Culture

Tibetan Culture Tibetans call their homeland //Bod// pronounced //pö// in Lhasa dialect. Tibetans refer to Tibet as a "fatherland" as opposed to motherland. The Chinese name for Tibet is Xīzàng the name originated during the Qing Dynasty of China, ca. 1700. Interpreted it can mean either "Buddhist scripture of the west" or "western storage." Tibet became a unified kingdom in the 7th century, under King Songston Gampo; the king was not a practicing Buddhist, although his wives built the first Buddhist temple in Lhasa. The Tibetan culture is profoundly Buddhist. They have a strong spirit of freedom and resilience. The entire philosophical, religious, social and artistic edifice of the Buddhist civilisation of Tibet is based on four principals called the "Noble Truths". These Truths are: -
 * 1) All beings inevitably endure suffering (duhkha)
 * 2) The cause of suffering is desire (samudaya)
 * 3) The cause of desire can be contained (nirodha)
 * 4) And to contain the cause of desire one must follow in Buddha’s path (marga).

Buddhism was established in Tibet more than 1000 years after the time of Buddha, in the 7th century. The predominant religion in pre Buddhist Tibet was a violent royal cult, which was similar to that of ancient India. Where violent animal sacrifices were thought necessary to maintain order in the heavens and win favour from the gods. What survived of these cults were reorganised into a religion, which still persists today called Bon. Although Bon is opposed to many of Buddhist tenets it is similar to Buddhism in the fact that it has a monastic organization, its deities are heavily influenced by the Tibetan Buddhist examples and has similar textual traditions.

===A Prayer Composed by His HOLINESS TENZIN GYATSO THE FOURTEENTH DALAI LAMA OF TIBET Honoring and Invoking the Great Compassion of the Three Jewels; the Buddha, the Teachings, and the Spiritual Community===

//O Buddha’s, Bodhisattvas, and disciples of the past, present, and future: Having remarkable qualities Immeasurably vast as the ocean, Who regard all helpless sentient beings as your only child; Please consider the truth of my anguished pleas. Buddha's full teachings dispel the pain of worldly existence and self-oriented peace; May they flourish, spreading prosperity and happiness through- out this spacious world. O holders of the Dharma: scholars and realized practitioners; May your ten fold virtuous practice prevail. Humble sentient beings, tormented by sufferings without cease, Completely suppressed by seemingly endless and terribly intense, negative deeds, May all their fears from unbearable war, famine, and disease be pacified, To freely breathe an ocean of happiness and well-being. And particularly the pious people of the Land of Snows who, through various means, Are mercilessly destroyed by barbaric hordes on the side of darkness, Kindly let the power of your compassion arise, To quickly stem the flow of blood and tears. 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. May this heartfelt wish of total freedom for all Tibet, Which has been awaited for a long time, be spontaneously fulfilled; Please grant soon the good fortune to enjoy The happy celebration of spiritual with temporal rule. O protector Chenrezig, compassionately care for Those who have undergone myriad hardships, Completely sacrificing their most cherished lives, bodies, and wealth, For the sake of the teachings, practitioners, people, and nation. Thus, the protector Chenrezig made vast prayers Before the Buddha’s and Bodhisativas To fully embrace the Land of Snows; May the good results of these prayers now quickly appear. By the profound interdependence of emptiness and relative forms, Together with the force of great compassion in the Three Jewels and their Words of Truth, And through the power of the infallible law of actions and their fruits, May this truthful prayer be unhindered and quickly fulfilled.//

His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, composed this prayer, Words of Truth, on 29 September 1960 at his temporary headquarters in the Swarg Ashram at Dharamsala, Kangra District, Himachal State, India. This prayer for restoring peace, the Buddhist teachings, and the culture and self-determination of the Tibetan people in their homeland was written after repeated requests by Tibetan government officials along with the unanimous consensus of the monastic and lay communities." REF://[|http://www.tibet.com/DL/truth.html//]

"No matter what country or continent we come from we are all basically the same human beings. We have the common human needs and concerns. We all seek happiness and try to avoid suffering regardless of our race, religion, sex or political status. Human beings, indeed all sentient beings, have the right to pursue happiness and live in peace and in freedom. As free human beings we can use our unique intelligence to try to understand ourselves and our world. But if we are prevented from using our creative potential, we are deprived of one of the basic characteristics of a human being. It is very often the most gifted, dedicated and creative members of our society who become victims of human rights abuses. Thus the political, social, cultural and economic developments of a society are obstructed by the violations of human rights. Therefore, the protection of these rights and freedoms are of immense importance both for the individuals affected and for the development of the society as a whole. It is my belief that the lack of understanding of the true cause of happiness is the principal reason why people inflict suffering on others. Some people think that causing pain to others may lead to their own happiness or that their own happiness is of such importance that the pain of others is of no significance. But this is clearly short-sighted. No one truly benefits from causing harm to another being. Whatever immediate advantage is gained at the expense of someone else is short-lived. In the long run causing others misery and infringing upon their peace and happiness creates anxiety, fear and suspicion for oneself.

The key to creating a better and more peaceful world is the development of love and compassion for others. This naturally means we must develop concern for our brothers and sisters who are less fortunate than we are. In this respect, the non-governmental organizations have a key role to play. You not only create awareness for the need to respect the rights of all human beings, but also give the victims of human rights violations hope for a better future."// REF:[|http://www.tibet.com/DL/vienna.html//]

Extract from His Holiness the Dalai Lama's speech to //the Non-Governmental Organizations, The United Nations World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, Austria 15th June// Proper Etiquette The following are considered taboo: · Smoking in a monastery · Consuming alcohol in a monastery · Making unnecessary noise in a monastery · Touching, walking over or sitting on any religious texts, objects or prayer flags in a monastery · Causing anything to be killed in a monastery · Intrusive photography of a monastery especially when people are performing religious ceremonies. (You must always ask for permission) · Harming vultures, or yaks and sheep wearing red, yellow or green cloth · Stepping on the threshold when entering a Tibetan house · Spitting before somebody · Placing trash in the fire · Public displays of affection · Wearing shorts.

There are some common rules to remember if you plan to visit a Buddhist monastery you must always walk clockwise around the religious shrines, stupas, Mani stones and prayer wheels. Although, if you visit a Bon monastery, remember the opposite applies and you must walk counterclockwise. It is acceptable to enter a chamber without removing your shoes although the monks remove theirs upon entering. If you come into a monastery during the chanting session sit or stand in the rear and make no loud and irreverent conversation. It is also considered proper etiquette for you to offer some money or butter fuel whilst visiting a monastery. To show your respect you must always add "La" after one's name, for example Tashi La and address a high lama with "Rinpoche" and a common lama with Geshe La, even though he might not be a Geshe.

Tibetans believe in reincarnation. When a Tibetan family member dies the family will send for lamas. The lamas will chant sutras for the dead seven times for seven days. A sacrificial ceremony will be held for the dead, they will light 100 lamps for the dead if the family is rich, on the 30th day. One lama will be sent for so that they can chant sutras again. Once people receive the sad news, each family will send one person a jar of wine to express condolences. With each passing day, more of these items are added, which are meant for the enjoyment of the dead. When a family loses a member, the other members will not comb their hair, clean their faces, wear ornaments, or sing and dance for 49 days. Tibetans conduct varied burials. People in Shigatse generally adopt the celestial burial. Tibetan Buddhists sometimes believe that the soul of the dead may sometimes refuse to leave the house, even when the body is removed. They also believe that the dead person should be shrouded in white cloth, is first placed in a corner of a room on sun-dried mud brick instead of a bed made of other materials if a body is placed on mud brick, the soul will leave, as the bricks will be taken out of the house to a road intersection. The body of the dead will be kept in the room for three to five days before burial.
 * Funeral**

Sky burial is a common form in Tibet. There are many prohibitions. Strangers are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Visitors should respect this custom and keep away from such occasions Tibet People Tibetans are the dominant inhabitants of Tibet, although there are more than ten ethnic groups in Tibet. These include Tibetan, Moinba, Lhoba, Hui Sherpa and Han. Most Tibetans work as farmers and herdsmen. Tibetan Buddhism is the religion for the Tibetans. Most Moinha people adhere to Tibetan Buddhism; however, in some regions they may practice traditional shamanism. Tibet Language Tibetans have their own spoken and written language. There are three major local dialects: Weizang, Kang and Amdo. Their language also has three forms of expression: the most respectful, the respectful and the everyday speech, to be used respectively to one's superiors, peers and inferiors. Tibetan Costume The Tibetan people always take great pride in their dress and the accessories they wear. Typical Tibetan clothes are made from sheepskin and wool and are usually homemade. A Tibetan robe is generally very long, they are worn to the knees, and have any extra length securely tucked and held up by a waistband or belt. It has 2 large pockets for people to carry things, including mothers carrying babies. It is necessary to have a belt, which are generally made of silk in red, yellow or light green although young female may use pink. Men hang flint boxes, needle boxes and a Tibetan knife on their belts women generally hang copper or silver hooks with butterfly and water lily designs. The belt is usually wrapped around the waist twice and then tied behind with a knot. For a person in mourning, the knot is tied in front. The robe serves as a blanket during the night. When it is hot in the daytime, Tibetans will undress the right arms to disperse heat. If it is even hotter, they undress both arms and tie the sleeves around the waist.

Presenting Hada is a common practice among the Tibetan people to express their best wishes on many occasions, such as wedding ceremonies, festivals, visiting the elders and the betters, and entertaining guests. The white Hada, made of silk, embodies purity and good fortune. Tibetan Marriages and Wedding Tibetan marriages are generally monogamous with familiar 'nuclear' families. However, in many ancient societies families that had multiple wives were common, most Tibetan kings had several wives. Girls in Tibet are initiated into adulthood by selecting a 'lucky' date according to the Tibetan calendar. Her hair will be plaited into many braids and she will begin wearing a colourful 'apron', indicating her availability for marriage and male friendship. Public gatherings, such as bonfires, are considered appropriate occasions for boys and girls to meet. An elderly gentleman is asked to propose the marriage to the bride-to-be's parents and according to tradition; only the maternal uncle of the girl has the right to approve after a period of courtship. Gifts are then presented to the bride’s family and the day before the wedding the maternal uncle of the groom will take gifts and often a white horse to the bride for her to ride on to her house or tent. Two maidens from the bride’s family will greet the uncle and share three wedding toasts with beer. The Uncle will present a Hada, (a ceremonial scarf), to the bride's parents and blesses the household and all of its members The groom's house or tent is refurbished on the wedding day Bowls are painted with eight auspicious emblems and readied for use, and a square carpet of white wool is laid to welcome guests. The bride wears a white woollen gown and rides the white horse back to the groom’s house, escorted by both her uncle and the groom’s uncle. The groom’s uncle then rides ahead to announce the bride’s arrival. Two maidens who are from the groom's family sing another 'wedding toast' while the bride dismounts in front of the groom's house, stepping precisely in the middle of the white mat, on which there is an emblem made from grains of barley. Another Hada is exchanged, and blessings are invoked. The groom's uncle formally begins the wedding ceremony, during which the bride and groom kneel in front of the groom's uncle and a picture of Buddha while monks chant. The bride serves milk-tea to her future in-laws and flicks a fingertip of the tea above her head to salute heaven, earth, and Buddha. The wedding ceremony is followed by a joyful wedding feast, which is liberally interrupted by many presentations of ceremonial scarves, blessings, and gifts.
 * Presenting Hada**

When you come to a Tibetan family, the host will propose a toast, usually barley wine. You should sip three times and then drink up. To entertain guests with tea is a daily etiquette. The guest has not to drink until the host presents the tea to you.
 * Proposing a Toast and Tea**

Don't forget to add "la" after saying hello to the Tibetan people to show respect. Make way to others. Try not to make any sounds while eating and drinking.
 * Oral Greeting**

The immediate motivations of pilgrimage are many, but for the ordinary Tibetan it amounts to a means of accumulating merit or good luck. The lay practitioner might go on pilgrimage in the hope of winning a better rebirth, cure an illness, and end a spate of bad luck or simply because of a vow to take a pilgrimage if a bodhisattva granted a wish.
 * Pilgrimage**

Tibetan New Year Tibetan Uprising day The day of offering Buddha’s Enlightenment (Saka Dawa) His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Birthday Buddha’s Descent from the Celestial Realm Festival of LightsChange LinkRemove LinkAdd Link Link: Change Link · Remove Link Add Link
 * Religious holidays**