No Dalai lama in Tibet.

Ven.Dhammananda was first exposed to Tibetan culture since 1960s when she did her first translation on Tibetan story. Then she had her first private audience with H.H. the Dalai Lama in 1980 in Dharamsala. Since then her life has changed greatly. She has committed herself to help propagate Tibetan Buddhism through her translation work. There are now more than 10 titles that have been published in Thai language. She has held H.H.Dalai lama as her root guru.

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During the past three decades she had always wanted to visit Tibet, her dream came true only when she actually made a trip in April,2005.

In her group of 14 people, she was the only one having problem with getting visa. First the traveling company thought that it was her ordained status as female monk. So she had to go the embassy personally. Upon her arrival at the embassy, she realized that it was a different issue. The Chinese embassy only wanted to have a written paper from the tour company that during her visit she will not be engaged in propagation of Buddhism.

That is the chief concern of an ordained person! The Venerable said it was entirely opposite attitude when she visited other Buddhist countries. In Myanmar and Sri Lanka, having ordained status is highly respected. They trust you because you are ordained. But in Tibet under the Chinese occupation, they do not trust you for the same reason.

That was the first surprise for this trip, and sure it was not the last one.

The biggest surprise and disappointment came when we realized that the picture of H.H. the Dalai Lama was a real No-No in Tibet.

We visited Sera and Ganden which used to be the leading monasteries with thousands of monks, now only a handful of some 300 monks with no lama. In both places, the throne of H.H.Dalai Lama is now placed with a picture of Avalokitesvara where as the opposite throne would be the picture of the previous Panchen Lama. Everywhere we went, it was the same treatment.

Many of us shed tears listening to the fate that Ganden had been through. Ganden is the seat of Gelugpa, it was the residence of Tsongkhapa, the founder of Gelug which H.H. Dalai Lama belongs to. Maybe because of this very reason Ganden was literally trashed to the ground. The stupa containing the embalming body of Tsongkhapa was attacked and demolished. His body was dragged and cut into pieces.

One of his hands was thrown and secretly picked up by an old woman who kept it for many years. When the renovation of Ganden took place, only then Tsongkhapa's hand was returned and placed in the present stupa. We do not know how true is the story, but Prof.Krisadawan, A Thai professor who teaches Tibetan language told us that she visited the place earlier in 1990 it was still in ruin.

At Samye, the very first monastery ever established in Tibet, on the throne which H.H. the Dalai lama used to sit now a picture of Dalai Lama XIII is placed with the picture of Avalokitesvara.

There is no picture of H.H.the Dalai Lama in his bed room on the right wing on the second floor at Samye Monastery. But people who visited the place offered both khatas and money in abandance.

Ven.Dhammananda was deeply sad particularly in the Potala Palace where H.H.the Dalai Lama spent many years of his early childhood there. Yet, there was not one picture to be seen anywhere.

We learned also that even BBC program cannot be received in Tibet simply because BBC carries the news about activities and movement of H.H.the Dalai lama.

As we moved around, every monastery we visited we paid expensive entrance fee, at the Potala palace alone we paid 100 yuan each. There is no such practice to waive entrance fee for monastics as practiced in Myanmar or Sri Lanka. Monastics are not respected in Tibet, the land of Buddhists, at least it was supposed to be.

With language barrier, our group wondered if the Tibetan people themselves have forgotten H.H.the Dalai Lama. How much they have been able to retain their spiritual connection with Buddhism?

It was on our last day before we leave for Chengtu when we finished our temple tour Ven.Dhammananda met a large group of Tibetan villagers who came to do the reparing work at the temple. Not knowing exactly what they wanted, one of the women workers held the Venerable's hand and touch on her own throat. The message was clear, she wanted the Venerable to bless her and to heal her throat. The Venerable recited the verse from the Medicine Buddha for blessing.

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The second one had problem with her chest, the third one had problem with her eye, and so it went on. The men also came removing their hats wanting blessing on their heads. The crowd grew bigger and bigger.

Children returning from school, farmers returning on their tractors stopped for a piece of blessed cake and sweets from the venerable.

This experience was a confirmation that the Tibetans still hold on to their faith inspite of the fact that they do not have even a picture of H.H.the Dalai Lama but they have imprinted his picture already in their hearts.