Why Tibetans Should Have Two Sets of Dishes.

I am not an expert in Tibetan culture or the Buddhist religion. My knowledge of these subjects depends, almost entirely, on the movie, Lost Horizon (1937). Except, of course, for certain key concepts that have filtered into Western culture. Karma, for instance. I can state with authority that there are two kinds, good and bad, and that a great deal depends on which one you have. Past that it gets a little fuzzy. I only mention it because there's an article about Tibetan food in The New York Times.

In “Tibetans’ (Forbidden) Special Treat” (NYT 2/22/12) Julia Moskin reports that juicy beef dumplings, called sha momos, are “. . . an obsession among Tibetans” and amount to an “ . . unofficial national dish.” This passion embodies a cultural contradiction, however. “Though most Tibetans are Buddhists, who would avoid taking a life, they are also great lovers of meat.” That a religion should forbid you eating the food you crave most is not news to Jews and Muslims. Bacon, ham, lobster, shrimp - non-kosher foods are so consistently delicious, it’s almost intentional. The same is true for Halal dietary laws. (Indeed, one reason for Jews and Muslims not getting along may be that they are cranky from not eating pork.) Granted, a vegetarian diet is far more restrictive, but, in a way, that makes it easier to follow. There’s no judgement involved. No temptations. Eat your vegetables and shut up. Yet, all over Lhasa, people line up for yak dumplings. How do they justify it?

“The tradition of meat-eating is strong because without meat as a source of fat and protein, Tibetans simply could not have survived on their high, cold plateau for centuries, said Ganden Thurman, the executive director of Tibet House, a cultural center in New York City.” I’m sure that’s true. If climbing the Himalayas builds an appetite, imagine what commuting does. “Also, Mr. Thurman said, there is a practical, Buddhist reason for eating yak instead of, say, rabbit or fish. ‘The karmic load of one rabbit and one yak are the same: one life. But you can feed a lot more people with a yak.’” Nimble justifications and I’m sure they’ve served many Tibetans for many years. Still, while you’re tucking into your third serving of sha momos, you have to feel guilty knowing that the Dalai Lama is a strict vegetarian, right? Wrong. “The Dalai Lama himself has struggled with adopting a vegetarian diet . . . many Tibetans will tell you that doctors have advised him to eat meat for health reasons. The official position is that the kitchens of his residence in Dharamsala, in Northern India, are vegetarian, but that the Dalai Lama does eat meat elsewhere.” (Speaking of karmic loads, how big was Ganden Thurman’s in a previous life that the beautiful actress, Uma Thurman, is his sister in this one?)

There’s a much easier way to eat your dumplings and have them, too. Tibetan Buddhists should follow the Jewish example of having three sets of dishes: one for meat, one for dairy and one for Chinese food. Not that Tibetans eat a lot of Chinese food - not, certainly, since 1959 - but you get the idea: one set of dishes for vegetarian and one for whatever they call trafe. It will save them a lot of theological explaining and, if you’re the Dalai Lama, a lot of bouncing around India looking for a Ponderosa Steakhouse.