Meeting the Tibetan people has changed the way of life of Urta Dorothea: I want to help people to be happier

What was your goal then when you were traveling to India and Nepal 10 years ago?

I came to Nepal accompanied by the desire to volunteer in a private school in a mountain village. He was very interested in the vision of the school: creating awareness, community and sociability in children. Many of the children in that village grew up in very poor families who would find it difficult to pay for their children’s education, so the founder of the school provided the children with free education, which is very rare in Nepal, to despite the really low level of the country. to live.

Several of the children at the school were from the group of “untouchables”, which means that these people cannot be touched, they only do the dirtiest jobs. Over the weeks, we have constantly worked to change the attitudes of children and their families towards these people. With the advent of school, the upbringing and education of children, rural life also changed. I wanted to make a contribution to the well-being of this school, which is why I went on to teach the children not only general education, but also awareness lessons.

How did Tibet come into your life?

While I was in Nepal, a little Tibetan came to see me in a mountain village with a wide smile selling handmade jewelry on the street. He spoke poor English, but for some reason I realized that I had to ask if I was going to attend the Dalai Lama’s 10-day training in India, where, according to the story, the Buddha had achieved enlightenment. As I decided where to travel that day, I was open to traveling adventures.

The Tibetan confirmed that in a few days, together with his family and hundreds of Tibetan refugees from all over Nepal, he would go to his spiritual teacher, the Dalai Lama. I accepted his words as a sign that I needed to move there too. Thanks to this Tibetan Amos (Tibetan mother) Dolkar (her name), Tibet has come into my life with all its thousands of years of experience, wisdom and worldview of compassion for all.

What attracted you to that?

I always felt the search for a deeper meaning in human life. I felt in my heart that human life is special, very precious, that is why I longed to discover my true place in life. Having been with the Tibetans, I saw and realized that I could learn a lot from them. In particular, the simplicity in accepting life as it is and appreciating what we have, the care and attention of others, especially our family members, devotion to spiritual teachers (their role in Tibetan culture is extremely important ), respect for nature, understanding, we are all part of it, we depend on it.

The most important thing for the Tibetan people is to understand their true nature: who is man? What is the meaning of human life? What is true happiness? How to do it? How to live in harmony with nature? These are questions that Tibetans are always looking for answers to. That is why I feel such a strong connection with the Tibetan people: we are asking the same questions and looking for answers. And in fact, from the moment I met the Tibetan, I began to feel great communion and love for all the Tibetan people.

How did the Tibetans seem to you?

As soon as I arrived at the house of the first Tibetan family in the refugee camp, they immediately accepted me as a relative, taking care that I did not lack anything, I would have eaten, I would have a place to sleep to be happy. When I met the Tibetans who left their homes, the members of their family in Tibet, who lost the freedom of their nation, who saw their culture destroyed, their religion, how their compatriots were killed, I could not be surprised by the positivity, the compassion, lack of hatred. of the Tibetans.

And above all, I am grateful to the Tibetan people for their kindness. I longed for this human feeling, I longed so much to discover it and learn to nurture it in myself and share it with everyone: people, animals, nature itself.

When you realized that – your way of life?

Volunteering with people with intellectual disabilities, time spent with Tibetans, meditation practices, loss of close friends have made me realize that life is very precious. But we don’t always understand this and we know how to appreciate it. Sometimes we indulge in fatigue, tension, conflict and then life begins to slip through our fingers and we do not experience the happiness that everyone seeks.

It is very good for me to see people smile when they are happy. I realized that this is my way of life: I want to help people to be happier by sharing awareness about awareness. That’s what I dedicate my time to and there was still not a day for my motivation to drop or I didn’t want to, since it seems that with each passing day my motivation gets stronger and stronger, it’s so good to see it. happy people.

You have decided to reinforce this knowledge, which studies have you chosen? How does the learning process work?

I chose to study Tibetan medicine and become a stress management and meditation teacher. I am currently studying my last course in Tibetan medicine. Exams in Tibet and practice at the clinic are waiting next summer. Knowledge of the Tibetan language is also required for these studies, as all of our textbooks are written in the Tibetan language. I’m glad I have another year to prepare for the exams and learn the language better.

My teacher is Phuntsog Wangmo from Tibet, the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, who has lived in Italy for a long time and now resides in America. Studies are carried out remotely, and we have to take exams after each semester at the institute’s branches located in Russia or America. Science takes place in a fairly traditional way, with the teacher reading medical texts to us, translating them from Tibetan into English, and explaining the meaning of the text. Learning, although not easy, always involves a great sense of gratitude for being able to study this one of the oldest treatment systems in the world.

You are a massage specialist, what is the purpose of Tibetan body massage?

Since 2015, I have been working with Tibetan Medical Therapy, a Ku-Nye full body Tibetan massage. It is a deeply relaxing therapy, especially recommended for physical and emotional fatigue, insomnia, depression. After Ku-Nye therapy, the person comes out with a smile on their face; after all, it is a wonderful feeling when you are not overwhelmed by worry, tension, when you feel full of strength and energy again.

In Tibetan medicine, it is very important to establish a connection between the therapist and the person who came to receive the therapy. The more a person trusts their therapist, the deeper the process of emotional healing and relaxation. Personally, it is very important to me that people feel that they care about me, it is important that I want to help them as much as I can, that’s why I accept people with warmth and a smile.

You are planning trips to Nepal and India – What kind of people choose them?

I have lived in these lands for a long time, I know closely the way of life, culture and customs of the Indians, Nepalese and Tibetans. I am happy to introduce people who travel with me to local people, to allow them to see how and what local people live, enjoy traditional dishes, even learn how to prepare them themselves.

India and Nepal are my second homes, I think travelers feel it. As my brother said when we went on a trip to Nepal together: “You are here like a fish in water”, this is how I really feel.

I organize pilgrimage and study trips. So that travelers not only get to know Indian and Nepalese culture up close, but also relax spiritually, return home with a more positive attitude and a desire to return to Nepal or India, stay in the silence of the Himalayas again or drink an Indian chaya (tea) by the Ganges River, or poking fun at a Tibetan family. in the society of preparing dumplings.

What do you think we could take from the Tibetan way of life, its philosophy? What would help us overcome stress, anger, daily fatigue after a stressful day?

Traveling through India and Nepal, meeting people from all over the world, I realized that we are all united by one thing: none of us wants to suffer. While we all experience sadness, pain, tension, we all seek happiness, but we don’t always know how to discover it.

The cultures of ancient India and Tibet try to get a person’s attention; This is where you look for the source of joy and true happiness. After all, having the biggest houses or the most luxurious cars is not necessarily happy. But having peace of mind, being able to feel empathy for others, feel gratitude and love, is when we feel truly happy and we have discovered everything.

When we think only of ourselves in life, we do not see others who may find it difficult, who may feel alone. When we look for ways to help others, we always feel energetic and this energy is given to us by an altruistic motivation. In my opinion, we can think at any time: what can I do for my family, my community, my city or my country? How can I contribute to the well-being of other people? These thoughts immediately make us smile and realize that in life we ​​have so much and so much that we can give to others: our attention, our care, and our loving heart that never runs out of kindness.