Tibet

There are overall four documents required for foreign tourists who want to travel freely in Tibet.

- One is the Chinese Visa, which you can apply for in Chinese Embassy in your country (If you go to Tibet via mainland China).

- One is Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB), which you have to obtain in order to enter Tibet.

- One is the Alien Travel Permit (PSB) when you are planning to travel to the 'unopened' areas in Tibet.

- The other is the Military Permit, which you have to obtain if you are planning to travel to some military sensitive areas.

Passport

All individuals entering Tibet must hold a passport valid for at least six months. China Visa

1. Entering Tibet via Mainland China

Tibet is part of China, under the Chinese Central Government's Sovereignty. Thus to travel to Tibet, you have to obtain a China Visa at first stage before all are followed up. Visas for individual travel in China are very easy to get from most Chinese embassies. Most Chinese embassies and consulates will issue a standard 30-day, single entry tourist visa in three to five working days (an "L" means travel). If you are lucky, some embassies abroad may give you a 60 or even 90 days. But in Hongkong it is very easy to get a 90-day visa; most agencies can arrange it in one day. If you want more flexibility to enter and leave China several times, most Chinese embassies will issue a double-entry visa. Usually only someone on a "L" visa can travel in Tibet, but recent with a resident or business visa still can travel in Tibet.

More tips about applying for a China visa to Tibet:

It's better not to mention Tibet as your travel destination when you are applying for a visa to China (China Embassy in Kathmandu is the exceptional). You may be refused by stating that you will go to Tibet. Otherwise, you need to get a Tibet Permit beforehand and apply for a China visa with it then. It is very difficult to apply for a Tibet Permit when you are abroad, or you need to join some groups.

As with Christianity in Europe, interpretation and methods of doing things are affected by geography, and the culture within that geography. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is thought that you can not attain enlightenment unless you are guided by an enlightened master. You basically spend your days meditating and memorizing Buddhist scripture. In Zen Buddhism, called "Chan Buddhism" in China (get it? "Chan?" "Zen?" from an Asian language perspective the words are close), although the memorization of scripture, and "giving your life to Buddha" is considered the best way, it is not mandatory. Moreover, although there are Buddhas that are universal to all Buddhism, the two branches have additional Buddhas, that are different in each tradition. For example, I could be mistaken but I believe the Nio Kings, the guardians to the gates of heaven, Ungyo and Agyo, are uniquely Asian. Additionally, Bishamonten the god of warriors may in fact be uniquely Japanese, I don't think he appears in Chinese Buddhism. Another crucial difference, is the idea that in Zen Buddhism, anyone can become a Buddha on rigorous meditation alone, you don't need to be a priest. Its BETTER if you are a priest or a monk, but it is NOT mandatory, whereas in Tibetan Buddhism it is. In Tibetan Buddhism, which is heavily influenced by India, there are a lot of Hinduism influences.

In Hinduism there is the belief that life station, social class, is rooted in past actions. Now, while Tibetan Buddhism does not hold this view, it does hold the view that those fortunate enough to be born into priesthood, get to meditate all day, while those born into poverty, have to wait a few more lifetimes. Now this is crucial because, the Chinese government used this as an excuse to take over Tibet, see, in a manner of speaking the Tibetan Lama system, was akin to the Indian Caste System. While a bunch of monks spent the day meditating, everyone else spent the day working, feeding them, making clothes for them, the Lamas, were not at all self sufficient, and the Chinese government has stated repeatedly it was basically slavery. Of course, the "kindness of their heart" was hardly the motivation of the PRC to take over; Tibet was taken over for strategic reasons. Namely, to have a place from which they could strike Russia if it came to war with them, and cut off the rest of the west from China, should Europe choose an outright land invasion, Chinese troops would strike from the Himalayas.

If you do not believe a word of what I'm saying, you only need to read "The Tibetan Book of the Dead." The Penguin Classics, orange cover version. There are very strong Hindu influences in the text, namely the justification of having a sort of theocratic caste system, where most of the populace works, while a minority of people spend their day meditating all day. I enjoy meditation as much as the next person who has taken it up but, forgive me for imposing Daoist views, but having servants of any sort, goes against the whole idea of "simplicity" and "humility." How in the heck are you supposed to attain enlightenment if you have people waiting on you all day? That is not Chinese propaganda; prior to the PRC's arrival, most Tibetans were indeed basically slaves. Let me emphasize one more time though; selfless kindness was hardly the PRC army's motivation, it was all strategic positioning because, the atmosphere of the Cold War, made "Chairman Mao" paranoid. Paranoia, as much as a "vision" that he had.

Mao Zedong's "vision," was that future generations of Chinese, would develop technology, that would in time allow them to reclaim much of the Gobi and make it fertile, and in so doing, alleviate the population problem China has. At least, alleviate the overcrowding. Mao's vision, was to have a Gobi "desert," full of Chinese cities. If somehow artificial rivers could be carved out, their origins at the Himalayas, with Chinese manpower, it could be done. Problem is the Himalaya mountain range is extremely dangerous; in search of the famed "Shangrila" or "Shambalah" as it is called in Tibetan, countless adventurers froze to death. Bodhidarma, had to cross over the Himalayas to get to China. See though Bodhidarma was a Yogi, with a lifetime of training; he could handle it. Can a man survive treking over the Himalayas on foot? Once I was watching the discovery channel, about this British practitioner of Yoga, who could raise his body temperature and survive freezing temperatures. Whatever method he used, highly like Bodhidarma used something similar; according to the Shaolin temple tradition, Bodhidarma was a master of chi. He knew how to use it, to protect his body against extreme elements.

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He certainly was not married in Tibet. Heinrich Harrer's book states that neither he nor Aufschnaiter had relationships with women while in Tibet, as it would cause too many complications. As an educated guess I do not believe he was married prior to this, but I am not sure about after Tibet.

Coincidentally, Harrer never mentions his marriage, nor his son for that matter, in Seven Years in Tibet.

Hope this helps.