Under high security measurements we entered the famous Potala Palace which stretches out majestically upon Marpori Hill over the roof tops of Lhasa. We had to climb over 170 steps to reach the inner court yard from where we proceeded into the many chambers and halls of the former residence of his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. While the white part of the palace inherits facilities for political and worldly matters, the red painted buildings are dedicated to spirituality and host many precious buddhist artifacts.
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On the first day in Central Tibet our Sorig Tours group already visited one of the biggest highlights of the week: the birthplace of Yuthok Yönten Gonpo the Elder close to Lhasa. He is considered to be the founding father of Traditional Tibetan Medicine, Sowa Rigpa. Remarkably Yuthok was not only a great doctor who reached the unbelievable age of 125 years in the 8th century A.D. but he was also a highly realized buddhist practitioner who achieved the absolute rainbow body - the highest form of enlightenment. To reach this level of consciousness means to develope a condition in which your bodily constituents disolve into pure rainbow light after death, only leaving nails and hair behind. Yuthok achieved this state - together with his wife, and his dog.
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Barkor Square is a circular street going around the famous Jokhang Temple in the centre of Lhasa. The temple is the spiritual heart of all Tibetans and many priceless religious artifacts are beeing kept within. Day and night masses of tibetan pilgrims circulate Jokhang and prostrate countless times for bliss and spiritual development. The devotion of the tibetan people for this holy place creates a unique atmosphere of peace and mysticism, bringing ancient buddhist deities back to life ...
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This year's Sorig Tour stopped once again in Malho (chin. Sogzong) in the East Tibetan province of Amdo (chin. Quinghai) in August 2017 to provide free medical treatments according to Sowa Rigpa to the local inhabitants and nomads. The patients were able to receive acupuncture, dry and wet cupping, Moxibustion, Horme, Ku Nye massages and physiotherapy as well as tibetan and allopathic medications depending on their individual needs in the Henan Mongolian Autonomous County People's Hospital. Most of the patients were suffering from arthritis, skin disorders, allergies and gastritis due to their hard working conditions and heavy diets which mainly consist of spicy, oily and fried dishes as well as processed fast food. Some people even travelled for 2 - 3 days to receive consultations from Dr. Nida Chenagtsang and treatments of the Sorig group.
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During our stay in the town of Sogzong and our work in the Peoples Hospital we also had many opportunities to meet some of the local citizens and nomads of Amdo in different occasions. So many of our patients insisted on inviting us to their homes to have lunch or dinner with us. For them it was an honour to host us and for our Sorig Tour group it was great fun, an celebration for our tongues and bellies as well as a chance to get more in touch (and also shake) with the tibetan culture of Amdo. Read the full article here ...
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A day trip away from Kathmandu lies Bhaktapur, the smallest of the three cities of kings in the Kathmandu valley. It is well known for pottery, music and Thangka painting too. We enjoyed to walk through the small streets and across brown bricked temple plazas and went to a Thangka school which Phil has visited in 2014 already. It was a relaxing day outside of stressy Kathmandu.
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About one and a half hour walk above Namche Bazaar, 3840m above sea level lies the peaceful village of Khunde. Among other things the village is especially known for it's Edmund Hillary Hospital which was established in 1966 and provides medical care for residents and trekkers until today ... Read the full article here!
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