Min tibetanska barndom i Zorgay - Life and Culture on the Tibetan ...

eldest brother was.
I gave her an answer she did not expect: "Gr<strong>and</strong>mother,
I like going to school very much."
"You aren't a good boy. You changed your mind. You
said before you didn't like school because the teachers beat you.
You lied to your gr<strong>and</strong>mother," she said, luring me into a trap to
agree to what she wanted.
Without a way out, I sputtered, "Well, y…e…s,
Gr<strong>and</strong>mother. I'd also like to be a monk."
Gr<strong>and</strong>mother said that night, "Maybe you don't know
but, in fact, Kondro wants to be a monk. He told me so."
Father said nothing.
The next morning Father said, "Kondro, get up. Let's go
see Monk Wodzer again today."
"I don't want to ever see him again because he will
surely ask me to be a monk," I replied from under my sheepskin
cover.
"Listen to your Father. Get up <strong>and</strong> let's go," said Father
over <strong>and</strong> over again.
"No! I want to continue my studies. I don't want to be a
monk," I cried. My tears were like a severed string of pearls
soaking the pillow. I had no other way to avoid Gr<strong>and</strong>mother's
decision. Father was lost. It was difficult for him to question
Monk Wodzer because he was a pious Buddhist. But, in this
situation, Father had no option but to respect my choice.
"OK! Dear son, I'm sorry to make you cry. We won't go
see Monk Wodzer, but you should take your medicine on time,"
said Father. "After you get better you can go to school."
I happily got up. Father hugged me <strong>and</strong> said, "I will
never make you cry again, my dear son. In life <strong>and</strong> death, I am
here to accompany you. Let's risk this together."
This decision frustrated Gr<strong>and</strong>mother, who complained,
"What if he dies? Will you then have the heart to look at
yourself?"
"Mother, please! We can't force him to become a monk
or we will sin against him <strong>and</strong> ourselves," said Father.
Gr<strong>and</strong>mother said nothing in reply, only despondently
murmured mani.
I soon recovered - I did not die after all. The karma of
being a monk vanished from my world as I chose to be a
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