An Internship that was Life-changing
PDPU student Yash Modi shares his special spiritual internship at Upper Dharamshala that has made him clear about the future prospects
Yash Modi (top left) and other students with the Dalai Lama; Protests by Tibetans at McLeodganj
Think of an internship and the image the conjures up in your mind is one of a corporate set up under the supervision of senior executives. I consider myself lucky as my internship was something unique. SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth) selected me as one of the 23 people for the 12th Gurukul Programme organised by The Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
I attended the programme at McLeodganj in HimachalPradeshfromJune5toJuly7.Theonemonth programme aims at making youngsters aware of Tibetan Buddism and the lives of Tibetans in exile through a first-hand experience.
This opportunity has been a life-changing experience for me. Under the programme we had to stay at Buddhist monasteries and live the way Buddhist monks did. The utter pleasure of experiencing and staying in the monastery was in itself a learning process as I had to cope up with varied living conditions with regard to the food and accommodation.
WAKE UP CALL
For a city boy who would rather spend his summer holidays sleeping and roaming around till late, it was a change to wake up at 5.30 am, finish off dinner at 5 in the evening and sleep by 7. My daily schedule there would be waking up at 5 am, followed by a simple breakfast of Tibetan bread and butter tea. Then I would join the monks in the monastery for some prayers and meditation. After this, according to our daily schedule we would have a lecture or visit one of the Tibetan organisations there. A very basic lunch of bread and curry and after that we’d have our Buddhist Philosophy and Mind Science courses at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) in the noon. We would again have to do a rigorous trek uphill to be in time for the dinner around 5.30 pm. Dinner would usually consist of noodles, bread, curry and rice. I would then go to the main temple and spend time sitting there and taking my notes. A little bit of talk with fellow roommates and we were drained enough for a goodnight sleep without fans.
I was one of the lucky 7 who were put up at the Namgyal monastery, the personal monastery of the Dalai Lama, adjoining his residence and next to the main Buddist temple in Dharamsala. I have been touched to see the intensity of the faith they have in the Dalai Lama when just a sight of him makes people cry out of hope and out of helplessness for their occupied country. Thereafter I attended three-day teachings by the Dalai Lama himself in the main temple which was another experience I shall never forget. But the most amazing part was when our group had a private audience with His Holiness. I was also one of the privileged four of our group who got a chance to ask a direct question to him. The question was about the practicality of religion in the 21st century and he answered it at length.
As part of my stay I was supposed to visit and attend lectures at various different Tibetan organisations . I participated in peace rallies around McLeodganj, learnt Tibetan drums and volunteered for various organisations. The programme was helpful in making me understand the religious/spiritual as well as the political side of the Tibetan life. I was touched to see the way in which the self-immolations have been happening inside Tibet and the sheer amount of strength the Tibetans are showing to stick to their ideals of non-violence and compassion towards others as taught by the Dalai Lama himself. Visiting so many organisations and meeting various different people, this whole internship has turned out to help me in rediscovering myself all over again.
Weekends would be free and I would go with my fellow participants on small treks and explore the wilderness. In short, no matter how planned a tourist might come to Dharamsala, no one would be able to travel and see each and every organisation, place of interest and person in as much detail as the 23 of us did.
Though majority of my batchmates chose for the conventional internship, I decided to go for this spiritual internship and the best part was my college supported me immensly. I chose this programme because I felt the need to explore more than the need to start the input. I knew that if there was any time in my life where I would be able to do such a programme, it was now as it would help me to understand life as a whole in a better manner. My motivation and main objective behind going into the programme was the sheer fact of how it would help me explore my own self the most. This opportunity exposed me to so many different people, places and organisations and it helped me discover my interests. It was as if I was taking a hiatus to recharge and re-focus myself.
CLEAR ABOUT MY FUTURE
Now after I am back I am much more clear about the future study area I want to pursue in post-graduation. The whole programme has also instilled in me compassion for the Tibetans and Tibet itself. I am more than motivated to share their stories and the story of Tibet to my own people here at home. The whole programme has had such a huge impact on me that it has almost changed the way I look at life, for the good. The religious and spiritual teachings made me aware of what the reality should be while the political situation of Tibet and its refugees have showed me how fortunate I am to have a country and family of my own.
Today after almost a week since I have been home, I feel I have still carried a lot of Dharamsala in me and left a lot of me there. I am seeing each and everything from my family, college, friends, studies through a very different perspective. It all seems so simple and likeable. A normal internship would make a difference on your resume or your profile, but the one I did has made a difference much larger than that. This was the best journey I have ever had, but even better is the journey I had within.
YASH’S DAILY SCHEDULE
» Wake up call by a child monk: 5.30 am
» Joining the monks for a tea-bread breakfast: 6.30 am
» Prayers and meditation: 7 to 8 am
» Washing own clothes, getting ready and walking down to places scheduled for visits or lectures.
» Lectures at different organisations (political/ religious): 10 am to 12.15 pm
» Lunch: Noon
» Walk downhill from there for Mind Science classes at Library: 2 to 3.30 pm
» Buddhist Philosophy course at Library: 3.30 to 5 pm
» Climb back uphill to the monastery for dinner: 5.30 pm
» This was usually followed by spending time with the monks or just sitting inside the main temple watching the monks and tourists go around and often writing daily accounts.
» Sleep: Around 9 pm
I attended the programme at McLeodganj in HimachalPradeshfromJune5toJuly7.Theonemonth programme aims at making youngsters aware of Tibetan Buddism and the lives of Tibetans in exile through a first-hand experience.
This opportunity has been a life-changing experience for me. Under the programme we had to stay at Buddhist monasteries and live the way Buddhist monks did. The utter pleasure of experiencing and staying in the monastery was in itself a learning process as I had to cope up with varied living conditions with regard to the food and accommodation.
WAKE UP CALL
For a city boy who would rather spend his summer holidays sleeping and roaming around till late, it was a change to wake up at 5.30 am, finish off dinner at 5 in the evening and sleep by 7. My daily schedule there would be waking up at 5 am, followed by a simple breakfast of Tibetan bread and butter tea. Then I would join the monks in the monastery for some prayers and meditation. After this, according to our daily schedule we would have a lecture or visit one of the Tibetan organisations there. A very basic lunch of bread and curry and after that we’d have our Buddhist Philosophy and Mind Science courses at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) in the noon. We would again have to do a rigorous trek uphill to be in time for the dinner around 5.30 pm. Dinner would usually consist of noodles, bread, curry and rice. I would then go to the main temple and spend time sitting there and taking my notes. A little bit of talk with fellow roommates and we were drained enough for a goodnight sleep without fans.
I was one of the lucky 7 who were put up at the Namgyal monastery, the personal monastery of the Dalai Lama, adjoining his residence and next to the main Buddist temple in Dharamsala. I have been touched to see the intensity of the faith they have in the Dalai Lama when just a sight of him makes people cry out of hope and out of helplessness for their occupied country. Thereafter I attended three-day teachings by the Dalai Lama himself in the main temple which was another experience I shall never forget. But the most amazing part was when our group had a private audience with His Holiness. I was also one of the privileged four of our group who got a chance to ask a direct question to him. The question was about the practicality of religion in the 21st century and he answered it at length.
As part of my stay I was supposed to visit and attend lectures at various different Tibetan organisations . I participated in peace rallies around McLeodganj, learnt Tibetan drums and volunteered for various organisations. The programme was helpful in making me understand the religious/spiritual as well as the political side of the Tibetan life. I was touched to see the way in which the self-immolations have been happening inside Tibet and the sheer amount of strength the Tibetans are showing to stick to their ideals of non-violence and compassion towards others as taught by the Dalai Lama himself. Visiting so many organisations and meeting various different people, this whole internship has turned out to help me in rediscovering myself all over again.
Weekends would be free and I would go with my fellow participants on small treks and explore the wilderness. In short, no matter how planned a tourist might come to Dharamsala, no one would be able to travel and see each and every organisation, place of interest and person in as much detail as the 23 of us did.
Though majority of my batchmates chose for the conventional internship, I decided to go for this spiritual internship and the best part was my college supported me immensly. I chose this programme because I felt the need to explore more than the need to start the input. I knew that if there was any time in my life where I would be able to do such a programme, it was now as it would help me to understand life as a whole in a better manner. My motivation and main objective behind going into the programme was the sheer fact of how it would help me explore my own self the most. This opportunity exposed me to so many different people, places and organisations and it helped me discover my interests. It was as if I was taking a hiatus to recharge and re-focus myself.
CLEAR ABOUT MY FUTURE
Now after I am back I am much more clear about the future study area I want to pursue in post-graduation. The whole programme has also instilled in me compassion for the Tibetans and Tibet itself. I am more than motivated to share their stories and the story of Tibet to my own people here at home. The whole programme has had such a huge impact on me that it has almost changed the way I look at life, for the good. The religious and spiritual teachings made me aware of what the reality should be while the political situation of Tibet and its refugees have showed me how fortunate I am to have a country and family of my own.
Today after almost a week since I have been home, I feel I have still carried a lot of Dharamsala in me and left a lot of me there. I am seeing each and everything from my family, college, friends, studies through a very different perspective. It all seems so simple and likeable. A normal internship would make a difference on your resume or your profile, but the one I did has made a difference much larger than that. This was the best journey I have ever had, but even better is the journey I had within.
YASH’S DAILY SCHEDULE
» Wake up call by a child monk: 5.30 am
» Joining the monks for a tea-bread breakfast: 6.30 am
» Prayers and meditation: 7 to 8 am
» Washing own clothes, getting ready and walking down to places scheduled for visits or lectures.
» Lectures at different organisations (political/ religious): 10 am to 12.15 pm
» Lunch: Noon
» Walk downhill from there for Mind Science classes at Library: 2 to 3.30 pm
» Buddhist Philosophy course at Library: 3.30 to 5 pm
» Climb back uphill to the monastery for dinner: 5.30 pm
» This was usually followed by spending time with the monks or just sitting inside the main temple watching the monks and tourists go around and often writing daily accounts.
» Sleep: Around 9 pm