My First Tibetan language class

15 February


I just couldn’t stay long in Dharamsala. Even if its peaceful and pretty, and more important is less crowded because now it’s not the season, I felt I need something else.

When Dalai Lama is giving teachings, I bet Dharamsala is facing a large influx of tourist, but as I arrived there when His Holiness was on a retreat (from 3rd to 14th of February) it seemed a passive and lazy small city showered by a cocktail of rain and snow.



Recommended by some Indian friends, after 3 days of exploring the surroundings of Dharamsala, I head to Bir (small Tibetan colony in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh), where I plan to stay at Deer Park Institute.


Deer Park


Sheltered by the Himalaya Mountains and surrounded by tea gardens in this small mountain village, we are 1600 m high and there are at least 4 beautiful Buddhist monasteries nearby. It’s a relaxing place, which I compared to paradise when I arrived.

Extremely peaceful, and even if we are around 30 people here, except the meal time you can hardly see someone outside. Even I stay most of the time in the room reading or just thinking about my life purpose.

I assume I am the youngest person here. Most of the people are aged between early 40 and maybe up to 70, and most of them are female. Some of them are reading the whole day in the library, others are writing their own researches or book, so that’s inspires me to do the same.

In one day I read a 300 page book. And now I am keen to read as many books as possible, because the library is just amazing. There is a large collection of books on ancient philosophy, history of religions, Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, various types of meditation, self-teacher books for various languages, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and my brain goes crazy and greedy desires for all this knowledge.

In the Deer Park campus, there is also a Buddhist Temple, called Buddha Hall. And for the Tibetan New Year (or here called Losar), which was when all people are on their romantic dates for Valentine’s (14 of February), people gathered inside and chanted mantras. I am not ready yet to become a Buddhist or to embrace any religion, but I feel so good in such moments of devotion.

Almost all people are foreigners, and almost all are from United States, and when we talk and get to know each other, almost everyone says “Ohhh, can you please spell the name of your country? Ohhh, Moldova … You know, I see a Moldovan for the first time in my life.”, or “Is it somewhere near Czech Republic?”.

I must admit that I feel good expanding the knowledge universe of other people, but sometimes I get so tired explaining again and again our dramatic history, tradition and other stuff I am asked about language, religion and any other questions that arise in people mid. Today at breakfast I gave a speech about religion and Moldova and my two listeners (an American lady and my roommate Dana) were astonished that we don’t have Dharma Centre or Mosques in our country.

What I like about Deer Park, is that is a study center, and no specific person is worshiped. I even don’t know who the “Biggest Boss” here is. Linda is meeting newcomers, Jennifer is in charge of the library, Metilis is in charge of the meals, Sara is in charge of Zero garbage zone and recycling the garbage. Everyone has its own responsibilities and I didn’t heard yet of “Deer Park Director Position”, the only thing I noticed is what is written on a pamphlet about Deer Park, that it’s under the Patronage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and that it’s also called a Centre for Study of Classical Indian Wisdom Traditions.

The accommodation and food are not so expensive here, and all classes are free, but of course any donation is welcomed, but at least it’s not a tax and everyone gives as much as he/she wants.

I am in Deer Park for already 3 days, and the first two days I was lucky enough to have a four places dorm jus for myself.

Dana - my roomate

Yesterday the first of my roommates arrived. Her name is Dana, and she is from Switzerland. Born in Czech Republic, in 1968 along with her family she immigrated to Germany and then further to Switzerland. Dana is around her early 50, but is in a good shape. Since 3 years she leaves in McLeod Gunj (or Upper Dharamsala), which is the spiritual center of exiled Tibetan Buddhism. She goes once in a while back home to Switzerland, but firmly declared that for the rest of her live she will live there where Dalai Lama lives, because His Holiness (“HH”) is the biggest love of her live. After that followed a question “Do you love Him too?” ... For some seconds I got lost because I didn’t expected this specific question. I guess I never loved someone trylly trully (soi could sacrificy my life), but in the same time I love everybody and everything, so I reply “I would rather say - I deeply respect Him”. Dana still talks to me, so I hope I satisfied her curiosity about the feeling I have for His Holiness.

She has a student visa for 1 year, at 50 years! So I asked if she really studies somewhere or just did it to not have problems with these new visa regulations. Dana said that she studies alone in the McLeond Gunj Library, and they provide her a letter stating that she comes there almost every day for her personal studies. I was quite amazed, and maybe I will be using the same technique when my visa expires. Dana knows a lot about Buddhism and has huge collection of recorded lectures/teachings of HH, various Lamas, teachers, nuns, etc.

My roomate came to Deer Park to study Tibetan. This is her 3rd attempt to study this language (she already started 2 more times, ones with a teacher and once alone, but never went too far). She said if she fails this time, she will never try to study Tibetan again. I laugh inside, but admire her strong will.

My first Tibetan class

Starting from today (15th of February) and for a whole month I will attend Tibetan classes.

I don’t know what made me decide that, because I am also trying to study Hindi (took some classes at JNU, but now trying to study alone), and I might get really confused, but I give a try.

In case I don’t succeed I can adopt Dana’s position – 3 attempts to learn a language. For the Hindi, this attempt is the second one, so I have 1 attempt left. The lesson starts at 9.30 am each day and lasts until lunch (12 pm) with a 20 min break.

We are 8 people attending the class. I guess everyone is American (including the professor) except me (Moldova), Dana (from Switzerland) and Shivami (a former Italian, who lives now in India, adopted Buddhism and shaved her hair). So, quite weird classmates, but I find everyone interesting and special in her own way.

I am sitting near Dana, and she seems really attentive while the professor talks and tries to write down everything. I hope she really succeeds for this time.

There is another Lady Robyn (this name always been associated with a male, but I have meet one Robyn before), which I think is not a beginner and keeps asking sophisticated questions about the pronunciation, dialects and other small details.

Today our professor (Kurt) revealed a secret to us. “We are going to learn the Classical Tibetan Language. It is a language comparable to Latin language or Sanskrit, no one speaks it and you won’t be able to go in the streets and talk with Tibetans other some Chai. This is the language in which the Buddhist scriptures (called Sadnas in Tibetan) are written. After this course you will be able to read and understand the scriptures but you will not be able to speak to ordinary people in the street, well only to some monks who study the scriptures”.

I must say I got a bit depressed, I was already imagining myself exercising by language skills with children from the Tibetan Colony, but I guess I will be able to speak only to monks. This Classical Tibetan is like old Hebrew in which the Bible was written.

The alphabet is the same as in the Modern Tibetan, but the pronunciation and word arrangement and grammar are very different.

I must say that back home, I had some attempts in writing in Tibetan “Ohm mane padme hum” mantra, and during today lesson I was happy to recognize some letters.

The Tibetan Alphabet (or better let’s call it Syllbary – because there are not letters but syllabus) contains 30 signs for 30 different syllabus and 4 sings for the vowels.

Then, you can add the vowel sing to the already existing syllabus sing and form other sing for other syllabus. Sounds quite complicated, but for me seemed ok for the beginning and I am enjoying the process.

Let’s share with you a song used to learn the signs of the syllabus “Ka” while mixed with the 4 vowel sings (i, u, e, o). So the sign KI is called Kiku, KU is called Shepqui, KE – Dengbu and KO – Naro, and the song is like this: Ka kiku ki ka shepqui ku ka dengbu ke ka naro ko.

Imagine how much fun we had while singing it for at least 5 times in the class to remember those signs. That was the class for today. Already waiting for tomorrow and I am going now to the TAI CHI (for the well-being of the mind and body) class which is every day starting from today until Feb 25th. Quite a tough study program, feels like back to school but I am so happy.