GD: Lama Gyen
Yeshe who are you?
LGY: I was born in Bas in the province of
Kham, eastern Tibet. I come from a large family of over twenty members and
most of them were killed by the Chinese. Monastically, I firstly belonged
to Bas Chode Gompa (The Secret Cave of the East) and later, I belonged to
Drepung Monastery. (Also pronounced Drepung, the largest and most powerful
Monastery in Tibet. It is located 5 kilometers from Lhasa and contained
between 7,000 and 10,000 Monks prior to the Chinese invasion.) For nearly
forty years, I traded, with neighboring countries, for the welfare of
these Monasteries.
GD: In Tibet,
who was breeding Apsos?
LGY: In Tibet, normally, these Apsos were
bred by High Lamas and Noblemen, only. So, the common Tibetan people do
not have this type of Apso. We never sold dogs, we only used them for
presentation. We believe that these Apsos must be very good, because these
dogs have maximum chance of taking rebirth as a human next life. When a
human dies, before he humanly rebirths, he may enter the life of these
Apsos. Not only Lamas, common people also, depending on their previous
life can reincarnate in these Apsos.
Then, I asked the Lama about the other way
around. Is it possible from Holy Dog to human form?
GD: Can Apsos reincarnate in people?
LGY: In Tibet, after a High Lama dies, we
look for his Reincarnation. In my Kham side, there was a Rinpoche who had
an Apso like this. The Rinpoche died and his Apso died also, not too long
after. From the children of the new generation, High Lamas found two boys
who could recognize all the personal effects of the previous Rinpoche. It
was soon discovered that, while one of the boys was the Reincarnation of
the Rinpoche, the other boy was the Reincarnation of the Rinpoche's Apso.
GD:
You always
bring Katu your favorite Apso during meditation, is he also meditating?
LGY: No, but it is good for them to hear
the sounds of these prayers. It is good for their future life. We never
sold dogs, we only used them for presentation. We believe that these Apsos
must be very good, because these dogs have maximum chance of taking into
human life. When a human dies, before he humanly rebirths, he may enter
the life of these Apsos. Not only Lamas, common people also, depending on
their previous life can reincarnate in these Apsos.
GD: Are these
Apsos sacred?
LGY: Actually, the origin of these Apsos
is very sacred. In Tibet, a long time back, there was "Shako," a kind of
flying (...gliding...) white-headed, animal goddess, which ate bones and
had her nest very high in the cliffs. Every year, she would give birth
to two babies; one with wings and the other without wings. This last one
was a small Apso. While the flying one could easily go out and fetch for
food, the small Apso would stay around the nest and would be fed by the
mother.
However, her first Apsos eventually fell from the high
nest to their deaths. After a few years with similar events, the mother after
the Apso baby was big enough, would put him on her back and fly him down to the
ground.
LGY: This is how Apsos came into Tibet. In Tibet, many
people have seen this type of small Apsos, which were brought down by "Shako".
There was a Lama, Tson Sa Tulku, who had Apsos, which were just like Sako's
Apsos. Sometimes they did not have normal hair, instead they had bird feet
feathers (bird's down).
GD:
In
Drepung, did you also have other kinds of dogs?
LGY: No, in Drepung, we were not allowed
to bring any other dogs. These Apsos are very special.
GD:
Do you
know how long Apsos, have been bred in Monasteries in Tibet?
LGY: It is a very old tradition. In the
Monasteries, some monks were very interested to teach many things to these
Apsos which are very good learners.
GD:
Do you
know any other Lama breeding Gompa Apsos now?
LGY: In Lhasa, there used to be many, but
the Chinese might have destroyed everything. I have not heard any stories
about the possible existence of these Gompa Apsos, now in Tibet. Here,
now, I do not know of anyone else.
GD:
Did you
teach young Lamas the traditional art of Gompa Apso breeding?
LGY:
No, nobody ever asked. The people here are
too negligent. Now, at my age, my only duty is to pray.
GD:
Do you
have any other advice to give me?
LGY:
Be careful in breeding and feeding. Also,
I would like to express deep thanks, for your deep interest in this breed
and your kind efforts to preserve these Gompa Apsos.
GD:
Toudiche
to you, Lama. You are the one to be thanked.
