tibetan worldview

Tibetan Worldview Stacie Andrews, Richard Sweet,

Glenni Rankin, Sarah HollingsworthHCOM 30104/29/13

The Dalai Lama...

Those unrelentingly cruel ones, objects of compassion,

Maddened by delusion's evils,

wantonly destroy themselves and others;

May they achieve the eye of wisdom, knowing what must be done and undone,

And abide in the glory of friendship and love.

Tibet: The Roof of the World

China's Tibet Autonomous Region: 1965

Tibetan Settlements in India

Tibetan-Government in Exile: Indian State of Himachal

Predesh, a village known as Upper Dharamsala. This is

where the Dalai Lama resides.

Tibetan Refugees in Nepal

Tibetans...

Demographic Information

- China’s grip makes this more difficult..

- Tibetan and Mandarin Chinese

- The Han people

- China’s Tibet Autonomous Region

- Communities of faith

Core Values

- Individual expression of spirituality

- Buddhism

- The Dalai Lama: human happiness; inter-religious harmony; survival of identity, culture, and religion

- Faith

Elements Necessary to Understand World ViewTibetan philosophy engages in

philosophical investigation not only to gain an understanding of the world but to also gain an understanding on how to eliminate suffering in the world.

Religious or spiritual beliefs

• Indigenous Tibetan religion called Bon.• Tibetan Buddhism (influenced from earlier Indian

Buddhism and Bon).o Dalai Lamao Use of mantras and yogic techniques.o Preoccupation with the relationship between life

and death o Gods and spirits taken from earlier Tibetan religionso Texts are separated into two sections

Translated Words- the teaching of Buddha Translated Teachings- commentaries written by Indian and Tibetan authors

o Four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism Ancient White Earth Oral Transmission Way of Virtue

Ontological beliefs• Two different “schools” of

ontological thinking that originated from Indian Mahayana Buddhism.o Mind Only School

(Yogacara) Awareness and

consciousness is the only thing with intrinsic essence.

o Middle Way School (Madhyamaka) Denies that anything

has an unchanging essence.

Epistemological beliefs• Mysticism -meditation,• Religious Faith- texts,

dalai lama• The Doctrine of Two

Truths:o The Two Truths

Conventional (Normal) truth

Ultimate Truth~Truth can mean “true” as

well as “real”.~

Ethical Views/Teachings

• Utilitariano elimination of

suffering• Aristotelian

Virtueo flourishing and

freedom both function as a goal for good traits

Education

• Lowero Beginning in 1999, 200 schools were built and enrollment went

from 85% to 98% in 2010.o Secondary education is taught in Mandarin and entrance exams

to universities are in Chinese.o From primary school through college, tuition fees for ethnic

Tibetans are completely subsidized by the central government• Higher

o In 1980, Tibetans were only 10% of higher education studentso In 1984, Tibet University was est.o By 2006, had six institutions of higher learning.

Medicine

• Ancient system based on Buddhist philosophy and psychology.

• The mind is considered to be the base because all existences and moments depend on its movements; it is the creator of every external and internal phenomena.

Rural-Agrarian• 90% work as herdsmen• The other 10% live in towns earning living doing

business and handicraft work, factory workers or government officials

Clothing

• Cultural regions- home woven gowns• Grasslands- sheepskin• Men from Chamdo- red/black silk tassels• Lhasa residents- more modern/stylish

Rituals & Practices

• Buildings are blessed by a lama that circles it twice and throws handfuls of rice in each direction.

• The Hada is the most precious gift.

• Tibetan festivals such as Losar, Shoton, & the Bathing Festival are deeply rooted in indigenous religion.

• Tibetan music often involves chanting in Tibetan or Sanskrit, as an essential part of the religion.

• Each house has altar tables for worshipping Buddha. o Most important part of the home is the prayer room. o Tend to be very colorful with scenes of Buddha’s life

• Do not eat horse, dog, or donkey meat, and some areas do not eat fish as well.

• Polyandry is practiced amongst nomadic Tibetans still today.

Oppression

• Nearly all the beggars in China are Tibetan.

• China has occupied Tibet for over 60 years

• Since 2009, about 100 Tibetan monks, nuns and others have set themselves on fire to protest the severe living conditions imposed on Tibetans

• More than 250,000 Tibetans die in prisons and labor camps.

• Since the 1960s, China has inflicted severe damage to Tibet’s environment: Toxic waste is dumped into rivers; forests are clear-cut; endangered species are hunted for sport; and nuclear-testing facilities are built.

• Hundreds of thousands of Tibetans die from famine and disease.

Government-in-Exile• Dharamsala,

India• Established after

escape(CTA)• Sino-Indian War• Dalai Lama's

policy of China owned Tibet

Failure of Chinese Programs• "Great Leap Forward" (1958-1961)

o Shift from Agrarian to Modern Communisto Massive failure of the program

Commune system Industrialization Economic Loss

• "Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976)o Another attempt to modernizeo To fix the mistakes of "Great Leap Forward"o Led to the destruction of 6,000 Tibetan

monasteries

Protests• 3•14 Riots

o Meant to bring attentiono 44 monks since 2009o Arrests and Deathso Censorshipo United States Reaction

What Can You Do?• Read more about the issues...• Internet Websites

o http://www.savetibet.org/support-tibeto http://www.helptibet.org.uk/

• Spread awareness!

For More Information:• For more on Tibet: http://www.tibet.org/• Free Tibet: http://www.freetibet.org/• For more information on Tibetan Buddhism:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/tibetan_1http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/sects/tibetan.htm

• Tibetan Epistemology and Philosophy of Language: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology-language-tibetan/#Epi/

• Tibetan Philosphy: http://www.iep.utm.edu/tibetan/