Mountaineering in Tibet is obvious as it is optimally located in the beautiful Himalayan mountains. Lhakpa Ri is located next door to Mount Everest on the north side of Tibet and is a possible expedition destination for experienced mountaineers. Lhakpa Ri shares a base camp with Mount Everest and is located on the eastern Rongbuk Glacier. Experience unique and beautiful views from Everest, 2nd Step, North Col, where from the top you can see Makalu and the entire eastern side of the Kharta Valley. When climbing Lhakpa Ri, you are in the middle of distinctive landscapes, and you experience the highland culture up close.
Tibet – A tourist country – hardly in the usual sense
Most people think of Tibet as the high, cold and magnificent plateau with gigantic sky-high mountain peaks. And north of the Himalayas ex by Shisha Pangma, Cho Oyu and Everest it’s right. Because it is there – not just Everest, but Tibet. And where is it archetypal for Tibet – the great experiences are waiting to be seized – but are not easy to go to. A tourist country ?? Hardly in the usual sense. “Because it is There” – the words of renowned George Leigh Mallory from 1924 still hang in the air and in their own way still cover mountaineering as a phenomenon. But could also nicely cover hiking, which Tibet just offers for non-mountaineers. One can well travel to Tibet without taking a position in advance; but one does not return home without being deeply affected – it imprisons to a degree that is unknown to me for other countries.
Tibet – magnificent, but not easy to walk to
According to Securitypology.com, the Chinese have a completely inconsistent tourism policy when it comes to Tibet. For many years I tried several times to get to Tibet, but without success. Later, I have succeeded both as a tour guide for groups, as well as on my own. The border is often closed to individual travelers. During these periods, the Chinese demand full travel arrangements every day in Tibet. And it is an expensive deal, just over DKK 1,400-1,800 a day. If you are going to Tibet as an individual, it is about going to the border and hoping for the best. If you do not come in, you can just as well settle for a holiday in the magnificent neighboring country to the south, Nepal.
My trips in Tibet cover backpacking trips, cultural trips, trips as a tour guide and on your own, trekking trips and attempts to climb the 8,046 meter high mountain Shisha Pangma. But the greatest experiences are, in my opinion, still to be found on the paths and in the small villages; where tourists so infrequently seldom pass by; and where one feels far from home. And one of the many, large experience areas is in Central Tibet, north of Nepal in areas with small, fine communities located in a vast nature.
Mahayana
Also called Northern Buddhism or the “great” vessel, as the basic idea of the Mahayana is that everyone can attain the Buddha stage, Nirvana. Anyone who begins the path of contemplation must make the Boddhisatthva vow, which states that all who should attain the Buddha stage in this life do not enter Nirvana, but remain on earth and are temporarily reborn, with the fully enlightened consciousness, for to help all other living beings to attain the Buddha stage. Thus, the Mahayana is a kind of collective savior doctrine, in that no one can enter Nirvana until all living beings have attained the Buddha stage. Mahayana is most prevalent in Tibet, northern India, China, Korea and Japan.
Vajrayana – Tibetan Buddhism
Is the special form of Tantric Buddhism further developed by Mahayana’s main theses, also called Tantrayana and Lamaism. The latter is unfortunate, however, as the word is not used in Tibet, where Lama means religious doctrine or master, and only a few reach this title.
Vajrayana means something like the “Diamond Road” and should be more efficient and faster than any of the other forms of Buddhism, because it, like the thunderbolt, cuts through all obstacles and shows the way to full insight.
Tibetan Buddhism is one of the earth’s most complicated and intricate religions, consisting of many phases, elements and facets. Among other things, it has taken inspiration from Hinduism, Tantrism, Persian and Chinese religions as well as an intricate pantheon, many rituals, magic and hard-to-reach symbolism. Tibetan Buddhism is described by some as black magic, while others see it as the highest form of wisdom.
Buddhism was brought to Tibet around the 6th century via Nepal and Kashmir in India. The direction was already tantric and placed strong emphasis on rituals, occultism, music, magic, the use of forms, magic words and amulets.
It was primarily “The Three Religious Kings”, Songtsen Gampo (605-650), Trisong Detsen (742-798) and Tri Ralpachen (817-838) who made Tibet Buddhist.
Under the power of Trisong Detsen, the Indian tantra master, Guru Rinpoche (Padma Sambhava), was invited to Tibet, leading to the victory of Tantric Buddhism over the animistic Shaman and spirit religion Bön. Shortly thereafter, around the year 767, Tibet’s first monastery, Samye, was built, bringing with it the first Buddhist monks. Approx. in 780, Buddhism became the state religion in Tibet, and many monastery buildings followed.
Gods and demons from Tibet’s former shamanistic religions were included in the new state religion, and Buddhism developed in a very special way into what we know today as “Tibetan Buddhism”.
In the middle of the 13th century, Tibet was invaded by the Mongols, led by Kublai Khan, who was very interested in Tibetan Buddhism and was converted here. He installed one of Mongolia’s top llamas as head of Tibet, leading to the monasteries gaining decisive economic and political power – a theocratic regime that lasted until 1950.
There was a greater and more decisive polarization between the monasteries’ interpretation of Buddhism, which led to a division into different directions, or “sects”. Most divide the sects into the red hats or the old interpretation and the yellow hats or the new interpretation. However, the difference is not quite as great as the color suggests.
Nyingma-pa sect
Is the oldest sect that can be traced directly back to the days of the tantric master, Padme Sambhava (Guru Rinpoche) in the 8th century, where he wandered around Tibet and wrote down various doctrines and guidelines. These, so-called Terma’s, were traced by the Orgy Oring in the 14th century and laid the foundation for Nyingma-pa’s basic ideas, which very briefly believe that human, divine insight can be made conscious in its saving purity through appropriate meditation and yoga. The Tibetan Book of the Dead Bardo Thödul is also included in these texts.
Nyingmapa has a relatively free coal life, where monks and llamas can get married, but often live and work in solitary issuers or in small communities. There are many Nyingmapa monasteries in Nepal and in Sikkim it is the main branch of Tibetan Buddhism. Major monasteries in Tibet include Mindroling in the Yarlung Valley south of Lhasa and Zhechen in Kham.
The last chief of Nyingmapa, HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche died in Bhutan in ’91.