dreams and signs, such as a rainbow over their respective dwelling places. In
fact none of these boys proved very convincing. It was same with the other team
members. In their searches they had come across twelve boys who could be taken
into consideration. Those in Panchen Rinpoche’s list were: the boy born in
Chija Taktser (the present Dalai Lama), the nephew of Lonpa Loyer (he was said
to have reached for the Panchen Lama’s rosary and pulled it hard during the
Kalacakra initiation), the third candidate was the son of Drotsa Nangso (also
known as Di-tsa Nangso), but he had died by the time we reached Ziling. To
examine the remaining two candidates, Kewtsang Rinpoche and his entourage set
out for Taktser that winter in disguise and without telling anybody. Kewtsang
Rinpoche traveled under the guise of a servant, with a rosary of the late Dalai
Lama around his neck, while Venerable Lobsang Tsewang dressed more splendidly
and pretended to be the master. Setronpa Kalsang, the interpreter, and Kewtsang
Gelong Tsultrim Gyaltsen dressed as wanderers and pretended to be pilgrims on
their way to hermitages in Tsongkha. On arrival at Taktser, they asked for accommodation
at Chija Taktser House. They received a warn welcome and a special inner room
was assigned to the Venerable Lobsang Tsewang and a mote ordinary room to
Kewtsang Rinpoche and his two colleagues. At that time, the young boy, who was
going to be the future Dalai Lama, walked up to Kewtsang Rinpoche with an
expression of joy on his face. He pulled the rosary Kewtsang Rinpoche wore
around his neck and said, “give me this!”
“Tell me
who I am and then I will give this to you,” replied Kewtsang Rinpoche.
“You are an Aka
from Sera. Mani, Mani” the boy replied, spontaneously.
“Who is the man in the inner room?” asked
Kewtsang Rinpoche and the boy replied, “Tsedrung Lobsang!”
Then he pointed his finger to the interpreter and
said, “Kalsang!” and then to Kewtsang Gelong Tsulgyan, saying “The Aka from Sera” He gave all this
information spontaneously, without any hesitation or doubt. The team members
stayed there overnight and closely examined the boy’s behavior. During most of
that time he stayed with Kewtsang Rinpoche maintaining the expression of great
joy on his face, gazing at and holding the rosary over and over again. So
confident was his behavior and speech that the team members were simply amazed.
The next morning, when they were about to leave, he cried out from his bed and
begged to accompany them, making the parting emotionally unbearable.
The day Kewtsang Rinpoche and his entourage left
for Taktser, the Venerable Khenrab Tenzin and I went to the house of Lonpa
Loyer’s nephew, carrying a rosary of the late Dalai Lama. It was morning when
we arrived and his family agreed to accommodate us in the way we requested.
After we had made some tea and rested for a while, we asked the family if they
had a boy with certain auspicious signs. “Yes, we have a child daring enough
even to touch the Panchen Lama’s rosary” said his mother. Then they brought the
boy to us, clad in a set of new clothes but he was too shy even to come near
us. Thinking that the rosary might attract his attention a bit, the Venerable
Khenrab Tenzin took out the rosary, put it around his own head and called the
boy, saying “Come here.” There was no sign of the boy taking a fancy to it and
he remained just as shy as before. Nothing came out of this test.
By telegram, we submitted to our government a
confidential report of the names and the family backgrounds of the two
candidates nominated by the Panchen Lama and the twelve discovered by us during
our search. We asked our government whether or not we should carry on with our
tests and show the objects from the late Dalai s belongings. The reply came
after three days. It suggested that government was very hopeful of the boy at
Chija Taktser and that we should closely examine him by showing him the
objects.
Soon after that, all the team members set out for
Taktser without ig anybody. On our way, we encountered several auspicious
signs, s people carrying barrels filled with curd, milk and water. As soon we
arrived there, the sounds of a conch shell calling the monks to assembly blared
from atop the Kumbum monastery- a very auspicious coincidence! Another
favorable incident was our meeting with a young se man on a low-lying pass
close to the boy’s house. It was the point where the road forked into two- one
road leading up the pass and her one down. That Chinese man was travelling with
his three donkeys all loaded with firewood. He suggested that we take the road
g down the pass. We followed his suggestion, and to our surprise we soon in
lush green fields next to the front door of the boy’s house. It is said that
the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama on his way to visit Tsongkha-tage stopped here
for a short while and that on seeing Chija Taktser he said “a nice house!” just
as we entered the boy’s house, we heard a cuckoo singing, which was the first
cuckoo we were hearing that spring. Perhaps the Chinese man whom we met on the
way was a manifestation protector deity appeared in that form to guide us. The
other path was in fact a short cut to the house, but led to its back door.
We arrived as the evening tea was served. The
house was located middle of a lush green plain and had a lofty prayer banner in
the le of its courtyard. It was a single story flat with a slab roof and in a
turquoise color. Nearby the house were fields bright with shoots; there were
hills to its right and forests to the left. The n of the house reminded me of
the regent’s lake vision, described one-page lake vision account. “This is it”,
I said to myself. The father had gone to the water mill, but his mother
received us and is tea and cookies. The boy was then two years old. He appeared
wearing a jump-suit and had an expression of joy on his face. His mannerisms
suggested a personality, which was extraordinarily profound for his age.
After tea we asked permission to begin our test. We spread all the from
the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s belongings (each with a similar article beside
it) on a long table on the middle of a raised platform in his bedroom. The
raised platform somewhat resembled a throne, but it was a common device in that
region to keep the room warm by lighting a fire under it. Kewtsang Rinpoche
with the Venerable Khenrab Tenzin next to him sat to the right of the table,
while the Venerable Lobsang Tsewang and I were to the left. Then, Kewtsang
Rinpoche picked up the authentic black rosary along with the copy in his hands
and asked the boy, “Which one do you want?” He grabbed at the real one and
placed it around his neck. In the same way he chose the correct one when we
presented him with both the yellow rosaries. Then we offered him the two
walking sticks and after pausing for a while and looking carefully at both the
canes he picked up the wrong one. I was a little worried on seeing this and
thought “There he was mistaken, although he was successful in the first two
rounds of the test.” Again he looked closely at both walking sticks examining
the handle and the tip of each with concentration. Then he put the wrong one
back to the table and picked up the Dalai Lama’s, holding it straight with its
tip to the floor. Both these sticks were of the same design, except that one
had a bronze tip and the other a plain iron. In actual fact, the one which was
then considered the wrong choice had belonged to the late Thirteenth Dalai
Lama, who had later presented it to the previous Drubkhang and the latter gave
it to Kewtsang Rinpoche. That explained why the child picked it up at the
beginning of his test. He also correctly identified three quilts. I watched
with increasing rapture at the result of each test. Still there was one more
test to undergo. At this stage, he had to identify the ivory-made hand drum,
which the late Dalai Lama had used as an instrument to call his attendants.
Kewtsang Rinpoche displayed in front of him the drum and a beautiful ivory-made
damaru adorned with a golden belt and
brocade handle. I was a little worried, thinking that he might go for the damaru, which was far more attractive
than the drum. Without any hesitation, he picked up the drum. Holding it in his
right hand, he played it with a big smile on his face; moving around so that
his eyes could look at each of us from close up. Thus, the boy demonstrated his
occult powers, which were capable of revealing the most secret phenomena. We
were so moved to see him performing such a miracle that it left us spellbound.
Then he gave us back the objects as we requested.
After a while his father returned from the water mill and we spent the night
there. During our conversation with his parents, we asked them questions such
as: had there been any auspicious signs before or after his birth? The reply
was always “No, nothing of that kind.” However, the local people had a great
many things to tell us. According to them, they had suffered tremendous natural
calamities whenever it was time for a great lama to take birth in their locality.
They told us of quite a few misfortunes that had befallen them, including crop
failures for the past four years; a series of deaths among the most valuable
livestock of his family; and his father suffering a serious, prolonged
sickness, which nearly took his life. However, according to them, his father
had a miraculous recovery as soon as the boy was born. Also, they had witnessed
many auspicious signs, such as a rainbow over the house and so forth.
That night none of us were able to sleep, even
for a moment, as we turned over the miraculous performance of the boy in our
minds.
When we were about to leave for Kumbum the next
morning, the boy jumped out of bed and firmly insisted that he was going to
accompany us. He was so adamant that his parents had to trick him to hold him
back. Indeed, it would have been our pleasure to take him along, but that was
impossible then. We had no choice but to part from him with heavy hearts,
fondly looking back at him over our shoulders.
Two or three days later, the nephew of Lonpa
Loyer (one of the Panchen Lama’s nominees) came to Loyer House in Kumbum
monastery. With permission from his uncle, we went there to conduct the tests,
but the child was too shy to touch any of the objects we displayed on a long
table on the verandah. In fact, he was later recognized as the reincarnation of
Trichen Kekya Trulku of Kumbum monastery and fell into Chinese Communist hands
when the monastery was invaded.
Then, we sent our government a detailed report of
the tests we had conducted on the two candidates and their results plus our
plans to test the remaining candidates discovered during our search in areas
around Ziling. We submitted this report in a coded telegram as well as by
messenger on horseback. There was no reply for several months and just as we
were planning to conduct further tests the reply came, both by coded telegram
and a messenger on horseback. The reply read: “Based on the evidence, such as
his miraculous performances in all the tests, the striking similarity between
the architecture and location of his house and that in the regent’s lake
vision, reinforced by the prophecies of lamas and deities, the government
hereby declares Lhamo Dondub, born at early sunrise on the sixth day of gya
month of the Wood Hog Year in the family of Chokyong Tsering and his wife Sonam
Tsomo, to be the true reincarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Therefore,
every attempt should be made to escort him to the capital as soon as possible.”
However, this declaration had to be kept secret
from the public, fearing that Governor Ma might manipulate the situation to
establish his rule in Tibet, or else he might use it as an opportunity to
extort excessive bribes to satisfy his greed. All the team members assembled in
front of the thang ka of Goddess Palden
Lhamo, brought by Kewtsang Rinpoche from the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s room
in Norbulingka, and performed her invocation ritual. Then we jointly took an
oath declaring every one of us would remain ever faithful to the commitment of
keeping the government’s declaration strictly confidential, promising never to
reveal a word of it. Also, we sent the government a coded message in which we
had listed the following points:
·
that we had decided
under oath not to make public even a word from the recent telegram which
proclaimed the boy from Chija Taktser to be the real reincarnation, as we could
foresee that if Governor Ma knew the content of the proclamation he would not
allow the young Dalai Lama to accompany us.
·
that the government
too should consider it crucial to keep its proclamation strictly confidential.
·
that tests of the
remaining candidates would be conducted in order to prevent the local
authorities from knowing the truth.
·
and that we were
going to seek help from Governor Ma to invite all the remaining candidates to
Kumbum monastery for the test, as that would save us the time taken to travel
to each candidate’s region; it would also prevent people coming to know the
details of the test procedure and the objects utilized.
Apart from those considerations, we advised our
government: “As soon as we finish with our so called tests of the remaining
candidates, the government will contact Governor Ma by telegram and persuade
him to allow all the candidates, including the young Dalai Lama, to travel to
Lhasa for further tests!”
All the team members called on Governor Main
Ziling. During our meeting we told him that we had already tested two
candidates from nearby locales who displayed promising signs. And we requested
him to invite all the remaining candidates, whose tests were still to be
carried out, to Kumbum monastery, explaining that going to their respective
regions to conduct the tests would not only be a time-consuming process, but
could also run the risk of the tests becoming public knowledge. He responded
that he had no objection to inviting them to Ziling, but not to Kumbum
monastery, which he thought was an inappropriate place for the tests to be
conducted. He assured us that he and his people would not interfere in our procedures
and would leave the tests entirely in our hands. In fact, it did not make much
difference to us, because we knew that the whole process we were discussing
with him was a subterfuge since our government had already proclaimed the true
reincarnation. We readily agreed to his suggestion and set the date for our
next meeting at Ziling.
On the appointed date, we went to the commissioner and asked if all the
candidates had arrived and had the place where the tests were to be conducted
been decided upon? He replied in the affirmative. “As for the test centre” he
continued, “it is to be the Regional Government Headquarters, because there are
so many candidates.” He then reassured us, repeating somewhat what the governor
had said to us previously. “Since it is a purely religious matter, we have no
intention of interfering in your test procedures. We will leave it entirely up
to you to carry them out.” Accordingly, we went to the Government Headquarters
the day after the next day carrying with us all the objects, both authentic and
similar. Before we could begin our tests, the governor demanded that we show
him the objects we would be using, as lie perhaps thought they might be
extraordinarily amazing to look at. As we were aware that he was a wicked man
who wielded much power, trying to raise objections would be to no advantage.
Before we showed hum the objects, we did tell him that we had strict orders
from our government not to display them unless all the team members were
present. While reassuring us once again of the fact that he would not be
interfering in our test procedures, he demanded, “You will allow me and some of
my officers to watch the procedure, as this is something we have never seen
before”. Actually, those four officials who accompanied him during the test
were his blood relatives.
The time had arrived to begin our tests. We
displayed all the objects on a long table in the middle of the room. Then we
called the boys one after the other accompanied by one of their parents or
relatives, depending on whoever was present, and showed them the objects. At
the same, time, to dupe the governor and his retinue, Kewtsang Rinpoche
examined their ears and tongues, as if he was reading the lines on them.
Meanwhile Venerable Khenrab Tenzin and I acted as if we were noting down the
results of his examinations. As soon as the test was over, we presented each of
the parents with a roll of superfine woolen cloth and suggested they return
home: In their tests, some children were wrong in half of their choices, while others
were right in one and wrong in three. Yet a few others were wrong in all their
choices or were too shy to make any decision. In fact, none of them proved
worthy of any positive comment.
The governor asked afterwards if we had found any
candidate convincing enough and what was the result of our tests. We told him:
“We cannot say anything decisive at this stage. We will send a detailed report
to our government by telegram, describing all that we have witnessed. It is in
the hands of our government to make the final decision. However, before any
final decision is reached, a long procedure has to be followed, such as
collecting reports from the other regions, consulting the lamas and deities for
their divinations and predictions and so forth. As soon as this procedure is
over, the government will issue a bulletin, which will throw light on the
questions, such as whether any candidate from this region has proved promising
in his test. If the answer is yes, then the candidate should be called for
further tests here, or should be escorted to Lhasa. We will call on you then
and inform you of all the details.”
Back at Kumbum, we sent a detailed report by
telegram to our government. Meanwhile, the governor twice invited some of the
candidates such as the one from Taktser (i.e. the young Dalai Lama), Loyer and
others, to his office. During these meetings, he gave them fruits and sweets
and interviewed them. It is said that he advised that the boy from Taktser
should be escorted to Kumbum monastery and kept there, as he found his behavior
the most impressive of all.
The government’s reply to our report came both by
telegram and by messenger on horseback. In its reply the government greatly
appreciated what we had done to keep the government’s proclamation of the boy
from Chija Taktser as the real incarnation confidential: “It has been a
laudable deed that you have taken an oath not to make public the government’s
proclamation. The government too, treats this as a confidential matter. The
most urgent matter that lies ahead is to escort the young Dalai Lama to Lhasa
at the earliest possible opportunity and every effort should be made to
accomplish this.” Also it said that for the sake of the young Dalai Lama’s
security we might announce that our government has short-listed the boy form
Taktser and two from Lhasa for further tests in Lhasa.
Meanwhile, we arranged for an informal meeting
with the head of the Taktser community, the Taktser Loyer, who was the paternal
uncle of the young Dalai Lama. In fact, two reincarnations of the Taktser
lineage had been born in the Chija Taktser house, the most recent being the
young Dalai Lama’s eldest brother, Taktser Rinpoche. During this meeting, we
told him that the government had short
listed the boy from Taktser as one of the candidates to be escorted to
the capital for further tests and that we were soon going to meet the governor
and arrange for his nephew’s journey to Lhasa. Also, we requested him to escort
the boy to Kumbum monastery and take care of him, especially his cleanliness.
Then, we went to Ziling to meet the governor and ask permission for the
boy and his parents to travel to Lhasa, telling him that our government had
short-listed the boy for further tests there. There was no direct access to
Governor Ma, we had to communicate through his commissioner. And there was no
immediate reply. It came a few days later, but it posed a lot of questions
demanding our answers such as “Why is it that the government has short-listed
Lhamo Dondub only and not the others?” and so on. We answered all his questions
very cautiously, according to the prevailing situation. We said, “Because Lhamo
Dondub’s case proves somewhat in agreement with what was in the one-page
description of the regent’s lake vision, but there are two similar candidates from
Lhasa too.” We had to pursue the commissioner for several days for his response
and finally he said, “His immediate travel to Lhasa will be possible only if
you pay an amount of Dayang 100 000
in the name of the Provincial Government, the Provincial Bureau of Military
Affairs, and the Central Monastic Administration of Kumbum.” We assured him
that we would relay his decision to our government by telegram and left Ziling
for Kumbum. From there, we sent an urgent telegram to our government, informing
them of the governor’s decision. We requested our government to arrange for the
money demanded by the governor and further money for our own subsistence.
Because of the governor’s decision, we thought we
would be able to escort the young Dalai Lama to Lhasa that winter, so we
informed Taktser Loyer. At the same time, Kewtsang Rinpoche secretly offered
the young Dalai Lama the “life protection thread” made while he performed a
long life puja. With the help of the
Tibetans as well as the Mongols based in Ziling (who in fact were the
monastery’s source of revenue), we secretly arranged for the required number of
camels and the palanquin for his journey.
At that time, all men in Ziling under a certain age had received a
military conscription notice from the Chinese authorities. The young Dalai
Lama’s father also fell within this age limit and had been repeatedly called
up. In order to get him exempted, we called on the governor and the
commissioner with a variety of gifts, such as brocades, bolts of woolen cloth and
so forth, and requested them to excuse him from having to join the army and cut
his hair short. They eventually reluctantly agreed.
Soon after that we received the money from our
government, and so we immediately went to Ziling and met the governor. It was
hard to trust him, as he was a cunning man who could easily renege on what he
had promised. It was perhaps because of him that the commissioner also appeared
somewhat of a similar nature- unable to hold to his promises. In the hope of
finding someone who could act as an intermediary between us and the governor,
we went to his uncle, Zi-gyanma. It was he who had captured Gyurme Tseren, the
chief of the Khadang Drashi Gyajong Regiment II, and LobsangYontan, the chief
of the Cha dang zimpa Artillery Regiment,at Dan-khog during the Sino-Tibetan
war in Water Monkey Year (1932). To our disappointment, he was away from home
leading a regiment from Ziling in the then Sino
Japanese war. But we met his Tibetan wife, a daughter of the Mesh6d
family, based at Keygudo, and found her to be very loyal to Tibet and fully
devoted to the Buddha dharma. In addition she was an influential person in the
Ziling area due to her husband’s position. She agreed to accompany us to the
commissioner’s office as both interpreter and intermediary. So, we went to the
commissioner to hand over the money we had then received from our government
and to request him to help us, so that we could escort the boy to Lhasa that
winter. The commissioner did not take the money, saying that we should hand it
over to an official named Ma-daldal. Concerning the boy’s journey, he said,
“The matter has to be put forward for the governor’s consideration and the
money has to be distributed among the related departments. Then only can I give
you a precise answer.”
Several days passed without any reply from him,
despite our repeated reminders to both the commissioner and Ma-daldal. Then,
one day, the commissioner came with the governor’s message and said that the
governor was willing to allow the boy to travel to Tibet without any objection,
but that the authorities of Kumbum monastery were not prepared to compromise.
They demanded, “If he is the reincarnation of the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama,
then this news should be made known to all the big and small monasteries and
the lay devotees of Tibetan and Mongol origins in the region, allowing them an
opportunity to have his audience.” “Therefore,” concluded the commissioner,
“the governor wants you to go back to Kumbum and discuss this matter with the
people there.”
Following the governor’s advice we returned to
Kumbum and called the people there for a meeting. In the meeting, the
participants repeated what the governor had told us through his commissioner.
They persistently demanded, “If he is the reincarnation of the late Thirteenth
Dalai Lama, then the general public should be informed of this news, allowing
them an opportunity to have his audience. If he is not, then why should he be
escorted to Lhasa? It is illogical.” In sheer rage, some young participants
almost reached the point of striking us. Seeing this, we tried our level best
to pacify them by explaining the situation at length: “This is a matter related
to the reincarnation of the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama a matter of the
spiritual and temporal leader of future Tibet. Such an important matter cannot
be decided upon outside Lhasa. All the short-listed candidates have to appear
in Lhasa to undergo further tests and other procedures, such as consulting
lamas and oracles for divinations and zan
brtag etc. The one upon whom the final selection falls will be proclaimed
the incarnation and will be invited to dwell either in the potala or the
Norbulingka palace. As far as the remaining candidates are concerned, they will
not be set aside. The government will recognize them as reincarnated holy
beings and provide them and their family members with suitable positions and
estates. Those devotees who are still eager to seek his audience may do so, as
whether he is ceremonially proclaimed to be the reincarnation or not does not
really lead you all to any serious contradiction.” In this way, we tried our
level best to explain to them, in a very polite and respectful manner, hoping
that they might understand the situation we were in. But it was all in vain;
they were adamant in their demands.
Some of our acquaintances at Kumbum suggested
that we should instead contact the governor himself, as the meetings we had
attended were planned strictly under the governor’s supervision and nothing
could come out of them except what the governor decreed. Following their
suggestion we left for Ziling, informing the Kumbum that we were going to
discuss the matter directly with the governor and that we were looking forward
to their cooperation in our mission.
At Ziling, we called on the commissioner, the
official Ma-daldal and other high-ranking officials, offering them gifts in
cash and kind, hoping for their cooperation. Meanwhile, through the Bureau of
Tibetan Affairs, our government also had requested the Chinese government for
its cooperation in our mission. All in vain. There was no positive reply for a
long time.
Meanwhile, quite a number of local people,
including several influential officials whom we knew, came to see us under
guise of wanting to give us their personal advice. They urged us to make public
the fact that the boy from Taktser was the true incarnation and further
suggested that such a proclamation would not only strengthen Tibeto-Ziling
relations, but also would earn all the team members great appreciation from
both the Tibetan and Ziling governments and from the general public. They also
claimed that by declaring this, it would pave the way for more cordial
relations between the two countries in future. In this way, many people came to
coerce us into revealing our secret, but we were careful not to leak even a
word which could harm our real mission.
After repeatedly reminding and pursuing the
governor, he finally said “Taking him to Tibet without being proclaimed to be
the true reincarnation is against the wishes of the authorities of Kumbum and
other major and minor monasteries, as well, as the Tibetan Buddhist devotees
and the Mongol Buddhists in the region. Doing so could prove a source of great
disappointment for all of them and could create the spread of undesirable rumors.”
He demanded an additional payment of Dayang
300 000 to pacify them all and to give us a way out. He also demanded a set of
robes and throne decorations used by the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama and a set
of Kagyur and Tengyur inscribed in gold. All these were to be preserved in
Kumbum monastery. These outrageous demands of the governor came as a great
shock to all of us. It went beyond the limit of what is understood as moral and
karmic law. However, this was a matter of our future spiritual and temporal
ruler, who was going to be the “life force” of both the doctrine and the people
of Tibet. We summoned up our courage and decided to “fight fire with fire”. In
fact, that was the only option left open to us. We once again went to the
governor and explained that we had already paid him a huge amount of money,
which should be enough once and for all. As for his demand of a set of Kagyur
and Tengyur and the Dalai Lama’s robes and throne ornaments, we told him that
we would send them to Kumbum monastery as soon as we reach Lhasa. In this way,
we tried to negotiate with him as best as we could, but to no avail. He was
adamant that his shameless demands must be met, all the time repeating, “Unless
you give the money, you cannot escort him to Tibet.” Understanding his venal
and obdurate nature, we returned to Kumbum, saying that we would call on at him
after we had consulted our government and received a reply.
Back in Kumbum, we sent a telegram to our
government, outlining in detail the changes that the governor had made in his
demands. The reply was received two or three weeks later. Our government
assured us in the reply that foreign exchange to meet the required sum would
soon be arranged for us.
However, the governor was known to be so devious
and scandalous in his behavior that it was beyond description. According to
local people he and his son were responsible for the assassination of Hotoktu,
the throne-holder of Kumbum monastery, as he suspected that the latter’s
presence in Ziling could threaten his power. Hotoktu was shot dead at Tin ka’u,
on the border of Alak-sha and Khor-thusu, by a gang of over one hundred people
dressed as local Muslims; they broke into his lodgings on the pretext of
robbery, but left without stealing anything. Hotoktu was on his way back to
Kumbum, after a stay in China during the Iron Sheep Year and had established a
close relationship with China’s ruler, Chang Kai Shek, from whom he had
received an official seal of authority in religious affairs. When the
assassinated lama’s body arrived at Ziling, Governor Ma had made a great show
of Chinese traditional mourning and had arranged for a grand procession of his
military to accompany the body to Kumbum monastery, feigning great respect for
the deceased. The Assassins were Ma’s soldiers in disguise.
While we were in Kumbum another despicable
episode unfolded. The people told us one day that the Chinese government had
removed Governor Ma from his position, appointing him commander-chief of the
Ziling army, and that the new governor already in charge was one of his
paternal uncles. On hearing this, we went to Ziling with an array of gifts
including antlers, musk, length of wool and a selection of superfine brocades.
We met with the commissioner, as was customary and applied for an appointment
with the new governor which was readily accepted. He was a very pleasant old
man who assured us of his full support in further improving Tibeto-Ziling
relations.
But before long we began to hear news of
robberies and bloodshed that sent waves of fear through the entire region under
the new governor’s jurisdiction; the attacks included the monasteries and
hermitages. According to the local people, this treachery was engineered by Ma
Bu-fang to discredit the new governor’s image and prove him an inefficient administrator.
All the criminals were said to have been his soldiers whom he had sent out
disguised as robbers. Also, it is said that he bribed the Kuomintang military
commander, Marshal Pai Chung-hsi, by giving him three tins of “Elephant Brand
Kashmiri Saffron” filled with gold to reinstate him as governor. We saw the
airplane that carried Marshal Pal to Ziling, but knew nothing more than that.
But three months later, Ma was certainly reinstated as governor, and his old
paternal uncle had to leave Ziling badly disappointed. That was Governor Ma for
you; champion of diabolical schemes.
“Beware of him! He will be outrageously cruel if
he comes to know about the truth behind this vitally important matter of the
reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama”, was the repeated warning all the
lamas, monks and people loyal to the Tibetan government in Kumbum gave us. What
worried us most was not what he might do to us, but what he might do to
discover our secret. Therefore, we hid our original files in the ceiling and
drafted false ones to keep in our file boxes. Also, we sent a telegram to our
government stating, “‘A wolf who is accustomed to eating horses can never be
satisfied by eating sheep’. We cannot be sure that he will not change his mind
again. Therefore, sending the foreign exchange may be delayed for the time
being.”
The fear that we might fall prey to yet another
trick of the governor haunted us throughout the days that followed. We could
neither sleep nor savor our food properly, but thanks to the Three Jewels, no
serious obstacles befell us. The next thing that concerned us was how to
deliver the foreign exchange to the governor. While we were trying to devise
the best way to do it, we discovered that a group of rich Muslims, under the
leadership of one called Khangpu Tontang, was leaving on pilgrimage to Mecca
via India that year. This was a happy coincidence. Samdup from Amdo Ja-khyung
(the then head of the Reting estate in Ziling) and I, went to meet Khangpu
Tontang in Ziling, carrying a selection of woolen cloth as gifts. During our
discussion with him, we asked if his Pilgrim Association had [a sum of] money
[amounting to Dayang 300 000] to
exchange. To this he replied, “It is a huge sum. It would play havoc [with your
plan] if the governor did not abide by his promise again. I will have to
consult my fellow pilgrims, as I cannot take the risk alone.” I also had to
consult Kewtsang Rinpoche and my team of colleagues. However, we tentatively
agreed as follows:
Once the money is paid through this exchange
arrangement, the Pilgrim Association will be fully responsible for persuading
the governor not to create any further trouble. As a token of this, the
Association will receive an equal sum in British Indian currency against the
Chinese Dayang it has paid to the
Ziling governor [on behalf of the Tibetan Government], disregarding the fact
that the value of the British Indian currency is higher than that of the
Chinese Dayang.
With this, we arranged the date for our next
meeting and took leave to return to Kumbum.
It was then that the Panchen Lama, Lobsang
Thubten Chokyi Nyima Gelek Pal-sangpo (seventh in the lineage from Panchen
Wensapa) passed away at Keygudo at the age of fifty-five. This happened while
the Tibetan Government was giving serious thought to the question of whether
the Chinese military escort accompanying him should be given permission to
enter Tibet or not. Tsechogling Trulku and Ngulchu Trulku sent a telegram from
the head office of the Panchen estate requesting puja-offerings to be made to
commemorate his death, these we were able to carry out at Kumbum and other
monasteries.
Then, on the arranged date, our party members
went to Ziling to meet with Tontan. After several rounds of discussion we
mutually agreed to the following points:
·
that Tontan and the
Pilgrim Committee would deal with the governor cautiously and firmly so that he
would keep to his promise and would not interrupt their journey by playing
tricks of any kind, like dispatching his soldiers disguised as highway robbers
and so forth.
·
that the full
payment of cash in Dayang would be
handed over to the governor by a person representing the Pilgrim Association.
·
that this amount would be repaid by an equal
sum in British Indian currency on our arrival at Lhasa, provided that the journey
was concluded without any intervention, directly or indirectly, by Governor Ma.
·
and that the set of
Kagyur and Tengyur and the set of His Holiness the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s
robes and throne trappings demanded by the governor for Kumbum monastery, would
be sent to the monastery only after our arrival at Lhasa and the governor must
agree to this.
Following this, we informed the governor through
the commissioner of the contents of our agreement. Then we drafted it in four
copies, both in Chinese and Tibetan, duly signed by the governor, the
authorities of Kumbum monastery, Khangpu Tontang, and all the members of our
team. Each parry involved retained a copy, which described the young Dalai Lama
as a “possible candidate to be His Holiness the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s
reincarnation”. And so this agreement safely paved our way to escort the young
Dalai Lama to Tibet.
Thanks to the blessings of the young Dalai Lama,
the Protector Deity Nechung and Goddess Palden Lhamo, we were able to connect
with persons such as Khangpu Tontang, who incidentally was a blood relative of
Governor Ma, and other wealthy Muslim pilgrims capable of loaning the huge sum
of money we required. Of course, our government did agree to send us the money,
but we had been enduring such a hazardous situation that we were reminded of
the ancient proverb, “one who had fallen prey to a snake’s bite in the past,
would blench at the sight of a length of black rope with white stripes”. It
remained uncertain what kind of plot the governor might come up with, and
considering all aspects of the matter it was impossible to undertake the young
Dalai Lama’s journey to Lhasa immediately.
Then at Kumbum we met the monastic authorities,
the head of the Taktser estate, and the young Dalai Lama’s parents and it was
agreed that we would set out in the Tibetan year 2066 (1939), and join up with
groups of summer travelers. When the governor was informed, he demanded a
further sum of Dayangs 5000 for
Chinese security guards to escort and protect the young Dalai Lama. And in
addition he decreed that one of the original four-member search party would
have to remain in Ziling until the rest of the party (including the young Dalai
Lama) reached Lhasa.
We immediately sent a telegram to our government
informing them of the new situation. They replied saying, “It has been laudable
that you have so carefully arranged within a short span of time the money that
is to be given to the Governor, securing full assurance that he will not change
his mind again. The money for the payment of security guards should also be
arranged the way you did before. If it is absolutely necessary for one of you
to remain behind, then that should be Lobsang Tsewang.” Through the
commissioner we informed the governor of these details and told him that since
we would be accompanied by summer travelers there would be no need for a large
force of security guards. In any case, any guards escorting us would be sent
back as soon as we crossed the border into Tibet.
With everything finally settled, all of us, the
team members together with the young Dalai Lama, his parents, his uncle Taktser
Rinpoche and the heads of Kumbum estates, went to Ziling for a final meeting
with the governor. Although later he hosted a lunch parry in our honor, he did
not join us, sending in his stead the commissioner and a few other officials to
entertain us. It is unclear whether he knew that Tibetans would be offended,
but some of the ceramic cups and plates had broken rims, fixed with lead. Then
for the young Dalai Lama’s journey to Tibet, they gave us one palanquin and two
male mules along with saddles, as well as one horse each for all the team
members.
Back at Kumbum, the Venerable Khenrab Tenzin and
I went to the head of Taktser estate and requested him to make the necessary
arrangements for the young Dalai Lama and his parents’ journey. We gave him a
selection of woolen cloth and advance money to meet the expenditure.
Then, on an astrologically chosen day, we invited
the young Dalai Lama for a ceremony at Chesho estate, where Kewtsang Rinpoche
was staying, since there was a throne of the late Dalai Lama there. We sat him
on the throne in his new robes and began the ceremony, which consisted of
offerings of tea and rice and then a mandala offering by Kewtsang Rinpoche. At
the end, all of us present received his blessings. In this way we were able to
accomplish that ceremony without any hindrance and were able to open an
auspicious chapter in the history of Tibet.
On that day we arranged for an offering of one
hundred butter lamps in front of Kumbum’s Golden Stupa, and a puja in the monastery, offering each
monk a Dayang. Then we took the young
Dalai Lama around to see the sacred shrines and afterwards he sat on a
magnificent seat prepared for him at the entrance to the monastery’s hall,
where the abbot offered him tea, rice and fruits. In this way the day ended
auspiciously; everything had gone in our favor, even the weather.
Regarding the date of our departure, we had
already finalized it with the head of Reting estate in Ziling and a group of
summer travelers including the estate man, Samdup from Amdo Ja-khyung. As for
Tsechogling Trulku and Ngulchu Trulku, whom the late Panchen Lama had
previously deputed to assist us, the former had been invited by Hotoktu on an
invitation, and the latter decided to go to Keygudo after spending time at
Kumbum, Keygudo being the place where most of the Panchen Lama’s attendants had
been staying. So this was how things were concluded in Ziling.
Our
journey to Lhasa began from Kumbum monastery on the first day of the sixth
month of the Earth Hare Year (1939). It was a fine sunny day with white clouds
dotting the sky and forming into various auspicious shapes, occasionally
punctuated by light showers. Our way of travelling was that the young Dalai
Lama along with his elder brother Lobsang Samten rode in the palanquin
supported by mules; his mother also traveled in a mule-carried palanquin which
had been presented by his uncle; those who rode on horseback included his father,
his elder brother Gyalo Dondub, the senior and junior heads of Kumbum estate,
and Kewtsang Rinpoche and the other party members.
Our first stopover was at Tsechuka in Drekhog
Shalkar valley. The young Dalai Lama’s eldest sister Tsering Dolma and her
husband, who had come to see us off, turned back from there. When we left
Kumbum there was no formal procession of monks to see us off, most probably
because we resisted their demands to proclaim the boy to be the true
incarnation. Before we set out from Tsechuka, a group of horsemen came all the
way from Tongkhor Thubten Shedrupling monastery to receive us. At Sholungdo,
there was another group of horsemen from the same monastery waiting to receive
us. Yet another group at Tashi Thang received us with tea and rice. Then, at
the monastery, the head lama and the monastic authorities followed by a
procession of monks received the young Dalai Lama with the traditional incense
welcome and led him to the Lama’s residence where they had arranged a grand
meal. After the meal, the young Dalai Lama gave blessings to everyone present
there including lamas, monks and lay people from three neighboring regions.
Although the administrators asked us to stay on for another day, Tontan and
some of his fellow Muslim pilgrims, who had arrived soon after we did, insisted
on continuing the journey the next morning, for they had already sent their
horse caravan on ahead. The next morning the monks came out in procession, just
as they had done the day before, and led the Dalai Lama to their monastery’s
main temple and the protector deity temple for him to bless them. Many people
saw that the flowers and grains thrown in the air during blessing ceremonies by
the Dalai Lama formed into clusters on the temple floor resembling the shape of
a jewel called Coils of Joy. An auspicious sign!
It was from there that the Venerable Lobsang
Tsewang turned back to Kumbum, since he was pledged to stay there as the
governor demanded. It was a sad moment for all of us to part from him, but
there was no choice. We bade him a warm farewell with our prayers to see him
again as soon as possible and continued on our journey. Travel began every day
at early dawn and continued up until the next stopover, usually a distance that
could be covered by midday or a little after. The sites for stopovers are
usually chosen for their good grazing land with plenty of drinking water and
enough flat ground for the tents to be pitched.
After we crossed the Donyida pass Tontan, along
with his fellow pilgrims and the group of Tibetan merchants, joined us in our
daily stopovers. Also with us was one of Tontan’s fellow Muslim pilgrims named
Mayon, whom the governor had nominated as the young Dalai Lama’s bodyguard. In
fact, the governor had not sent along any security guards, although we had paid
for them.
At every stopover, big crowds of Tibetan and
Mongolian nomads from all around thronged our site to receive the young Dalai
Lama’s hand touch blessing. To save him from the tiring task of having to
stretch his little hands onto everybody’s head, we made a dar lcang to bless the people while he was seated.
While at Tsadam we set our horses and mules free
to graze in the nearby pastures, as our next stopover was to be in the land
called No Grass No Water. Well equipped, and with sufficient drinking water, we
proceeded. By the time we reached the next stopover it was almost dusk. That
night our horses and mules received only a small quantity of beans as fodder,
which was tantamount to leaving them with an empty stomach. Whenever they heard
any of us passing by, they filled the entire valley with their clamorous
neighing and stamping, begging for more fodder. The next day, starting out at
dawn we continued our journey further to Dranag, a place slightly better than
No Grass No Water. At least it had sparse grazing lands and drinking water. We
arrived at about midday and spent the rest of the day there.
In this way we had been travelling hard for many
days in the upper part of the northern deserts, which really was too much for
the young Dalai Lama to endure at that age. There had been a few occasions when
he cried and frowned at his brother Lobsang Samten in the palanquin. Otherwise,
he was always healthy and there was no problem of any kind. His father, a kind
man who was fond of horses and mules, used to join us at every stopover and
spent a good deal of time in our company. This made us very uneasy, as we had
to treat him just like one of us, although he actually was the father of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama. But in view of the vow to keep matters secret we had
no choice. As for his mother, we seldom saw her coming out of her tent or
palanquin as she was always busy embroidering clothes.
When we arrived at Little Happy Valley and saw
the Tibetan border guards approaching us on horseback, we were overjoyed,
saying to ourselves, “We are now in our homeland”. Amidst clouds of incense
smoke, the security guards received us with scarves. They then demonstrated
their skills at horsemanship, athletics, speed in mounting and dismounting and
similar talents, yodelling at the top of their voices “Ki hi hi!” It was all great fun for the young Dalai Lama to watch
them.
Then, at A-tshar-shugu, as the leader of the parry of summer travelers had requested, we arranged an audience with the young Dalai Lama for all the summer travelers accompanying us. For this we prepared a throne by cutting squares of turf from the meadow and piling them up. When he had settled on his “throne”, the leader made the mandala offerings, and then the travelers were received in audience.
On our journey beyond there, one of the male
mules carrying the young Dalai Lama’s palanquin grew weak. In order to replace
it, we trained a big mule belonging to the Kumbum estate whenever we stopped
earlier than usual for the night. On one such stopover, Tontan’s groom came
with the news that there was a big group of horsemen gathered on the other side
of the pass. We immediately had a meeting and decided that each group would
send its strongest and best-equipped horsemen to guard the camp at night. For
the next five or six days we divided our parry, one half travelling first, the
other half coming on later. Fortunately we encountered no robbers or thieves.
After three months of travel we arrived at the
bank of the Thutob river (also known as Reting Waterway), where we were met by
the manager of the Potala Treasury, Thubten Thardo, and the manager of the
Monlam Festival Fund, Sarjung-sey, whom the government had deputed to receive
us with further provisions such as Tsampa,
wheat flour, fodder plus four hide coracles for crossing the river. We used one
of the coracles to ferry the young Dalai Lama to the other side, which
gave him much amusement. That evening, both the managers and their attendants
had an audience and received his blessings.
Whenever our route passed through swamps or
across uneven grassy tracks or rocky gorges, where travelling in the palanquin
on mule-back was unsafe, the Venerable Khenrab Tenzin and myself took turns to
carry the young Dalai Lama on our backs. It was quite a hard job for both of
us, as neither of us were strongly-built, nor had we any experience in carrying
things on our backs. Often our co
travelers had to support us by holding our hands. It was, however, our
fortune to have such an auspicious opportunity- a source of the greatest merit
we could accumulate.
The route we passed through was the standard
route for all the summer travelers. From Tongkhor monastery to Nagchu we
encountered no permanent habitations, just a few sparsely
located nomad tents. Apart from some dense forests around Shugpa
lungpa in the region of lake Kokonor, all we came across in those areas
were smaller lakes, lush green pastoral plains dotted by small mounds, and a
rich variety of animals, such as wild yak, wild asses, various species of deer,
wild goats and so forth. Generally travelers encounter some difficulties while
passing through the regions around Tsadam, such as attacks by poisonous bees or
being bogged down in swamps, when pack animals often become stuck and perish.
There were also said to be problems reassembling pack animals which are sent
out to graze and then go missing with wild animals of their type. Strangely
enough, we did not encounter much swampy land, nor many mosquitoes. Seeing that
our journey was going much more smoothly than was usually the case, some
veteran Ziling travelers in our parry said, “It was never so easy to pass
through these regions as this occasion. We did hear that it was the same when
His Holiness the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama and his entourage returned from
China through Mongolia. There is no doubt that this is due to the blessings of
the young Dalai Lama.” We encountered nothing specially remarkable along the
way, except for pebbles in a place called Doragsha, located near an area called
Happy Little Valley. It was interesting that most of those pebbles were full of
grooves and bumps and so resembled the rudraksha
seeds we use for rosaries.
At the time when we were crossing the Tibetan
border, after having passed the Chinese frontier guards, our government was
holding a special meeting in Lhasa on an auspicious day and proclaimed the
young Dalai Lama to be the true incarnation of late Dalai Lama. The government
then immediately dispatched Monlam Festival Fund Manager Lachag Neushar Thubten
Tharpa, Fourth Grade Civil Service Officer Rin-gang and others to receive the
young Dalai Lama, bringing with them his moderate size yellow tent to mark the
honor he deserved. We had erected their reception camp at Bumchen with His
Holiness’ yellow tent resembling a mound of marigolds standing out in the
landscape. Then, when we had passed over the Tongkhor Pass and reached there,
they invited the young Dalai Lama to seat himself inside the tent on a throne
richly decorated with the finest brocades. There followed a mandala offering
ceremony by Monlam Festival Fund Manager Neushar and hand touch blessings to
all who had journeyed to receive him. From then on we used the yellow tent
wherever we stopped over for the night. Now his parents came to know that their
son was the true candidate, and his father, who was really a frank man, asked
right away, “Why did you keep this matter a secret from me?” We explained to
him that we did not want to make this matter public, as we could not trust the
governor, suspecting that he might use this as an opportunity to interfere in
Tibet’s internal matters, and also, that we were oath-bound not to reveal this
secret. Convinced by this, he said, “Good! It was good that you kept this
matter secret.” In the following days, each time we reached a vantage point
from where we could catch sight of our next stopover, the yellow tent would
already be in place, set up by the advance party. At that moment a light and
pleasant shower or a little hail would fall. This phenomenon continued up until
we reached Nagchu.
At this stage in our journey, a special messenger
from our government arrived with a memorandum, which declared, “The current
year’s ninth month is an inauspicious one. Considering this, the most fitting
date for His Holiness to enter Lhasa would be at the beginning of the tenth
month. Accordingly, it is suggested that you delay or slow down your travel, so
that His Holiness arrives in Lhasa as scheduled above.” After discussing this
matter amongst ourselves, our leader, Kewtsang Rinpoche
wrote a reply saying: “Delaying our travel could mean a great risk for
us, especially, when the route has to pass through several isolated places,
where the security of His Holiness’ life could well be threatened. We could
rather speed up our travel and reach Lhasa in the eighth month than delay it
until the tenth month. If the government still insists that we delay our
journey, then that should be at Nagchu. Until we reach Nagchu, we will continue
our journey at the same speed as we have been travelling. Furthermore, we
request that a lama or an official who could take full responsibility for His
Holiness’ security may be sent to Nagchu. It would be only upon his arrival
that we could halt our journey as the schedule has suggested.” Immediately they
received our reply the government dispatched Lay Minister Bonsho and others
with such haste that they had to leave Lhasa while their colleagues were
enjoying the annual ministers’ picnic. They also departed without being able to
wait for their new official travel costumes, which they had ordered for this
purpose. They told the story of leaving Lhasa in such haste, then travelling
day and night without any stopover, that they discovered some of their baggage
had dropped from the backs of their pack animals while travelling at night or
crossing rivers.
In spite of this they had put up their reception
camp at Gashi Nagmoche, a location about ten days’ journey from Lhasa. It was
strongly built by a team of government officials, including top ranking ones
such as Lay Minister Bonsho, Monk-Secretary Telingpa Khenrab Wangchug, Senior
Chef Lobsang Jinpa, representatives from the three principal monasteries, a
group of monk and lay civil service officers, and the caretakers of His
Holiness’ bed, kitchen, tents and carpets etc.
Shortly before the break of dawn, Lay Minister
Bonsho, Monk-Secretary Khenrab Wangchug, Senior Chef Lobsang Jinpa and a few
other high-ranking officials came forward to receive us with flashlights in
their hands. When they approached the young Dalai Lama’s palanquin to receive
his blessing, we were worried, thinking that he might easily get irritated by
being woken up in the middle of his sleep, as he was then too young to know
what was going on. Tentatively, Kewtsang Rinpoche drew back the palanquin curtains,
where, to our relief, we found him not at all upset, but smiling and peering at
those sent to receive him very attentively. With the help of Kewtsang Rinpoche,
he received their scarves and returned them with his blessings. Just as he
blessed them by placing his graceful little hands on their heads, the dawn
broke and, then, as he reached the reception camp and entered the tent, the
sun’s first rays illuminated the scene. These were the auspicious and
spontaneous occurrences.
Then, we dressed him in the new robes sent from
Lhasa and set him on the throne in the tent for the ceremony, beginning with
offerings of tea and rice. Then came the mandala offerings by Minister Bonsho,
followed by offerings of gifts and letters sent by the Regent, the National
Assembly and the Cabinet of Ministers.
As soon as the ceremony came to its end, we
continued our journey escorted by a grand procession of horsemen with the young
Dalai Lama carried in a yellow palanquin. En route, there were monks from
nearby locales lined up on either side of the road, playing religious music
with woodwind, percussion and so forth; also, a huge number of nomads and
peasants joined the line in their best costumes, performing various regional
songs and dances, while clouds of fragrant incense smoke ascended from the
roadside.
In the eighth month of the Earth Hare Year we reached Nagchu, where the
authorities, lamas, monks and the general public received us at Shabten
monastery. There they gave His Holiness a grand welcoming ceremony during which
they offered him the “white delicacies” and other gifts. Since the crowd
seeking an audience at Nagchu was rather big, we suggested they gather in the
monastery’s forecourt to have a glimpse of him from the top floor. The young
Dalai Lama blessed them from there by scattering blessed barley grains on them,
while Kewtsang Rinpoche held him on his lap. Thrilled with joy they were
shouting to each other, “A happy sun now shines on Tibet”.
It was from then on that the Senior Chef, Lobsang
Jinpa, began to cook for His Holiness. His first day at work went as if it was
his daily routine and he was not at all nervous. Indeed, he was the senior chef
at the kitchen of His Holiness the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama.
After a two days stopover at Nagchu, a warm and ceremonious farewell by
the monks of various monastic communities and a send-off with songs and dances
by the local peasantry and nomads sent us onward on our journey. The next
reception camp awaiting us was at Dam Uma-thang, where Regent Reting Rinpoche accompanied
by his subordinates, Chief Personal Attendant Venerable Ngawang Tenzin and
various other officials, had come to receive us. We spent the night there,
during which the Regent, while officiating at the ceremony to mark his meeting
with the young Dalai Lama, offered him the mandala symbolizing the Buddha’s
body, mind and speech, followed by the welcome offerings including, “white
delicacies”. The next morning we continued our journey further to Reting
Gephelling monastery- the foremost seat of the Kadampa school, whose location,
according to the Kadam Legbam, was
known to have been one of the power places mentioned in the vajra songs of
Oddiyana Dakini which she sang to Dharma King Khonchogbang.
On our arrival there we were received by a grand
procession, which included the monks from the monastery, nuns from the
neighboring nunnery, Samtenling, the general public and groups of dancers,
musicians and opera performers. They escorted the young Dalai Lama into the Sun
Rays Chamber on the top floor of Reting Residence, and then a performance of
songs, dances and excerpts from operas was staged.
The next day, a grand welcoming ceremony took
place in the monastery’s main assembly hall. The regent, followed by a
procession of monks and officials, led the young Dalai Lama into the hall and
sat him on His Holiness the late Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s throne. There followed
offerings including the “white delicacies” arranged by Reting estate and the
offering of mandala by Regent Reting Rinpoche himself. Then came the Treasurer
of the Panchen estate accompanied by his retinue bringing with them offerings
of various types. In addition, the monastic authorities of Gephelling monastery
and all the monks were received in audience and given his hand-touch blessing.
As soon as the ceremony came to a close, the
regent led the young Dalai Lama around the monastery complex and showed him its
most sacred possessions, including Atisa’s silver memorial statue of Manjushri
and Dromtonpa’s Prajnaparamita of 8000
verses. After he had made offerings to all those sacred objects, the Dalai
Lama emerged on the monastery’s top floor and greeted the large crowd of
townspeople and neighboring nomads with a broad smile, blessing them with
consecrated barley grains.
Then, one day, the regent invited the young Dalai
Lama, along with a small group from his entourage, to a picnic on the riverbank
below the monastery where a picnic spot with beautiful pavilions was located.
He also allowed us members of the search team a private audience with him at his
residence. In all we spent three days’ at Reting monastery during which the
Reting estate offered us splendid service and hospitality.
The government had sent us sets of official
costumes for His Holiness’ parents and relatives. His father and his brothers
each accepted a set of plain brocade phyu
pa and colorful upper garments whereas his mother preferred to remain in
her regional costume rather than replacing it with gowns the government had
sent for her. This turned out to be fortunate for the people, as she was
distinctive and could not be mistaken for the wives of high-ranking officials.
The day we left Reting, the monks came out in
procession in the monastery’s forecourt and gave us an affectionate send off.
The monastery authorities, including the high-ranking lamas and other
officials, accompanied us up until we reached Phodrangthang, where they
exchanged farewell scarves with the young Dalai Lama. Prom there we continued
our journey, crossing the Chag Pass and passing through the scenic land of Phenpo
with overnight stopovers at the foot of Jerig Taktse Fort (the fort of Desi
Tagtsewa) and other suitable camping sites.
At Dromtod another reception camp of eminent
officials was awaiting us. This group included the lay minister, Nangjungba,
Zasag ‘Tsarongpa, Teji Shenkhawa, the late Thirteenth Dalai Larva’s academic
assistant, Takdra Rinpoche, his ritual assistant, Khenpo Jampa Legtsog, plus
other secretary-level civil service officers from the Tse and Sho academies.
On our arrival they each paid their respects to
the young Dalai Lama and received his blessings. When Khenpo Jampa Legtsog, the
former ritual assistant, approached to be blessed the young Dalai Lama’s
attention became transfixed by a thang ka-container,
which he had slung across his back. This carried the speaking thang ka of
Goddess Palden Lhamo from the late Dalai Lama’s apartments, a painting that all
the Dalai Lamas in the past had revered as particularly holy. Before the Khenpo
could tell the young Dalai Lama what the thang
ka was, he opened the box, took it out and unscrolled it, and then he gazed
at it with great delight on his face, as if he was seeing something very dear
to him after a long separation. At that time, an elderly monk from Gaden
Jangtse monastery called Gowo Jangchub, who had served as a bodyguard for the
late Thirteenth Dalai Lama for a long period of time, was so moved on seeing
this that he began to cry. Holding my hands, he thanked me and the members of
our search team, saying, “I shall pray for your long and healthy lives. Now
that I have seen the young Dalai Lama, I can die with no regret”.
The old monk had recently almost died of a
serious illness, during which he had said, “I just cannot breathe my last
unless and until I see the young Dalai Lama.” He was so overjoyed when he first
saw the young Dalai Lama, that he almost leapt up and down like a child. It was
such an emotional sight, watching a broad shouldered old man, still strongly
built and with a gruff voice, shedding tears, that I could not hold back my own
tears. Everyone around me was spellbound, tears falling from their eyes and
faces expressing a mixture of joy and anguish. Many monks and lay people
present approached us to offer thanks from the depth of their hearts, saying
“You are the ones who have brought happiness and prosperity to Tibet.”
The state-level reception camp that the
government prepared was at the plain of Doguthang, but most of the monks, as
well as the lay officials, had come to receive us at Saintenling hermitage and
offered us a midday meal. After this point in our journey the young Dalai
Lama’s mother rode on horseback, instead of in a palanquin.
The tents at Doguthang were arranged in three
rings (an inner, middle and outer circle), and the sight was magnificent,
resembling rings of heavenly bodies twinkling in a starry night. At the very
centre was the Dalai Lama’s own marquee made of superfine yellow brocade and
called the “Great Peacock”. Surrounding it were tents for his bed, prayers,
dining and so forth
all furbished in the fashion of typical Mongol tents, using tiger and
leopard skins and the best quality yellow brocade. The next two rings consisted
of the tents of the regent, the prime-minister, the young Dalai Lama’s family,
the lay ministers, secretary-level civil service officials from grades one to
three, and officials from the Potala and Downtown Treasury.
On our arrival, we were met by a grand procession
of government dignitaries, civil and defense officers, lamas, reincarnates and
foreign representatives all led by troops of various regiments, which escorted
the young Dalai Lama into the Great Peacock tent at the center of the inner
ring of the reception camp and placed him on the throne. After offerings of
“white delicacies”, etc., mandala offerings were performed by the regent and
the prime-minister, and then the young Dalai Lama received all those present
and gave them his hand-touch blessing. This included the ministers, Gungs, Dza zags, Dar bans, Ta lamas, Dargans, Thai jis, the
secretary level civil service officers, the officers of account departments,
military chiefs, the officers of Potala and Downtown Treasury, the officers of
Lhasa and Shol Municipal Committee and the officers of Tibetan Police Force,
the monk and lay officers of both civil and defence service, the then throne
holder of Gaden, Chos rjes of Gaden
Shartse and Jangtse, the lamas and reincarnates of the monasteries such as
Gaden, Sera, Drepung, Gyuto, Gyumey, Namgyal, Nechung, Kundeling, Tsemonling,
Meru, Samtenling, Chakpori and the monasteries in the distant regions. Also
included were the people from Sakya, Tashi Lhunpo, the leaders of Lhasa-based
Mongols, the representatives from India, China, Kashmir, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan
and others.
After having camped there for two days, we set
out for the great city of Lhasa on the twenty-fifth day of the eighth month of
the year 206& (1939) which astrologers chose as the most auspicious day for
the young Dalai Lama’s arrival to the capital. We marched in the most
magnificent procession, which otherwise only takes place during what is called
“The Great Travel”, that is when the Dalai Lama makes a journey. Led by the
music of dho dar players, the
procession gradually moved ahead; there were various banner
holders on horseback, followed by the extra saddled horses, bearers of
the young Dalai Lama’s personal belongings; monks from Namgyal monastery, the
senior grades of civil service officials, the lord chamberlain, bodyguards, the
caretakers of the kitchen, bedroom and prayer room, lay-ministers, the regent,
the prime minister, and senior representatives of Gaden, Sera and Drepung
monastic universities.
Following Kewtsang Rinpoche’s suggestion, the
members of the search team changed into “travel dress”, except for the
Venerable Khenrab Tenzin, who preferred to remain in his monk robes as he had
by then been promoted to take charge of His Holiness’ bedroom. As the
procession set out, Kewtsang Rinpoche took his place to the right of the Dalai
Lama’s palanquin. I followed immediately after the palanquin, travelling alongside
his family, and we were followed by the lamas and reincarnates from Gaden, Sera
and Drepung. In this fashion the procession moved with measured dignity, the
young Dalai Lama, the lord of the three realms, the reincarnation of the
omniscient one, sitting in his yellow palanquin, as glorious as Lord Indra in
his Paradise “Beautiful To Look At”, surrounded by his attendants- or as
pacifying as the full moon surrounded by millions of minor heavenly bodies,
whose mere appearance is inspiring enough to heal the wounded hearts of all
living beings.
To celebrate the young Dalai Lama’s arrival and
to welcome him, people from hermitages, villages, towns, monasteries and forts
had put up prayer flags and various types of banners on their top-floor and
burned incense and juniper leaves, so clouds of fragrant smoke ascended into
the air which was reverberating with the music of woodwind, percussion and
other instruments. There were thousands of monks lining both sides of the road,
holding offerings of the seven precious jewels, and beside them monk dancers
masked as tigers, lions, garudas, dragons and deer. There were lay dancers of
the dro and shon traditions. Contingents from various regiments came out on
parade, saluting the young Dalai Lama, while Tibetans of all ages and social
status, from both near and far-flung regions, thronged the roadside clad in
their best costumes, and singing, dancing, jumping and often bursting into
choruses of “Chod! A happy sun is now
shining over Tibet!” Watching the procession in utter amazement, some murmured
with their eyes filled with tears of ecstasy, “Is this a dream or is it really,
really happening?” Every face expressed awe and devotion.
The attire of the young Dalai Lama’s parents and
other family members, all mounted on horseback, really impressed the crowds,
and we could hear people saying, “Look at those costumes! They look so graceful
in them.” My presence there among the Dalai Lama’s family seemed to create some
confusion among the crowd, as I was clad in an official “travel costume”. “Look
at that man! Is he a Tibetan?” I could hear them speculating. But there were
others who could recognize me, and I overheard them saying, “It seems that he
had to work hard during this trip. His health has deteriorated tremendously.
Hasn’t he been noble to endure so much hardship. He is kind!” I suppose I was
infused with a sense of pride when I overheard them saying this, although I am
not the one who should be credited. Whatever achievements we had been able to
accomplish were all due to the power of the young Dalai Lama’s compassion and
the faith of the people in him.