Shakya Lobsang is 28 this year, but he has
come to India for 19 years already. Recalled his life back home, he used to live
in Qinghai with his family in tents in the grassland, helping his family to raise
cows and goats. It was a difficult life to live in the villages, everyone
worked hard in the harsh environment for a better living.
Shakya had 6 siblings, his elder brother
studied in school and sometimes taught him a bit of knowledge. His elder sister
learnt Buddhism too, shared with him a bit of knowledge over the phone as well.
Shakya was always interested to go to school, but there were no schools in his
home town, and he never got a chance to go to school. He heard of Dalai Lama,
and knew there were many Tibetans in India, living a good life. In order to go
to school, Shakya decided to leave his family and go to India by himself, his
family supported his idea and provided him the road fee.
It was 1995, Shakya was only 9 years old. He
started his trip from his hometown to Laksa, asking people on the road how he
could go to India, and was told to look for a “trip leader”. Finally, there
were 48 people in the group, heading to India together. The leader told them it
would take 13-14days to reach Nepal, and they should prepare enough food with them
on the road.
The trip was fine at the beginning, however
they started climbing after passing Laksa, because there were hardly any proper
roads. They didn’t have passports or visas, they could only move at night as
there were armies patrolling everywhere. After 13-14days, Shakya finished all
his food but they were still on the road. Luckily, there was a guy with kids as
well, so he spared some food with Shakya.
Finally, after 21 days, they reached Nepal.
It was getting hot there so they used their thick clothes to exchange food with
the locals. When they reached a main road, some went off to look for water and
cars, while the rest hided in the bushes for 2-3 days. However, they were
caught by the locals and got reported to the Nepal Army Police, they were all
sent to the Army Police Camp. After spending 3-4 days in the Camp, they were
all taken to a big truck, nobody knew where they were being driven to. They
worried they would be sent to the Chinese Government, and 8 people decided to
jump off from the truck, however, 2 fell to death immediately, while 6 escaped
successfully.
The rest of them were all taken to the
Nepalese office, and were told that they would be released if they could pay a
large amount of fee according to their number of people. However, they got no
money. At the end, a Caucasian Secretary from United Nation, who could speak
Chinese as well, came and saved them by paying all the fee and sent them to the
Tibetan Office in Nepal. The Tibetan government arranged transportation for
them and finally they reached India.
Reaching Delhi in India, the officers from
the Tibetan office met them again, asking their wills and plans, some wanted to
go to school, some wanted to learn Buddhism, and they were all sent to
different places. Shakya, together with 8 other Tibetans, were sent to the
train station, taking a train to the South in 3 days 3 nights. None of them
spoke English or Hindi, and no one bought any food at the end.
Without family or friends around, Shakya
found it harsh to adapt the weather and the food. First time going to school,
there were 170 people in the class and everyone came from different places.
However, as time passed by, they started getting to know each other and things
went smoothly.
Shakya said learning Buddhism was different
from learning Chinese or English. He found it hard at the beginning, but he
felt great inside as he never had the chance in Tibet before. He studied hard
in Buddhism, and was getting used to the study after 2 years. He started
realizing the meaning behind, and felt so different inside. He believed he
could achieve his study, and wanted to learn more. There were 5 exams every
year, in the class of 170 people, his worst rank was 21st, the rest
of the time he ranked the top ones.
Shakya decided to be a monk when he was
13-14 years old. Of course it didn’t mean one had to be a monk after learning
Buddhism. He knew how a monk life was like, and knew it would take 23 years to
know the basics to help others. Shakya thought living a layman life was
difficult as well. The monastery located next to an Indian village, and he
always saw people living a difficult life. If getting married, how to make sure
the kids have a proper life? The businessman always cheated people just to earn
more money, but Buddhists had good heart and shouldn’t do that. Being a monk,
however, only needed to take care of their own life. They could do many things
and help others, no need too many luxuries or to think too much.
Shakya shared learning Buddhism took so
many years because they learnt how one lives since young till they aged, what
they worked for, how they lived their lives. The most important thing is when
you meet someone very angry, how to make sure they are not angry anymore, when
you meet someone want to do bad things or cheat people, how to make them live positively
mentally.
Shakya also spent 3 years learning Science.
Science was similar to Buddhism, and was somehow interchangeable. In the past
people realized many phenomenon was not able to be explained by Science, but by
Buddhism.
Shakya also spent 2 months learning
computer before. Now he has to help in the office to take care of the income
and accounting by using his computer knowledge.
I asked Shakya if he regretted to leave
home and live overseas by himself. He said he wasn’t, and didn’t think about them
too often. Sometimes he talked to his family over the phone. He got the visa
from the China Embassy here, after 3 trials, however, he has been busying
attending classes and exams, he has no plan when to go home to see his family
yet.
Shakya has no big dreams at the moment, nor
plan to go to other countries. He felt it is all good to stay there, and most
importantly to graduate. He doesn’t need any materialistic stuff, he only wants
to help others heartfully. Using his knowledge of Buddhism kind-hearted, he
felt happy. His next goal is to learn Chinese and English, so that he can communicate
well with others and explain his Buddhism knowledge, and to talk whatever in
his mind.
Shakya gave me a golden yellow Guanyin
statue as present in exchange. He got it when he went to Buddha Gaya for a talk
by Dalalama in 2000. The statue was with him for 14 years and he used to keep
it on his desk. When he felt stressed in studies, he would think about her
blessings. Shakya wish me to live happily without much difficulties, take care
and be healthy.
25/06/2014
這次訪問的背景資料可參考
夢想專訪9 – 流亡藏人的佛學夢
「他不需要物質的東西，他只想幫人，真心真意的，把佛學的知識學以致用，心懷慈悲心，他已經感到很快樂。」
這次訪問的背景資料可參考
離家 討生活
Shakya Lobsang今年二十八歲，他來了印度足足十九個年頭了。回想起小時候的生活，家鄉住在青海省玉樹州，和家人住在草原帳篷，每天幫家裏放牛放羊的，在村莊生活困難，條件不好，全家人都為吃飯而幹活。
Shakya有六兄弟姐妹，哥哥有機會讀書，也會教他一點點知識。姐姐有上佛法的課程，偶爾通電話時也跟他說說佛法。他一直都想上學讀書，可是家鄉沒有學校，從來都沒有機會。他聽說過達賴喇嘛的事情，知道印度有很多西藏人，他們生活條件很好。為了能夠學習，於是他決定離鄉別井來印度生活，家人都支持他，並給他安排路費。
性命攸關的旅程
那一年，1995年，他只有九歲。從家鄉出發到拉薩，他在街上問人要怎麼到印度，人們建議他先找個帶路人。最後，他們一行四十八人一起出發，帶路人跟他們說大約十三四天便能到達尼泊爾，於是，大家都帶備藏人常吃的糌粑等食物上路。
頭幾天的旅程沒有很困難，但過了拉薩以後需要開始爬山，是真真正正的爬山，因為那些地方根本沒有路。還有，他們沒有護照，也沒有簽證，到處都有軍警巡邏，晚上才能走動。走了十三十四天，Shakya的食物都吃完了，可是還沒有到達目的地。幸好，同行有一個男人也帶著小孩，見他是小孩子，於是也給他分點吃的。
最後，總共花了廿一天的時間，他們終於徒步來到尼泊爾。那裏的天氣開始熱，他們把身上的厚衣服跟尼泊爾人交換食物。抵達有馬路的地方，他們派人找水源，找汽車，其餘的人在樹林足足躲了兩三天，誰不知卻給附近幹活的村民看到，通知了尼泊爾軍警，把他們全都帶到軍營裏。他們在軍營裏又待上了三四天，後來被押上了大卡車，不知要把他們送到那裏。大家很怕軍警會把他們交給中國政府，於是有八個人決定跳車逃跑，卻有兩個人當場跌死了，另外六個人成功逃跑了。
剩下的人被帶到了尼泊爾辦公室，官員說他們要按人頭付一個很高的價錢才會放走他們，他們那裏有錢呢？想不到後來來了一個會說中文的聯合國白人秘書，竟然給他們交了款項，還把他們送到了位於尼泊爾的西藏辦公室。那裏的西藏政府幫他們安排了汽車，終於，他們成功來到了印度。
生命 新的一章
來到印度的德里，西藏辦公室的人再次接待了他們，問他們的意願和之後的打算，有的想上學的，有的想學佛的，他們都被送到不同的地方。Shakya和其餘八九個打算學佛的西藏人，給送到了火車站，坐上了三天三夜的火車南下，當時他們不會說英語也不會說印度語，結果三天三夜沒有買吃的。
沒有家人和朋友在身旁，剛來印度的時候天氣和食物都不習慣，他遇上了很多麻煩。第一次上學，全班一百七十人，大家都來自不同的地方，互不相識。日子一天一天的過，大家互相認識後，一切也開始慢慢習慣了。
Shakya說，學佛法跟學中文英文不一樣，剛開始的時候覺得很困難，但他心裏是高興的，因為在西藏沒有條件。他很努力學佛法，學了兩個年頭，一切都慢慢習慣了，讀書方面沒有很多的困難。他開始懂得箇中意思，心裏開始有那種特別的感覺，他相信自己可以學到更多。他們每年有五次考試，在一百七十人的班裏，他最差拿過二十一名，其餘時候都是名列前茅的。
助人 為快樂之本
大約十三四歲的時候他下定決心要當和尚，當然，學佛法不同於當和尚，但他知道和尚的生活是怎樣的，知道要學二十三個年頭才有資格幫助別人。他說，若果不當和尚，結婚生小孩生活也是很困難的。寺院位於印度村莊旁邊，他常常看見人們生活條件不好，孩子衣服不好，如果要結婚的話，孩子怎樣好好生活呢？那些做買賣的人為了賺錢欺騙人家，學佛的人有慈悲心不能這樣做。但是，當和尚的話只需自己過自己生活，能夠做很多事情，還能幫助別人，平常生活甚麼都不需要，也不需要想太多。
Shakya分享，學佛法要學很多年的原因，因為他們會學習一個人從小時候到年老怎樣過生活，做甚麼工作，怎樣過日子，人生是怎樣過的，最重要的是，當遇到有些人很生氣，用甚麼辦法令他們不再生氣；當遇到想騙人的做壞事的人，怎樣幫助他們心靈健康。
學佛法的期間他也花了三年時間學科學，佛法跟科學很像，某程度上是互通的，從前的人就發現很多現象科學不能解釋，但佛學卻能夠解釋。他之前也學過兩個月電腦，現在幫寺院做管理收入的工作，用電腦做一些結帳、管理財政。
那有後悔離鄉別井一個人在外地生活嗎？他說沒有後悔，也沒有特別想家，間中也會和家人通電話。之前在這裏的中國領事館拿了簽證，申請了三次去年終於批了，但一直在忙上課和考試，所以沒有時間打算甚麼時候回家見家人。
無私的奉獻
Shakya現在沒有甚麼大的夢想，也沒有計劃要到國外，他覺得留在這裏已經很好，最重要的是要畢業。他不需要物質的東西，他只想幫人，真心真意的，把佛學的知識學以致用，心懷慈悲心，他已經感到很快樂。下一個目標是要學好中英文，能夠跟別人溝通，解釋佛法的意思，能把心裏想的說出來。
最後，他給我送了一尊金黃色的觀音像，是2000年到菩提迦耶聽達賴喇嘛講道的時候給自己買的紀念品，足足陪了他十四個年頭了。他一直把觀音像放在房間桌面當眼處，每當學習遇到困難時，考試有壓力時，他會想起觀音娘娘保佑自己。他也祝福我能快快樂樂地過生活，沒有太多困難，要好好保重，身體健康。
19/06/2014
寫於孟買的友人家
