ダライ・ラマ14世
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藤田理麻のダラムサラ旅日誌

2018年3月5日
　昨日ニューヨークからデリーに入り、1泊。今朝、プロペラ機でダラムサラのカングラ空港に到着。そびえたつヒマラヤ山脈に囲まれると、巨大な雲と青い空が頭にふれそうなくらい低く感じる。プロペラ機が着陸後すぐに、滑走路の上で車のごとくクルッと素早くUターンをしたのには驚いた。2年ぶりのダラムサラは建築ラッシュ。ホテルが次々と建てられ、観光客の数も増加の一途。街の象徴であるダライ・ラマ猊下がお元気なうちにとの、さまざまな人の想いと思惑が街の様相を変えているのだろうか。

March 5, 2018
I arrived to Delhi from New York yesterday, and stayed for a night. This morning I flew to Dharamsala’s Kangra airport in a propeller plane. Surrounded by the towering mountain range of the Himalayas, the enormous clouds and the blue sky seemed so low that they would touch my head. I was surprised to see that right after landing the plane made a quick u-turn, just like a car. Two years since my last visit, Dharamsala is now in a building frenzy. New hotels are mushrooming one after another, and the number of tourists continues to grow. Perhaps the different desires and motives of people spurred by the advancing age of the town’s symbol, HHDL, is changing the face of the town.

3月6日
　朝、ホテルで朝食をしっかり食べ、気を引き締めて猊下のメディア担当秘書に挨拶に行く。厳格な人柄で知られる彼とは初対面なので緊張したが、案外フレンドリーな方でほっとした。猊下の邸宅の隣は、猊下の本寺であるナムギャル寺院だ。毎朝たくさんのチベット人たちがコルラ（巡礼）に来る。私も心を鎮めるためマニ車を回しながら歩き、朝のお祈りをした。
　午後、亡命政府の教育部門を訪問。絵本『チベタン・アイデンティティ』を作る際、お世話になった人たちに会う。チベット難民の若者に2万部配布したが、少し残っていたぶんを受け取る。のちに訪れるネパールのチベタン難民学校に届けるためだ。
　夕食はホテルで「テントゥク」を食べる。私は胃腸が弱く、唐辛子も黒胡椒も食べられない。「ノー・チリ！」と念を押す。隣席の女性に、部屋に大きな蛾が入ってきたので、そっと外に逃がしてもらった話をしたところ、「蛾はラッキーシンボルよ！」と言われた。謁見を前に緊張していたのでうれしくなり、信じることにした。敬虔な仏教徒であるチベット人たちは、小さな虫も殺生しない。前世で自分の母や兄弟だった可能性があると信じているのと、命を持って生まれてくるということが、どんなに奇跡的なことか知っているからだ。

March 6
I ate a plentiful breakfast at the hotel in the morning, and went to greet HHDL’s media secretary. I was nervous because it was the first time I was meeting this man with a well-known stern personality. I was relieved to be met by an unexpectedly friendly person. Next to HHDL’s residence is his personal temple, the Namgyal Monastery. Many Tibetans come to perform kora (pilgrimage) every morning. I also did a morning prayer, walking while rolling the mani wheels (prayer wheels) to calm my mind. In the afternoon I visited the education department of the Tibetan government in exile. I met the people who created the picture book, Tibetan Identity with me. I received a few remaining copies from the 20,000 that were distributed to young Tibetan refugees worldwide, and I will bring them to a Tibetan refugees’ school in Nepal that I will later visit.
For dinner I had thenthuk (pulled noodle soup) at the hotel. I have a weak stomach, and I cannot eat chilies nor peppers. “No chilies, please!” I repeated to make sure. I got talking to the woman sitting next to me. I told her that I asked the hotel staff to carefully let out a large moth that had flown into my room, and she told me “Moths are a symbol of luck!” This made me happy as I was still nervous about the audience in a few days and decided to believe in what she said. I do in fact believe that any creature could be the reincarnation of my mother or siblings, and I know how miraculous it is to be endowed with life.

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