Radio Free Asia

[tibetanculture]

WHAT IS TIBETAN CULTURE

AN INTRODUCTION


SINCE THE BEGINNING of the Tibetan society, and through time, Tibet has developed a unique and diverse culture, largely influenced by its high attitude of remote ragged mountainous landscapes and severe harsh climate conditions.

Because there were very little cultural records of family or societal traditions in the form of writing, the main regular functions has been passed from generation to the next generation through family and specific geographic regional groups. This tradition of preserving the culture widened the distinctions of a general Tibetan tradition and language, almost alienated one geographical zone from the other, and split the common standard language into regional dialects with varying accents, word uses and phrasing to an extinction nearly made necessary for interpreters within the same language.

And with the insertion of the Buddhist culture in the seventh century the ancient native culture of Tibet became even murkier. Today we can track only some signs of the ancestral culture such as sangsol, tososhemar, prayer flags, lhatses and the yak hone symbol. Nonetheless, combining the new Buddhist culture with whatever left behind from the Bonpo culture heavily influenced a unique (mostly religious in nature) culture which is rich and non-like others.

And from the Chinese take-over of Tibet’s culture and politics in the mid 20th century onwards, the whole idea of Tibetan culture blurred significantly, and unless initiating serious preservation programmes, the clock is ticking faster by the day for the Tibetan Culture to come to an end.

Besides the goals of preserving the Tibetan Culture, we hope that inviting writings on the Tibetan Culture (the sole subject of this new book titled, “[b]The Tibetan Culture, defined[/b]”) brings clear awareness to an eager and wider audience, and also not without the hope of increasing the development of this specific and unique culture.

The book is divided into 35 major chapters, and we invite (01 October, 2009) all the teaching faculties, informative parents, and individual writers among all the Tibetan Diaspora to contribute to this issue of publication on the following topics of the individual’s choosing – we encourage the individual to take just one topic with its subtopic(s), with clarity and strong reference back-up – keeping in mind the target of a “well-researched” book:

1. Tibetan art: what is Tibetan art? The developments of the clay sculpture, was it developed with the introduction of Buddhism or before? Is thangka painting a mere tradition or does it have qualities of art?… a) museums; how about the museum in the Potala Palace, if it had one? Were the caves the ancient museums of Tibet? b) music; is it possible to track the very beginning of the Tibetan music, if not, songs and singing? Different kinds of musical instruments? c) folklore; Lingkesar, Aku Tonpa, Lubum Migol, and children’s stories … d) drama; the eight major Tibetan dramas, and more? e) books; how about the writing, did it travel on leaves from India, or on paper from China or was it developed on stones and mud-clay much earlier? And what about the Tibetan paper? 2. Cuisine: or food in general, and the tradition of eating and drinking … 3. Calendar: into how many parts days and nights are divided? How to mark dates, name months? Astrological symbols, and what about earth, water, wind … and the origins of the lunisolar calendar … 4. Khatak: the white scarf (or is it white?), and how did it come into existence and what does it represent? 5. Clothing: the historical shift of the tradition of dressing, and different regional cultural attire … and why Tibetans love(d) wearing ornaments? .. 6. Handloom: carpets, rugs, aprons … and the making of a yak-fur tent a handloom? 7. Architecture: How did the ancient Tibetans build their houses? a) historical sites: the architecture of Potala Palace and other heritage sites b) traditional architecture c) religious architecture 8. Music: the religious chanting; the modern and the popular; and artists … 9. Literature: general writings, authors and writers, poets … and the song writing too ... 10. Nature and gardening: the ways regarding the nature; does every mountain have its god or goddess? Gardening and plantation … 11. Festivals: how unique? a) horse racing b) Sangsol … 12. Law: what was the (ancient) Tibetan Law? Imprisonment, beheadings, expulsions, out-cast … 13. Faith and religion: Bon and Buddhism, the two religions of Tibet, or more? 14. Philosophy: about the Tibetan belief of death and dying? Heaven and hell? Or the purpose of being alive? 15. Language: was it really Thonmyi Sampota who created the Tibetan letters, or was there a form of writing before that? a) regional dialects 16. Holidays and leisure: how did Tibetans spend holidays? a) losar b) marriages … 17. Signs and symbols: is seeing a shooting star a good luck or bad? Death in the family? … and what is thog-cha? … 18. Social classes: is there such a thing in the Tibetan culture? Does misfortune or superstition divide social communities? 19. Families: what is a typical Tibetan family, how many members, and the way they’re formed? How does the shift in a family happen, through marriage? … 20. Education: in the old days, were the monasteries the only source of more subtle education, or where there some forms of social education existed? 21. Greetings: ways of receiving guests, seeing people off … 22. Military: how did the Tibetans defend themselves? a) tools 23. Labour and employment: how did people earn their living? 24. Trade: goods for exchange… other types of business… and How a man sells/buys his horse? … 25. Lifestyle: the general ways of Tibetan life a) food and drinks b) tobacco c) sports and hobbies d) fashion e) pets 26. Transportation: how did Tibetans travel? How did the way of travelling influenced the everyday life? 27. Funerals and rites: general ways of saying goodbye for good … 28. Medical care: the Tibetan medicine, and the ways of treating the sick… 29. Birth and naming: who helps the mother? Different expectations for a girl or a boy? a) naming the child … 30. Tososhemar: the general whys and hows … 31. Prayer flags: what does it represent? 32. Windhorse: when it started and what does it serve? 33. Dorjee: the usual whens, hows, and whys… 34. Lhatse: the signpost for gods, and goddesses (or only gods?)… [b]35. Money[/b]: the Tibetan currency …

And we suggest to use, for the research for the chosen topic; libraries, museums, culture centres, weddings and parties, monuments, and consult the cultured and resourceful elderly and the professionals for conversations, interviews… and visit monasteries and nunneries, craft workshops and showrooms … and just keep asking for more proper orderly ways for the juicy prize.

Additional materials (photographs, artist portraits, original copies…) should be sent as email attachment files or in the digital format on a CD.
All the writings should reach us no later than 1st January 2010.
The complete and finalised writings, along with complete full names, clear addresses, and other contact details, can be sent to:

Email: culturetibetan@gmail.com (culturetibetan at gmail dot com)

Post:
Rinchen Tsering
The Culture Committee
SOS Vocational Training Centre
PO Selaqui 248197 Dehradun
Uttrakhand, India

[lobsang45]

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