We left the hotel in Chengdu on time at 4.20 a.m., we were at the
airport 30 minutes later. Check in, security and boarding went very
well. The Airbus 319 was almost empty so we had a lot of space to
rest while we had to absorb a 1 hour delay "due to ATC"!
We arrived at Lhasa's Gongkar Airport around 9.30 a.m. Yangchen and
a few family members welcomed us there. The drive to Lhasa city is
now much shorter thanks to a new bridge and tunnel. We all went to
Yangchen's mother. She was, of course, delighted to see us again.
We all had dinner together. Then, the girls went with Yangchen to
visit all their aunties new houses while I went with Ama-la for a
khora (circumbulation) of the Potala Palace. After the kora we had a
stop for a cup of tea then I went on my own to center of Lhasa.
The first thing I did was to get our tickets for the return flight to
Chengdu. It took 15 minutes. We will leave next thursday (August
30th) at 12.00 p.m. We can take the airport bus at 9.30 a.m. in Lhasa.
Then I went straight to the Jokhang temple and the Barkhor, the heart
center of Lhasa. Thousands of pilgrims go there everyday to pay their
respect to Lhasa's most sacred temple. I did a khora and then joined
the pilgrims in front of the Jokhang. Most of them perform
prostration in front of the Jokhang doors. Prostrating is not only a
way of showing respect but it is also a very powerful body
purification practice. Many among the pilgrims are there for many
weeks to accomplish an accumulation of 100,000 prostrations.
I stayed there for about three hours. I mainly sat reciting mantras
and prayers but I also did a set of 108 prostrations. This place is
probably the one that inspire me the most to practice. I intend to go
back there tomorrow morning.
Now I'm back at Ama-la's. The girls went to sleep at Sega's (one of
Yangchen sisters).
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