Deep in the countryside south of Pisa at Pomaia is a little piece of Tibet. The Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa is a monastery, place of meditation, teaching institute, ritual centre – in short, somewhere to find oneself again and recover the original point of why we’re here. There’s an excellent web site in English at https://www.iltk.org/en/chi-siamo/
We’d been aware of the Tibetan centre for some time but it was only thanks to an invitation from a friend that we decided to join in the three-day festival celebrating the Dalai Lama’s birthday (he’s 82 this year).
Last Sunday we shared the atmosphere of peace and good-will which permeates the monastery.
There is a characteristic gateway leading to four stupas commemorating lamas who have taught or influenced the monastery.
There were stalls and massage using the famous singing bowls:
There was a photographic exhibition including pictures by famous Italian explorer and lover of Tibet, Fosco Maraini, (who, incidentally, is buried by his own choice at Alpe Sant’Antonio in the comune of Molazzana near us.)
There was the blessing of the animals. Among those who had their animals blessed we met family friend Piero Nissim and his daughters, great creators of music, poetry and theatre. Some brought their cats in a basket. My cat, Napoleon’s photo, however, was suitably blessed!
We made up for all the prayers we’d forgotten to recite after our miraculous escape from our car accident in May by turning round the prayer-wheels of peace:
The climax was the destruction of the great sand mandala which had been painstakingly built up in the previous weeks. The mandala is a mind liberating celestial city with four gates. Its eventual obliteration represents the transience of life on this planet and the fact that the celestial city is truly beyond the comprehension of anyone. The organiser of the extempore arts celebration (and international women’s day) gave a memorable course on making mandalas which I have described at
https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/cosmic-road-maps-at-the-casino/
Before we left the last day of the Tibetan celebrations we saw a harrowing film of how Tibetan culture was almost destroyed last century. We visited Tibet last year (see https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2016/12/01/heated-debates-at-sera-monastery-tibet/ etc.) and were glad to note that the Tibetan spirit can never be broken. The one positive thing about the Tibetan tragedy is that so many of this highest (in all sense of the word) of cultures has had to disperse into all parts of the world to preserve itself, and so many more people have become aware of its great truths.
We did miss the tenth anniversary of the extempore art event at Bagni di Lucca’s Villa Fiori. But Sandra has taken part in seven times and, indeed, we have produced a combined effort of her art and my poetry in the book available at https://www.unilibro.it/libro/pettitt-francis/septet/9788869700521
There is, however, an excellent report by my friend, Domenico Bertucelli a gifted writer, raconteur of local stories and photographer for you to view at
And also at