Tibetan Monk

On the streets of Kathmandu, during one of the many political protests, I spoke to a Tibetan(age 42) who had just arrived from Tibet. He was rather secretive, knew I was sympathetic, and wanted to talk to me in a private place. He was afraid of the secret police.

He explained that he was a monk who wanted to support the Dali Lama in Darmasela, India for the rest of his life and bring the names(on a computer disk) of the approximately 1,500 Tibetans killed by the Chinese during the March, 2008 Tibetan riots just before the Olympics. So, the only way to reach India was by smuggling himself through Nepal while holding onto the bottom of a bus. He was caught and the Chinese took all of his possessions which he could later get if he paid them money. Fortunately, he was allowed to enter Nepal but without his possessions, passport, or any money. He said if he was wearing his monk outfit, the Chinese would never have let him into Nepal and he would have been severely beaten. What a story!

After hearing all of it, I bought him a meal, then gave him $25 ( which I rarely do for someone off the streets). He was so appreciative, that he blessed me on the spot, kissed me on the head, gave me his orange necklace given to him by the Dali Lama, then disappeared crying.