A dry desert valley opened out, and I saw a handful of lamas and young boys, acolytes, toiling over a piece of terrain. Closer, it was apparent that they were sculpting a miniature city—stores, temples, houses, people, dogs in the street—of sand. It stretched for half a mile, but was only about two inches high. So tiny and perfect.
"Wow," I thought when I woke up."What a lot of work to just crumble as it dries and to be swept away by the wind."
I think that, too, about those colored sand mandalas that Tibetan monks make.
And about the theocracy they built. Which the prevailing winds and the bootprints of Chinese soldiers have erased.
fair warning: on block island or manhattan or in missouri, we can be a little salty
I'm assuming you've all seen this.
ReplyDeleteI just signed an urgent petition calling on the Chinese government to
respect human rights in Tibet and engage in meaningful dialogue with
the Dalai Lama. This is really important, and I thought you might
want to take action:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/98.php/?CLICK_TF_TRACK
After nearly 50 years of Chinese rule, the Tibetans are sending out a
global cry for change. But violence is spreading across Tibet and
neighbouring regions, and the Chinese regime is right now considering
a choice between increasing brutality or dialogue, that could
determine the future of Tibet and China.
We can affect this historic choice. China does care about its
international reputation. Its economy is totally dependent on
"Made in China" exports that we all buy, and it is keen to
make the Olympics in Beijing this summer a celebration of a new China
that is a respected world power.
President Hu needs to hear that 'Brand China' and the
Olympics can succeed only if he makes the right choice. But it will
take an avalanche of global people power to get his attention. Click
below to join me and sign a petition to President Hu calling for
restraint in Tibet and dialogue with the Dalai Lama -- and tell
absolutely everyone you can right away. The petition is organized by
Avaaz, and they are urgently aiming to reach 1 million signatures to
deliver directly to Chinese officials:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/98.php/?CLICK_TF_TRACK