March 24, 2008 |
Short Order
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Eric Ripert catches young monks waiting for lama blessing with his cell-camera.
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Longtime spiritual quest takes Le Bernardin chef Eric Ripert to see the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala. Secretly soulful and a passionate Tibetan aid supporter, Ripert arrived hoping for a private meeting or to attend the Dalai Lama’s daily group blessing. He stayed at the small guest house with simple vegetarian meals delivered to his room and “walked and walked and walked,” exploring the grounds and trails. It was March 10 and although the exiled Tibetan leader was reportedly not well enough for the blessing, Eric heard him speak that day, the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising when tens of thousands of Tibetans rose up against China’s invasion. Ripert photographed a group of monks waiting with him to be blessed by another lama. Caught up in the serenity of his retreat, he was a day late for the flight home from Delhi and had to buy a new ticket. Riots, protests and killings that have followed may conflict with his immediate plan to create a foundation that will send American chefs, including his own, to train the Tibetan refugees at The Norbulingka Institute how to run their little inn.
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