Holy Light

Copyright © 2019 by Yuchen Han. 801888

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Xlibris

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www.Xlibris.com

Translated by Susan Cui

Paintings by Yunchen Han

Written by Susan and Richard

Designed by Leo Feng

ISBN: 978-1-7960-6114-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7960-6115-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7960-6113-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019914785

Rev. date: 12/23/2019

CONTENTS

Chapter 1. Story

I The Joy in Labor

II The Devout in Faith

III The Simplicity in Life

IV The Glory in Human Nature

Chapter 2. Gallery

Chapter 3. Review

Appendix

Foreword

The beginning of Genesis in the Bible speaks of God creating all living beings and making light on the first day. At first, the earth was empty and chaotic, the abyss was dark, and the Spirit of God was running on the water. God said, Let there be light! And there was light.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average elevation of over 4,000 meters, is the closest place on earth to the sky. Although the air here is scarce and unsuitable for survival, the bright sunshine and the holy mountains and lakes here still nurture all living creatures, as well as a strong and great ethical group—Tibetan. They use the most persistent belief from hearts to guard the pure land in the process of human civilization. They use their lives to create a broad and profound historical culture, like the light of the sky, brilliant and glorious.

Han Yuchen is a light chaser from the East. He has visited Tibetan areas multiple times; he crossed the grasslands, climbed over snowy mountains, trekked through glaciers, he used his eyes and body to appreciate the rhythm of nature. He shared tents, slept in yurts, lived in Tibetan houses, made friends with Tibetans, which all to feel Tibetan people’s pure hearts. He did not flinch in case of landslides and mudslides, and kissed the God of death without fear.He devoted all the emotions in his heart to this place and he created a series of excellent oil paintings with the sincerest reverence and worship. The intensive refraction of light and shadow in the work collides with our visions and stings our souls. The ordinary and noble characters living on the roof of the world, telling us the stories of love and faith, kindness and redemption, forbearance and sublimation, give us the enlightenment and the power of life. From this we found the dimensions of life, the comfort of the soul, and return to simple joy.

The following stories not only recorded Han Yuchen’s creative journeys, but also his discovery and exploration of Tibetan customs and his pursuit of holy light.

Chapter 1

Story

I

The Joy in Labor

Under the Shower of Snow

In 2007, Lao Han went to Tibet for the second time. He took the southern Sichuan-Tibet route, which is recognized as one of the most dangerous routes to Tibet.

The southern Sichuan-Tibet route referred to by the travelers is a section of rugged mountain road that runs from Chengdu to Lhasa, with a total length of more than 2,100 kilometers, and passes through Luding, Kangding, Yajiang, Batang, Mangkang, Ranwu, Linzhi, and many more cities. The elevation rises from 500 meters to more than 4,000 meters above sea level. The route must climb over more than ten mountains, especially the road to the west of Kangding. Many people regard it as a fearful way: on one side, there is a cliff; on the other side, it is the torrential river under the mountain. If the driver is lacking a slight of carefulness, he would fall into the abyss of ten thousand feet.

Lao Han and his companions were driving on the empty road, and they only encountered a few cars in the past days, as if they had entered the no-man’s land. On the fifth day, after passing through Batang, Sichuan, crossing the Jinsha River Bridge, and then driving on easily landslide road for a long time, they finally entered Tibet. Early next morning, Lao Han and his companions drove their SUV carefully along the dilapidated road into Mangkang County. When the tired Lao Han was eating, he asked the restaurant owner, Why is this road so bad? The restaurant owner smiled. That was the good road, and the road ahead it is even worse. Lao Han knew, they were about to enter Yela Mountain at an altitude of 5,000 meters. This is also the second-highest summit on the southern Sichuan-Tibet route. Lao Han calmed himself, and his inner desire gave him strength forward.

After meal, They drove on and continued, although it was autumn, but as the altitude rose again, the snow fell quietly. Besides the sound of the wind and the roar of the engine, there was only silence around. Being between the heaven and the earth, Lao Han and his companions seemed to have entered the fairyland, and the snow peaks in front of them constantly changing, overwhelmed their eyes.

At dusk, a few black tents appeared on the far side of the road. Flocks of yak were surrounded by tents and formed a beautiful silhouette against the white snow and gray sky.

This made Lao Han and his companions very surprised, because Yela Mountain is known as the forbidden zone of life. Even at the foot of the mountain, Yakou, the altitude has reached 4600 meters, and an average person would experience altitude sickness. The car pulled to the nearest place to the tent. Several hardworking women were milking, and their skilled movements were as graceful as a dancer. They talked happily, and the silver bell-like laughter came from time to time. Although it was late, they did not have a slightest tiredness, and even the snowflakes that were scattered on their clothes and faces quickly melted away.

In this place with rare visitors, everything in front of Lao Han moved him. Although the altitude sickness made him difficult to breathe, in order to capture this touching moment, he stepped out from the car, approached the women, and hoped to take pictures, and the women joyfully agreed. At this moment, a woman stood up and lifted the bucket full of milk and walked toward to the tent. In the snow, her tall and beautiful figure and the sincere big smile on her face were deeply imprinted in the mind of Lao Han.

The idea of the oil painting Under the Shower of Snow was born.

In this piece of work, the Khampa woman has high cheekbones and deep-eye sockets. Healthy and plump, simple and unadorned, her face was indulged with a leisurely expression that was exactly her sense of satisfaction and happiness to the snow, work, and life. The Khampa people is a branch of the Tibetan ethnic group, and they live in the southeast portion of Tibet and the western part of Sichuan. They are known for their robust body, bravery, and strength. The decoration of the Khampa woman’s green coats and colorful skirts added beauty and femininity. Her plainness, and the shyness of seeing strangers were vividly portrayed by the painter. The heavy milk bucket in her hand was not a burden, but instead, was a friend in her life. They were familiar with each other and dependent on each other. The harmonious beauty of working has been sublimated in the snow.

Under the Shower of Snow was collected by a Belgium collector in a Europe tour in 2010.

Brother and Sister

Lao Han, who entered Tibet one journey after another, passed through the adventures of life and death and never stopped. I once asked him, What strength is supporting him to pursue the life story of the snowy plateau? He did not hesitate to answer, It is the power of faith, the yearn for pure land, a compassion from deep heart, a baptism and salvation of soul.

Truth is nowhere to find when one is too desperately desiring for it. Truth is everywhere suddenly when one needs relief from such desire. Let go of your greed, let go of your desire, let go of your obsession, and keep a pure heart. The Buddha had said, there are desires in every heart. Segregated from heart is the true wisdom. If one wants to learn such wisdom, then release from sensations is a must. The luxury and pleasure of materials is illusory; only spiritual purity and consciousness are true.

As Xianlin Ji once said, people need to solve three relationships in their lives: the relationship between man and nature, the relationship between man and man, and the relationship between man and himself.