January 14, 2026
PILGRIMAGE IN WINTER
Winter on the Tibetan Plateau is a season of quietude, when the pasture lies dormant beneath the cold. Animals are brought closer to their owners’ winter camps, where they are fed oats cultivated and stored specifically as winter fodder. For nomads, this is a period of minimal activity, the only time of year that allows for a measure of rest. Pastoral life is demanding, and pleasures are few. Buddhism teaches the wisdom of preparing for future lives by accumulating merit, which brings about more favorable conditions in rebirth. Much as people elsewhere save for old age, Tibetan Buddhists build what might be called a karmic reserve.
Leisure time in winter is largely devoted to this purpose, and pilgrimage occupies a central place. Pilgrimage takes many forms: prostrating toward a sacred site such as Labrang Tashikyil, circumambulating the kora road that encircles the monastery, or undertaking journeys to multiple holy places within the region. Those with greater means may travel as far as Lhasa to seek blessings at its revered pilgrimage sites. These journeys are often made as family groups, blending religious practice with rare moments of togetherness.
In earlier times, pilgrims traveled without money, carrying only the clothes they wore and a wooden bowl for tsampa and tea. Wherever they stopped, they were readily offered food and shelter for the night, an act through which hosts shared in the pilgrim’s merit. Today, circumstances have changed: time is scarce, and expectations of comfort are higher. Yet the underlying motivation remains unchanged—to prepare for a future beyond this life.
