The Drepung Monastery, where we visited today, is over 600 years old. We had the chance to touch a bit of the eternal, see the oldest statues, and one of the world's oldest libraries with Tibetan scriptures, carefully wrapped in bundles. Afterwards, we headed to the Lamas' summer residence and the beautiful Norbulingka park, which surrounds the palaces. From the Potala Winter Palace, which we visited yesterday, it's only a couple of kilometers to this summer paradise. Locals hold festivals and celebrations here (the yogurt festival, made from yak milk of course, was a real treat – I even tried yogurt ice cream, and it was delicious!), and they watch Tibetan opera. The most recent of the four palaces was built in 1950, and the last Lama lived there for only a short time before his forced departure, but many of his personal belongings, furniture, and relics are still preserved. A gentle sadness fills this place. But who knows, perhaps without the tragic events that took place here in the mid-20th century, Tibet would have remained closed off, and its philosophy and culture wouldn’t have had the chance to spread and capture the world's attention beyond its borders.
Buddhists believe that everything happens as it should, and that there are far more important questions of self-discovery that we must pursue.
Tomorrow we leave Lhasa, moving further and higher into a new city. I’ll continue from there... 🙏🏼
