Strangers in Hiding

Bryant Lymburn

Seven Years in Tibet is a book that accounts the difficulties, hardships, and ultimate joys of Heinrich Harrer’s travels through Tibet in order to escape the POW camps set up by Britain in India during World War 2. Harrer and his companions were in between expeditions to climb peaks in the Himalayas when the war broke out and found themselves imprisoned twice and to escape both times as well. During the escape many mountain passes needed to be crossed and all done at night to avoid detection. Once they were able to cross the border into Tibet their troubles did not cease. Lack of supplies, fear of animal attack, altitude and cold, and the fear of expulsion from Tibet were always of concern.

Upon reading this tale of Harrer it was certain the trials from which he went through were daunting and difficult, but wouldn’t have been capable if not for the people that were encountered in the journey. The hospitality and willingness to give assistance by people can be seen through the entire story. First it is seen when his Indian friend, that he makes on his first escape, returns to give him back his supplies. the same can also be said for the one that help gather the supplies for the second escape. Then upon their travels across Tibet and as they reach Lhasa many nomads and other Tibetans go to great lengths to provide food, water, and items to help them on their journey. The only reason for all this kindness that I can make out is due to the religion of Buddhism. By providing this hospitality and help one enlightens ones self and we be reincarnated into something greater in the next life. I feel this belief though limits them because as they look up to the Dali Lama and their word is final. This limits many modern advances and limits the people and country as a whole. Thus one of the reasons China attacked because they new there would be little contest. However if the common day person took into account some of the beliefs of hospitality of the Tibetan culture the world would be a happier place to live.

Focusing back on Harrer it can be seen that he is a very intelligent and resourceful individual. It must be said that he has possessed some fantastic people skills, no less in countries that consisted of a foreign tongue. This was especially useful in Tibet when negotiating the terms of their staying in Tibet and when documents were no longer valid to make them work anyways. These situations although mostly true sometime required quick thinking and a few lies in order to work in Harrer’s favor. Often it was seen that those he had to deal with on these difficult matters later became some of his  greatest friends along the journey. This just reaffirms the Tibetans are a very kind and hospitable people, which may have been their greatest draw back at the same time.