CHASING THE DALAI LAMA
Meeting the Dalai Lama in Mundgod— world’s largest monk settlement—came to us only after a long arduous ride on a rickety bus, several risky roads, and a delicious spread of Karnataka curries.
Mundgod in Karnataka is the ‘Tibet of South India'—one that you need to experience first-hand to believe that this is the world's largest monk settlement.
Three years ago, I undertook an adventure of a lifetime. I travelled across India to a tiny town in Karnataka, known as Mundgod, to meet the Dalai Lama. At that time, I wasn't particularly religious or spiritual. For that matter, I didn't even know much about the Dalai Lama or Buddhism.
I was born and brought up in Mumbai in a Hindu family, and went to the United States for my undergraduate studies. In college, I met Chan—an ardent follower of the Dalai Lama Buddhism—and we became great friends. Fast-forward to a few years later, I was back in Mumbai, ready to embark on a journey with Chan and Alexandra (another friend from college) to the south of India, to listen to the teachings of the Dalai Lama and meet him in person.
As I didn't know much about Mundgod, and this was my first trip to the Tibetan monastery in Karnataka, I did some research. I learnt that Mundgod is about an hour drive from Hubli, and is often referred to as ‘Little Tibet of India'. Moreover, every winter, the Dalai Lama moves from Dharamsala to Mundgod where he holds lectures and discussions, which are open to the general public. Three years ago, the Englishtranslated lectures were held in December.
We registered for the lectures and booked an overnight bus from Mumbai to Hubli. It was Christmas Eve when we embarked on our journey of meeting the Dalai Lama. We were lucky, as it turned out that my aunt lived in Hubli, and agreed to host us while we attended the lectures in Mundgod. In fact, her son and she offered to drive us, and join for the talks. This was a blessing, as they were proficient in Kannada, the local language of Karnataka, and knew the roads well.
Everything was planned—we were to take an overnight bus from Mumbai to Hubli, stay at my aunt's house for the night, and drive to Mundgod the next morning. However, the journey to Mundgod wasn't going to be as easy as I had thought it would be. It was the first time that I was taking an overnight bus in India, and I didn't know what to expect. Additionally, I was travelling with two girls from the United States who were visiting India for the first time. What was I thinking?
Everywhere we looked, there were Tibetan monasteries. Mundgod beautifully showcases Tibetan life and culture.
Even before our journey began, everything that could go wrong went wrong! The bus was in a dilapidated condition, the driver drove rashly, and our ride kept stopping at unhygienic and unsafe rest stops throughout the journey.
I think the ardous journey to Mundgod made our experience there even better, as it felt like a reward for roughing it out to reach the destination. In hindsight, I think going by train (the Hubli airport was not operational) would have been a much safer and comfortable option. After having not slept all night, we finally reached Hubli and made it to my aunt’s house.
Now that the worst part of the trip was over, it dawned upon us that we would be meeting the Dalai Lama the next day. We were starving and exhausted, but nothing could take the feeling of euphoria away from us. That night, we devoured our dinner of delicious Karnataka curries and rice, and slept like babies.
The next morning, at the break of dawn, we drove to Mundgod. I was grateful that we had a local driver, and that my aunt accompanied us. The roads were not in the best condition, there were no streetlights, and there weren’t many signs for proper directions. We could have easily missed the turn for Mundgod. However, we didn’t, and finally managed to reach the destination.
As soon as we entered Mundgod, I knew exactly why the town was known as ‘mini Tibet’. It is a small unpretentious town, which hosts the largest monk settlement in the world. The total population of Tibetans in Mundgod is approximately 15,000, out of which 70 per cent are monks and nuns. Having escaped from Tibet after the Chinese invasion, Tibetans settled in Mundgod in 1966, when the government of Karnataka allocated around 4,500 acres of land for their settlement.
Crowds of Tibetan Buddhist monks greeted us. Everywhere we looked, there were beautiful Tibetan monasteries, buildings, statues, shops, and restaurants. Mundgod beautifully showcases Tibetan life and culture. Tibetan refugees have transformed Mundgod from a simple village into a quaint charming town, with an abundance of character. I couldn’t believe that Mundgod was in south India; it felt like we had just entered Tibet.
As we had reached Mundgod early, and had some time before the lectures began, we decided to try some Tibetan breakfast, and explore the town. We made our way to the main market, which is frequented by the monks from the nearby monasteries. The colourful market was dotted with restaurants serving Tibetan cuisine and shophouses selling local artisans’ artifacts, locally grown fruits and vegetables, and souvenirs. We entered the busiest restaurant, and had a scrumptious, freshly-prepared breakfast of Tibetan sweet tea, tholma (porridge) and Tibetan yogurt with fresh fruits. Though the restaurants in Mundgod were not fancy, the taste and flavour of the food, as well as the hospitality of the locals were excellent.
At breakfast, we interacted with the local monks, and learnt that Mundgod is an important centre for monastic education. The town has evolved as a seat of learning for the monks. In Mundgod, there are seven monasteries, with
majestic prayer halls, creatively-designed roofs, and delicately-sculpted mandalas. The Doeguling Monastic University (where our lectures were held) is an exact imitation of Tibet’s renowned, 500-year-old university with the same name, which was destroyed by the Chinese in 1959. The Mundgod replica of the university has 4,000 student monks from numerous countries, undertaking a demanding Mahayana-Buddhist theological education, and living a humble monistic lifestyle. The total number of monks in the Doeguling settlement is more than 8,000.
After breakfast, we made our way to the Doeguling Monastic University for the lectures by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. We entered the main prayer hall of the university, and patiently waited for him to arrive. Suddenly, all whispers stopped, and a regal door to the right of the main stage opened—sunlight streamed in, and monks began walking in briskly. There he was, at the end of the line of monks, looking graceful, calm and confident. He had a twinkle in his eyes, a massive smile on his face, and it felt like he was making eye contact with everyone present. When I spotted him, a wave of calm went through my body, all my anxiety and nervousness disappeared, and I instantly felt at ease.
A heartly applause welcomed him as the Dalai Lama entered the hall, followed by pin drop silence.
A heartly applause welcomed him as he entered the hall, followed by pin drop silence. He began speaking in Tibetan, and there were screens all over the hall displaying the English translations. He started with reading and explaining some Buddhist scriptures.
What struck me the most from his teachings was when he spoke about the importance of treating every person as Buddha and the significance of ‘treasures of the heart.’ He stressed on the importance of treating everyone with love and respect—as would Buddha, regardless of his or her status or role in society.
Moreover, he said that as human beings, we are always in a hurry to accumulate ‘treasures of the storehouse’ (material wealth), and ‘treasures of the body’ (physical health), and often ignore building ‘treasures of the heart.’, which however, are the most important. ‘Treasures of the heart’ refers to our inner strength, which is not overcome by any difficulty. It is power within us to live every day to the fullest, with joy and vitality. Believing in our own potential, and helping others in our own way leads us to create our very own ‘treasures of the heart.’
Listening and meeting the Dalai Lama was life changing in more ways than one. Not only did I learn the importance of treating others with respect, but I also learned the significance of treating myself with self-love. Only when we are true to ourselves will we be truly fulfilled and happy. After the day’s lecture, the Dalai Lama met everyone on his way out. He thanked us for coming all the way, and wished us a safe journey home. What really touched me were his humility, and the effort he took to individually meet everyone. After he left, the monks from the monastery served us a meal of Tibetan butter milk, bread and thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup). They even gave all the attendees `1,000 to help with travel expenses.
The modesty and humanity of the Dalai Lama was endearing, and it made me realise the importance of life. The charming town of Mundgod, the hospitable Tibetans, and the Dalai Lama will always hold a special place in my heart. I realised that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much wealth we have accumulated or what our status is in the world. What matters is how we are living our lives, and how we make everyone we meet on our journeys, feel.