~thoughts of the day~

i love the all these different shirts...

something that will remain within me~

Today here I am going to write about what I literally think of being a youth and most importantly being a Tibetan among you dear Tibetan. This is going to be only my personal views and my individual thoughts as a Tibetan living in between the country I was born and brought up. I was born in Dehradun India and brought up in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sounds interesting right, a Tibetan who was born in India and brought up in Nepal. I am sure there are many cases like mine whose identity is related between three countries i.e.  Nepal, India and Yes Tibet.

I belong to a normal Tibetan khampa family who holds this special place for our one and only ‘His Holiness the Dalai lama’. I remember my parents once telling me when I was a kid, Kundun “H.H. the Dalai Lama” is only what we Tibetans have, so consider him as your God, your master, your parents and pay all the respect and esteem to him for our sake. But never felt the words validate until I first had an audience with the Dalai Lama in Darjeeling Sonada during my primary school days. Like every other young school students, I was giggling and playing with my peers in the queue to welcome our Kundun.  At that time, all I could see was a man covered in red clothes and his both hands folded, turning to the people with this Smile (smile which is beyond my description when I am writing this). All I saw was a man in red dress smiling at us, and there I go, I was shedding tears instantly. What were the tears for?? That was the only question rising and falling within me but there was nobody to answer my one single question as I was asking the question within me and to myself only.

“Kundun ‘H.H. the Dalai Lama’ is only what we Tibetans have”. The words sparked back my memories and I was truly smiling then. That very moment I knew what my parents wanted to make me understand. Dalai Lama has a special place in every Tibetan’s heart; it’s the undeniable fact from the history of Tibet till now. I have a strong belief in my Kundun, on our Dalai Lama and the belief certainly suggests me to stand as a fine citizen of Tibet, to everyone who has faith in him. But the question arises, are you standing as a fine Tibetan in the society? Are you?

When I was in school our Tibetan teachers would always come up with the guidance to study hard, to do good deeds for the country, to earn name in the society by being a fine Tibetan, then they would conclude their advice with the line “you children should never forget that you are the future seeds of Tibet” you got it students?                                                                                                                     

                                                      Other than anything, we would, at that time, nod our head as an obedient follower and sanction our teacher’s piece of advice.

Do you ever remember yourself considered as the future seeds of Tibet?? Well I do, and I am sure every Tibetans are closely familiar with this. So what are “Future seeds of Tibet” and where are the future seeds of Tibet now?

It is a high time to think over this fact and remember this as a responsibility that every individual holds; but it’s your own choice if you take this responsibility, fake it or just leave it. 

“You are the future seeds of Tibet” The lines still haunts me whenever I attend a function or any gathering around the Tibetan community and it did, once again recently when I was there in the monastery to attend an important day for our people to celebrate. The expressions of the words are still as fresh as it was once when whispered to my ears. And today, I hear them all over again. I start to grow uneasy inside thinking over the thoughts that runs like a never-stopping-marathon-race and the question beeps again “What am I doing being a Tibetan in a free country where we have the right to speak, make a movement to salvation and when we still have doors to knock to hear our words of  truth?” I swear I feel disheartened when I realize that the future seeds of once upon a time still has not made it to a plant.

And the time is approaching near to pass the same saying to the coming generation. I am afraid if this is going to be a never ending trade. I may not be wrong if I question how long is it going to continue to bypass the saying and how long we are going to wait for the future seeds to make it into a concrete tree and give shelter of wisdom. Question approaches when?

I see people wearing Tibetan slogans of shirts, caps and even  bags in the midst of crowd, I feel delighted but again another question makes yet another place in my crammed thoughts;  do u think that will affect in the mind of the people or will it ever bring better shape to the current situation of country? Or this act of wearing some slogans around the places is the only attempt to your country?

It’s very important for you to think about who you are in reality beside all those are branded shoes, clothes, the handsome paying job or whatever you think adds a personality to you. What are you and who are you?

If you think you have earned a name in the society then go in front of the mirror and ask yourself if you have done anything as a Tibetan for your country Tibet? If not then it’s time to think and bring changes in you, me, us and our thinking no matter wherever we are. We should never forget that we are the only “second class citizen” who often forgets our certain Dream of responsibility living as an exile.