Fear and Loathing, Part Seven- Devotion

We awoke to the freezing chill of a Tibetan early spring morning, with a soft thrumming of voices that could be heard wafting through the open window. I struggled to escape the layers of blankets that had kept me warm, fully clothed, throughout the night, and peered with curiosity down to the courtyard below. My eyes were greeted with the sight of hundreds of Tibetans, some sporting huge chunks of turquoise bound tightly in their hair, patiently waiting for Gesar to appear. It was barely sunrise, yet there they were, quietly praying or nattering excitedly to a neighbor, some prostrating on the bare earth, caking their bodies in dust and sweat, pointed in devotion towards our place of rest.

Hot buckets of water were brought up to the room for Gesar and I to bathe with, the monks besotted with interest wanting to stand and stare at everything that Gesar did. I kicked them all out, and G and I enjoyed a few brief moments of privacy in what was to be a very long day. We cleaned up as best we could, and stuffed down the bowls of rice and sweet milk that were sitting waiting for us. The pure, pure air of that early morning danced with the dust that was caught in the sharp light streaming in from the window, and I let my mind dance too as I watched the minute particles swirl in the gentle breeze.

The monks appeared again, led by the smiling young Khenpo, bearing ceremonial robes that were to be Gesar's for the day. These consisted of yellow flowing shirts and under robes, and an elaborate brocade jacket that would be the finishing touch to the multi-layered outfit. The monks handled each piece of clothing reverently, covering their escaping breath with a piece of paper held in their mouths, gently easing each garment onto Gesar's imposing frame. I dressed as best I could, the monks giving me a clean white undershirt for my black tibetan Chuba. At one point I went alone down the steep stairs that led outside of our lodgings, to be confronted with an absolute sea of faces and people, who, taking one look at me, bowed their heads in reverence, and parted in much the same way that the Red Sea must have parted for Moses to let me through.
I felt more like Darth Vader- my long hair, greasy and tied at the back of my head samurai style, a week old Fu Manchu beard and moustache, and my long black tibetan dress; I must have looked terrifying to the little children who visibly shook at the sight of me. It was stunning: I smiled and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, but as I could see by the looks on some of the people and little children's faces that this was for many their first contact with a foreigner. How strange and exotic I must have seemed to them in their Himalayan land.

One of the monks showed me where we would walk into the temple and start the ceremony, and pointed to where Gesar would be seated and I would stand in attendance behind him. The temple, just bare earth days before, had been tricked out in their fines brocades and cloths and tankhas (religious paintings), with monks already chanting their opening prayers, some of them looking up at me and smiling broadly as their elders tried to keep them focused on the task at hand. Somehow, with my horrific tibetan, I was able to understand what the order of the day would be, and I left to go back up to the room with G. We were excited to say the least- this was the reason why we had come, to see Gesar enthroned at his own monastery, with His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rimpoche having died earlier in the year it left a huge vaccuum in the organisation of the Tibetan buddhist community. Having Gesar establish links with his own heritage and legacy would give solace and comfort to many missing the loss of their great Guru and dharmic grandfather.
The music below us in the main temple started to play, this was our signal...

The ceremony. With a surge of about eight overly willing monks, Gesar stood up from his bed and preceded to make his way towards the overly steep stairs and down outside to waiting crowds. I got in front of him, and tried to fit in between the monk musicians, armed with long tibetan trumpets, giving that all familiar call of an event about to happen. You have to imagien this tiny little stairwell with suicide-like gradient, about twelve monks, the young abbot, Gesar wearing these voluminous religious garments, all trying to get down the stairs at the same time and be of assistance to thier long lost son. It was hilarious, with Gesar and I visibly laughing at the danger and frantic scrabbling hands of monks trying not to tumble down the stairs on top of one another, yet often doing so. I did my best to keep those near me upright, suddenly I was at the bottom of the stairs and the crowd below started to surge forwards towards the doorway-so much for Moses!
It was absolute mayhem; masses of hands, many grubby with dirt, thrusting forwards with babies, silk welcoming scarves, toungues stuck out of mouths in signs of respect, chanted prayers, scrabbling feet, falling bodies, some trying to prostate, laughing, jostling for position, and monks and priests trying to keep order. Somehow the crowd pushed us away from the door and literally carried us towards the temple door, where we escaped inside, the monks keeping the many tibetans outside and at bay. Everyone was laughing, and G and I made out way to the throne that had been set up for him as the monks inside kept up the steady rhythmic chant of their opening prayers. His throne was covered in holy objects- texts, bells, books, a damaru (ritual drum) and other symbols necessary for the enthronement.
Finally the ceremony began- the numbers of people outside being too many to fit into the main shrine hall, theiy peered in through the open doorway and waited for the general blessing that would follow the ceremony. They chanted patiently, prayer wheels whirring, malas clacking between hands, young and old staring inwards trying to follow the procedures inside. There was an overwhelming energy that pervaded the temple that day, as the obviously proud young monks, older nuns and priests sat and prayed their welcome and recognition of Gesar. Who sat through it all, beaming at everybody, graciously accepting the lead from monks that showed him through the ceremony, instructing him when to make certain movements, and being the most patient I have ever seen him be.

A parade of faces -The crowd was eventually let inside, and the general blessing began- this entailed the entire crowd being led throught the shrine room to the front of Gesar's throne, where they would recieve a blessing on the head by Gesar placing his hand or hands on them, or the tibetan khatag scarf that they held reverently being placed back around their necks. Many of them bore gifts- staues, animal pelts, books, malas, bells and religious practice objects, some very old and obviously treasures. I cannot explain or attempt to describe the emotions that flowed in that half constructed temple those next few hours- crying, weeping, wailing, laughing, sheer awe as in the face of many of the children, the whispered prayers, or the breakdown of some of the older folk who had seen one of their great aspirations come true. Through it all Gesar just smiled and smiled, the love between them and him palpable and cogent. For those of us near him, that is for me and the other monks that were attending him, it grew too much, we were all weeping as well, laughing at times when we saw some overly devout person cut back into the line to try and get another blessing., only to be intercepted by one of the wily older monks who would shoo them away. We watched this comic dance time and time again, sometimes allowing it to happen, and then seeing the older monk lose his temper and try to keep the crowd constantly moving ahead.
I still marvel today at the clarity of devotion in those simple khampa folk- as we all know, the eyes do not lie, and theirs shone with a brightness that I will never forget. Like diamonds.

It took the best part of the morning to finish, by the end of it Gesar and I were exhausted in the thin air as the energy overwhelmed us. With another fanfare, we struggled out the front of the temple and back towards our refuge above, to be met with the same enourmous crowd and the same mad scramble to get near their returned teacher. This time dozens of hands stretched forwards to help Gesar walk, the smiling faces and laughing eyes giddy with joy as we were pushed back up the stairs to our lodgings and quiet. To be continued......