Gyatsho Tshering
Gyatsho Tshering
Tibetan Scholar and Author
My life is dedicated to helping other people because you find so much happiness and joy in working for others. We say all human life is precious. Love and compassion is the center. Love and compassion doesn’t differentiate between people. It’s for all people.
Gyatsho Tshering
Tibetan Scholar and Author
I am Gyatsho Tshering. I am Tibetan. Tibet is a beautiful country. When I was born in Tibet everybody lived in peace and everybody has good feelings, good food and clothes to wear. In 1959 Tibet was invaded. Tibetans had to flee from the country to escape to a border country. Two million people died, and 100,000 people had to leave Tibet. The Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan people came to India, too. We had to seek the help of other people. Tibetan children were dying of hunger and health problems. Older people Tibetan people needed help, too. The Government of India gave the Dalai Lama refuge status, so he established the government for Tibet in India. The first thing the Dalai Lama taught was to care for the children who were orphaned. The Dalai Lama asked me to leave my own job in India to help him. I worked in the private office of the Dalai Lama. We talked about the Tibetan people and education. I was working as a translator and trying to make projects to help the people. I helped to make schools, translate books, and restore paintings, woodwork and so on. The happiest part of my life is when I help people. Try to love other people and not harm other people. Bring happiness to other people. Also, be kind to other people, even insects. Develop your mind. Because I worked for the Dalai Lama, I won’t be given permission by China to return to Tibet. Many Tibetan people now have a good life in America. We try to help the Tibetan community from here. As long as the Dalai Lama is alive there is hope. If Tibet gets independent and economic status we will return back to Tibet.
Tibet: Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
Honoring Gyatsho Tshering
Tibet: Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
(Honoring Gyatsho Tshering)
I was born in a beautiful country,
In the mountains of Tibet,
In the land of the Dalai Lama,
In the land of Consciousness.
Growing up along the border
Beneath a ripe orange tree,
Sitting with my grandfather,
Words of kindness, he taught me.
Shewa, Zopa, Ningja
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
Through 14 Dalai Lamas,
We were taught to do one thing,
At a time with 5 senses,
A diplomat, I chose to be.
Then from across the border,
Like a colony of ants,
We could smell dead bodies burning,
For days and days after that.
Shewa, Zopa, Ningja
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
Burning books by the millions,
They took everything they could steal,
Destroyed 6,000 monasteries
Beneath clothing we concealed.
The sacred text of our people
Held tightly against our chest,
As we fled across the border,
To India from Tibet.
Shewa, Zopa, Ningja
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
Without land, without a country,
One hundred thousand refugees,
One million killed, so many orphaned,
The Dalai Lama called for me.
Will you be there to help the children,
To build schools, clinics, libraries,
Will you be there to help the people,
Serving others, I agreed.
Shewa, Zopa, Ningja
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
What can we do but to be mindful,
Where can we go but to be kind,
Compassionate,
to soothe those who suffer,
To keep hope alive.
For Tibet, for the children,
For those in whom, yet to arise,
May love grow, May love prosper,
May Tibet never die.
Shewa, Zopa, Ningja
Peace, Loving-Kindness, Compassion
Music by LARRY LONG
Words by LARRY LONG with Tara Thukral 5th grade class of Valley View Elementary School. Columbia Heights, Minnesota.
© Larry Long 2008 / BMI