Hey, it’s Thösam here :). Since many people have asked about my last trip to India, I thought it would be a good initiative to write an article about it. To share some of my thoughts and hopefully, it will inspire you to do something similar in the future :). In any case, I wish you a pleasant reading !

Tibetan prayer stones and prayer flags.

Table of contents

• Motivations
• Before the trip
• Sarah College
• Courses at Sarah College
  • Daily Schedule
• Things to do in Dharamsala
  • Tibet Museum
  • Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
  • Tibetan Institue of Performing Arts
  • Namgyal Monastery and Dalai Lama Temple
  • Norbulingka Institute
  • Tushita Meditation Center
  • Delek Hospital
• Reflecting on the trip
• My heartfelt gratitude

Motivations

When reflecting on my past relationship and recalling some of the conflicts we had. I understand that many of them arose because I couldn’t control my mind and my emotions.

My mind was in a messy place, which led me to cultivate many negative emotions, it was tough on my side and I think it was tougher on her side. I thought that learning how to manage my mind and my emotions would be a precious skill to learn, so I started searching online on how to do this.

The best materials I have found were from Buddhism. In Tibetan, Buddhism is called ནང་ཆོས་ (pronounced “nang chö”) which translates to “the Dharma of the insiders”. Insider meaning someone who seeks the truth not outside but within themselves, by analyzing the nature of their own mind. I saw something, some wisdom and some detailed explanations to our inner mind in the buddhist scriptures. I believed that by learning more about the wisdom contained in those texts, it would help me be more in control of my own mind and emotions.

Before the trip

I knew that his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama lives in Dharamsala and that the Tibetan government in exile is also situated there. I thought to myself that if I had to go somewhere to study seriously, it had to be there.

I searched a lot on the internet for possibilities to study Buddhist philosophy or meditation, I sent many emails to different institutions and monasteries to see if they could help me with this desire of mine to study Buddhism. The only positive responses I got were from Tushita meditation center (https://tushita.info) and from the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (https://tibetanlibrary.org). So I decided that I would do a 10-day meditation retreat at Tushita meditation center (Introduction to Buddhism) and then I follow the Buddhist philosophy morning courses at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives for the rest of the month. With that plan in mind, I decided to book my flight ticket to India.

Oh yeah, also I had to cut my hair. Because, why not 😂.

Me after that haircut

Sarah College

When I got to Tushita meditation center, I talked with a Tibetan woman at the counter, and after telling her my situation, she said that since I could speak Tibetan, it might be worth going to Sarah College For Higher Tibetan Studies (https://sarah.instituteofbuddhistdialectics.org). Just after this interaction, I took a taxi to the university campus, to talk with the principal.

I told him my motivations of coming here to Dharamsala, my wish to learn about Buddhist philosophy, to improve my Tibetan to be able to read and understand Buddhist scriptures. He was really understanding and he showed me the campus. He said that I could come back the next morning to try out the courses and see if this corresponds to my needs. And, … it did !

Courses at Sarah College

I joined the intermediate classes on Tibetan language for international students. Most people there were not Tibetan and did not speak Tibetan fluently. Nevertheless, they could read and write well, since they have already attended the beginner classes for one year.

There were 4 courses I have attended:

• Buddhist science and philosophy (1h, 3 times per week)
• Tibetan writing and reading (1h, 2 times per week)
• Tibetan religious culture (1h, 5 times per week)
• Tibetan grammar (2h, 5 times per week)

I really enjoyed all of the courses. In the first one, we went over the chapter about meditation from a book called “Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Vol. 2: The Mind”. The teacher taught us about meditation, this was really valuable to me, as I wanted to understand the basics of Buddhist psychology and meditation.

In the Tibetan writing and reading course, the teacher would make us read Tibetan poems and we would discover new vocabulary. I found the way certain verses were written particularly beautiful.

In the Tibetan religious culture course, we would read a book called: “Lectures on Tibetan Religious Culture”. In this book, we learned about the monks, their curriculum, the monasteries, Buddhism basic concepts and so on. This was a good opportunity to familiarize myself about various Tibetan words related to Buddhism.

In the Tibetan Grammar class, the teacher helped me realize that written Tibetan and spoken Tibetan differ in many ways. That grammar was crucial to understand the meaning of some words or sentences, especially when studying Buddhism.

Those classes were on every week days, from 8:00am to 12:30pm.

Daily Schedule

My daily schedule would look like this on every week day (weekends were free !):

• 6:30am - Morning prayers
• 7:00am - Breakfast
• 8:00am - Courses
• 10:00am - Break (tea time !)
• 10:30am - Courses
• 12:30am - Lunch
• 2:00pm - Studying time
• 4:00pm - Free time
• 6:00pm - Dinner
• 7:00pm - Studying time
• 9:00pm - Free time
• 10:00pm - Curfew

(ps. - Wednesdays were a bit different but you get the idea :p)

Things to do in Dharamsala

Here are some of the things that I liked in Dharamsala (McLeod to be more correct). I think you can see most of the city in 3-4 days. So maybe it is worth having something more concrete if you are planning to stay longer. eg: applying for some courses in Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan language or meditation.

Tibet Museum

• https://tibetmuseum.org

In the museum, you can learn about Tibetan culture, Tibetan history, Buddhism, the Tibetan geo-political situation and human rights. I found it very interesting and I would definitely put this as a must-do if you come to Dharamsala !

Library of Tibetan Works and Archives

• https://tibetanlibrary.org

On the ground floor, there is a library: 2 rooms, one containing English books and the other one containing Tibetan books. There is a little shop where you can buy books related to Tibetan language or Buddhism. If you study at Sarah College, you will probably have to come here to buy some books.

There are 2 floors where you can explore sculptures and old artefacts. There are also Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan language courses if it is something that interests you, there is information on the website. Feel free to ask the people working there :).

Tibetan Institue of Performing Arts

• https://tipa.asia

If you are interested in Tibetan music, I think it is worth a visit there. They sometimes have practices where you could enter the room and have a look. I also think that you can take Tibetan dance, singing, instrument classes but I think you need to contact them directly.

Namgyal Monastery and Dalai Lama Temple

• https://namgyal.org/pages/namgyal-tibet-and-india-1

If you want to attend one of the Dalai Lama’s teachings, you should look on the website when such teachings are given: https://www.dalailama.com/schedule

Other than visiting the monastery, inside there is a bookshop where you can buy many interesting books. For someone coming from abroad, the prices are very good 😊.

Also, you will see many people going on a “kora” which is a type of pilgrimage where you walk around the something sacred site. You will see many prayer flags and prayer wheels.

This should be the path:

Norbulingka Institute

• https://norbulingka.org/

If you are interested in Tibetan arts, it might be worth visiting the institute. You will be able to immerse yourself in Tibetan woodcraft, Thangka painting, … You will be able to see the artists in their work.

There is also opportunities to do workshops. Have a look at the website and contact them for more information :).

Tushita Meditation Center

• https://tushita.info

If you want to do a meditation retreat, it seems to be the right place. There are different courses that you can take. For example, I have heard many positive reviews from people that took the Introduction to Buddhism course (retreat of 10 days).

Delek Hospital

• https://delekhospital.org

Honestly, I hope you will not have to go to the hospital, but in case you get sick, there is the Tibetan hospital. Personally, I got really sick (probably from food poisoning) and they identified the Helicobacter pylori as the culprit. Try to avoid tap water, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer when you stay in India :p. The staff there was really understanding !

Reflecting on the trip

During the trip, I realized a few things here and there. I will attempt to illustrate those findings.

2 things that really helped me during the trip was having very little expectations and reaching out to people. I wanted to make the most out of the time I spend there. I didn’t have a rigid plan, therefore I was flexible enough to take on the opportunities that presented themselves. Reaching out to people was important for me, I knew that one month at a university was a very limited amount of time. Therefore, I did my best to talk to people. Being genuinely interested in them helped me connect with them :). Eating at different tables, grabbing tea, going for walks together, going to Mount View (if you know, you know 😉).

Connecting with them, sharing our stories really helped me understand them but also helped understanding myself. The social aspect and the people I met was definitely a major part of the trip. By listening to their stories, spending time together, I realized that we aren’t so different from each other, that despite living in different countries, having a different past, we can all relate to each other to some extent through our hopes, our fears, our dreams.

Feeling privileged and appreciative of the things we have here in the West. This is something that you will encounter if you travel in India. You just need to walk through the streets of Delhi to realize how much of a different life people have there. There are countless of homeless people, children included. They are struggling every day to have something to eat. They are surviving. Some have serious disabilities or illnesses but do not have the money to go for treatment at a hospital. On the streets, I have seen people from all ages beg for food, for money. Some didn’t have limbs, some were blind, and you know, when they ask you for some money, you cannot help but feel compassionate towards them.

For example, there was a person which I saw on the road, he had a hammer in his hand, and he was hitting a brick to break it down into smaller pieces in order to “fix” the road. That was his job ! I saw so many diverse professions that here in the West we would not even think of. Seeing those things with my own eyes, made me feel grateful for the life I have.

In a broader context, I think that meditating more often on gratitude is important. There are many things that we take for granted in our life: having parents, having friends, having the opportunity to get an education, having a roof over our head, clean water and even food ! Living in such “privileged” environment, we might find ourselves forgetting the value of those things. There is this saying “You never realize the value of something until it’s gone”, I agree a lot with it. The fact is: we don’t need to lose them in order to understand their value. For example, we can imagine how life would be without them. The main point is that we should be appreciative while it is there, let’s not wait for someone or something to disappear before realizing their worth.

Health is really important, it is funny how this quote resonates: « A healthy man wants a thousand things, a sick man only wants one ». When I got sick, the only thing that was on my mind was to feel better. Funny enough, to go back to the previous point, we only realize how important health is when we get really sick …

There is a lovely nun in my class that helped me and accompanied me to the hospital. On the way back, I asked her what she thought about sickness, because I was in so much pain.

She told me that I can try meditating on other people’s sufferings. By taking a step back on my own problem and directing my attention towards other people’s suffering, in some sense made my own suffering very little. It did not mean that I had to deny the fact that I was sick and that I felt pain, in fact I acknowledged my illness. However, I thought to myself. How can I complain about it when I have the ability to go to the hospital, to get a treatment, to have medicine, to have people who care about me… When I would be healthy again in a month, how could I complain about this ? It is true that I felt pain, but also focusing too much on it makes it “bigger” of a problem that what it really is.

One thing that she told me about was that when I feel my own suffering I can pray and wish for no one else to go through that same suffering and pain. There is something beautiful about this, keeping our compassionate and kind nature even during difficult times.

She also briefly mentioned the practice of “Tonglen”. I don’t know much more about this, there is something very “mystical” about it, but feel free to do your research on it: https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-tonglen-meditation/

In some way, getting sick is a good opportunity to meditate and to remind ourselves that good health is a blessing.

Why meditate ? Why should we study and analyze the nature of our mind ? Most often, our mental projections are not reflections of reality. Let’s say there is a white snow mountain in front of you, the color should be white. However, you are wearing pink glasses that makes you see the mountain in pink color. What color is the mountain then ? Pink ? White ? You see, our mind is like those pink glasses. Our mind “twists” and “bend” reality. For example, if we are really attracted to someone, we might exaggerate their positive traits while disregarding their negatives. If we don’t like a person, we might exaggerate their negative traits and not even mention their qualities. If they do a good deed, we might even say that they did it because they had some ulterior motives. “He gave you something because he wanted something in return.” The bottom line is that our mind has a tendency to exaggerate, wether it is a positive thought/memory or a negative one. The problem is that living in our own “subjective” reality can create some unnecessary suffering. It is especially the discrepancy between the “subjective” reality and the “objective” reality that creates the suffering, in other words: not being in tune with reality. This is a form of ignorance that meditation aims to clear. When I say meditation, I mean analytical meditation which is mainly about studying, analyzing the nature of our mind, not the concentration meditation where you sit cross-legged and count while breathing.

The last topic I would like to discuss here is a theory about “opposite mental states” we learned in the Buddhist science and philosophy class. It states that in our mind, we can have different mental states at a certain time t. But 2 opposite mental states cannot exist at the same time t in our mind. Let me give you an example: being attracted vs being repelled. Let’s say that there is a very tasteful apple in front of you. Your mental state is attracted towards that apple at the moment. There is no repulsion. However, now you remember the last apple you had was really bad. You feel repelled, your mental state is in a state of repulsion. Your mind can shift between those 2 opposite mental states, it can go from one to the other, but those 2 cannot coexist at the same time. This is where it gets interesting. The opposite mental state of anger and hatred is compassion. At the moment when we are angry at someone, we are in “anger” mode. We are not in “compassion” mode. However, to reduce the anger, we can shift our focus, find reasons to feel more compassionate towards the object of our anger. By taking a step back over the situation, and especially cultivating compassion, we can reduce our anger. Personally, since I learned about this theory, I have been using it pretty often, and the result is that I hardly ever get angry. Maybe it might not make sense to you, but I really think the best way to learn is to practice and do your own experiments 😊.

My heartfelt gratitude

To conclude this article, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the people that made this trip unforgettable.

Thank you to the principal for giving me the opportunity to stay at Sarah college to study for a month.

Thank you to the teachers for teaching us with their heart and their patience.

Thank you everyone for welcoming with open arms, for those conversations, those laughs, those smiles and sharing those beautiful memories. 💕

Looking back, I think this was one of the best decisions I have taken in my life. I definitely learned a lot. Getting to know these lovely people, sharing our stories, our hopes, our dreams made me grow in a good way.

May you all find inner peace and lasting joy and happiness. I wish you all the best in your paths and hopefully we’ll see each other again in this lifetime or a next one. ✨🍀