Known as the roof of the world, Tibet holds one and all in awe. The autonomous region of Tibet shares its borders with India, Nepal and Bhutan and is the cradle of some of the greatest rivers like the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), Yangtze, Mekong River, Salween River and many more. There are over 1500 lakes in Tibet including the heavenly lake Namtso and the revered Hindu lake called the Mansarovar. Tibet is a land of Buddhist monks and monasteries, high rise mountains that cross the 8,000m range, frozen lakes, gurgling rivers and deep gorges, inhospitable terrain and warm people. Due to the recent opening of the railway track connecting Lhasa to mainland China, it is easier to access Tibet. From the Potala Palace in Lhasa to a cup of tea made from Yak milk on the Bayan Khala mountain pass, Tibet is a land of extremes. Some of the prettiest pictures in Tibet include the Yam Drok Lake and the nomads of Drido county.

Why Volunteer In Tibet

There are different opportunities for volunteering in Tibet and most of them are focused on the education aspect. Teaching is considered important volunteer work and English is a language through which the Tibetans want to reach out to the world.

Types Of Projects Available

As a part of volunteering in Tibet, you will get to choose the kind of project you are interested in. The different types if projects available include:

* Humanitarian work: Volunteering in Tibet has many facets and one of the most important is humanitarian work. Teaching English to children in rural schools of Tibet is one of the most popular volunteering in Tibet projects. One of the regions where volunteers are required for teaching English includes the Jyekundo area also known as Yushu in Chinese. This is one of the most remote regions of Tibet and hence the literacy rate is not high. Although the Tibetan culture is intact here but educating the children is also as important. Volunteering in Tibet will present you with the opportunity to help the Tibetans in improving their lives and that of their children while through higher education.

* Orphanages: There are quite a few orphanages in Tibet and volunteering in Tibet will present you with the opportunity to associate yourself with some of these orphanages. You will get to take care of the orphaned children and also educate them so that at a later age they can be independent and will be able to make a living on their own. Poverty is one of the main reasons why people leave their children on the streets or in orphanages. One of the main reasons of poverty is the fact that Tibet is like a forgotten world. Being inaccessible for a greater period of time in a year makes it a far away land. In spite of being landlocked, it is cut off from the rest of the world and that is the irony of Tibet. Volunteering in Tibet will bring you closer to these orphaned children and you will be able to instill a ray of hope in the intricate ways of Tibetan lives.

* Culture Programs: Volunteering in Tibet will include spending time understanding their culture and traditions. Tibetans are Buddhist and their culture and traditions have similarity with the Indian and Chinese cultures. You will get to travel across the beautiful and scenic Tibetan landscape and visit some of the remote villages of the world. This way you will be able to understand the life of the common village man in Tibet and at the same time educate them to make their life more meaningful.

Volunteer Requirements

Age: The minimum age for volunteering in Tibet should be 18 or older.

Fee and Other details

There is a fee attached to each of the projects that you volunteer for. The fee is charged in advance and is charged for the following:

1. Accommodation
2. Emergency evacuation services
3. Food/meals
4. Travel insurance
5. Transportation within the region
6. Emergency support
7. All types of training material
8. Supervision by local staff
9. Orientation on arrival
10. Local sightseeing & recreational activities

Conclusion

Tibet has always fascinated the human mind more because of its inaccessibility and awe inspiring landscape. Volunteering in Tibet will help you to join hands with the Tibetans to find a better way of life that is independent of poverty and that will help them to survive in such inhospitable terrains. What you will be rewarded with is an unmatched experience that will captivate you and hold you spellbound.

Seomul Evans is a SEO consultant for Dallas Based Internet Marketing Services company and copywriter for Global Crossroad, a leading Volunteer in Tibet placement service.

Tags: Asia, China, Destinations, environment, social, society, spiritual, tibet, tourism, Travel, Volunteer, volunteering

When traveling to Laos, there are many places and sights to see. But one of the most unique and interesting destinations has to be the Pak ou Caves. Located near Luang Prabang you can hire a boat or songthaew to take you the 25 km down river.

Located directly on the Mekong River, the Pak Ou Caves are one of the most sacred sights in the country. They are actually still used as a place of worship. Every New Year people from Luang Prabang make a pilgrimage to visit the caves containing over 4000 Buddha images and statues.

Of the 4000 plus buddhas, the majority are in the form of the tall Luang Prabang Buddha’s. The boat ride across the river is sensational as the caves come into view. White stairs stand out against a dark black hole that cuts into the high cliffs towering over the river.

There are two levels to the caves Tham Ting the lower cave and Tham Pheung higher. Tham Phum is dark but it is filled with more statues. Make sure you bring a flash-light, it can be quite dark inside the Caves, especially Tham Pheung.

The Pac Ou Caves make for a great day trip from Luang Prabang as you take a break from exploring the cities ancient architecture. But once you are back in town, make sure to check out everything that Luang Prabang has to offer. Rent a bike or go for a walk along the Mekong river to explore the day away.

Luang Prabang is filled with intricate temples. A World Heritage Sight, you can explore its rich history for days. Check out the former Royal Palace a.k.a. Haw Kham, one of the most recognizable buildings in the city. Examine the ornate interiors filled with reclining Buddhas, carvings and tapestries.

There are coffee and pastry shops to stop for lunch, and you will feel very civilized as you sip a caf latt while enjoying a croissant. If you are lucky, you may stumble into a temple at a time when Monks are playing their drums.

An event that must not be missed is a walk up Phou Si hill. This is a steep walk, but well worth it to view the incredible sunset. A temple stands at the top of the hill giving you a panoramic view of the countryside.

Not to be missed is the Night Market. Crammed with tourists it is a popular destination to buy your statues and paintings before you leave the country. It is a bit pricey, but a savvy shopper can find a good deal if they bargain hard. After you have worked up an appetite, you can simply hop into one of the many restaurants that are located on the edge of the market.

It wasn’t long ago that very few people visited Laos. Now Luang Prabang has become a very popular destination on the tourist route, so get there fast before the rest of the planet discovers this hidden gem of a nation.

Tags: adventure, Asia, buddhism, Laos, Luang Prabang, Pac Ou Caves, South east asia, Temples of laos, things to do in Laos, Travel, travel in Asia, world heritage sight

When traveling to Laos, there are many places and sights to see. But one of the most unique and interesting destinations has to be the Pak ou Caves. Located near Luang Prabang you can hire a boat or songthaew to take you the 25 km down river.

Located directly on the Mekong River, the Pak Ou Caves are one of the most sacred sights in the country. They are actually still used as a place of worship. Every New Year people from Luang Prabang make a pilgrimage to visit the caves containing over 4000 Buddha images and statues.

There are all sorts of different Buddha’s but the majority are the standing tall Luang Prabang Buddha statues. It is sensational. Approaching the caves from the opposite side of the river is a beautiful view. The white stairs can be seen leading into the dark hole cut into the side of the limestone cliff.

There are two levels to the caves Tham Ting the lower cave and Tham Pheung higher. Tham Phum is dark but it is filled with more statues. Make sure you bring a flash-light, it can be quite dark inside the Caves, especially Tham Pheung.

While the caves make for a great day trip from Luang Prabang, there are many things that you can do in town. The city is beautiful and there is no better way to see it than by bicycle.

A World Heritage Sight, Luang Prabang is not to be missed. As you ride your bicycle from temple to temple, be sure not to miss Haw Kham, the former royal palace. The bright colours of the temples are a treat to the eyes against the lush green vegetation. The inside of the temples are as impressive as the outside containing Buddha images, tapestries, jewels and artifacts.

As well as temples there are Monasteries to visit. Monks walk all over town and you can actually get a glimpse of what life is like inside one. All of that sightseeing can wear a person out, so take a break at one of the many coffee shops in Luang Prabang. You will feel like you are suddenly in France as you sip an espresso by the side of the river.

If you want to witness a beautiful sunset be sure to make the journey up to Phou Si. A popular spot in the evening, this hill offers an unobstructed view of the land. Relax and mingle as the sun goes down between two mountains. It is truly an incredible sight.

End your day at the busy if not overpriced night market. Vendors sell everything you could possibly want and you can even grab dinner at one of the many restaurants nearbye.

Laos is a wonderful country to visit and you should make it top on your list before it is discovered by the rest of the world and overrun with tourists.

Tags: adventure, Asia, buddhism, Laos, Luang Prabang, Pac Ou Caves, South east asia, Temples of laos, things to do in Laos, Travel, travel in Asia, world heritage sight

Bihar is a northern state of India. The state of Bihar lies south of Nepal and with West Bengal in the west and Uttar Pradesh in the east. It is the Hindi heartland of India. It is here that Buddha gave his first sermons and obtained enlightenment.

The capital of Bihar is Patna. The city of Patna lies on the junction of 3 major rivers of which one is the river Ganges. Lord Buddha once said that this city Patna, then called Patliputra will face 3 major issues.

They were to be fire, political turmoil and flood. Indeed the state of Bihar but also the city is under constant threat from fire, flood from the major rivers and it’s a political hotbed.

The province of Bihar was titled as Magadha in its old times. Its very first crucial emperor was called by the name of Ashoka the Great. The spread of Buddhism in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Far East is attributable to this distinguished emperor.

It is said that he directed his numerous sons to several regions of the Earth as missionaries. The empire of Ashoka fans out from the east of India to the Persian Empire. It is said that he fell short of occupying the Persian Empire merely because the ruler had a matrimonial alliance to the king of Persia.

Anyone interested in ancient history and the Buddhist religion, a trip to Bihar should be worthwhile. The old city of Bodh Gaya of Bihar has the most important grounds of the Buddhist religion.

Here grows the Bodhi tree, where Buddha attained enlightenment. Most Buddhism countries and sects of the world have set of temples in the holy town of Bodh Gaya. The city of Bodh Gaya can be reached by either flying or taking a train to Patna and then taking the road or train to Bodh Gaya. A trip to the town of Godh Gaya is revelation.

Tags: b, bihar, buddhism, Destinations, i, india, n, places, religion, T, Travel, travel & leisure

This is Kaguy Monlam-2008.

It’s quite rare that you get the chance to see both lineage holders together: Karmapa and Shamarpa, Black Hat Lama and Red Hat Lama.

And also most of our lamas together with them. Lama Ole Nydahl was not present which is no wonder as it’s totally different style though same lineage.(…)
Read the rest of Bodhgaya. As We’ve Gathered Under Bodhi Tree. (704 words)

© Oxanna for Tibetan Incense Blog, 2009. |
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Post tags: Buddhism, Kagyu, Karmapa, Pictures, Teachers, Tibetan Buddhism

Tags: buddhism, Kagyu, Karmapa, Oxanna, Pictures, Teachers, tibetan buddhism, Travel

By Michael Paulson, The Boston Globe, April 17, 2009

In the basement and driveway of a humble Malden house, the carpenters are building a throne.

Across town, in Medford, a lab technician spends his nights sewing embroidered silk for the drapery.

Three Tibetan-American men, two of them former monks, have devoted much of the last month to constructing the 9-foot high chair on which a cross-legged Dalai Lama will sit for a pair of lectures at Gillette Stadium next month.

The resulting throne is the most visible manifestation of the efforts by Boston’s small Tibetan community to prepare for the Dalai Lama’s four-day visit to the region, which begins April 29. But the throne also sheds light on the unusual backstories of local Tibetans, many of whom escaped difficult lives in Tibet or lived in exile in India before arriving in the United States.

The needleworker, Kunga Namgyal, leads the ordinary life of a research scientist at Shire, a biopharmaceutical company. But Namgyal is also the son and grandson of famed Tibetan tailors - his father was a tailor for the Dalai Lama - and now, at night, when he can steal time from playing with his son and dining with his wife, he sits on the floor by a china cabinet filled with Buddha statues and tries to remember what his own dad taught him about sewing.

One gem: While conventional sewing often involves pointing a needle away from the artisan, Tibetan Buddhists sew with the needle pointing toward themselves, to symbolize compassion for others who won’t get poked.

The financial backer of the $5,000 throne, Lobsang Paljor, was a farmer and nomad in Tibet who in 1985 became a monk there; he fled to India in 1987 and in 1991 moved to the United States. After six years selling carpets, he started Tibet Construction Inc. in 2000.

The carpenter, Kunga Lhatse, plied his trade in Lhasa before escaping to India and then moving in 2002 to the United States. He now is a member of Paljor’s 12-man crew.

“For me, his holiness, the Dalai Lama, represents Tibet,” Lhatse said, via a translator. “He is like a teacher or a parent.”

The Dalai Lama, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, is the spiritual and political leader of Tibetan Buddhists and leads a government in exile from Dharamshala, India. Also called Tenzin Gyatso, the 73-year-old lama is believed by Tibetan Buddhists to be a reincarnation of previous Dalai Lamas; he is the 14th man to hold the title.

The throne is a conventional element of the stages from which the Dalai Lama teaches about Buddhism to large crowds. When he gives a more conventional lecture or meets with scholars, as he will do at several events in Boston and Cambridge before the Foxborough sessions, he sits in a chair.

“In our religious tradition, you show respect to your teacher, and that’s why he is put on the highest pedestal,” said Lobsang Sangay, coordinator of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Boston and also a research fellow at the East Asian Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School.

Often institutions hosting the Dalai Lama borrow a throne from another community, but the Boston-area Tibetan community, now thought to number about 600, saw itself as mature enough this year to construct a throne. After the Dalai Lama’s visit, the chair is intended to be a central element of a local Tibetan heritage center that the community hopes to construct in the area.

The throne is made of hand-carved teak - there is a single gold throne, in Lhasa - and the one built for Boston has carved into it the eight “auspicious symbols” of Buddhism: images of a parasol, fish, vase, lotus, conch, knot, wheel, and victory banner. The silk drapery features an image of a dorje, a small scepter traditionally associated with Tibetan Buddhist lamas.

“The Dalai Lama has been to Massachusetts several times, but this is the first time the Tibetan Association of Massachusetts is hosting it, and that reflects that we are now more organized and capable,” Sangay said.

The six previous visits have been hosted by local universities and interest groups, he said. “For many of us, it is like a lifelong dream coming true, to be able to host your spiritual and temporal leader.”

© Leo Golan for Tibetan Incense Blog, 2009. |
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Tags: buddhism, Buddhist_Symbols, Dalai Lama, News, Travel, Video

Bike is undoubtedly the best way of moving around at short distances. Many tourists either buy their own bike or rent it. Somehow it happened that the author is this article cannot drive even a bicycle and therefore has to depend on the goodness of somebody who would take the author at their backseat.

On that day everything was wonderful with the goodness and our small company on two bikes moved out for sightseeing.

Travelling on bike

Travelling on bike’s back seat has a lot of advantages. Firstly the drivers back is not only a nice object for gentle not obliging embraces but also a firm protection from wind and cold which is extremely important for a girl who has forgotten her jacket in Moscow.

Secondly holding the driver with one hand only is much easier than driving with one hand only, which means the other one can hold a photo or video camera always ready.(…)
Read the rest of Leh. Surroundings (978 words)

© Oxanna for Tibetan Incense Blog, 2009. |
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Post tags: Ladakh, Pictures, Travel

Tags: buddhism, Ladakh, Oxanna, Pictures, Travel

As a part of Ladakh festival there was a fashion show. However the fashion was only represented with never old tibetan classics.

Such hats, earrings and dresses are sold everywhere in tourist shops but these are not plain souvenirs which can only gather dust on cupboard’s shelves. This is true present-day clothes. It seems surprising that somebody can wear national clothes in our world of jeans, t-shirts and folk skiffle-groups but here it is exactly like that. Plain dresses are worn by rural citizens everyday and the full dress is used for special events.(…)
Read the rest of Leh. Evening walk with the locals (198 words)

© Oxanna for Tibetan Incense Blog, 2009. |
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Tags: buddhism, Ladakh, Oxanna, Pictures, Travel

I was on the back seat of a bike, my camera was in the backpack and I thought that I would ask my friend to stop if I see someting beautiful. First time I asked was here… and then I left the camera with lense open right on my shoulder.

It’s almost impossible to tell here what is medium beautiful and what is very beautiful, especially if you still remember how it was for real.(…)
Read the rest of Ladakhi Roads (435 words)

© Oxanna for Tibetan Incense Blog, 2009. |
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Post tags: Ladakh, Pictures, Travel

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Did you notice a big white stupa at the distance on some of the photos from the last story? It can be spotted from virtually anywhere, one does not need to climb higher for that. Though why not climbing? This is the view of it from guest house’s roof.

Of course, one can climb to the stupa itself as well. During the very first days I was waiting for the weather to become better so that I would get warm and go out for a walk. But during the last days I was waiting for it to become foggy and little bit cold again. I wanted to portray mountains roped by fog and the clothes to wear did not really matter. (…)
Read the rest of Leh. Shanti-Shanti (451 words)

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