The Path to Enlightenment

My favourite spot in Kathmandu was the Buddha Stupa where you can really feel the spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism. You can see many of the refugee monks walking clock-wise around the stupa in the mornings and evenings. They are dressed in their crimson and orange robes and carry their beaded rosaries called "Malas" and spinning their prayer wheels. Some sit on the stupa chanting and meditating.

Recent history of Tibet: As you likely know, Tibet was invaded by China in 1950. By 1959, the revolt became very violent when the Chinese army attacked Lhasa (the "Forbidden City" where the Dalai Lama was living as a young boy) . Thousands of unarmed Tibetan civilians were killed but the young Dalai Lama luckily escaped and crossed the Himalayas into N. India where he now resides (Dharamsala). After this, the Chinese destroyed hundreds of monasteries and closed the borders with the goal of stamping out the practice of Tibetan Buddhism. Amnesty Int'l estimates that as many a 1.2 million Tibetans have been killed and many more are in prison camps.

What did the Dalai Lama say to the New York hot dog vendor?........"Make me one with everything"