Kalsang was born the year Mao’s China invaded Tibet, over 1 million Tibetans were killed in 1959 while another 800,000 Tibetans fled the country including Kalsang’s family and H. Holiness the Dalai Lama who was only 24 years old at the time. Kalsang’s family made the treacherous trek to India – to a new land, a new language, all without a home or a job or a plan.
They survived even thrived with the help of their culture, religion and the generosity of many Indians. Over time, dispersed Tibetans struggled to keep connected to their roots; and for Tibetans that remained in their homeland practicing their religion or acknowledging their traditions were forbidden.
To preserve the Tibetan culture and people, H. Holiness the Dalai Lama established a Tibetan government-in-exile, Tibetan schools, handicraft centres and training institutions in Dharamsala, India. Young Tibetans learned their language, heritage and traditional art. This was the foundation for the Norbulingka Institution that exists today. Then and now, its purpose has been to preserve and protect the essence of Tibet and its culture.
Kalsang lived with a foster family while she attended this school from the age of 5. Despite her loneliness, she learned who she was including her native language and heritage. Unbeknownst to Kalsang at the time, the knowledge she gained as a child in Dharamsala and later as a young adult volunteering would become the basis for her career.
Kalsang met her future husband in Dharamsala, though his family resided in Canada. It was, of course, difficult adjusting in Canada. Kalsang adopted the lifestyle of many Canadians who work a 9 to 5 job without much time for themselves or much money. More importantly, the job did not carry meaningfulness and she grew unhappy and restless for a change.
Buddhist teachings offer that all human suffering is due to one’s mental attitude. A negative attitude can blind you from all of the many good things that appear right in front of you. Kalsang believes our time is very precious. Do as much as possible as soon as possible, waiting for another moment in time or until you retire could be too late – anything could happen, so always do it now. She did.
Instead of staying in a job that made her unhappy,
she took a chance and started her own business.
She had the idea to open a Tibetan store; at the time there wasn’t anything a similar operation in Toronto. She opened the Tibet Shoppe which now resides on Queen St West in Toronto. Like Kalsang, the store is authentic Tibet.
Kalsang travels to Dharamsala India a few times a year to purchase Tibetan made products. This supports the work of preserving and promoting the unique Tibetan culture and traditions by not only selling the genuine works but also just as I met Kalsang, she shares her passion and knowledge of Tibet with those that are curious. She has spread the knowledge of Tibet to Torontonians for almost twenty years.
If Kalsang continued in that job she did not enjoy, she would not have found her way to not only enriching her life but that of others from across the globe. Kalsang advises ‘Each individual can make a difference in this world, no matter how small. Life is so incredibly short so use each day well.’
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For more information:
Tibet Shoppe
662 Queen St West, Toronto
The Tibet Shoppe specializes in traditional, high quality Tibetan home furnishings and accessories. They carry a wide selection of items ranging from traditional Tibetan rugs, rare, original antique Tibetan furniture and decorative artifacts, Buddhist ritual instruments, handstitched bedroom collections and cushion covers as well as traditional jewelry, clothing and books. All of their products are genuine works of art by Tibetans
Norbulinka Institute
Dharamsala, India
As the website mentions Norbulingka is dedicated to handing down tradition and restoring standards by providing training, education and employment for Tibetans. It supports an environment in which Tibetan community and family values can flourish. It reconciles the traditional creatively and respectfully with the modern, and seeks to create an international awareness of Tibetan values and their expression in art and literature.
Tibet
The Tibet Shoppe has compiled a list of resources for learning more about Tibet, you can visit here: http://www.tibetinteriors.com/about-tibet/
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