མཁས་དབང་དགེ་ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྙན་རྩོམ་དུམ་བུ།

༄༅། །འཁྲུལ་ནའང་འཁྲུལ་ངོ་འབའ་ཞིག་མིན་ཏེ། རྒྱུ་རྐྱེན་དུ་མ་ལ་རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་བ་ཙམ་མ་ཚད་དེ་དག་ལས་བྱུང་ཞེས་པས་ཕན་གནོད་ཀྱི་བྱ་བྱེད་འཐད་པའམ་ལས་བྱེད་པ་ཆུད་མི་ཟ་བ་བསྙོན་མེད་གཤིས། སྣང་བ་དེ་དངོས་གནས་རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་བར་བྱུང་བ་སྒྱུ་མ་ལྟ་བུ་ཞིག་གོ་ཐུབ་ན། དེ་ནི་ཐབས་དང་དེ་ལས་ཐབས་བྱུང་སྟོང་བ་རང་གི་མཚན་ཉིད་ཀྱིས་གྲུབ་པས་སྟོང་བ་དེ་འཇོག་ཐུབ། ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་གྲུབ་ཡང་འཇིག་རྟེན་ཚུར་མཐོང་བའི་རྒྱུད་ཀྱི་རང་ལ་གྲགས་པའི་ཚད་མས་རྙེད་དོན་བཞིན་ཐ་སྙད་དུ་བྱ་བྱེད་འཐད་པ་རྟེན་འབྱུང་སྒྱུ་མ་ལྟ་བུ་ཞིག་ནི་ཚུར་མཐོང་བའི་ཚད་མ་དེས་ཇི་ལྟར་གྲུབ་ནུས་སྟེ་མི་སྲིད་དོ། །དེ་ནི་ཐ་སྙད་དཔྱོད་བྱེད་ཀྱི་རིག་ཤེས་ཀྱིས་ནུས་ཅིང་དེ་ཡང་ལྟ་བ་རྒྱུད་ལ་བསྐྱེད་པ་ཞིག་མ་གཏོགས་བྱིས་པ་ཞིག་གི་རྒྱུད་ལ་དེ་ག་ལ་ཡོད་སྲིད་དེ་མི་སྲིད་དོ། །གཟུགས་སྟོང་བས་ཆ་འཇོག་ལ་བློ་མ་བདེ་ན། དེས་ན་ཤེར་སྙིང་ལས། གཟུགས་སྟོང་བའོ། །སྟོང་བ་ཉིད་གཟུགས་སོ། །གཟུགས་ལས་སྟོང་བ་ཉིད་གཞན་མ་ཡིན། སྟོང་བ་ཉིད་ལས་ཀྱང་གཟུགས་གཞན་མ་ཡིན་ནོ། །ཞེས་གསུངས་པ་ཇི་ལྟར་གཞན་ཞིག་ལ་ཁ་དཀྲི་ནུས། ཐབས་མེད་པར་ཐབས་བྱུང་ཇི་ལྟར་རམ། ལྷན་ཅིག་བྱེད་རྐྱེད་མེད་པར་ཉེར་ལེན་ཙམ་གྱིས་ཇི་ལྟར་ནུས། ཉེར་ལེན་མེད་པར་ལྷན་ཅིག་བྱེད་རྐྱེན་ཙམ་གྱིས་ཀྱང་ཇི་ལྟར་ནུས་སྟེ་མི་ནུས་མོད་ཀྱང་། རིགས་པའི་བརྡར་ཤ་མུ་མཐུད་གཅོད་པར་ཁོང་གི་རྩོམ་དུམ་དེ་ཤིན་ཏུ་རྣོ་ཞིང་ངར་རོ།།

ཚེ་རབས་ཀུན་ཏུ་བླ་མས་རྗེས་འཛིན་ཞིང་། །

ཆོས་ཉིད་ཟབ་མོ་སྤྲོས་པ་བྲལ་བའི་དབྱིངས། །

མ་ནོར་རང་གིས་ཚུལ་བཞིན་རྟོགས་ནས་ནི། །

རྣམ་དག་ལམ་གྱི་བགྲོད་པ་མཐར་ཕྱིན་ཤོག །

རྣམ་དཀར་སྦྱོར་བ་སྟོང་གི་རླུང་ཤུགས་ཀྱིས། །

མེད་སྣང་འཁྲུལ་བའི་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་སྟོན་ཀའི་སྤྲིན། །

ཆོས་དབྱིངས་ནམ་མཁའི་གནས་སུ་རོ་མཉམ་སྟེ། །

སྐུ་གསུམ་རྒྱལ་བའི་ཉི་མ་འཆར་བར་ཤོག །

ཡིད་ཀྱིས་མེད་པར་ཐག་ཚོད་ཅིང་། །

མིག་གིས་ཡོད་པར་མཐོང་བའི་ཚེ། །

ཞྭ་སེར་མཁན་པོས་མ་བསླབ་ཀྱང་། །

སྒྱུ་མའི་བློ་ལས་གཞན་ཅི་འབྱུང་། །

ཡོད་མེད་བློ་ཡིས་བཞག་པའི་ཤེས་བྱ་དང་། །

བདེན་རྫུན་ཡུལ་ལ་ལྟོས་པའི་ཚད་མ་གཉིས། །

གཅིག་གི་རྫུན་ཁུངས་གཅིག་ལ་གཏད་མཐོང་ནས། །

ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་གྲུབ་འཇོག་ལ་བློ་མ་བདེ། །

མ་བརྟག་མ་དཔྱད་འཇིག་རྟེན་རྣམ་གཞག་དང་། །

བརྟགས་ཤིང་དཔྱད་པའི་གྲུབ་མཐའི་གཞུང་ལུགས་གཉིས། །

གཅིག་གི་རྩ་བ་གཅིག་ལ་ཐུག་མཐོང་ནས། །

ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་གྲུབ་འཇོག་ལ་བློ་མ་བདེ། །

བློ་ལ་སྣང་བ་ཙམ་གྱི་སྒྱུ་མ་དང་། །

དོན་ལ་ཡིན་པར་ངེས་པའི་གཤིས་ལུགས་གཉིས། །

གཅིག་ཤོས་བདེན་ན་གཅིག་ཤོས་རྫུན་མཐོང་ནས། །

ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་གྲུབ་འཇོག་ལ་བློ་མ་བདེ། །

རང་སྐྱོན་རི་བོ་འགེབ་པའི་སྔ་རྒོལ་དང་། །

གཞན་སྐྱོན་ཁབ་ཀྱིས་འཚོལ་པའི་ཕྱི་རྒོལ་གཉིས། །

གཅིག་ལས་གཅིག་རྒྱལ་རེས་སུ་བྱེད་མཐོང་ནས། །

ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་གྲུབ་འཇོག་ལ་བློ་མ་བདེ། །

ཡོད་མཐའ་འགོག་པའི་སྣང་རུང་མ་དམིགས་དང་། །

མེད་མཐའ་སྤོང་བའི་མི་སྣང་མ་དམིགས་གཉིས། །

གཅིག་གི་རྣམ་གཞག་གཅིག་གིས་བཤིག་མཐོང་ནས། །

ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་གྲུབ་འཇོག་ལ་བློ་མ་བདེ། །

གྲོགས་པོར་མཚན་མར་ཞེན་པའི་བདེན་འཛིན་དང་། །

གྲོགས་ཀྱི་ཕན་པར་རྟོགས་པའི་ཚད་མ་གཉིས། །

སྲེད་པ་སྐྱེད་ལ་ཁྱད་པར་མི་འདུག་པས། །

ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་གྲུབ་འཇོག་ལ་བློ་མ་བདེ། །

དགྲ་བོ་བདེན་པར་ཞེན་པའི་དངོས་འཛིན་དང་། །

དགྲ་ཡིས་གནོད་པ་ངེས་པའི་ཚད་མ་གཉིས། །

ཞེ་སྡང་སྐྱེད་ལ་ཁྱད་པར་མ་མཐོང་ནས། །

ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་གྲུབ་འཇོག་ལ་བློ་མ་བདེ། །

རྗེས་དཔག་ཚད་མ་མངོན་སུམ་བློ་ལས་སྐྱེས། །

མངོན་སུམ་བདེན་རྫུན་རྗེས་སུ་དཔག་པས་དཔྱད། །

ཕ་ཡི་དཔང་པོ་བུ་ཡིས་བྱས་པ་འདིས། །

ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་གྲུབ་འཇོག་ལ་བློ་མ་བདེ། །

རིགས་པས་དཔྱད་པ་ཤིང་རྟའི་སྲོལ་ལ་བརྟེན། །

ཤིང་རྟ་ཆེན་པོ་རིགས་པའི་སྟོབས་ཀྱིས་སྒྲུབ། །

རང་ཐག་ཆོད་ན་སུ་ཡི་རྗེས་སུ་འབྲང་། །

རང་ཐག་མ་ཆོད་སུ་ལ་ཡིད་རྟོན་བྱེད། །

ཡང་དག་རིགས་པ་ངེས་དོན་ལུང་ལས་རྙེད། །

དྲང་ངེས་ཁྱད་པར་དྲི་མེད་རིགས་པས་འབྱེད། །

རིགས་པས་ཤེས་ན་ངེས་དོན་ཅི་ལ་འཚོལ། །

རིགས་པས་མ་ཤེས་ངེས་དོན་ག་ལ་རྙེད། །

བྱམས་མགོན་ཁྱི་མོར་མཐོང་བའི་ངང་ཚུལ་འདིས། །

མ་བརྟགས་ལྷན་སྐྱེས་བློ་ལ་ཡིད་མ་ཆེས། །

དབུ་སེམས་མཁན་པོའི་ལྟ་གྲུབ་འགལ་ལུགས་འདིས། །

དཔྱོད་ལྡན་མཁས་པའི་བློ་ལ་ཡིད་མ་ཆེས། །

ཕལ་པ་དྲང་པོའི་རྗེས་སུ་འབྲང་འབྲང་ནས། །

རྒུད་པའི་རྩ་བ་ལྷན་སྐྱེས་བདེན་འཛིན་རྙེད། །

མཁས་པ་དྲང་པོའི་རྗེས་སུ་འབྲང་འབྲང་ནས། །

དེ་ལས་སྡུག་པའི་ཀུན་བརྟགས་བདེན་འཛིན་རྙེད། །

ཡོད་མེད་ཡིན་མིན་བདེན་རྫུན་ལ་སོགས་པའི། །

རྩོད་པའི་འུར་སྒྲ་སྒྲོག་པའི་འཇིག་རྟེན་འདིར། །

རྟག་ཏུ་ཀུན་མཐོང་ཤེས་བྱ་ཡིན་པར་སྣང་། །

རྒྱུན་དུ་གང་གོམས་ཚད་མ་ཡིན་པར་སྣང་། །

མི་མང་གང་ལ་དགའ་དེ་བདེན་པ་དང་། །

ཁ་མང་གང་ལ་མཐུན་དེ་གྲུབ་མཐར་སྣང་། །

མི་རེའི་ཁོང་ན་མི་མཐུན་ཚད་མ་རེ། །

དེ་ཡི་རྒྱབ་སྐྱོར་རྡོ་རྗེའི་བཀའ་ལུང་རེད། །

ལ་རེའི་རྒྱབ་ན་མི་མཐུན་ཆོས་ལུགས་རེ། །

དེ་ཡི་རྗེས་འབྲང་མཁས་བླུན་སྟོང་ཕྲག་རེ། །

འདི་ཉིད་བདེན་ལ་འདི་ཡིས་མི་བསླུ་ཞེས། །

རང་གི་བདེན་ཁ་རང་ལ་སྦྱིན་པ་འདི། །

རིགས་མཐུན་སྐྱེ་བོའི་ཚོགས་རྣམས་ཉམས་རེ་དགའ། །

མི་མཐུན་ཚོགས་ལ་སྨྲས་ན་ཞེ་རེ་ཁྲེལ། །

མི་མཐུན་རིགས་དྲུག་འགྲོ་བའི་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་འདིར། །

བཅུ་ཡིས་འདོད་པ་བརྒྱ་ཡིས་མི་འདོད་ཅིང་། །

མི་ཡིས་མཐོང་བ་ལྷ་ཡིས་མི་མཐོང་བས། །

བདེན་རྫུན་ཚད་མའི་ཁྲིམས་ཐག་སུ་ཡིས་ཆོད། །

ཤེས་རབ་སྦྱང་པས་མི་ཚེ་ཟད་བྱས་པའི། །

གྲུབ་མཐའ་མཁན་པོའི་བློ་ཡང་འཁྲུལ་གྱུར་ན། །

འཇིག་རྟེན་བླུན་པོའི་རྫུན་གྱི་སྣང་བ་ལ། །

ཐ་སྙད་ཚད་མར་ཡིད་རྟོན་བྱེད་པ་འཁྲུལ། །

མཁོ་ཚད་བཟང་ཚད་སེམས་ཀྱི་འཆར་སྒོ་ཀུན། །

གུད་དུ་ཕྱེ་ནས་ཚད་མར་འདོད་པ་དེས། །

སྒྱུ་མའི་གྲོང་ཁྱེར་ཞིག་པའི་ཐང་སྟོང་དུ། །

མིག་འཕྲུལ་ནོར་བུའི་ཕུང་པོ་སླར་ཡང་རྙེད། །

བཞིན་རས་ཅུང་ཟད་འགྱུར་བས་འགྱུར་བྱེད་ཅིང་། །

མེ་ལོང་ཅུང་ཟད་འགྱུར་ཡང་འགྱུར་བྱེད་པའི། །

མི་བརྟན་འགྱུར་བའི་ཤེས་བྱའི་གཟུགས་བརྙན་འདི། །

ནམ་ཞིག་མཐའ་ལ་གཏད་དུ་ཡལ་བར་ངེས། །

དཔྱད་པ་འདི་ལ་ཐུག་པས་མེད་དམ་སྙམ། །

ལག་པ་ཁབ་ལ་འཕྲད་པས་ཡོད་དམ་སྙམ། །

མྱོང་བ་མངོན་སུམ་ལག་པས་ཡིན་ནམ་སྙམ། །

སྣང་བ་འཁྲུལ་པ་སྲིད་པས་མིན་ནམ་སྙམ། །

ཡོད་པ་རྩ་བ་བཙལ་བས་མེད་དམ་སྙམ། །

མེད་པའི་རྩེ་མོ་མཐོང་བས་ཡོད་དམ་སྙམ། །

བདེན་པའི་ས་བོན་བཏབ་ན་རྫུན་པར་ཤེས། །

རྣམ་སྨིན་ལུས་དྲུག་ལྡན་པའི་རིགས་དྲུག་ལ། །

སྣང་བ་རྣམ་དྲུག་འབྱུང་བ་སྨོན་ཅི་དགོས། །

དབང་པོ་དྲུག་ལྡན་མི་ཡི་ལུས་ལ་ཡང་། །

ཐུན་མོང་རྩ་བ་མེད་པའི་སྣང་བ་དྲུག །

ཡོད་མེད་གཉིས་ལས་འདས་པའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ནི། །

ཀླུ་སྒྲུབ་ཡང་སྲས་དགོངས་པ་ཟབ་མོའི་གནད། །

གངས་ཅན་གསར་རྙིང་དམ་པ་གོང་མ་ཡིས། །

བཞེད་སྲོལ་གཅིག་ཏུ་དྲིལ་བའི་ལེགས་བཤད་འདི། །

ཁོ་བོའི་བླ་མའི་ཐུགས་རྗེའི་དགོངས་ཀློང་ནས། །

མཁྱེན་པའི་ཉི་མ་ཕྱོགས་སུ་འཆར་བའི་ཚེ། །

དམུས་ལོང་ལོག་རྟོག་སྙིང་ལ་གཟན་ན་ཡང་། །

མིག་ལྡན་བློ་ཡི་གེ་སར་འཛུམ་པར་གྱུར། །

ཕྱོགས་དུས་རྒྱལ་བ་ཡོངས་ཀྱི་དགོངས་པའི་བཅུད། །

ལུང་རིགས་མན་ངག་བསྲེག་བཅད་བརྡར་བའི་དབྱིག །

ཆོས་དབྱིངས་བསམ་མི་ཁྱབ་པའི་ས་ལེ་སྦྲམ། །

བདག་གི་སྙིང་ལ་འཆང་བ་སྔོན་གྱི་ལས། །

བྱིས་པའི་དུས་ནས་རྒས་ཤིང་འཁོགས་པའི་བར། །

སེམས་ཀྱི་ཁྱེར་སོ་ཅི་ཙམ་བརྗེས་གྱུར་པ། །

རང་གི་མྱོང་བས་དཔྱད་ན་ཤེས་ནུས་པའི། །

ད་ལྟའི་འཆར་སྒོ་འདི་ལ་ཡིད་བརྟན་ཅི། ། 

རོ་དང་མཚུངས་པའི་ལུས་པོ་འདི། །

ག་དུས་ཤི་ཡང་མི་འགྱོད་དེ། །

གསེར་དང་མཚུངས་པའི་རྣམ་དཔྱོད་དག །

མཉམ་དུ་ཤི་ན་ཤིན་ཏུ་འཕངས། །

གོམ་གཅིག་འདོར་ཡང་བདེ་བ་འཚོལ་ཕྱིར་ཏེ། །

ཚིག་གཅིག་སྨྲ་ཡང་བདེ་བ་འཚོལ་ཕྱིར་སྨྲ། །

དགེ་བའི་ལས་ཀྱང་བདེ་བའི་སླད་དུ་བྱེད། །

སྡིག་པའི་ལས་ཀྱང་བདེ་བའི་སླད་དུ་བྱེད། །

གྲོག་མ་མིག་མེད་བདེ་བའི་སླད་དུ་རྒྱུག །

ས་འབུ་རྐང་མེད་བདེ་བའི་ཆེད་དུ་རྒྱུག །

མདོར་ན་འཇིག་རྟེན་ཐམས་ཅད་བང་འགྲན་ནས། །

གཅིག་ལས་གཅིག་མགྱོགས་བདེ་བའི་ཕྱོགས་སུ་རྒྱུག །

མི་ཡི་མི་ཚེ་ཚེ་ཡི་ཁྲལ་ཡིན་པས། །

ཁྲལ་པ་འཆི་བདག་ཡུལ་དུ་མ་འཁྱོལ་བར། །

དགའ་དུས་རིང་དུ་གཏོང་བའི་ཐབས་མེད་ན།།

སྡུག༌དུས༌ཐུང༌དུ༌གཏོང༌བའི༌ཐབས༌ཅི༌ཞིག།

ཡུན་རིང་འགྲོགས་ན་ཚེ་འདིའི་བྱ་གཞག་ལ། །

མི་སྐྱོ་བྱ་བ་གཅིག་ཀྱང་ཡོད་མ་ཡིན། །

སྐྱོ་བའི་སེམས་གསོ་དམ་པའི་ལྷ་ཆོས་ཏེ། །

སེམས་ཀྱི་ཁོང་དུ་ལན་གཅིག་འོང་བར་ངེས། །

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA5ipbk77Y8&list=LL&index=1&t=576s

A piece of French poetry by Jacques Prevert with translation in Tibetan and English by me: A part of my ongoing French Lesson

Pour faire le portrait d’un oiseau

Jacques Prevert (1900-1977)

Peindre d’abord une cage

Avec une porte ouverte

Peindre ensuite

Quelque chose de joli

Quelque chose de simple

Quelque chose de beau

Quelque chose d’utile

Pour l’oiseau

Placer ensuite la toile contre un arbre

Dans un jardin

Dans un bois

Dans une foret

Se cacher derriere l’arbre

Sans rien dire

Sans bouger…

Parfois l’oiseau arrive vite

Mais il peut aussi mettre de longues annees

Avant se decider

Ne pas se decourager

Attendre

Attendre s’il le faut pendant des annees

La vitesse ou la lenteur de l’arrivee

De l’oiseau n’ayant accun rapport

Avec la reussite du tableau

Quand l’oiseau arrive

S’il arrive

Observer le plus profond silence

Attendre que l’oiseau entre dans la cage

Et quand il est entre

Fermer doucement la porte avec le pinceau

Puis

Effacer un a un tous les barreaux

Et ayant soin de ne toucher accune des plumes

De l’oiseau

Faire ensuite le portrait de l’arbre

En choisissant la plus belle de ses brances

Pour l’oiseau

Peindre aussi le vert feuillage et la fraicheur du vent

La poussiere du soleil

Et le bruit des bêtes de l’herbe dans la chaleur de l’ete

Et puis attendre que l’oiseau se decider a chanter

Si l’oiseau ne chante pas

C’est mauvais signe

Mais s’il chante c’est bon signe

Signe que vous pouvez signer

Alors vous arrachez tout doucement

Une des plumes de l’oiseau

Et vous ecrivez votre nom dans un coin de tableau.

འདབ་ཆགས་ཤིག་གི་རི་མོ་སྐྲུན་ཆེད།

Jacques Prevert (1900-1977)

ཐོག་མར་ལྕགས་ཁྲ་ཞིག་བྲིས་ཤིག

དེའི་སྒོ་ཕྱེ་ཡོད་པ།

དེ་འཕྲོར་བྲིས་ཤིག

གང་ཞིག་མཚར་བ།

གང་ཞིག་སྤྱིར་བཏང་བ།

གང་ཞིག་མཛེས་སྡུག་ལྡན་པ།

གང་ཞིག་བཀོལ་སྤྱོད་ཡོད་པ།

བྱ་དེའི་ཆེད།

དེ་འཕྲོར་རི་མོ་དེ་ཤིང་སྡོང་ཞིག་གི་ཐད་ཏུ་འགེལ་ཞིག

ལྡུམ་རྭ་ཞིག་གི་ནང་ངམ།

སྡོང་ཚོགས་ཤིག་གི་ནང་ངམ།

ཤིང་ནགས་ཤིག་གི་ནང་སྟེ།

དེས་རྒྱབ་ཀྱི་སྡོང་པོ་དེ་སྒྲིབ་པ།

གང་ཡང་མི་སྨྲ་བར།

མ་འགུལ་བའི་ངང།

སྐབས་འགར་བྱ་དེ་འབྱོར་ཚད་མྱུར་མོད།

འོན་ཀྱང་ལོ་མང་ཡང་འགོར་སྲིད།

དེས་བློ་ཐག་མ་གཅོད་པའི་སྔོན་ཚུན།

སེམས་ཤུགས་མ་ཆག

སྒུགས་ཤིག

ལོ་དེ་དག་གི་རིང་སྒུག་དགོས་ཀྱང་རུང་།

འབྱོར་ཚད་ཀྱི་མྱུར་དལ་ནི།

འབྲེལ་མ་ཆགས་ཏེ།

རི་མོའི་སྤུས་ཚད་དང་།

བྱ་དེ་འབྱོར་སྐབས།

གལ་ཏེ་དེ་འབྱོར་ན།

ཁྱད་འཕགས་ཀྱི་ལྷིང་འཇགས་མཛོད།

དེ་ལྕགས་ཁྲ་དེའི་ནང་མ་འཛུལ་བར་སྒུགས།

དེ་འཛུལ་ཟིན་པའི་སྐབས།

སྨྲ་འགུལ་མེད་པར་པིར་གྱིས་ཁྲ་སྒོ་དེ་ཆོད།

དེ་ནས།

གཅིག་གཅིག་བྱས་ནས་ཁྲའི་ལྕགས་དག་སུབས།

ཆེས་གཟབ་གཟབ་ངང་སྤུ་སྒྲོར་མ་རེག་ཆེད།

བྱ་དེའི།

དེ་འཕྲོར་ལྗོན་པའི་རི་མོ་ཞིག་གྱིས།

ཡལ་ག་དག་གང་མཛེས་འདེམས་ཐོག

བྱ་དེའི་ཆེད།

ལོ་ལྗང་དང་བསེར་བུའི་དྭངས་ཆ་ཡང་གྱིས།

ཉི་མའི་འོད་ཟེར།

དབྱར་དྲོད་ནང་རྩྭ་གསེབ་འབུ་སྲིན་གྱི་སྒྲ་ཚོགས་བཅས་ཀྱང་།

དེ་ནས་བྱ་དེས་གསུང་སྙན་འབྱིན་མིན་ཐག་གཅོད་བཅུག་ཆེད་སྒུགས།

གལ་ཏེ་བྱ་དེས་གསུང་སྙན་མ་འབྱིན་ན།

དེ་མི་ལེགས་པའི་མཚན་མ་ཞིག་རེད།

གལ་ཏེ་དེས་འབྱིན་ན། ལེགས་པའི་མཚན་མ་ཞིག་རེད།

ཁྱེད་ཀྱི་མཚན་རྟགས་འགོད་ཆོག་པའི་མཚན་མ།

དེས་ན། ཆེས་ལྷིང་བའི་ངང་ཐོགས་ཤིག

བྱ་དེའི་སྤུ་སྒྲོ་ཞིག

དེ་ནས། དེས་རི་མོའི་ཟུར་གྲུ་ཞིག་ཏུ་ཁྱེད་ཀྱི་མིང་བྲིས།

For making the portrait of a bird

Jacques Prevert (1900-1977)

Paint first a cage

With the door open,

Paint later

Something lovely,

Something simple,

Something beautiful,

Something useful

For the bird.

Place later the canvas against a tree

In a garden,

In a wood,

In a forest,

That hides the tree behind

Without saying anything

Without moving…

Sometimes the bird arrives soon

But it can also take long years

Before it decides.

Don’t get discouraged!

Wait!

Wait if should during the years.

The speed and slowness of the arrival

Of the bird doesn’t have any connections

With the success of the painting.

When the bird arrives,

If it arrives,

Observe profound silence.

Wait till it enters the cage.

And when it has entered,

Silently close the door with the paintbrush.

Then

Efface one by one those bars

And with care don’t touch the feathers

Of the bird.

Do later the picture of a tree

By choosing so lovely of its branches

For the bird.

Paint also green foliage and the freshness of wind,

The rays of the sun

And the noises of insects of grass in the warmth of summer

And then wait to let the bird decide to sing.

If the bird doesn’t sing,

It’s a bad sign

But if it sings, it’s a good sign.

Sign that you can mark.

Well, very silently, pull out

One of the feathers of the bird

And write your name at one corner of the painting.

Tibet Need You Ever!

It is really saddening to read the transcript of His Holiness’ speech at the recent gathering at Salugara, his resolute tryst with the Middle Way Approach and yet the firmer hold with such altruistic broad perspective for the benefits of both Tibet and China in the long run. Yes, only after going through it, I feel like reawakened once again to his sublime call after being adrift so far through holding rather cynical stand on its progress. I am so sorry! Tibet need you ever, your holiness, our only beacon!

His Holiness the Dalai Lama greeting the crowd before the Avalokiteshvara Empowerment in Salugara, West Bengal, on March 29, 2013. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

 Click the following link to read the full transcript translated in English:

http://tibet.net/2013/04/10/translation-of-his-holiness-the-dalai-lamas-remarks-to-tibetans-at-salugara/?fb_action_ids=558397520849805&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=timeline_og&action_object_map=%7B%22558397520849805%22%3A296715273795596%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22558397520849805%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

Beacons of Resistance, Not Desperate Acts

This questioning and affectionate writing by the author pleads with observing our grounds but not dodging away thus that prompts me to write: 'Desperate' seems to be our lax poor stand behind the Oppression Line. Yeah, self-distortion for the shallow goals. I wonder why a Tibetan like myself hasn't come out with such an insightful and timely writing--timely for the grave misconception or sort of easygoing touch looming sinister unknowingly demeaning the intrepid sublime motives of those altruistic self-immolators to the state of petty despair or desperation. So it jolts us out to recompose with a deeper sense before handling the complex lives-costing significant matters like reminding ourselves 'Don't simplify what is complicated'.

By Christophe Besuchet

I do not know if you are like me, but I find it extremely distressing to see how commonly the adjective “desperate” has been used by the media and Tibetans in exile to describe the self-immolation protests that have taken place in Tibet since 2009 — seventeen cases so far as I write this. Phrases such as “truly desperate acts” or “desperate self-immolation” have become part of the usual vocabulary and are repeated automatically, as if writers, government officials and politicians do not find it necessary to analyze for themselves the wider ambitions behind these actions.

Etymologically, the word desperation comes from the Latin desperatus, or “deprived of hopes”, and carries a sense of misery and dejection when it is applied to protest actions. Self-immolation by women and girls in Afghanistan (103 cases reported between March 2009 and March 2010) [1] can probably be referred to as “desperate acts” as those who carry them out prefer to die rather than to live under constant domestic violence and abuse. When questioned about their motives, Afghan women who survived their suicide attempts usually replied that they felt as if they had “no way out”. One of them, when asked whether she had a message for other women, even replied: “Don't burn yourself. If you want a way out, use a gun: it's less painful.” [2]

Tibetan self-immolations are entirely different. First, all available evidence indicates that they are motivated by a greater cause, not by depression, social pressure or financial burdens. As Sopa Tulku, a revered high-ranking lama who immolated himself in Golok Darlak on 8 January this year, wrote : “I am not self-immolating for my personal interests or problems, but for the six million Tibetans who have no freedom and for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet.” [3] Secondly, if Tibetans are deprived of their freedom, they are not deprived of hope. Starting with Thupten Ngodup [4], the first Tibetan known to have set himself on fire in April 1998 in New Delhi, those instances of self-immolation about which we have any background information can be said to have been carried out by happy and healthy people, who have no reason to die apart from offering their lives to the struggle against China’s occupation of Tibet. Sopa Tulku, again, was very clear in his political testament about not being desperate: “Tibetans should not loose hope in the future, a day of happiness will surely dawn”. This sense of optimism extends even to relatives; the mother of the 22-year-old Lobsang Jamyang, who immolated himself on 14 January, declared that her family “has no regret for his death” as he had “sacrificed his life for the Tibetan cause.” [5]

The hopes derived from such fearless protests have also had a strong impact on those who are resisting China’s oppression in occupied Tibet. Ngawang Choephel, an ethnomusicologist and filmmaker who spent six years in a Chinese jail on fabricated spying charges, noted recently: “In 1997 [sic], when I was in prison, I heard news of Thupten Ngodup's self-immolation in India. (…) I was encouraged and energized, like all other political prisoners in Tibet because we felt that something would happen for Tibet.” He further added: “I am sure that most of the Tibetans in Tibet who heard about Thupten Ngodup's historic sacrifice must have been inspired and moved.” [6]

There is definitely no sense of despair that we know of in any of these acts of protest. Nor any hopelessness. As far as we can tell, these self-immolations are, like every single act of resistance in Tibet, a striking example of confident resiliency, of high hopes and of unflinching determination. These sacrifices carry the dream and the moral strength of an entire nation and cannot be, carelessly or sarcastically, reduced to some tragic but useless individual acts.

This abuse of the word "desperate", unintentional as it may be for many, is damaging to these valiant actions and this must be pointed out. It is firstly injurious to the person’s memory: it shows a troubling lack of respect for his or her motives, determination and aspirations. By emphasizing some unsubstantiated anguish and despair, a heroic act will be remembered merely as a means of escape or, worse, as a sign of weakness and cowardice. In the collective psyche, this could have detrimental consequences. The Chinese regime understands very well the need to demean the memory of those who have committed self-immolation and was, for example, quick to accuse, albeit without success, Sopa Tulku of suicide because of a secret love affair. But it is also harmful to the promise these self-immolations can represent for a renewed struggle against China’s occupation: by branding them desperate and viewing them as hopeless protests, we risk nipping in the bud any hope of a potential revolution. And here we are touching a much more sensitive issue, at least as far as the Tibetan leadership in Dharamshala is concerned.

When committing self-immolation, these people certainly had several objectives in mind. They probably did not think of just carrying out a one-shot dramatic action, but considered their sacrifices as sparks that would set off a larger resistance movement. It is usually explained that their aim was just to draw the world’s attention to Chinese repression in Tibet, but this is not entirely true. Many Tibetans, in Tibet and in exile, have indeed become disheartened about meaningful political engagement on their behalf by foreign countries. Besides, not a single reference was made by the self-immolators to the United Nations or to any foreign government in their messages. The wider goal of these self-immolations, probably not consciously planned but definitely anticipated, was to serve as a wake-up call for Tibetans to unite and stand up against the Chinese occupation. There is little doubt about this. These acts of defiance have indeed inspired courage in those with the will to resist, and their authors must have carefully considered the obvious eventuality of such a chain reaction. The pro-independence protests that broke out in the Golok region following Sopa Tulku’s self-immolation, or in Ngaba county following that of Lobsang Jamyang, clearly demonstrate how these actions acted as catalysts — even if the second protest seems to have been triggered by the inhumane beating of Lobsang Jamyang, still in flames, by the police forces.

It would be very surprising if Tibetans who set themselves on fire, especially nuns and monks trained in the field of causality, were not conscious of the fact that their actions can have tremendous consequences and can capture the discontent and frustration of their compatriots. They may (or may not) have heard of Mohamed Bouazizi, the man whose self-immolation sparked last year’s Tunisian revolution and inspired the wider Arab Spring, but they definitely realize the immense potential of unrest triggered by their actions. Looking at the disproportionate number of Chinese paramilitary troops, police forces and SWAT teams deployed in the restive areas in Tibet, it leaves no room for doubt that Beijing realizes the explosive nature of these protests and is taking the threats posed by them very seriously. Why, then, does Dharamshala not take advantage of the situation?

The Tibetan Government-in-Exile, obstinate and a prisoner of its own Middle Way Approach, has actually every reason to minimize the scope of these self-immolations. First, these confrontational actions go against the official policy of appeasement which, high-ranking officials are convinced, is the only key to resolving the conflict. But more importantly, demands for independence by some of the self-immolators, and references to Tibet as a “nation” (rgyal-khab) by others, clearly show the meager support for “genuine autonomy”.

It should come therefore as no surprise that the Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay refers to these acts of self-immolation in The Washington Post as “desperate acts” [7] or declares in a recent interview that "monks are self-immolating out of helplessness". [8] Nor should it comes as a surprise when, reading the names of all those who set themselves on fire in Tibet, the same prime minister, in front of nearly 200,000 Tibetans who had gathered in Bodh Gaya for the Kalachakra teachings, somehow omitted the name of 20-year-old Tapey, the first person who committed self-immolation in Tibet in February 2009.

But despite Dharamshala’s reluctance to acknowledge the true ambitions of self-immolators and the foreign media’s refusal to portray the Tibetan struggle for what it is, something urgently needs to be undertaken to ensure that these actions do not happen indefinitely. Putting an end to self-immolations — and making certain they serve a real purpose — will, however, not be achieved simply by lifting the sieges of monasteries and withdrawing paramilitary forces from restive areas. Tanks and machine guns are merely a visible symptom of China’s ruthless domination. No matter how much relief Chinese “restraint” (the word used by the US Government’s Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues) [9] would provide to local residents, it would represent no more than a short-term fix. One day or another, protests will break out again, most probably on a more radical scale and involving greater casualties.

Renewed resistance, on the other hand, organized and more confrontational, would most probably drive dedicated people inside Tibet to undertake actions that do not forcibly involve setting oneself on fire. Since 2008, Tibetans in Tibet have clearly demonstrated their determination and courage. The resistance movement against China’s occupation has been continuously growing in that four-year span and has reached a stage unknown since the 1950s. Intellectuals and artists who had previously avoided taking a stand are now firmly on board, calls for independence and the use of the Tibetan national flag have become more frequent than ever, and acts of non-cooperation, embodied in the very inspiring Lhakar movement [10], are increasingly carried out throughout Tibet. All over the country a new sense of national identity is growing, new forms of resistance are being invented; all over the country discontent is boiling. Such a conjuncture occurs only rarely.

In such circumstances, it is not hard to imagine that an official appeal by Dharamshala to unite and engage in major non-violent actions would have a tremendous effect in Tibet. Calling for a country-wide non-cooperation movement, for example, would undoubtedly be hailed and, as much as conditions allow, embraced by the majority of Tibetans living under Chinese domination. Such a step would also, it is worth noting, confer solid legitimacy on the new leadership in exile whose election was enthusiastically followed in Tibet and in whom Tibetans in Tibet have still high hopes. However, once again I have to express my doubts about the Tibetan Government-in-Exile’s willingness to lead the struggle. The Middle Way Approach is not only a claim for autonomy, it has also proven to be a call for non-action and surrender, and it has never served to provide direction to Tibetans in Tibet (apart, maybe, from advocating collaboration with the Chinese occupiers). Based on the prime minister’s statements and on his fear of ruthless sanctions from China [11], Dharamshala will definitely not encourage political protests in Tibet anytime soon.

But I am convinced of one thing: without taking Tibetan resistance to a new level, there is little chance that self-immolations and similar extreme actions will stop. Going back to the prior status quo is not an option and Tibetans are now approaching a point where there is no turning back. The “Tsampa Revolution”, as coined by Jigme Ugen, is on the move. To quote lyrics by the British singer Peter Gabriel, written after the death of Steven Biko in a South African jail: “You can blow out a candle, but you cannot blow out a fire; once the flames begin to catch, the wind will blow it higher." [12]

These self-immolators are true freedom fighters, who use the ultimate form of non-violent action — the most painful one — to free their country from oppression. The minimum we ought to do is to view their sacrifices for what they are, not for what our myopic approach wishes them to be. These men and women are not desperate victims of China’s totalitarianism. They are not people who gave in to Chinese might because they were “deprived of hope”. They are sacrificing themselves for the benefit of their countrymen and women, and for the restoration of a nation’s pride, because they know their actions can make a difference. Because they are carrying the hope that Tibet will be free some day. They are the beacons of a renewed struggle against China’s tyranny and an inspiration for millions of Tibetans to unite and fight for their independence. May the sacrifices of these Tibetan self-immolators mark the beginning of Communist China’s downfall.

 

Christophe Besuchet is an art director and a long-time activist in Tibet's independence movement. He is currently the Vice President of Switzerland's Rangzen Alliance.

The views expressed in this piece are that of the author and the publication of the piece on this website does not necessarily reflect their endorsement by the website.

Notes

[1] Abigail Hauslohner, "Afghanistan: When Women Set Themselves on Fire", Time, 7 July 2010

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2002340,00.html

[2] Martin Patience , "Afghan women who turn to immolation", BBC, 19 March 2009

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7942819.stm

[3] ༢༠༡༢ལོའི་བོད་ནང་གི་མེར་བསྲེགས་གནས་ཚུལ་ཐོག་མ། Tibet Times, 9 Jan 2012

http://www.tibettimes.net/news.php?cat=49&&id=5385

[4] Jamyang Norbu, "Remembering Thupten Ngodup", 12 May 2008

http://www.jamyangnorbu.com/blog/2008/05/12/remembering-thupten-ngodup/

[5] "‘No Regret’ For Loss: Mother", RFA, 18 Jan 2012

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/mother-01182012151811.html

[6] Ngawang Choephel, "Are we ignoring self-immolation?", 2 January 2012

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150452176846793

[7] Dr Lobsang Sangay, "Chinese repression to blame for immolations in Tibet", The Washington Post, 4 November 2011

http://bit.ly/vGyddB

[8] Vishal Arora, "World will regret its neglect of Tibet: Tibetan PM", IANS, 18 Jan 2012.

http://bit.ly/xprV5X

[9] "Statement by Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Maria Otero", 24 January 2012

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/01/182424.htm

[10] http://lhakar.org/

[11] "Tibetan PM Discouraging Political Protest In Tibet?", Tibettruth.com, 2 Nov 2011

http://tibettruth.com/2011/11/02/tibetan-pm-discouraging-political-protest-in-tibet/

[12] Peter Gabriel - Biko (1987)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgM-1r0X5Zc

Integrity: The Internal Root Cause We Do Lack in Practicality

Gyalwang Karmapa Rinpche strikes the right pivotal chord what we need as the prerequisite for safeguarding our unique religious and cultural values given the fact of diverse sectarian divisions that matter more diehard complex than regional case at the deeper faith-based intellectual level rather than more solvable geo-political ramifications. But the latter isn't that normal case being without an active guidance and unbiased and broader personal hold that sees such as a huge setback. Given the parameter of his allowed freedom of speech even here in exile Rinpoche is careful enough not to cast out a single phrase sounding political and do they from Tibet know the same? But what he stresses on what we do lack in practicality through our backward and narrow hold is, for me, the question of our survival in true sense that we wish or can say so. Rinpoche is aware that Integrity based on broader sense is everything for us now to come out real strong, dedicated and lasting ever. As it's curiously questionable how we lack thus even here on such political status, Rinpoche seems to take this core sense in us is as latent as how we sense of being a refugee rather than an expatriate.  Gyalwang Karmapa calls for unity amongst Tibetans

Phayul[Saturday, January 07, 2012 22:09] Gyalwang Karmapa addressing a gathering of Tibetans from Tibet at Bodh Gaya on January 5, 2012. BODH GAYA, January 7: Speaking exclusively to an audience of Tibetans from Tibet Thursday in Bodh Gaya, Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje called for unity amongst the Tibetan people and the preservation of Tibetan culture and religion within Tibet. "The main condition that will allow Tibetans to preserve our religion and culture will be to pull together and to stand united,” Gyalwang Karmapa said while urging Tibetans to set aside sectarian divisions. "We all share a common identity as Tibetans,” he said. “If that can be kept in mind, then together we can face whatever situations occur.” Addressing the gathering of over 8000 devotees who are attending the ongoing Kalachakra teachings, Gyalwang Karmapa said that the “main job” for Tibetans still residing in their homeland is to “guard and preserve Tibetan culture and religion”. "I want you to know that we here in exile are well aware of the sufferings and problems you face in Tibet. Do not despair, please think long term and seek out skillful means to guard the Tibetan religion and culture.” Paying tribute to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s “pivotal role” in uniting the Tibetan people, Gyalwang Karmapa praised the Dalai Lama for his activities and the vast scope of his vision in leading the Tibetan people. "Today, Tibetans are able to overcome internal divisions and unite under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, their supreme guide”. Citing historical relationship between China and Tibet, the young Tibetan spiritual leader urged the Tibetan pilgrims from Tibet to maintain a good relationship with the Chinese citizens in China occupied Tibet. "As a spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama always focuses on love and compassion. We know the situation inside Tibet and we can understand your problems but always try to build friendship with the Chinese citizens,” Gyalwang Karmapa said. Apparently referring to the recent spate of self-immolations inside Tibet, Gyalwang Karmapa urged Tibetans to preserve the Tibetan culture and the spirit of Tibet without ending one’s life. "I have been studying hard since I came into exile. I am 26 now and I am determined to serve the Tibetan people in the future,” Gyalwang Karmapa said. I am very hopeful that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be able to return back to Tibet within his lifetime”. http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=30662&article=Gyalwang+Karmapa+calls+for+unity+amongst+Tibetans

Comet Lovejoy: Our Hold Put To Test

Comet Lovejoy! But it's a comet. Here it tells a different story otherwise, not the one we tend to hold for such sight of Karma Dhuwa Jukring (Long smoky tailed star), favorable from the name given. An aesthete's judgement, may be; absolutely different perspective consumable from its beauty. But our hold seems to prove some validity so far despite being rather aberrant to a seeing mind.

*

Christmas Comet Lovejoy

Photograph by Alex Cherney, TWAN

Comet Lovejoy seems to dive into the sunrise as seen from Cape Schanck in Melbourne, Australia, last Friday.

Officially known as C/2011 W3, comet Lovejoy was discovered by amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy of Brisbane, Australia, in late November. The ball of ice and dust was identified as a Kreutz sungrazer, a family of comets thought to be fragments from a larger body that broke up centuries ago.

Astronomers predicted comet Lovejoy would be destroyed when it made a close pass by the sun late on December 15, eastern time. But to the surprise of many—including its discoverer—the comet survived its solar encounter and reappeared after a few hours.

Although Lovejoy lost its original tail as it skimmed the sun's surface, the comet "reappeared almost like a point and redeveloped a tail on the way out, which I thought was quite amazing," astronomer Lovejoy told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Comet Lovejoy became visible to the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere last week—and continued to streak across predawn skies through the holiday weekend.

Published December 27, 2011

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/12/pictures/111227-comet-lovejoy-pictures-space-station-nasa-paranal-chile/?fb_ref=.TvsM1cLq6AM.like&fb_source=timeline

Timeline: Tibet

Courtesy: I would like to thank BBC for publishing the following 'A chronology of key events' titled as 'Timeline: Tibet', which I came across through one of my facebook buds status update and prompted me to publish here as to serve both my personal impulse and as the strong rebuttal to any trace of that lofty myth of Shangrila when Tibet is concerned in the conventional spheres of humanly world and their struggles for survival.  A chronology of key events: 7th-9th century - Namri Songzen and descendants begin to unify Tibetan-inhabited areas and conquer neighbouring territories, in competition with China. A Tibetan pilgrim. Picture: John Miles/PA Wire 822 - Peace treaty with China delineates borders. 1244 - Mongols conquer Tibet. Tibet enjoys considerable autonomy under Yuan Dynasty. 1598 - Mongol Altan Khan makes high lama Sonam Gyatso first Dalai Lama. 1630s-1717 - Tibet involved in power struggles between Manchu and Mongol factions in China. 1624 - First European contact as Tibetans allow Portuguese missionaries to open church. Expelled at lama's insistence in 1745. 1717 - Dzungar (Oirot) Mongols conquer Tibet and sack Lhasa. Chinese Emperor Kangxi eventually ousts them in 1720, and re-establishes rule of Dalai Lama. 1724 - Chinese Manchu (Qing) dynasty appoints resident commissioner to run Tibet, annexes parts of historic Kham and Amdo provinces. 1750 - Rebellion against Chinese commissioners quelled by Chinese army, which keeps 2,000-strong garrison in Lhasa. Dalai Lama government appointed to run daily administration under supervision of commissioner. 1774 - British East India Company agent George Bogle visits to assess trade possibilities. 1788 and 1791 - China sends troops to expel Nepalese invaders. 1793 - China decrees its commissioners in Lhasa to supervise selection of Dalai and other senior lamas. Foreigners banned 1850s - Russian and British rivalry for control of Central Asia prompts Tibetan government to ban all foreigners and shut borders. 1865 - Britain starts discreetly mapping Tibet. Buddhism has been present for more than 12 centuries BBC Religion & Ethics: Tibetan Buddhism 1904 - Dalai Lama flees British military expedition under Colonel Francis Younghusband. Britain forces Tibet to sign trading agreement in order to forestall any Russian overtures. 1906 - British-Chinese Convention of 1906 confirms 1904 agreement, pledges Britain not to annex or interfere in Tibet in return for indemnity from Chinese government. 1907 - Britain and Russia acknowledge Chinese suzerainty over Tibet. 1908-09 - China restores Dalai Lama, who flees to India as China sends in army to control his government. 1912 April - Chinese garrison surrenders to Tibetan authorities after Chinese Republic declared. Independence declared 1912 - 13th Dalai Lama returns from India, Chinese troops leave. 1913 - Tibet reasserts independence after decades of rebuffing attempts by Britain and China to establish control. Lhasa - "place of the gods" At 3,650m (12,500ft), one of the world's highest cities Population: 250,000 In the early 20th century, nearly 50% of residents were Buddhist monks 1935 - The man who will later become the 14th Dalai Lama is born to a peasant family in a small village in north-eastern Tibet. Two years later, Buddhist officials declare him to be the reincarnation of the 13 previous Dalai Lamas. 1949 - Mao Zedong proclaims the founding of the People's Republic of China and threatens Tibet with "liberation". 1950 - China enforces a long-held claim to Tibet. The Dalai Lama, now aged 15, officially becomes head of state. 1951 - Tibetan leaders are forced to sign a treaty dictated by China. The treaty, known as the "Seventeen Point Agreement", professes to guarantee Tibetan autonomy and to respect the Buddhist religion, but also allows the establishment of Chinese civil and military headquarters at Lhasa. Mid-1950s - Mounting resentment against Chinese rule leads to outbreaks of armed resistance. 1954 - The Dalai Lama visits Beijing for talks with Mao, but China still fails to honour the Seventeen Point Agreement. Revolt 1959 March - Full-scale uprising breaks out in Lhasa. Thousands are said to have died during the suppression of the revolt. The Dalai Lama and most of his ministers flee to northern India, to be followed by some 80,000 other Tibetans. 1963 - Foreign visitors are banned from Tibet. The Dalai Lama is the supreme head of Tibetan Buddhism Profile: The Dalai Lama In pictures: The Dalai Lama's 70th birthday 1965 - Chinese government establishes Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). 1966 - The Cultural Revolution reaches Tibet and results in the destruction of a large number of monasteries and cultural artefacts. 1971 - Foreign visitors are again allowed to enter the country. Late 1970s - End of Cultural Revolution leads to some easing of repression, though large-scale relocation of Han Chinese into Tibet continues. 1980s - China introduces "Open Door" reforms and boosts investment while resisting any move towards greater autonomy for Tibet. 1987 - The Dalai Lama calls for the establishment of Tibet as a zone of peace and continues to seek dialogue with China, with the aim of achieving genuine self-rule for Tibet within China. 1988 - China imposes martial law after riots break out. The controversial Golmud-Lhasa railway opened in 2006 Railway raises fears for future In pictures: Qinghai-Tibet railway 1989 - The Dalai Lama is awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. 1993 - Talks between China and the Dalai Lama break down. 1995 - The Dalai Lama names a six-year-old boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, as the true reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, the second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism. The Chinese authorities place the boy under house arrest and designate another six-year-old boy, Gyancain Norbu, as their officially sanctioned Panchen Lama. 2002 - Contacts between the Dalai Lama and Beijing are resumed. Rail link 2006 July - A new railway linking Lhasa and the Chinese city of Golmud is opened. The Chinese authorities hail it as a feat of engineering, but critics say it will significantly increase Han Chinese traffic to Tibet and accelerate the undermining of traditional Tibetan culture. A pro-Tibet activist disrupts the Olympic torch relay through London 2007 November - The Dalai Lama hints at a break with the centuries-old tradition of selecting his successor, saying the Tibetan people should have a role. 2007 December - The number of tourists travelling to Tibet hits a record high, up 64% year on year at just over four million, Chinese state media say. 2008 March - Anti-China protests escalate into the worst violence Tibet has seen in 20 years, five months before Beijing hosts the Olympic Games. Pro-Tibet activists in several countries focus world attention on the region by disrupting progress of the Olympic torch relay. 2008 October - The Dalai Lama says he has lost hope of reaching agreement with China about the future of Tibet. He suggests that his government-in-exile could now harden its position towards Beijing. 2008 November - The British government recognises China's direct rule over Tibet for the first time. Critics say the move undermines the Dalai Lama in his talks with China. China says there has been no progress in the latest round of talks with aides of the Dalai Lama, and blames the Tibetan exiles for the failure of the discussions. A meeting of Tibetan exiles in northern India reaffirms support for the Dalai Lama's long-standing policy of seeking autonomy, rather than independence, from China. 2008 December - Row breaks out between European Union and China after Dalai Lama addresses European MPs. China suspends high-level ties with France after President Nicolas Sarkozy meets the Dalai Lama. Anniversary 2009 January - Chinese authorities detain 81 people and question nearly 6,000 alleged criminals in what the Tibetan government-in-exile called a security crackdown ahead of the March anniversary of the 1959 flight of the Dalai Lama. 2009 March - China marks flight of Dalai Lama with new "Serfs' Liberation Day" public holiday. China promotes its appointee as Panchen Lama, the second-highest-ranking Lama, as spokesman for Chinese rule in Tibet. Government reopens Tibet to tourists after a two-month closure ahead of the anniversary. 2009 April - China and France restore high-level contacts after December rift over President Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama, and ahead of a meeting between President Sarkozy and China's President Hu Jintao at the London G20 summit. 2009 August - Following serious ethnic unrest in China's Xinjiang region, the Dalai Lama describes Beijing's policy on ethnic minorities as "a failure". But he also says that the Tibetan issue is a Chinese domestic problem. 2009 October - China confirms that at least two Tibetans have been executed for their involvement in anti-China riots in Lhasa in March 2008. 2009 January - Head of pro-Beijing Tibet government, Qiangba Puncog, resigns. A former army soldier and, like Puncog, ethnic Tibetan, Padma Choling, is chosen to succeed him. 2010 April - Envoys of Dalai Lama visit Beijing to resume talks with Chinese officials after a break of more than one year. 2011 April - Dalai Lama announces his retirement from politics. Exiled Tibetans elect Lobsang Sangay to lead the government-in-exile.