Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. An accidental gunshot that alerted two hundred monks to Chinese soldiers massing overhead is one of the vivid moments Khensur Rinpoche recounts in this 52-minute oral history. Speaking through a translator at Buddha House in 1988, Rinpoche traces the 1959 escape from Tibet: selling his monk’s cloak for a fraction of its worth, crossing high passes in groups of a hundred, and enduring months at the sweltering Missamari transit camp in India. He covers the years at Buxar working toward his Geshe degree, the lottery that assigned each monastery a resettlement site in south India, and Gume Khensur Rinpoche’s tenure as founding abbot of a Tibetan monastery in Switzerland. Throughout, Rinpoche returns to the Kamashar — a protector deity whose oracle trance-warnings urged the monks to flee — as the unseen hand behind the escape’s success.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 33 RS 1988 11 03.mp3
UUID: a48a2ee1-fe28-4eff-91e1-04dc585e3e7f
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Rinpoche's Story (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1988-11-03
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 52.9 minutes
Words: ~2,824
So you were just saying about buying and selling? Yeah. Just some Indians and most mostly rich Monpa villages. Yeah. And those villages would be selling their whole, what I call, hand woven woolen, full length, dress.
Chubas and dresses and whatever. Just for maybe ten or fifteen silver coins Wow. Which is almost like giving away. Yeah. They were so desperate.
Yeah. Rinpoche had a one very huge monk’s winter cloak, you know, with the outside brocade Oh. Covered inside what I call fur, wool, woolen fur. Oh. And it was very good.
What color? You know? Know, it’s a maroon chuba. Chuba are red. Red.
Red. Yeah. And Rinpoche no. Outside is brocade, yellow and colored. Inside is red.
The cloak is sold maybe perhaps for eight or nine, ten silver coins. What was it really worth? Oh, a lot maybe. Normally, it would be at least fifty, sixty silver coins. No.
So same like everybody else were selling their things. It wasn’t so cold down there? No. It wasn’t. No.
No. It was almost starting winter. Sorry. Summer. Summer.
No. No. And then Tibetan groups in groups and in groups, about one hundred Tibetans were being sent to India. Two days, the party groups, Tibetans had to walk, and then there would be transport arrangement by Indians. Groups of a hundred Tibetans at a time.
Yeah. I mean, just just around. Oh, yeah. Yeah. They walked for two days?
Yeah. Yeah. Like that. Yeah. Miles walk or something.
Perhaps it was about three days crossing very high passes. Then there were Indian transport cars, what are called, vehicles. We were doing something, taking Army transport. And then many many by trucks or vehicles, and then in a place called Missamari in India. Missamari?
Yeah, Missamari. Missamari. Yeah, Missamari. So when they came to that place, Missamari, and that’s like a huge Tibetan resettlement transit camp, and then there were huge bamboo houses or shelters for Tibetans. They’re being built for special purpose?
No. Many. No. Many of them. In in each of the bamboo house, perhaps, they could accommodate about hundred people.
No. So many of like that. There were one one called groups who would be coming from coming from Tibet to Bhutan. Through Bhutan? Through Bhutan and to that place.
And I I I call apart from that group, everybody would be from that which room which are nearby. By. That same sort of way? Yeah. And they all gathered in that place.
It was extremely hot place, and and the group perhaps was there for two months. Two months? Two two to three months. It was coming up summer. Yeah.
And the thought goes now yoga goes to work. Right? Yes. And Mhmm. Place itself is normally very hot.
On daytime, if a person on bare feet goes on the ground, can’t even put his feet on the ground. That whole thing. After all the cold and all the passes. And then to each of the escapist, they would be supplied by Indian government a teacher, a trousers, and what call T cup. It’s something like an army cup.
What do you call that? Like enamel cups? Yeah, And then that’s a green perhaps green? Enamel would be white or yellow. Oh, wow.
But the same. Yeah. White. Big enamel cup. Metal.
Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. And some rice, lentils, supplies of rice and lentils. How many people altogether would have been in those houses when Rinpoche was there, the bamboo houses?
How many? Thousands or hundreds? Can’t remember clearly. Perhaps it was about three to four thousands or could be more. Because most of the escapees who escaped into to India from Lhasa wherever from Tibet, they escaped through that what we call route where Rinpoche was in the party.
And most of the parents were sent to do road constructions in what I call northern parts of India, all over. And People belonging to Chushi Gangdruk Guerrilla Army were sent up in the northern part on the border line, border area between India and Tibet. Just not into Tibet, but close to the Indian side of the border. They were sent to areas like Lo. Lo?
Yeah. Lo and and there’s Lo. So most of the the guerrilla army came across also? No. The Chushi Gangdruk, they paid a big price. No.
A fair number have escaped. There there were many who were killed in This is after that battle at Tsona or whatever it is. And among the different Tibetans, whoever gathered in that place, those who could find their own means of livelihood, they were just given the choice to go independently. Monks some monks were sent to northern India at a place called Dalhousie. Oh.
Northern Dalhousie. Dalhousie. Dalhousie. Yeah. The monks who could still carry on their studies and were able to study, they were sent to this place called Buxar.
The jungle area. No. And then till nineteen seventy, Rinpoche stayed in Buxar doing studies, receiving initiations, doing retreats, and also passing Geshe examination. And then in perhaps in nineteen seventy, And in nineteen seventy, Rinpoche went to South India, Karnataka State in Sera. What did call it?
Karnataka. Uh-huh. Karnataka State. You can see it. We went to Sarah and for what called resettlement.
And then the Tibetan government planned, and according to plan, they planned what’s how these monks could be relocated and the whole monastery reestablished, so they planned. And Finally, they drew a lot, like drawing in a lot. So they drew a lot, and it came out Sarah and Kaiju sect. They they can be they they go they they should go to Mysore for resettlement. Oh.
And they want they want Ganden and Nyingma, they can go to one part in Mundgod in India, and Drepung and Sakya, they can go to another part of Mundgod. So it came out like that. Drepung and Sakya? Sakya, yeah. Yeah.
Oh. Did Gume Khensur Rinpoche was he staying in the same group as Rinpoche all the time up till nineteen seventy? Since fifty nine, that’s the year Rinpoche and Gume Khensur Rinpoche and the group were entered Buxar in the monastery. In sixty four, Gume Khensur Rinpoche was requested to come to the monastery which he, before leaving Tibet, was belonging to, and that’s called the Lower Tantric College. North.
Lower Tantric College. Oh. Lower Tantric College, and it was, at that time, relocated in India, in northern India, the place called Dalhousie. Oh. So they requested him to come there to help the monastery going.
Rinpoche left there. Gume Khensur Rinpoche left there in sixty four. No. And maybe perhaps after after one year at Tantric College, Gume Khensur Rinpoche was requested to come to Switzerland where they were planning to where where the younger ones, the younger practitioners. When they were requested through Tibetan when they were requested by Tibetan government to go to Switzerland and establish a Tibetan Tibetan monastery.
And the Tibetan government was in Tibetan government was requested by Red Cross Society to kindly send a Tibetan monks to establish monastery in Switzerland. Soon, government sent five monks, Gume Khensur Rinpoche and his personal attendant called Tsering, and another monk called Lodo, and then couple Lodo. Lodo. Lodo. Lodo.
Lodo. And then Rinpoche went there in Switzerland, established monastery which was called Tharpa Choling Gompa. Tharpa Choling? Gompa. Monastery of dharma wind.
Dharma? Will. Will. Wind. Wind?
No, will. Will. I’m sorry. Wind. Oh, yes.
And then Rinpoche stayed there for about four no. Rinpoche was about four years he was there. And then not staying there for about four years being the chief abbot, Rinpoche afterwards took leave, took excuse from the monastery and then stayed stayed in one of the benefactor’s farmhouse. Benefactor’s Swiss No.
Benefactor’s. Oh, benefactor. Yeah. No. No.
No. And did three years retreat on deity called Yamāntaka. Oh. No. In So there was a bit bit of part missing after he after he was, I’ll call, four years main abbot of that monastery, you know, he took an excuse.
And then His Holiness asked Advair, India, the Dalai Lama, advised Rinpoche to come to India and be be in the what we call the Lama. Normally, it’s called Lama Umze. Rinpoche. Ah. Namahunze.
Lama is what it is. No. Be the Lama Umze, so meaning It’s a work of process in the lower tantra college where monk, before becoming emblem of that monastery, he has to first become Lama Umze, the main lama who leads the whole ceremony, everything. So Rinpoche was requested by the Dalai Lama to come to India and be the Lama Unze and chief abbot in lower tantra. No.
Then then to be advised to become what I call Lama Unze Abbot in North Tantra College. Upper Tantric College. So as an adviser, he went to India, and he did did those two for about three years. Three years altogether? Yeah, three years altogether.
For about three years, he became more of the Concurrently, both of them, or was he Lama Umze first? Yeah, first Lama Nze. I think it’s better not to specify. Okay. Just more.
And then he went back to what I call Switzerland and then did three years retreat on on Yamāntaka. No. But it looks like normally it takes about two for the first and another two for the second. Second. But in his case, was quite special.
Yeah. Looks like changes that happened. I see. No. I was just one other question.
I wondered what happened to the those people from Durgae and all their animals. Did they get across the passes too? Did she see them in India? Yeah. Many animals escaped.
Because Lama Chodak was telling me about his family in Central Tibet, how they were trying to escape, I think, to the west, and they woke up one morning out, and all the animals outside were frozen to death, and only their ears were sticking out from the smoke. Yeah. Rinpoche and the party saw some, what I call, horses and mules, which were taken along by the previous group. But somehow, they couldn’t pass the snow, and they were on the path lying dead. And, also, that person who showed the alternate way, snowy mountain, who ever went that way, most of their animals died.
Oh. Yeah. So many so many animals. That person sounds very strange. But he was trying to say if you go that way, then you have to cross this mountain, but still, yeah, you can we’re gonna be intercepted by Chinese crossing from.
So he seems to be talking the right thing. So Whereas if you whereas if you as he sees, if he if the party left over, go through the snowy mountain, then there would be no problems of Chinese Oh. Catching up with the party. Just problems of the snow and freezing to death. Oh.
No. No. So it was Mhmm. Mhmm. Quite true.
If Chinese have somehow come across, then Rinpoche’s party might have been in big trouble. What I call the whole obstacles. The protector Karmashara is very good one. Because the protector already all the time had told before each of them college monks to leave, leave, leave. And even before previous to that, when there was this Tibetan first fifteenth of Tibetan January when this Monlam festival were happening.
Even at that time in Lhasa, this Kamashar would come in a trance with the normal oracle person who is the Oracle. Yeah. Yeah. Oracle. So, this Kamashar would come to that that person who would normally come who through whom this spirit would normally come.
Mhmm. So even from Harlem festival in Harsa, when kamashe came through that person. From this monk that was tortured later? The Kushe’s friend? No.
They did Papa. Papa. No. And there are some other specific monks. Yeah.
Oh. So when when the Kamashar came, then even from that time, the trance basis monk would throw his upper garment. And so in that case, when he was in trance, it’s not the monk, but the Kamashar protector himself. So Kamashar would throw the upper garment and they would say, you monks, you should share this upper garment into pieces, and each of you should keep it as protection against weapons. Oh.
No. So even from that time, the protector was saying those things. And in Sera also, protector would come in trance. And when used to come in, also said that you all should leave and I’m also not staying here. I’m I’m going I’m going to Shambhala, Shambhala, Shambhala Pass.
And Normally, Kamashar, this protector would be the one who protects the pass, Jangla pass. What? Where is that Jangla pass? No, the Jangla. No. It’s in north.
Jangla Jangla pass is in north direction, and it is the So in Tibetan, it’s called Changla. Yeah. It’s not a maybe we might not say la as a pass. Uh-huh. Because I have been used to, So it’s Shambhala.
That’s the what I call mystical city where Kālacakra or Tantra has specific reference. No. Shambhala. No. Shambhala.
So saying he’s going back to Shambhala No. Kamashar. So Mhmm. So which one worked? Mhmm.
Those who are called group of Derge monks who had horses, guns, which Rinpoche and the party met halfway. So those afterward, they came to a place called Lhoka where guerrilla armies were and they forced monks having guns to join Yes. So they joined them. Afterward, they have gone to a fair distance toward in inside the country in into Tibet, fighting Chinese. And after all, things become desperate, worse.
Then they start retreating back day and night, day and night Wow. All the escaping as quick as possible. And after In the army. Yeah. Yeah.
All the army in burn those monks. And then they come to a place where it would just take a day’s journey to cross into India or something like that. And then it was quite dark about maybe five o’clock in the evening, and Chinese have already arrived to that place. And they were up on the mountain, what I call aiming their guns down to this group. And somehow, they didn’t know that Chinese already came there, but they thought, oh, it’s fine.
Maybe perhaps we can camp here tonight. So the other monks, they slept. And then there was one monk called Baljo who was of same country like Rinpoche’s country. So he was just polishing his gun. So he polished his gun.
Somehow, the trigger went off, and he didn’t know there was a bullet, and it went off. Fire. Because it fired, Chinese, they thought, oh, now they saw us, and they start firing down. But because it was dark, so it stopped for a while. And due to that, when the Chinese fired, then the monks knew that, oh, Chinese had arrived.
So they had to escape. So they had to escape, and they they did escape. So Rinpoche’s interpretation is that because they somehow accidentally the trigger went off, it could be a kind of help from the Kamashar protector. Mhmm. Otherwise, wise, they could never escape because Chinese tactic normally is nighttime attack.
Nighttime? Yeah. Chinese tactics. Normally, they would attack nighttime. So it was five o’clock, big dark, but Chinese were planning nighttime.
Oh, later in the night? Yeah. It would be impossible to yeah. For so many people to escape in that case. No.
How many were About two hundred. Oh, that many? Yeah. And so when Chinese start firing, some of the guerrilla army, who had guns, they start firing back while others pack their things and escaped. So they were able to escape.
There are many cases like in Tibet, so many other lamas, they did observation to their respective protectors whether it’s good to go or good no. Not good to go. So it came it’s good to not go. And it came same for their whole college. And because of that, so many yeah.
Afterward, had to experience a lot of hardships. And in both the Sera Colleges, Sera Je and Sera Me, Tshe has at the moment the largest population. Dewatsang. Dewatsang. Yeah.
That’s because of this. Yeah. That’s the reason. It became after Tibetans arrived in India, there were only in most colleges, hostels, there were only two or three monks who could escape, whereas in Tibet, the other hostels and colleges would have more population. Oh.
No. No. So because you requested Rinpoche to say and say, means you can tell more, more, so that’s why Rinpoche has told. So Rinpoche, you very much because it makes so much No. No.
It’s not It’s very sad, but it it it makes it a lot more special. Yeah.