The True Story of the Search, Discovery, and Escape of a Reincarnate Lama

"In this book Marya recounts the exciting tale of their journey, while at the same time revealing many aspects of Tibet's religion and culture. The story is also an example of how setting a goal and taking a realistic and determined approach to fulfilling it eventually leads to success." -- His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

In accordance with the Tibetan tradition of finding the reincarnations of high lamas, the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama was sought to locate the rebirth of Nechung Rinpoche, who passed away in 1983. Rinpoche is the eminent lama of Nechung, the institution that houses the Chief State Oracle. His Holiness gave several clues: the year of the boy's birth, the names of his parents, and the locale of Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. A search party of three people--a monk from Nechung Monastery in India, Marya and Miguel--made journeys to Tibet in 1987 and 1993. Their search led them to sacred visionary lakes and ancient monasteries. The expeditions were precarious and filled with challenges such as where to look, whom to trust, and how to accomplish a nearly impossible mission in a Chinese communist-occupied country where surveillance was prevalent. Ultimately, the escape with the eight-year-old lama entailed crossing multiple heavily guarded checkpoints, including two international airports.

Road to Freedom--A Journey from Occupied Tibet: The True Story of the Search, Discovery, and Escape of a Reincarnate Lama, Marya Waifoon Schwabe, Luminare Press, Paperback, 318 pp, $50.00

Marya Schwabe began studying Buddhism in 1974, together with her husband Miguel, at a temple in Wood Valley on the Island of Hawai'i. The temple was founded for Nechung Rinpoche, the reincarnate lama of Nechung Monastery, the institution that houses the Chief State Oracle of Tibet. From 1975 to 1983, Marya and Miguel lived and worked closely with Rinpoche. Under his tutelage, they immersed themselves in Buddhism and learned spoken and classical Tibetan at the remote sanctuary. Nechung Rinpoche encouraged them to learn Tibetan so they could comprehend the profundity of the Buddhist philosophy from the source. He foresaw that they would study with many lamas who were not fluent in English. True to Rinpoche's prescience, Marya organized visits and teaching programs for over fifty lamas, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1980 and 1994, from all the major lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, to the temple and other centers. She has had the rare opportunity to study with and translate for many of these extraordinary teachers. The subjects range from foundational practices, the highest yoga tantras, and Dzogchen. Since the 1970s, Marya has also served as the temple administrative director, managing the business, outreach, and public relations; while Miguel has utilized his skills to develop and maintain the infrastructure, buildings, and grounds. They have traveled extensively in Asia and currently reside and work at Nechung Dorje Drayang Ling in Hawai'i.

CONTENTS: Road to Freedom--A Journey from Occupied Tibet
Foreword		1
Introduction		3
	Reincarnation	3
	Nechung Rinpoche's Lineage	4
	The Search for Nechung Rinpoche's Reincarnation	5
THE EARLY YEARS: 1949 TO 1983		11
	Tibet 1949 to 1959 and Beyond	11
	The Sacred Mask	14
	A Daring Escape--1962	16
	In Exile	19
	Sweet Beginnings	20
	Nechung--the Oracle, Medium, Lama, and Monastery	39
THE FIRST JOURNEY: SUMMER 1987		45
	Our Search Party	45
	Into Tibet	49
	Nechung Monastery in Lhasa	52
	First Public Tsok Ceremony	59
	The Way to the Visionary Lake	68
	Lhamo Latso	73
	The Elusive Chamseng Latso	78
	Sacred Pilgrimage Sites	81
	Drikung Monastery	86
	To the Tibetan Border	88
	Border to Kathmandu	92
THE SECOND ATTEMPT: SUMMER 1993		101
	The Long-Awaited News	101
	Visit of Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok	102
	Summer in Beijing	104
	Thupten's Mysterious Disappearance	106
	Five Peak Mountain	108
	City of the Gods	111
	Travel in India	115
	The Secret Police	117
	One Step at a Time	122
THE DISCOVERY: SEPTEMBER 1993		127
	Lhasa Encounters	127
	Perfect Circumstances	129
	The Long Wait	131
	Caution and Terror	138
	Karmic Connections	140
	Wednesday, September 8th	143
	Thursday, September 9th	154
	Friday, September 10th	158
	Saturday, September 11th	160
	Sunday, September 12th	162
	Monday, September 13th	164
	Tuesday, September 14th	166
THE ESCAPE: SEPTEMBER 14TH-19TH, 1993		171
	Leaving Lhasa	171
	The First Checkpoint	178
	Time, Space, and Elements	183
	Dram--the Tibetan Border	187
	Dinner in Darkness	191
	Guides of the Night	193
	To Leave or Not to Leave	197
	New Friends	202
	The Crossing	205
	The Friendship Bridge	207
	The Nepalese Border	210
	A Small Bribe	214
	A Matter of Courtship	220
	Simple Human Smile	225
	A Brief Respite	230
	The Kathmandu Airport	235
	On to Delhi	239
	Arrival at Nechung	245
The Enthronement		248
Epilogue		251
Acknowledgements		261
The Symbolism of the Tibetan Flag		265
Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama		266
An Explanation of Reincarnation by H.H. the Dalai Lama		272
	Introduction	272
	Past and future lives	273
	How rebirth takes place	275
	The meaning of Tulku	275
	Recognition of Reincarnations	277
	The system of recognizing reincarnations in Tibet	277
	The ways of recognizing reincarnations	278
	Emanation before passing away of the predecessor	279
	Using the Golden Urn	279
	Deceptive strategy and false hopes	281
	The next incarnation of the Dalai Lama	282
Glossary		285
	Abbreviations	285
	Buddhist Terms	285
	Cultural Terms	291
	Eminent Personages	292
	People	296
	Places	299
About Marya and Miguel		304