Seven Years In Tibet

“This brook, which we had known a week back as a raging, deafening torrent racing down the valley, now wound gently through the grasslands. In a few weeks, the whole country would be green and the numerous camping-places, recognizable from their fire-blackened stones, made us pictures to ourselves the caravans which cross the passes from India into Tibet in the summer season.”

Harrer describes the pilgrimage and the way that the river eventually calms itself into small, approachable streams, introducing the theme of Nature as Barrier and Sanctuary. The river becomes a symbol of Tibetan culture, and how the further one goes into the mountains and this life, the more at peace one feels.

“The scenery was unforgettable. It was the colors which enchanted the eye and I have seldom seen all the hues of a painter’s palette so harmoniously blended. Alongside the clear waters of the Indus were light yellow fields of borax, with the green shoots of springtime springing up near them (for spring in these regions does not come until June). In the background were the gleaming snow peaks.”

This descriptive passage makes use of the visual senses through color and contrast to convey Harrer’s sense of awe at the landscape’s harmony and perfection, conveying nature as barrier and sanctuary. The “painter’s palette” simile emphasizes Harrer as an observer, capturing the Tibetan terrain in his memory. The juxtaposition of green, yellow, and gleaming peaks suggests a layering of cultural, ecological, and spiritual elements that define the landscape.

“Is there any people so uniformly attached to their religious and so obedient to it in their daily life? I have always envied the Tibetans their simple faith, for all my life I have been a seeker. Though I learned, while in Asia, the way to meditate, the final answer to the riddle of life has not been vouchsafed to me.”

Harrer presents himself as someone committed to The Value of Cultural Encounter and Adaptation, detailing how he grew to admire many aspects of Tibetan Buddhism. However, some of his phrasing, such as “simple faith,” reflects his habit of presenting a one-dimensional portrait of many Tibetan beliefs and practices, denying them complexity or variety.

“No Tibetan ever takes a step without a particular object, and they felt that when we roamed in the woods or sat by brooks we were not doing so aimlessly.”

This observation emphasizes the intentionality of Tibetan life, contrasting with Harrer’s wanderings and search for Personal Transformation Through Adversity. The quote demonstrates purpose within Tibetan culture. It also highlights respect for natural spaces; every movement has meaning within ritual.

“We were setting out into terra incognita, marked only by blank spaces on the maps, drawn by the magnet of our ambition as explorers.”

The Latin phrase acts as a nod to European history, emphasizing how Harrer feels a sense of importance and as if he is doing something worth including in history books. The idea of an unknown land speaks to personal transformation through adversity, as Harrer presents himself as enduring and overcoming various challenges. However, his phrasing, such as “blank spaces on the maps” and his choice to cast himself as an “explore[r]” reflect his Western-centric mindset, as these supposedly “blank spaces” are already well-known to the locals and Harrer is very much a refugee, not an explorer.

“We warmed ourselves by the fire and were given butter-tea and a rare delicacy—a piece of white bread each. It was stale and hard as stone but this little present on Christmas Eve in the wilds of Tibet meant more to us than a well-cooked Christmas dinner had ever done at home.”

This contrast between hard bread and luxurious Christmas dinner speaks to Harrer’s gratitude at being fed after enduring so much habitual deprivation on the trek. Texture imagery and simile (“hard as stone”) heightens the sensory experience of the moment. The emotionality within Harrer signals his evolving appreciation for simple generosity and human connection in isolation.

“So near to Lhasa! The name had always given us a thrill. On our painful marches and during icy nights, we had clung to it and drawn new strength from it.”

Use of the word “thrill” emphasizes the emotional weight of nearing their goal. The phrase “clung to it” is used to show how persistence requires serious emotional endurance, reflecting personal transformation through adversity. Harrer also emphasizes the hardships of their trek, filled with “painful marches” and “icy nights,” in an attempt to make their achievement and endurance sound impressive.

“People are accustomed to think of all Tibetan monks as Lamas. In fact this name is only given to ‘Incarnations,’ and a few other monks distinguished by their ascetic lives or the miracles they have performed. All Lamas have the right to give their blessing and are revered as saints.”

This passage shows Harrer’s interest in precise understanding and correcting Western misconceptions, reflecting the value of cultural encounter and adaptation. It constructs a hierarchy within Tibetan monastic life, distancing the Dalai Lama’s sanctity from general monks. Harrer’s measured, factual tone speaks to his journalistic eye, with Harrer presenting himself as a trustworthy authority on Tibetan religion.

“Tibet has not yet been infested by the worst disease of modern life, the everlasting rush. No one overworks here.”

The disease metaphor critiques modernization as corruption, indicating a major shift in Harrer’s attitude toward Tibetan and European lifestyles. The negative phrasing (“infested”) implies that Harrer believes that speed and overwork degrade society and remove its charms. However, Harrer also criticizes Tibetans for what he regards as their inefficient labor practices and slowness elsewhere in the memoir, which shows how he alternately romanticizes the culture and criticizes it by turns.

“The awed crowd kept silent. Only the music of the monks could be heard—the oboes, tubas and kettledrums. It was like a vision of another world, a strangely unreal happening.”

Auditory imagery of the monk’s music creates a spiritual atmosphere, while the silence of the crowd accentuates the sacred ritual. The simile, “like a vision of another world,” suggests mystical otherness and cultural uniqueness. This emphasizes Tibetan spiritual traditions’ impact on Harrer’s perception, illustrating the value of cultural encounter and adaptation.

“I became more and more convinced that Tibet’s great days belonged to the past.”

Harrer’s attitude toward Tibet is often complex and contradictory, as he both romanticizes the culture at some points and criticizes it at others. Here, his suggestion that Tibet’s “great days” are in “the past” speaks to how he often measures Tibetan culture against European notions of technology and efficiency, and often declares them wanting, reflecting his own biases.

“Often as we sat and listened to the radio bringing reports from our country we shook our heads at the depressing news. There seemed no inducement to go home.”

The reference to “depressing news” alludes to the end of World War II and Germany’s defeat. Harrer finds the news “depressing” and is no longer in any hurry to return to a Germany now freed from Nazi rule, which subtly reflects the fact that Harrer belonged to the Nazi party and belonged to the SS. While Harrer later said he regretted his Nazi membership, such glimpses into his wartime attitudes suggest that he may not have been as quick to reject the Nazi regime at the time.

“The daily life of Tibetans is ordered by religious belief. Pious texts are constantly on their lips; prayer-wheels turn without ceasing; prayer-flags wave on the roofs of houses and the summits of the mountain passes; the rain, the wind, all the phenomena of nature, the lonely peaks of the snow-clad mountains, bear witness to the universal presence of the gods whose anger is manifested by the hailstorm, and whose benevolence is displayed by the fruitfulness and fertility of the land.”

This lengthy and detailed sentence mimics the ritual rhythm and the omnipresence of the Buddhist religion. Harrer lists many of the elements that he considers to be essential to Tibetan culture, and each is its own symbol of part of the Tibetan way of life.

“Lhasa was always full of rumors and stories about saintly nuns and Lamas, and I would gladly have investigated some of their miracles. But one must not offend against people’s beliefs. The Tibetans were happy in their own convictions and never tried to convert Aufschnaiter or me. We contented ourselves with studying their customs, visiting their temples as spectators and making presents of white silk scarves as etiquette prescribed.”

Harrer wants to investigate “miracles” but chooses discretion instead. The cumulative listing of respectful behaviors underscores the value of cultural encounter and adaptation. This statement shows how Harrer never intended to impose his own religion or culture onto the Tibetan people, even though he has many reservations about their way of life.

“It was a peaceful, idyllic little place. Herds of wild sheep, gazelles, marmots and foxes sauntered casually by, and high in the blue the lammergeyer wheeled his flight. To all these creatures man was not an enemy. No one would dare to hunt in the neighborhood of the Holy City.”

Imagery of the animals and landscape of the pasture creates a vivid scene akin to paradise, reflecting nature as barrier and sanctuary. When Harrer says man was not the enemy here, he suggests ecological harmony and spiritual sanctuary, a place where humans and wildlife co-exist. This serves to underline Tibetan reverence for nature as a societal and religious value.

“From the shrines of the holy dead emanates an atmosphere of mortality, dim and solemn, which makes the whole Palace feel like an enormous tomb. I could very well understand that the young ruler was happy when he could move to his Summer Garden.”

The metaphorical “tomb” creates a weight of ancestral presence and mortality and emphasizes the lonely conditions in which Harrer assumes the Dalai Lama lives. Harrer here projects his own assumptions and feelings onto the young Dalai Lama, who might not actually share them, especially since Tibetan views of “mortality” are not like the European Judeo-Christian tradition Harrer hails from.

“The Tibetans do not mourn for the dead in our sense of the word. Sorrow for the parting is relieved by the prospect of rebirth, and death has no terrors for the Buddhist. Butter-lamps are kept burning for forty-nine days, after which there is a service of prayer in the house of the deceased. And that is the end of the story.”

This matter-of-fact structure softens the emotional gravity of death, which mirrors the Tibetan beliefs toward reincarnation and the continuance of life by other forms. It contrasts sharply with Western grief, reinforcing the value of cultural encounter and adaptation.

“The political situation in Asia had greatly altered. India had been granted independence, the Communists had conquered the whole of China; but all these events had made little impression in Lhasa, where the Dalai Lama’s traditional visit to the monasteries was considered more important than world politics.”

Juxtaposition of political upheaval against Lhasa’s isolation highlights Tibet’s powerlessness against Chinese invasion, foreshadowing the Chinese takeover at the end of the memoir. The observation showcases cultural prioritization of spiritual over geopolitical concerns. Harrer describes this as both a strength and a weakness for Tibetans.

“Before the cathedral is a terrace of flagstones, polished like mirrors and hollowed out by the prostrations of worshippers over a thousand years. When one looks at these hollows and recognizes the expression of deep devotion on the faces of the worshippers, one understands why a Christian mission could never succeed in Lhasa.”

Mirror-polished stone and thousand-year hollows are visual symbols of devotion and patience, invoking the value of cultural encounter and adaptation. The declarative conclusion ties cultural endurance to places of worship. It underscores Tibet’s strength and perseverance in upholding its traditions.

“A look at the humble and rapturous face of my attendant reminded me that for everyone else except myself, he was not a lonely boy but a god.”

Harrer once again engages in some projection regarding the Dalai Lama, insisting that he is a “lonely boy.” It is important to note that this is not how the Dalai Lama characterizes himself, and that in claiming he has special insight into the Dalai Lama’s private feelings, Harrer reveals his enduring assumption that he can judge Tibetan culture by his own personal and cultural standards.

“Before coupling with his demon-lover Chenrezi had assumed the shape of a monkey, and since the Dalai Lama is one of the Incarnations of this god, I found that in comparing me with an ape he had really flattered me.”

This anecdote reveals both mutual reverence and the friendship that grew between Harrer and the Dalai Lama, reflecting the value of cultural encounter and adaptation. It shows the Dalai Lama’s intelligence and childlike nature, and Harrer’s openness to light-hearted cultural exchange.

“Needless to say I was very happy in the new duties that had fallen to my lot. To instruct this clever lad—the ruler of a land as big as France, Spain and Germany put together—in the knowledge and science of the western world, seemed a worthwhile task, to say the least.”

Harrer emphasizes his sincerity and dedication to the Dalai Lama. He connects personal satisfaction with service, and feels honored by teaching the ruler of a vast land. This reinforces Harrer’s transformation from self-seeking climber to cultural appreciator and mentor.

“Wherever I live, I shall feel homesick for Tibet. I often think I can still hear the wild cries of geese and cranes and the beating of their wings as they fly over Lhasa in the clear cold moonlight. My heartfelt wish is that this book may create some understanding for a people whose will to live in peace and freedom has won so little sympathy from an indifferent world.”

This reflection uses auditory imagery (“wild cries of geese”) to evoke Tibet beyond sight, but never out of mind. The contrast between wild nature and the indifferent world establishes moral criticism of global inattention to Tibet’s lack of sovereignty. It becomes an emotional plea for support for Tibet, linking Harrer’s memoir to political advocacy.