What is the daily life of a Tibetan monk? This is one of the most intriguing aspects when we talk about Tibetan plateau.
In this video, let’s have a glimpse of how a monk’s daily life is like in Tibet, which is shown as we followed a head monk, who lives in the Jhoden monastery, about three hours driving east of Lhasa.
He leads a fairly peaceful and simple life. His daily schedule consists of morning Buddha offering, meditation, praying for the peace and harvest of the villages around his monastery and night chanting.
You may find they are living a simple and happy life, but it’s not easy. They need keep pursuing their Buddhist study, and praying for the blessings of Goddess of Mercy.
From the early morning to the late night, see how he will enjoy the day. We hope you will enjoy the video and let us know what you think below.
( Besides, I think you may be interested in the follow-up video about our monks daily life, you can watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg2RrAAJh6I
For me, it’s almost 25 years since I left my childhood village.
Today’s video is back to my childhood village, see how it has changed over the past 25 years and also experience the real life in the Tibetan countryside.
Actually, my parents’ house had collapsed about ten years ago because none of us lived here and reparied the house. So I could only went back to my uncle’s house.
My uncle’s house remains almost the same as before. I even took a nap in my childhood bed.
Like all the other Tibetan stone houses, my uncle’s home consists of bedrooms, a typical Tibetan style dining room, a separate praying chapel, a storeroom, and a very Tibetan toilet (an open-air toilet).
Among these rooms, the praying chapel is the most special one in a Tibetan house. Every Tibetan home has a praying chapel, where the family can do their daily prayers in their free time.
Though there is a modern refrigerator, my uncle’s family still kept the original storeroom to keep air-dried yak meat and other items.
I was amazed to see that they still had their old habits, and it was gratifying to see some new changes, like the new TV and tap-water pipes, because my uncle and my nephews could enjoy better living conditions than I had back then.
Collecting yak dung, doing kora around the nearby ancient stupa, visiting the Jhoden Monastery in the village…these were all parts of my daily life since I lived with my uncle in this small Tibetan village.
I would like to share the memory of my hometown with all of you through this video. Hoping we could meet together in Tibet and let me take you to my lovely hometown.
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#mountkailash #lordofshiva #kailash
The trek from Dirapuk Monastery to Dzutulpuk Monastery is the most difficult part of a 3-day Kailash Kora. During the 12 kilometers’ day trek, you need to cross the Dromala Pass at 5,630 meters above sea level.
In Tibet, Dromala Pass means the Sin Pass. In an old saying, if a person has lots of sins, he/she could not pass through the Dromala Pass easily. The God of Kailash will decide who stays and who can go.
It was a tough day to cross the Dromala Pass. I started my journey at 7 a.m. and reached the top Dromala Pass at 11:30 a.m. after trekking 6 kilometers from Dirapuk Monastery guesthouse. It took another 1.5 hours to go down the pass. When I finally arrived at Dzutulpuk Monastery, it was already 6 p.m.
Here are some tips for the trekking cross Dromala Pass:
1. Do start your trek as early as possible. In my case, as a healthy Tibetan, I spent 11 hours to complete the 12 kilometers.
2. Please bring a flashlight. Because you would depart early in the morning and it is not yet light, you need a flashlight.
3. Please wear comfortable trekking shoes and prepare trekking poles. The road across Dromala Pass is very steep.
4. Don’t worry too much. There are three tea houses along the way, one is before you cross the pass and the other two are after your cross the pass. At the tea house, you can get simple food supplement, and buy small oxygen bottles if you need.
5. If you are really not feeling well enough to go over the pass, you can either rest in the first teahouse or take a car directly back to Darchen.
For ordinary tourists, the trek is a challenge to themselves, while for Tibetan pilgrims, the Mount Kailash kora is a pursuit of devout faith.
Along the way, I met a woman from eastern Tibet who came with her baby to make the kora, the pilgrims prostrating even on the steep trail, and a devotee from the high mountain area completed the kora in one day, who actually had already made 5 circles.
Along the way, you can see five-colored prayer flags waving in the wind and rocks with pictures on them, where Tibetans believe that posting the pictures of their deceased relatives will bless their souls to heaven. When you are tired, someone will cheer you up and even offer you snacks to replenish your energy.
This is the kora around Mount Kailash, the hardest, but the holist experience of Tibet.
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#mountkailash #kailash #lordofshiva #nandikora #tibet
In the low of religion, when you finish 13 out kora around Mount Kailash then you are allowed to do the Mount Kailash Inner Kora, also known as Nandi Kora in India. It is said that only by completing 13 out koras can you cleanse yourself of all your sins. So it means that only people without sin are permitted to do the inner kora.
Of course, this is only a constraint for religious believers. On this particular trip, I met a young lady. As a person of no faith, why did she choose this strenuous trekking route, why did she come to Kailash, and why did she come here?
“I just heard about Mount Kailash a long time ago. During this difficult year, I think just come to see it. Without any religion or anyone force me. I just want to see and feel it by myself. And I never imagine that I could get so far. I’m so lucky. I can’t describe the whole trip. Every day is amazing. Every single person I met on the way, every single second I spent here, just perfect, makes the whole trip. ”
So it seems that the power of the sacred Mount Kailash is not only for the pilgrims, but even for ordinary people. Mount Kailash inspires people in its own way and brings blessing to them.
As someone who has over 10 years of experience as a Tibetan guide and has been here 59 times, I will share some trekking tips with you here.
Started from Serlung Monastery, which is 5 kilometers away from Darchen Town, the inner kora of Mount Kailash is 34 kilometers long. The lowest port of Kailash Inner Kora is 5300 meters above sea level, while the highest point is 5900 meters above sea level.
It is important to know how to stay healthy at such a high altitude.
Of course, physical health is the primary condition. Even I, a Tibetan, would feel some strain trekking here. So before you decide to take Kailash inner kora, make sure you do a good physical exercise to make sure your body can withstand a long trek in the plateau.
Also is to consult your doctor and tell him/her that you are going to travel to Tibet. In my experience, Acetazolamide (Diamox) is the most effective medication to prevent altitude sickness. However, you have to follow your doctors advice and carry some medications that are effective for you to prevent altitude sickness.
A pair of comfortable hiking shoes is also a must. The inner kora path is almost always rocky and very difficult to walk, and you will need to climb to reach the 13 Golden Chortens and Saptarishi Cave on the last section of the inner kora of Mount Kailash. This is the most dangerous section of the inner kora to reach the highest and also the end part of the kora. A good pair of hiking shoes will make you safer while climbing the rocks.
You can follow my video to see how rocky the road is and have a close look at the holy Mount Kailash.
If you enjoy our videos then hit the like button, share with your friends who want to watch the tour and travel video, and subscribe to my channel to get another video.
#gugekingdom #tibet #tibetngari
Tashi Delek from the Guge Kingdom!
Today, I will show you an exploration trip to the lost kingdom in western Tibet.
The Guge Kingdom, one of the first important cultural relics sites under protection in Tibet, is a place full of stories and mysteries.
Even I am a Tibetan, every time I come here, I got a feeling of mystery.
The ancient Guge kingdom has so many mysteries and secrets. Can you imagine there used to be a kingdom with over 100,000 citizens in such a wild area? Even now, people have no idea how this beautiful kingdom was destroyed in one night. No one knows what happened here.
Where do these tunnels lead? Where are the secret ways of the winter palace?
With many questions, I explored the ruins of Guge kingdom in my way. I crossed the tunnels in the ruins, which were believed to reach the hidden city of Shambala. I climbed to the winter palace at the top of the ruins, exploring the rooms, but found nothing.
Just like playing a treasure hunt game, I was always able to find some connection to my Tibetan ancestors.
Also, the Ruins of Guge Kingdom is an awesome place for photographers to take pictures. From the top of the kingdom ruins, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Guge valley.
The Tholing Monastery, which is 18 kilometers away from the ruin of Guge Kingdom, is also worth a visit since it is the first monastery in west Tibet. Although it has been destroyed many times in the past, you can still see many ancient stupas, statures, morals, and so on in this old monastery.
I really recommended the ruins of the Guge Kingdom for you, which you can add to your Kailash tour.
In the end, I would like to share some tips for your trip to the Guge Kingdom.
1. Please wear a pair of comfortable hiking shoes, as you will need to climb to the top of the ruins.
2. The ruins of the Guge kingdom are heavily weathered and not very stable and fixed in some places. Please be careful not to get too close to dangerous areas such as the outer walls near the cliffs.
3. The steps inside the ruins are very steep, so please watch your step.
4. If you are interested in Tibetan history, you can learn more about the legends of the Guge Kingdom before you go. It will be more interesting to bring your own questions to find your answers about the lost kingdom.
If you enjoy our videos then hit the like button, share with your friends who want to watch the tour and travel video, and subscribe to my channel to get another video.
For the first time, the reclusive and secretive Tibetan monks agree to discuss aspects of their philosophy and allow themselves to be filmed while performing their ancient practices. 2002
The highest mountains on Earth are home to snow leopards, golden eagles, mountain goats, barnacle goslings and gelada monkeys. But only the toughest can endure the extreme weather, scarce food and limited oxygen on these peaks. Using new technology to showcase never-before-filmed animal behavior, Hostile Planet provides unique access to one of the most extreme environments on the planet.
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