Rinpoche Speaks

Ngawang Tenzin Norbu, who was born in Nepal in 1935, is believed to be the first reincarnation of Lama Gulu, the Tengboche Rinpoche. Over the course of his lifetime, he has witnessed a seismic change in his homeland, which has gone from a remote and unvisited landscape to the bustling hub of a multi-million-dollar Everest expedition industry.

In this short film, the Rinpoche speaks about the destruction of beyuls, sacred places high in the mountains, caused by the presence of too many people. The Himalaya, he says, are where gods dwell. “You think and say that climbing mountains is good…that you will gain something from it,” he says. “But climbing mountains is also a form of greed… If you stopped some of the climbing on Everest, it will mean more to those who do summit.”