Urgan, child of the Himalaya I SLICE I Full documentary

to the north of the himalayas the nubra valley in ladakh has only been open to visitors since 1993. it takes several days of hiking to reach the village of tangier [Music] at an altitude of 3 800 meters the temperature drops to 20 below zero celsius in winter uh are you hungry yes i'll give you some had enough to eat when you're at the monastery learn your lessons well you'll be far from your family and your duty will be to learn if you don't learn well you'll be sorry and keep an eye on the goats [Applause] organ is nine years old soon he will leave his valley and go to a distant monastery very far from tangier where he will begin a new life that of a buddhist priest or llama [Music] 30 families live in tangier they all raise sheep goats and yaks they sell the skins the wool and the butter to the people in the valleys below during the winter when the land sleeps carding takes place they spin the wool to make clothing and blankets at this altitude wood is a rare commodity and the primary concern is to feed the fires that heat the houses [Music] oregon's cousin norbu is 19 years old along with his mother he collects dried yak droppings which they use for heating norbu's mother doma is like most of the other women in the village she carries the pain of her son's absence inside of her dolma has six children all of whom live with her except for the youngest he has been studying at a school of buddhist philosophy in southern india for the past three years in these remote villages there's a deep respect for tradition the eldest always inherits the land and the youngest enters a i monastery the day he left very well it was in september i was working in the fields at the other end of the village when the llama came to take my child i didn't even have time to say goodbye to him he was already at the other end of the valley when i heard he had left i always knew my son would leave one day but i didn't know when [Music] i wanted to send him presents like cheese and dried apricots i also tried to send him some salted butter but they told me that southern india was too far from tangier and since we have no money we couldn't send him that either [Music] their religion is tantric buddhism full of demons and magic for 10 days in january they celebrate the tibetan new year the losar young writers from tangier participate in a special ritual this is the effigy of a muflon a wild sheep sacred to the people of ladakh it protects them from evil spirits and must be destroyed for the year to begin favorably the stakes are high the winner will be considered the best rider in the village [Applause] this year norbu is the best of all here it is not green pastures but the more distant tamarisk brushwood that is most sought after long distances have to be covered the livestock has to be herded higher into the mountains to find food norbu and oregon are used to tending the animals together their two families have always been close and the two boys were raised as brothers i'm gonna win [Music] you but there are lots of boys in the village who don't want to become llamas why do you want to i have lots of friends who want to go to the monastery too is that why you want to go because they want to mhm what do you want to do later on i have lots of ideas about the future but what i'd like most is to become a singer but i don't know if i could ever really become a good [Music] [Music] tonight to celebrate the tibetan new year there's going to be a big dinner oregon's mother and her youngest daughter have to cook the stupa a mystic soup with balls of flour in it in one of the balls salt is added for the unstable in another rice for the pure pepper for the erudite and many other symbolic ingredients this year the meal will be held at oregon's mother's house it will also be the occasion for the entire family to get together one last time before the youngster leaves the village when the llama told me organ would get a good education i thought it would be good for him to go to the monastery the buddhist philosophy school has a very good reputation i have six children and my husband is dead if one of my children gets a good education it will be good for the whole family since he'll be able to help us financially a child who enters a monastery is a sign of hope as a lama he will become a guide for the others through his prayers he will assure each member of his family a better life in this world as well as their future lives in the beyond it means i have to go more often to look for wood you have to look after your family more look i found a white flower i thought the stupa was delicious because there was a lot of pepper in it and pepper makes the stupa taste better in my ball there was some very bitter juniper but that also means i'm a good man it's only natural i'm the oldest [Music] at oregon's uncle's house everyone dances for the spirits to win them over so that the mountains permit the rain clouds to get through this year the barley wheat and fruit harvests were small and so they are banking on the gods clemency [Music] yes [Music] oh the inhabitants of tangier have never known famine they have managed to retain their quality of life thanks to a special kind of marriage here a woman can marry two brothers this union known as polyandry has been officially outlawed since 1941 and it is also forbidden by the buddhist religion however it's still occasionally practiced especially in these isolated regions it's simply not discussed in front of strangers and only talked about in secret up to now it was a good thing for two brothers to share the same woman since in that way no field not even a stone would leave the family family unity was maintained in this way the earth the stones the entire property even utensils jewelry and clothing everything stayed in the family without having to share it with anyone else but today people have become more educated and more individualistic nowadays brothers want to have their own land and their own wives [Music] every village has a monastery always located at the village's highest point only one monk lives in the tangier monastery once a month he has to visit each family and recite the mantras otherwise he never leaves his rocky home [Music] the monastery consists of several hectares of land which the villagers are required to cultivate every day they take turns bringing the monk water and wood the monastery is open to the public anyone can come at any time the llama is a father to everyone and a spiritual guide who has all the answers so you want to become a llama you know if you do become one you will have to leave your family and live in the monastery but simply becoming a llama is not enough you must first learn to know buddha and the religion and you must conduct yourself well if you can follow the rules of the monastery you will have a harmonious life you will feel very happy all your life venerated one buddha himself said that to become a llama meant not being too attached to one's family since this attachment perturbed the practice of the religion and so when parents confide their son to a master llama they must begin to keep their distance in the buddhist tradition the best thing that can happen to a child is to become a llama [Music] [Music] cricket is the favorite pastime here nobody knows the rules of this british sport first imported into india but that doesn't matter they enjoy it immensely orgon is playing his last game tomorrow he will leave tangier his uncle the caravanner has to go to a village on the other side of the valley to sell some yaks oregon will take advantage of the journey to cross the warrilla pass and then go on to the monastery tell me how my journey will go this boy is very fortunate please tell me what you think about this trip yeah yeah and i see that your journey will go well you may leave without fear thank you very much [Music] [Music] at this hour the sun has not yet penetrated this side of the mountain [Music] they don't know when they'll see each other again perhaps in a year [Music] during the journey oregon is accompanied by his cousin norbu who watches over him [Music] wow [Music] [Music] in the past the ladakhis were a caravanning people they would buy salt jewelry and furs in tibet and sell them to the inhabitants of pakistan the frontiers however were closed and ever since there are only a few caravans like this one [Music] the air becomes rare and each step becomes heavier [Music] the goal is to reach the warrilla pass it somewhat seems to be waiting for them and at the same time it appears unattainable a glacial wind makes things even more difficult a stable at an altitude of 4700 meters serves as a refuge for the night a fire keeps them warm and restores their energy and you mustn't be frightened by such things as demons have you heard about this man named from the village of sakti last year he was in the mountains when he saw a yak with a strange mountain this ghost-like figure followed him relentlessly he fallen through the mountains and norbel walked for such a long time that he got lost and ruined his shoes night had fallen and he was all alone nobody knew what he was but he managed to find his way back so ergon now that you are going to become a llama you too will feel alone and lost in the monastery you must show courage as well as strength and you must not be afraid of being alone or of invisible beings [Music] the gods are with them although the snow is deep the weather is clement the risk of a snowstorm or an avalanche is no longer present caravaners know all about bad weather in the past they lost their livestock in the mountains in the distance warila looms like a promised land oxygen is rare and the final meters are the hardest i think [Music] 5 200 meters high [Music] [Music] um [Music] [Music] chimda is the first village after the pass caravanners usually stop here to trade officially the yak is a partially protected species nevertheless the ladakhis eat its meat especially during the tibetan new year it's a good source of income at this time of year i'll take it in one piece all right for 15 000 rupees you're lucky 15 000 is a bargain in two years they're going to build a road leading to our village so we'll be able to go to tangier to buy yaks we'll even be able to transport them by truck it'll make our work much easier caravanning is a good life we drink beer we sing but with this new road we'll get to tangier faster so lots of things will change we won't get together as often because well when you're in a car you're all alone the road separates here for oregon a new life is about to begin buddha said you will be guided on the road to awakening so do you like it here huh yes but look at this house it's awful no it's not huh all these houses look old and broken down they're ugly no the windows aren't bad you don't know anything anyway i still don't like them huh we'll walk along the wall so you can see better but be careful walking be careful i'm too tired to be careful hey look it's icy you can slide on it if you fall you're gonna break a leg and i'll be glad because i can run away [Music] oregon and norbu have never seen such an elaborate tibetan new year celebration [Music] nomads from the high plateaus live in this village during the winter the women wear the perak a headdress decorated in turquoise which imitates the head of a cobra the cobra is a god symbolizing fertility this headdress is handed down from mother to daughter for each wedding a turquoise stone is added life is particularly hard for these nomads and poverty sometimes forces them to sell their headdress their only precious possession apart from their livestock [Music] [Music] me [Music] i absolutely have to find a girl because almost all the girls in tangy are my cousins i only know four or five other families and they don't have any pretty daughters i want a girl who's pretty and educated when we get to lei i'll try to find one i like and if she's really pretty i'll show her to you when you find a girl what are you going to do oh that's easy we'll meet and then we'll start to love each other going to see alamo is a new year's tradition both norbus and oregon's parents insisted that they see one of these female oracles [Music] the language of the gods she is possessed by a spirit called the cloth hiding her face protects the llamo from human contact [Music] she is in a trance and the divine spirit speaks through her the llamo has great powers she can predict the future break spells and heal illnesses my daughter is always sick she's not growing normally that's because she ate some sand when she was in the fields that's why she's sick you must go see the llama in stagna he will give you amulets for protection and you must not wash her every day it's too cold at the moment come closer come closer to extract the poison she sucks the patient's stomach as with this woman who suffers from stomachaches for this child's skin problems she applies a hot strip of iron to her tongue you will be good for your people [Music] give him good clothing and keep him clean he will be a good llama i'm going to bless him for his future life the spirit leaves the lamo's body come to see me suffer from ulcers and rheumatism they have pain in the back or leg pains as for the muslims they quarrel a lot and cast spells on each other this often happens with them i also heal mad people what did you think of the oracle at first she scared me why were you scared of magic i thought she was going to kill me do you think an oracle kills people just i thought you think an oracle's mean well that's what i thought no an oracle wouldn't hurt you think it over tell them did you see the girl who was behind me at the oracles behind you yes [Music] stop saying dirty things like that stop it buddha said the path will be a spiritual quest for truth linked to life but also to death these llamas are bringing the mystic tiara to funeral ceremonies they transport the body of the deceased to the cremation site their prayers are a reminder that death is not the end of a life but a step in the reincarnation cycle their incantations help the dead person to seek the right path they also insist that he not return and disturb family harmony cremation is the most widespread funeral practice in the ladakh only those who died of a contagious disease thieves and murderers are buried in the earth to prevent them from being reincarnated no i won't be scared anymore all right then you mustn't be scared now it's just a body it's like a stone his soul is somewhere else that's what's really important a joke please buy me up huh buy you a word [Music] if you don't buy me the ball i won't become a llama really you won't become a llama unless i buy you a ball but what good is a ball in the monastery it's useless this morning they pass in front of the ticse monastery after spontaneously responding to the call to prayer they continue on their way [Applause] foreign in ticsay the day begins at dawn with prayers recited in chorus at the same time they have their breakfast of salted tea and barley flour [Applause] there are about a hundred monks in the tigs monastery more than half of whom were young novices between 8 and 20 years old they are all like oregon having left their villages to come here and learn the precepts of buddha [Music] at the age of 20 they can choose between taking their monastic vows or going back to the secular world study every day at the monastery school where they learn mantras by heart mantras are sacred words which concentrate one's energies at the end of their education they will have a thorough knowledge of the contents of 29 prayer books beginning at 8 years old children learn to read and write hindi english and especially tibetan strict discipline is practiced here where does water come from from the sky where does the sky come from from buddha's creation where does buddha come from and so on [Music] afternoons are devoted to an exercise in reflection which favors critical judgment and the understanding of life in turn the students question each other on various subjects the goal is to ask the most demanding questions possible it's a sort of gymnastic exercise of the mind which enables each one to evaluate his knowledge the master must resolve the problems which have not been answered at the end of the day they all return to their cells to meditate did you see those houses down there they're really pretty aren't they really pretty i love it does look there's hay on top of that car this scooter is great look there's the car with the hay on it again incredible did you see there's even a garage for bicycles [Music] did you hear that horn sounds like someone with an upset stomach who are they their kashmir is selling vegetables when are you gonna buy me my ball you're a pain look at that store you'll see there are all kinds of great things inside yeah yeah come on be careful when you walk is that a photographer's shop look at these pictures of girls and boys oh they're great how would you like to have your picture taken i'd like that yeah you would then let's do it look at my shoes did you see your set it's my prettiest set my clothes are dirty but they look kind of clean did you see what your collar looks like i look good really good impossible no i'm not gonna get it for you [Music] you i don't even have money to buy myself some clothes look everyone here wears nice clothes and i want to be well dressed too if not i'll never have a chance of becoming a singer well then we'll buy something for you too [Music] me [Music] a monastery perched on a hill after walking for five days they finally [Music] arrived [Music] take care of yourself and don't forget to listen to what they tell you i'll be back soon to find out how you're doing okay all right it's so long from this moment on orgon is in the hands of his spiritual master norbu will try his luck and lay at becoming a singer and at finding a pretty girl you must be serious [Music] good day venerated one all right all right sit down you're here to become a do llama right today a new life is beginning for you and you must concentrate on your studies it is very important to get up early in the morning and not to stay in bed for too long and to recite the mantras all the time even when you're washing your face and hands if you practice the religion well and you learn to pass on your knowledge to others you will become a good llama and above all you must show respect for your teachers and your elders a ceremony is held celebrating oregon's entrance into the monastery the men officiating are the most respected of all some of them have come on foot from the ladakh to tibet and have been studying buddha's teachings for more than 20 years is now in the order of tibetan buddhism foreign he is dressed in a purple robe at his side as his master who will be responsible for his education and with whom he will share a cellar master do you know how to play cricket do you like qriket [Music] you

Channel: SLICE

Views: 2,381,741

Keywords: documentary, documentaries, shortdoc, shortdocs, slice, slicedocs, Himalaya, Himalayan, mountains, tradition, culture, child, Buddhism, religion, monastery, thiksey, lama, life, way of life, travel, becoming, childhood, people, tibetan, study, education, Ladakh, wari la, Wori la, the Nubra Valley, village, altitude, Leh, spirit, buddha, Himalayas, yak, asia, india, Ldumra, philosophy, Buddhists

Id: m8P8DL41QP0

Length: 51min 55sec (3115 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 29 2020