It was early evening on the tenth of December, in the year 2001. I was working in my one-room office in a nondescript building in Pasadena, California, when a stranger appeared at the door. He was a police officer, a large man with an imposing dark uniform and a shiny badge. Several alien and … [Read more...] about I, Terrorist
Tibetan Nomads and the Permanent Camping Trip
By golly, I have pitched tents in some wild and wooly places. Once, while sneaking into forbidden Tibet Autonomous Region, I camped in a forest beside the Dri Chu river. Later that same year (1991), while biking the Karakorum Highway, I camped beside the yurts of Kirgiz herders. I’ve camped in … [Read more...] about Tibetan Nomads and the Permanent Camping Trip
Survival and Evolution of Sky Burial Practices
The Practice When I first saw a sky burial in 1997, what struck me most was how quickly it was all over: vultures devoured the man’s flesh in just thirteen minutes. The charnel ground (durtro or dursa) was set in a large fenced meadow with a few small temples and outbuildings, and a large circle … [Read more...] about Survival and Evolution of Sky Burial Practices
Guard Dogs from Hell
[Originally published in Action Asia, June-July, 1996] Grrrrr He was a sandy-colored dog, crouched on the ground a few meters to one side of the path and glaring at me evilly. His low growl was a warning sign- -one that I should have heeded, but I had things on my mind and business to take care … [Read more...] about Guard Dogs from Hell
Lithang Monastery: Cycles of Destruction and Renewal (Part 2)
(See Part 1 here) The monastery in 1949 Lithang Monastery was preparing to enter the second half of the 20th century with its finances in good order, probably thanks to effective management of assets such as herds, a prosperous local community, and alliances with other Gelug monasteries that … [Read more...] about Lithang Monastery: Cycles of Destruction and Renewal (Part 2)