I have been thinking about this blog
entry for a long time, but have been very busy with Losar (Tibetan
New Year) preparations and study. This morning I am waiting for this
headache to dissipate so I thought this would be a good opportunity
to write about my Losar preparations.
Why observe Losar at all? I am an
American of European descent, not Tibetan, and my family is not
Tibetan either. The answer comes down to how I choose to live my
life. For a practicing Buddhist in the Tibetan/Himalayan tradition,
many of my religious observances are based on the Tibetan lunar
calendar, so it has great significance to me. In many ways, Losar is
more meaningful to me than Western holidays. It is one of the
guideposts I organize my life around, and a time to reflect on goals
for my personal and spiritual life. I think I also observe it out of
gratitude for the blessings and happiness Buddhism has brought to my
life, and for the Dharma family who accompanies me.
There are a few conundrums involving
Losar. The first is, of course, the tragedies occurring on a daily
basis in Chinese-occupied Tibet, which is a police state where human
rights are regularly trampled and freedom, particularly religious
freedom and freedom of speech, is non-existent. Most people have
heard of the self immolations by monks, nuns, and laypeople, which are sadly the
only means of protest available to them, and one of the few ways to
bring the attention of the West to the tragic plight of the Tibetan people.
In light of this, the Kalon Tripa, leader of the Kashag or Cabinet, part of the executive branch of the CTA, the Tibetan government in
exile, has asked Tibetans not to celebrate Losar. You can read about his Losar statement here. So on Losar
proper, the very first day of the year, I will be observing precepts,
which, among other things means no meat, onions, garlic or eggs, and
no meals after lunch. Also, no singing, dancing, secular
entertainment or adorning oneself. As much as possible, I will devote
myself to religious practice that day. Also, there is no celebrating
Losar, only observing.
Which brings me to the other conundrum,
which is that the first two weeks of the new year are very auspicious
for religious practice, which itself runs counter to celebrating.
This one I resolve through my sisters visit. The first day, as I
said, I will observe precepts and “fast”, but the following day
when she arrives I hope to relax and enjoy her visit. Once she leaves
on Sunday, I will be back to trying to keep precepts as much as
possible.
My friend TMC of The Buddhist Home started sharing her Losar preparations a few weeks ago. I'd already been
thinking about lhakar pledges, the pledges Tibetans make to try to
preserve their culture and society in exile. You can read about
lhakar pledges at lhakar.org . Some pledge to speak only Tibetan on
Wednesdays, His Holiness the Dalai Lama's soul day, or wear Tibetan
dress on that day. Others pledge to boycott Chinese goods. In
addition to avoiding Chinese made products as much as I possibly can,
I decided to finally sew a chupa (Tibetan dress) for myself as a
first step. The ready-made brocade chupas for sale at Tibetan
bazaars never fit my zaftig self, so it was up to me to sew one or
order a custom made one from India. Being perpetually broke, and
generally liking to sew, I chose the former. I borrowed a ready-made
one from our center, and did my best to copy it. I used a plain navy
suiting fabric with a subtle herringbone pattern for the first chupa.
I have some nicer fabric, not brocade, but silky navy fabric with a
sakura, or cherry-blossom pattern printed on it. I wanted to make
the first one out of something I wouldn't be distraught over if I
made mistakes, and I made quite a few! I am not an expert at
drafting patterns, but I enjoy it. Making this chupa has been the
first creative thing I've done all year, and also how I have
inaugurated my new sewing machine. It has taken me a week, but it is
finally done. I'm working on the blouse now, hopefully I'll have it
done today. I think the next chupa will go faster, now that I have a
bit of experience. I'll take a bit of a break, though, because I'm afraid I will get burnt out on sewing.
I purchased clementines, a pineapple,
and a few pounds of butter for the Losar altar. I also started a few
pots of wheat grass, which are traditional and represent newness and
freshness. I plan to take one to our Buddhist center. They are
growing very nicely. Hopefully I will get a picture of our simple
altar and post it here on my blog.
My (Texas) sister is coming on the
23rd, this Thursday, just in time for Losar, which
officially begins tomorrow. So in addition to the traditional
Losar house cleaning, I am also cleaning for her and preparing her room.
She will get to try yummy Tibetan foods like desi, kapse, momo and sha
palay. Her family in Texas only enjoys traditional American-type
foods, so it will be a new experience for her. I also want her to
meet my teacher at the Buddhist center. Hopefully we can make a
tradition of this visit and she can come every year for Losar.
New clothes are also traditional for
Losar, so my husband got some new shirts, and I have the chupa. Our
Buddhist center has a clothing drive for children in need every year
for Losar, so I brought some items of new clothing to donate. I
bought things for older, bigger kids, because I think they are often
forgotten because “children” conjures up pictures of the very
young ones.
Today I make kapse, Tibetan/Himalayan
fried pastries, not as sweet as Western pastries, but I have a
special fondness for them. They are wonderful for dipping in tea or
coffee, and for sharing with friends. Hopefully I will also study,
finish sewing and cleaning and be ready to enjoy my sister's visit
when she arrives Thursday afternoon. I am so excited!
Well, the headache is gone and I'm
beginning to feel guilty about not working or studying, which is my
cue to get a move on. Have a wonderful day. May all beings be
happy.
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