7 Days in Tibet

A pilgrimage through the Roof of the World becomes a journey inward — from awe to stillness, from ambition to surrender. At 69, a highly respected cardiologist finds that standing before Everest is less about conquering a mountain and more about rediscovering the vastness within.

By Dr. Eugene F. Ramos

The air was thin, the wind was howling, and my dry eyes were getting drier as I looked down at my feet walking along the long, wide path ahead, dotted by humanity. It was late afternoon and the heavy clouds cast a foreboding gloom, but the sense of awe that engulfed me had little to do with the smallness of my presence. It was the disbelief that I was there at all, experiencing a moment of wonder. Then the clouds shifted slowly, and there it was — appearing before me — the mountain in our collective consciousness.

(L) The 1200-year-old Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of Tibet. (R) Mt Everest from the base camp, taken late afternoon Sept 24, 2025

As I gazed straight ahead at the majesty of Mt. Everest, I felt infinitesimally insignificant, nonexistent even, enthralled by the vast space around me and dwarfed by the magnificence of this Himalayan mountain that hugged the clouds. Standing there, breathless and in awe as time stopped, I realized that I was whispering to myself, as if sound other than the one in my head might disturb the sight before me. Here I am now, I mumbled, at the top of the world, where I never imagined to be at 69 — where space and time don’t matter.

The imposing Potala Palace, 1200 years old, was a challenge to ascend, given our short acclimatization time. The palace was where the 5th up to the 14th Dalai Lama resided. The 14th Dala Lama ( the current one) fled Tibet during the Cultural Revolution in the 1950s and now resides in Dharmasala, India.

The sky was blue, the clouds were white, the leaves were green, and we were there just perfectly fine!

Between long in-breaths and out-breaths, I let the experience of the moment flow through me. What is it about this glorious mountain — the metaphor for vision, ambition, and conquest — that overwhelms and yet confronts man to humble himself?

This is at the top of the palace. No cameras are allowed once we ascend this top building. So many rooms inside – waiting rooms, receiving rooms, sleeping quarters, meditation rooms etc – the Tibetan counterpart for the European palaces I had visited. This was here 1200 years ago, reminiscent of ancient enlightened civilization that is in no way inferior – or perhaps better – than the tasteless trappings of the modern world

This trip was the bright thought that kept appearing and disappearing in my mind over the last few months. Perhaps it was the next best thing to prioritize after my retirement 12 months ago, when I found myself procrastinating to start the next chapter of what I feared could become a predictable life. I wasn’t chasing adventure as much as clarity — a stillness that work and routine as a corporate executive had long buried.

Now, standing so small at the foot of Mt. Everest on Day 4 of our trip to Tibet, I could hear my long and deep breaths dissolve into the stillness of the moment, lifting me into the inseparable spaciousness of experience.

No discussion, we had to climb …to the top, which we yet could not see. That’s why we were there. But we had to do it slowly, deliberately, because between taking deep breaths, gasping for air and watching our feet move, was the self saying, there is nothing else, just this!

I was positive that I could make it to the top, but with many stops along the way – just like a well-paced life. The oldest in the team at 69, I was with our youngest, Kenneth, 26.. Senior age and the vitality of youth together made the stops less hurried and more enjoyable ( I think that’s how longevity is defined).

The Tibetans like to walk around wearing Tibetan costumes

The Dzogchen teachings of the Bon tradition, which predate the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet, teach that awareness and emptiness are the mind’s natural state — luminous, boundless, and compassionate. Drawn to this wisdom and powered by a special bond of discipline, we — a band of eight close friends from the United States, Europe, and the Philippines — prepared six months in advance, not only for the physical and biochemical demands of Tibet’s altitude, but also for a deeper understanding of the history, culture, and practices that shaped Tibetan Buddhism exactly where and how it began.

We had a Tibetan buffet dinner, which was easier to decide on than ordering ala carte.

From here to there looked easy, except when we had to walk it. The infrastructures for safety and beauty were impressive, signifying government emphasis on orderliness.

Awareness of the nature of the mind and the experience of enlightenment have animated the focus of our almost monthly online Book Club conversations across continents (despite different time zones) over the past several months. Our daily meditation practice with Sam Harris’ “Waking Up” app has become a habit.

The mountains were all around us, moving the horizon farther away. We were at the top of the world, closer to the sky. The smiles on our faces were fixed, not just for photographs, but for our entire experience of Tibet and our brotherhood.

What does one eat in Tibet? A common hot drink is Yak butter tea. It warms the stomach, and hopefully cleanses the soul.

These routines have made us — eight men attuned to the health profession and to the optimization of body, mind, and soul — more than just brothers. The understanding and appreciation of Tibetan Buddhism have simplified what living a good life means, underlining the interconnectedness and unity of the universe.

I need to review more what those stones really mean, as well as the prayer flags. I know that Tibet also teaches about the 5 elements – 4 of them terrestial ( air, earth, water, and fire) and the fifth is aether – the cosmos.

Unlike the afternoon before, September 25 morning was bright and the sky was clear. I found out that my team had walked ahead, so I thought that being alone was a perfect time for my daily meditation. I just requested an older German tourist to take this photo

The trip to Tibet — to visit the Dzogchen monasteries and mountain hermitages, the highest of which was the Rongbuk Monastery at the Everest Base Camp — was destined to happen. It was the fulfillment of a dream we had spoken into existence, a spiritual homecoming years in the making.

The beauty of nature remains real in Tibet. And the silence while seeing it is an experience in harmony and joy.

On our way back to Lhasa, we couldn’t miss the Yungdrungling Monastery, a Dzogchen sprawling monastery that has been around for centuries.

The Rong pu Monastery, right across the Rong puk hotel where we spent the night, is a big Dzogchen monastery that’s probably located in the highest part of Tibet at 17,000 feet above sea level.

And yes, our journey to Tibet was not only enlightening but liberating — a reminder that while the world’s highest mountain towers above us, the greatest summit we can ever reach lies within.

Watching the young monks in training required a lot of deciphering what the exchanges were.

The Tibet tourism bureau parallels – and up to a certain extent simulates – how most countries entertain their visitors. The Western influence – which I maintain is not something to look forward to – is pervasive. For that matter, the Chinese influence is now integrated into the Tibetan ways. Except for the food.

All of us spent our last afternoon in Tibet returning to the art shop of masterpieces of the Tibetan Thangkas in Bhaktar Street. Each one got a surprise gift courtesy of Dr. Ted Achacoso, to the delight of the curator. The thangkas by the masters are really intricately hand-made, with handwritten suttras.

“I wasn’t chasing adventure as much as clarity — a stillness that work and routine had long buried.”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply