Iliterati Cafe Photo: Abhinav Chandel
Jampel Lhundup lives in Dharamshala and works at Illiterati, a café with a thoughtful selection of books and beautiful view of the Dhauladhar Mountains, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is difficult not to notice Jampel’s presence when visiting Illiterati. His effortlessly stylish outfits and warm smile with a certain ease represent the very atmosphere of the café. He says: “No matter who comes to Illiterati should be treated equally with respect.”
Jampel, or Anda as his friends call him, moved to India from Tibet with his parents at the age of three. He comes from Kham region in Tibet, where the people, Khampas, are traditionally known as the warriors of Tibet. They often carry the Lhatse Knife which became famous among foreigners for its good quality. Reflecting on the region, he says: “Humans are humans and even in Tibet there is still attachment issue which creates disputes among the people and leads to violence. In the end it is your own mind that you have to fight.”
Jampel went to Tibetan Children’s Village School (TCV) in Dharamshala, supported by a sponsor from Austria. “She is the one who taught me to be open to all people, she is my second mom,” he says.
He reminisces about his school life as being a naughty kid who loved stage performance and entertainment. Jampel was also deeply passionate about sports and did track running professionally. “When I ran I had no intention to win or anything, I simply enjoyed doing it. When I ran I was alone, I could not communicate with anyone, I was just with my mind, aware of things. That’s why I love long-distance running.It grounds me and makes me feel peaceful. If I keep it competitive I won’t be able to maintain that very state”, he says. Jampel broke the local record twice winning the cross country running in Dharamshala.
After TCV Jampel went to college in Baroda,Gujarat (India) and studied Psychology for three years. “I took classes and learned things that I found interesting but never attended exams because I found them useless for me. Not that I was rebelling against the institution or anything. I think what’s important is the knowledge, the understanding, not the degree”, said Jampel.
After college he returned to Dharamshala and entered the Instituteof Buddhist Dialectics (IBD). His interest in Buddhist philosophy was sparked by Tibetan language classes that he took before enrolling to IBD. It was important for Jampel’s father that his son speaks the native language.
At IBD he studied mostly with monks. He was one of the few lay people attending the institution. “Every day I used to wake up at 6 am and do prostrations for 15 minutes,” he recalls. He shared a memory of his 19-20-year-old classmates who had remarkable abilities to quickly grasp Buddhist concepts and passionately debate on them in the canteen.
“Buddhism gave me answers to the questions I always had growing up and it changed me a lot. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is my Lama,” he says. Jampel dropped out from IBD but nevertheless is continuing to explore Buddhism on his own.
After quitting IBD Jampel started working at Illiterati, which is owned by his childhood friend. He and his friends run the café together and that is one of the main reasons he enjoys doing his job.
“It is interesting to work there because our guests are culturally very diverse. There is a sense of equality for everyone. It’s a nice place that naturally keeps the ethics,” he says.
In the end of the interview, Jampel said if there is something he can contribute to the world, he would advise people to cultivate optimism, saying that it gives one mental strength and makes one resilient. He used a metaphor of a beautiful flower spreading its fragrance to describe the workings of the optimistic brain that naturally attracts people. “Whatever you have, view it optimistically,” concludes Jampel.
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