topics: |  autobiography | tibet | dalai

opening sentences:
1935: "I was born in a small village called Taktser, in the NE of Tibet, on
       the 5th day of the 5th month of the Wood Hog Year of the Tibetan
       calendar -- that is, in 1935.  Taktser is in the district called
       Dokhm, and that name is descriptive, for Do means the lower part of a
       valley that merges into the plains, and Kham is the eastern part of
       Tibet where a distinctive race of Tibetans called Khampa lives. ... 9K
       ft above sea level. "

       nearby monastery: Karma Shar Tsong Ridro, founded by Karma Rolpai
       Dorje, 5th incn of Karma-pa, who was the first incarnation recogn in
       Tibet.   monsastery at which Tsongkhapa was initiated as a monk in
       14th c.

       prayer flags on roofs of all villages; dharma chakra emblem, supported
       by deer of copper and gold - on lower monastery Amdo Jhakyung - gave
       an air of sanctity to whole nbrhd.
       Farming community, food was wheat flour and Tsampa - kind of barley
       meal - and meat and butter, drinks - buttered tea and chhang, a beer
       made from barley.

       There are diff opinions among Buddhists abt eating meat; however, in
       Tibet it is a necessity - food variety is very limited, hence imposs
       to stay healthy without eating meat - custom had lingered from before
       Buddhism.  However, killing an animal was sin, and butchers were
       outcasts.

       surplus barley sold in nearest towns
       Theirs was a farming family - member of his family had been a
       forefathers - originally his forefathers had come from
       Central Tibet to Dokham - family dialect had many words from Central
       Tibet - e.g. cheney for bowl and Khenbu for spoon.
       had 2 sisters and 4 brothers - mother gave birth to 16 children, nine
       died in infancy.

1941: "My education began when I was six, and I was taught entirely by the
       traditional system of Tibet... Our sytem has proved effective, so far,
       in maintaining a fairly high moral and intellectual standard ... basic
       purpose is to broaden the mind through a wide variety of traditional
       knowledge". drama, dance/music, astrology, poetry, composition: "Five
       minor subjects".  Higher education: art of healing, Sanskrit,
       dialectics, arts and crafts, metaphysics and philo of religion - last
       is most important. Together with dialectics, this is divided into five
       branches, in Skt: Prajnaparamita, perfection of wisdom; Madhyamika,
       the middle path - avoidance of extremes, Vinaya, monastic discipline,
       Abhidharma, Metaphysics, Pramana, logic and dialectics.  The Tantric
       part of Mahayana is studied separately.

       First six years : reading, writing, in U-chhen (printing script) and
       U-me (writing script); memorializing verses, etc.

1947: "My religious educn in dialectical discussion did not begin in earnest
       until I was 12". Learned by heart the treatises on the "higher
       subjects", and take part in discussions on them.  studies became more
       agreeable.  Started with 30 vols of commentary on the Prajnaparamita;
       chose commentaries by Singhabhadra and by 5th DL Lobzang Gyatso.