Tibetan Culture and Art Tibetan culture and art possess a history of more than 5,000 years, and the Tibetan Buddhism has had the greatest influence on this culture. The development of Tibetan culture and art proceeded through four stages: prehistoric civilization before the 7th century; cultural stability during the Tubo Kingdom; high development during the Yuan Dynasty; and the height of cultural achievement attained during the Qing Dynasty. The prehistoric stage includes all development from the
As the protector of all Tibetan Buddhism, Mahakala is an object of meditation as well as the “protector of dharma.” Being a dharmapala which is a type of wrathful deity, his job is to quite the mind and to destroy and help one meditating reach a new level of awareness. His name translates from ‘Maha’ to ‘great’ and ‘kala’ meaning ‘black,’ which is why Mahakala is known as Great Time or Great Dark One, in Sanskrit. On March 2nd, 2011, I traipsed to the corner of 242nd and Broadway, and hopped
Tibetan Thanka Paintings Tibet, with its isolated, harsh geographical location and history of political and social remoteness would seem an unlikely place to provide a “cradle for creative art” (Bailey 22). Yet it is in this desolate section of the world that one of the most intriguing artistic cultures has been cultivating over hundreds of centuries. One facet of what makes Tibetan art so unique and interesting is its interdependency on its religious beliefs. In Tibet one might use the words
Tibetan Medicine Tibetan medicine, developed over the course of over one thousand years in the isolated mountainous terrain of Tibet and preserved despite China’s decimation of Tibetan customs, views healing in a much different way than Western physicians. Tibetan medicine emphasizes science, faith, perception, spirituality, karma, and philosophy, whereas Western medicine is based almost entirely on science. In the West, religion and spirituality are believed to have absolutely nothing to do with
popular support of the struggle of the Tibetans has become well known due to the involvement of celebrities spreading the word, has it really helped the cause or simply let people know what is going on there? Even more importantly, is the information that the celebrities are passing on always correct? Before any of these questions can be answered though, one must first know the origin of the conflicts between the two regions as well as the history of the Free Tibetan Movement. As said above, Tibet used
in the Tibetan government. In fact, as Avedon notes in In Exile from the Land of the Snows, for the last 1300 years the chief oracle-priest or state-oracle oracle has had the final say on “virtually every key decision of the state.”[1] This disproportionate degree of influence that the chief oracle-priests exercised on the internal as well as the external affairs of Tibet, had often led to situations where “the chief medium became the playball of political intrigues.”[2] The present Tibetan government
While most music in Tibet is religious, secular music still exists and is still a part of life there. Tibetan music has played an important role in shaping who the Tibetan people have become today by giving themselves different ways to express who they are, through the use of differing instruments and styles of music, and has allowed other people from around the world the opportunity to look at Tibetan culture through their music. Any discussion on music should first begin by learning about the instruments
Tibetan Education Since 1951, education in Tibet has changed dramatically through the Chinese government’s hyper-political agenda. Depending on the source, some view the changes as great improvement to the educational system, and others are gravely concerned. The positive view is that of the Chinese policy-makers and the fear comes from Tibetans who see that their culture is being drained from the classroom. The central Chinese government wants to completely assimilate the Tibetans by removing
treaty acknowledged sovereignty over Tibet, but recognized the Tibetan government’s autonomy with respect to internal affairs. The Chinese violated the treaty on many occasions, though. This lead to the National Uprising in 1959, and after that, the exile of the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet, and many governmental leaders (Office of Tibet 1). During and after the Chinese invasion of Tibet, there was mass destruction of Tibetan buildings. Over 6,000 monasteries, temples and other cultural
Tibetan Women Under Chinese Occupation Prior to the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, Tibetan women were treated with the utmost respect. They served as equals to men, nothing less and in some instances even more. However, since the Chinese have occupied Tibet the status of Tibetan women in the country has changed. Women’s basic human rights are violated every day under the Chinese, rights such as reproduction and education. They face violence and coercion and must live their lives in
The Tibetan Struggle for Independence Throughout history, struggles for land, and battles for independence have all been fought via the hand of war. Winners are decisive and quick, and disputes are fought and won at the cost of many deaths. War is gruesome, ugly, and never predictable. Does struggle have to always involve death and fighting? For more then 50 years one country has found a way to maintain a non-violent independence struggle. The people of Tibet have implemented non-violent
The Tibetan Family Family life is the core element that defines the population of a country. It gives Identity to a group people by the way they carry out their day to day operations and the customs and ideals that are unique to that group of people. Family life can be difficult to define as it comprises so many elements; such as housing, education, gender roles, family size, health, education, and religion. These are all critical inputs that ultimately determine the situation in a family and
Art Appreciation Rathnasambhava, the Transcendent Buddha of the South and Madonna Enthroned are very similar images that were produced by very different cultures. Both images were produced during the 13th Century. The image of Rathnasambhava, the Transcendent Buddha of the South was produced in Tibet during an interesting period of the country’s religious history. The branch of Tibetan Buddhism is led by a religious and sometimes political leader called the Dalai Lama. It was during the 13th
Art was largely used to express traditions in the Himalayan region. Once upon Many Times is an exhibition at Rubin Museum of Art representing a wide range of visual narratives and reproductions of temple murals, which can be regarded as exceptional examples of Himalayan art based upon Tibetan myths and legends. Furthermore, this paper will analyze the color arrangement, composition, proportion, hierarchy and motifs of the historical narrative Shantarakshita and scenes of his life and the Drowa Sangmo
It may be difficult to imagine how the Chinese revolution, the Buddha, and a princess shaped the path of Tibetan Buddhism into the Hawaiian islands, particularly in the island of Kauai. This essay will illustrate how my experience at a Buddhist burial ground in Kauai had its roots in Beijing, Lhasa, and Lumbini. I will argue that the presence of Tibetan Buddhism on the island of Kauai was primarily driven by the Communist revolution in China in 1949 and their reannexation of Tibet in 1959. This
name is Tibet in Song. This documentary was released in 2009 by former Tibetan prisoner and musician Ngawang Choephel – he was in prison because of making that document. Little introduction about movie: The movie is basically the document about Tibetan culture and traditions. Movie is based on interviews with Tibetan artists, musicians, activists and director himself. His aim was to show, how China wants to erase the Tibetan culture, force their culture and how China treats people in Tibet, so as
The Dalai Lama is the leader of the Yellow Hat Sect of the Tibetan Buddhists. The Yellow Hat Sect originated in the 1300s with the first Dalai Lama being born in 1391, although the title of the Dalai Lama was not used until the 1570s. The Mongolian king at the time, Altan Kham, actually created the name Dalai Lama, meaning “ocean of wisdom” during the time of the third Dalai Lama. Tibetan Buddhists often refer to the Dalai Lama as the Rgyal-ba Rin-po-che as well, meaning “precious conqueror.” The
The Role of Women in Tibetan Buddhism “In Tantric Buddhism, we are dealing with a misogynist, destructive, masculine philosophy and religion which is hostile to life – i.e. the precise opposite of that for which it is trustingly and magnanimously welcomed in the figure of the Dalai Lama.”[1] Within Tibetan Buddhism, there is an inherent contradiction regarding the status of women. Although in many aspects women are seen and treated as inferior to men, several of the ancient and fundamental values
For 48 years, China has occupied Tibet. In Tibet's history, there has been over 17 percent of the Tibetan people killed, and 6,000 monasteries ruined. For starters, Tibet was never part of China. During the first few years when China was in control of Tibet, the Chinese declared that Tibet should be part of China, because an Emperor of Tibet once married a Chinese princess. Years later, the Chinese said that Tibet was part of China because of the warrior Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan and the Mongolians
Tibetan Oracles The miraculous feats of the Tibetan oracles are well known sources of mysticism. Stories of men who can bend metal swords with their bare hands, dance wildly and proclaim the future have piqued the curiosity and fascination of many. However, most rationale people will question, how real is the Tibet oracle? Are these men really visited by the deities who they claim to be visited by or are they merely masters of illusion? “The desire to know the future is probably as old as