A Lifetime of Devotion — Pilgrimage to the Jokhang

There is a kind of faith that lasts a lifetime. When you come here, you’ll be deeply moved by the devotion of the people.

Southern Tibet — the birthplace of Tibetan Buddhism — is ancient, mysterious, and deeply spiritual. Every true child of Tibet feels compelled to make this sacred journey. I love Tibet for its wild nature, serenity, simplicity, and vast open spaces. This is the place I’ve searched for all my life — a threshold between worlds. After seeing the world, you grow. You become stronger inside and discover a higher dimension of being. Life is a form of spiritual practice — either through reading or traveling. The soul and the body, one must always be on the road.

A Lifetime of Prostration at the Jokhang Temple

In Tibet, faith is a boundless force, transcending status or identity. When passing Tibetan pilgrims, it’s customary to greet them with palms pressed together and a gentle "Tashi Delek" (auspicious blessings).

On the streets, in front of temples, in the squares, or even along the road, you’ll often see Tibetans performing full-body prostrations — one every three steps. Have you ever witnessed true devotion? Some families go together; others are siblings bound by faith.

Leading the way is often a cart carrying their belongings. Behind it, devotees wear traditional yak-hide robes, gripping wooden paddles as they lay flat on the road, inch by inch. Under the blazing sun and sudden rains, they press on. When tired, they rest. When hungry, they cook together. At night, they set up tents. The next day, the pilgrimage resumes. It’s said a true believer must complete 100,000 prostrations in their lifetime — a full spiritual cycle.

A Lifetime of Prostration at the Jokhang Temple

To outsiders, such devotion can be difficult to comprehend. In Tibet’s harsh natural environment, it is faith that sustains life. For Tibetans, the Buddha is more than a symbol — He is the soul’s refuge, the anchor in all suffering. Through unshakable belief, they inch their way step by step toward the holy city of Lhasa.

Poor yet pure-hearted, Tibetan pilgrims walk a lifelong path of prayer. Outside the Potala Palace, around the sacred Jokhang Temple, they circle endlessly, prayer wheels spinning in their hands, until the end of their days. What may appear as mere ritual becomes — once you step into their world — a spiritual monument, a longing, a total surrender of life itself. Many don’t live to reach Lhasa — they give their last breath on the road to it.

A Lifetime of Prostration at the Jokhang Temple

Locals often refer to the area around Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street simply as “Lhasa” — in Tibetan, it means “Land of the Buddha.” Barkhor Street, properly called “Bakhor” (meaning the central kora or circumambulation path), is the beating heart of old Lhasa. Once just an ordinary street circling the temple, it became the sacred path for pilgrims — the “Holy Road” — lined with deep Tibetan life and culture.

Just like in the film Paths of the Soul, people wonder why Tibetans are so devout — why they throw themselves to the ground every few steps in such a raw, almost primitive, way. But perhaps it is faith that grants a person true inner strength and peace. Pilgrimage is the most sincere form of travel — utterly unique and deeply sacred.

There’s a sense of awe that lives deep within us — a reverence for the divine. In this remote land, the people, humble and full of faith, stir a powerful, lingering emotion. Their hearts are pure, and their devotion unwavering. It makes you believe — truly believe — that the divine exists in this world. And for them, this journey of prostration is the one thing they hold on to for life.