MetaFilter posts tagged with tibet

On a path to liberation....

zarq — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:01:16 -0800

Over a thousand monks and laymen are revered in Tibetan Buddhism as the incarnations of past teachers who convey enlightenment to their followers from one lifetime to the next. Some of the most respected are known by the honorific "rinpoche." For eight centuries, rinpoches were traditionally identified by other monks and then locked inside monasteries ringed by mountains, far from worldly distractions. Their reincarnation lineages were easily tracked across successive lives. Then the Chinese Red Army invaded Tibet in 1950 and drove the religion's adherents into exile. Now, the younger rinpoches of the Tibetan diaspora are being exposed to all of the twenty-first century’s dazzling temptations. So, even as Tibetan Buddhism is gaining more followers around the world, an increasing number of rinpoches are abandoning their monastic vows. Reincarnation in Exile. Mentioned in the article: Osel Hita Torres, also known as Tenzin Ösel Rinpoche. He was profiled by the BBC with a 30-minute radio documentary this past September. Related article.

The mural in Oregon the Chinese government wants destroyed

Phyllis Harmonic — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:18:12 -0800

A colorful mural adorns Chao Tsung-song / Tibet House in Corvallis, Oregon. Commissioned by Corvallis businessman, David Lin, the 100 foot long mural depicts at one end, a cheerful Taiwanese countryside scene, and at the other, police beating Tibetan protesters and a Tibetan monk in the process of self-immolation. The Chinese government has requested that the mural be destroyed. Mr. Lin and Corvallis city mayor, Julie Manning, say, "no."

You don't need a visa on Google+

desjardins — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 09:25:41 -0800

The Dalai Lama was prevented from going to South Africa for Desmond Tutu's 80th birthday by visa problems. So they used Google+ to "Hangout" instead.

Cutting through the ego with song...

WidgetAlley — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:31:34 -0800

We've talked about throat singing on the Blue before, but Mongolia and Siberia aren't the only places where throat singing is practiced. In Tibet, an ancient collection of traditions called Bön keeps throat singing alive and well. Some scholars*[PDF] say that Bön is the remnants of a pre-Buddhist religious tradition, while others say it’s merely a persistent selection of local beliefs that arose after Buddhism’s arrival. Either way, overtone singing is an integral part of their practice. Feast your ears on some cross-cultural sacred chant by listening to the eerie, beautiful recordings of a Moscow-based group of Tantric Voice singers. Perhaps one day you might even try it yourself. *For a brief summary of Bön historical accounts, see page 7

The Dalai Lama Resigns

Bulgaroktonos — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:30:48 -0800

The Dalai Lama announces his resignation as a political leader. It remains to be seen if the Tibet Parliament will accept.

Tibet, 1942, on film!

mareli — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 06:39:31 -0800

Tolstoy's grandson visits the Dalai Lama. Enjoy!

Adaptation to High Altitude in Tibet

homunculus — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:17:17 -0800

Tibetans May Be Fastest Evolutionary Adapters Ever. "A group of scientists in China, Denmark and the U.S. recently documented the fastest genetic change observed in humans. According to their findings, Tibetan adaption to high altitude might have taken just 3,000 years. That's a flash, in terms of evolutionary time, but it's one that's in dispute."

The Twain Shall Meet

Abiezer — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:21:02 -0800

Asia Snapshots "is a blog that examines topics in Asia through the perspectives of interesting people interviewed by a group of bloggers in Mainland China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and more." Meet Gao Qingrong and family, who along with seven other households are part of an organic farm co-op in Anlong Village, Sichuan. Or there's the tale of how one of the bloggers met Jun Jun, a male prostitute in Beijing; an encounter with Silang Laji, a road maintenance worker in Kham, a Tibetan region of China; and Gege, an enterprising journalist in Chengdu.Via

We love the Dalai Lama. We also love french fries.

grapefruitmoon — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:15:24 -0800

Why Americans Love the Dalai Lama : an insightful piece from CNN preceding his appearance tonight at 9PM EST on Larry King Live. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama had a "low-key" meeting with President Obama this past week. And, because you wanted to know, the Dalai Lama's thoughts on Tiger Woods.

Sky burials in Tibet

Mr_Zero — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:56:32 -0800

Sky burials are often practiced in the mountains of Tibet, both for religious and practical reasons. Basically, the corpse is placed on a mountain top and sliced open in various places, to attract the birds of prey circling above. They’d probably feast on it anyway, but an invitation like that doesn’t hurt.

Time-lapse Mandala

not_on_display — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:09:38 -0800

Time-lapse video, shot from overhead, of Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery creating a sand mandala over 5 days: Eight frames per second (1:30); Thirty frames per second (0:23). [via MeFi's Own™ carter]

At the Roof of the World...

hadjiboy — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:20:10 -0800

The beautiful artwork of the Tibetan people.

The CIA in Tibet

nickyskye — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:06:35 -0800

The CIA in Tibet l the Cold War in ShangriLa l The CIA's Secret War In Tibet by Kenneth Conboy and James Morrison, the entire book online. The CIA Circus: Tibet's Forgotten Army Tibet, the 'great game' and the CIA (Wikipedia's definition of "the Great Game" and "the new Great Game") Review of The CIA's Secret War in Tibet

Ethnic conflict in China

Kirth Gerson — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:14:35 -0800

"On the evening of July 5th, several hundred Uighur youths went on a bloody rampage [in Urumqi, Xinjiang] following a peaceful demonstration over a separate incident of ethnic violence at a Guangdong toy factory. . . . In the days that followed, bands of roving Han vigilantes armed with kitchen knives, hammers, metal pipes and other improvised weapons sought to mete out revenge in the Uighur suburbs of the city. . . . Caught in-between these increasingly polarized and agitated ethnic communities is the Chinese state, which, rather than orchestrating the brutal oppression of the non-Han minorities, finds itself increasingly powerless to stop the spiralling circle of ethnic hatred which its policies helped to foster in the first place." Here is a news report on the Guangdong toy factory violence that preceded the Xinjiang rioting. Here is a translation of the Gongmeng (Open Constitution Initiative) study of China's Tibet policy referred to in the linked China Beat article, with an introduction by the Campaign for Tibet. The report is carefully critical of the government's approach to Tibet: "Ordinary Tibetans have a far keener and evident sense of deprivation than any sense of government help, and like many people living in provinces in the interior, are deeply discontented with the local power-brokers."

The Dalai Lama's Buddhist Foes

shetterly — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:15:14 -0800

The Dalai Lama's Buddhist Foes contrasts "the tolerance and rationalism that the Dalai Lama represents globally and the theological hardball over mystical principles that he seems to play on his home turf." But the Shugdenpas aren't the Dalai Lama's only Buddhist opponents. Tibetan Buddhism's only female living Buddha, the twelfth Samding Dorje Phagmo, who chose to stay in Tibet when the Dalai Lama fled, has said, "The sins of the Dalai Lama and his followers seriously violate the basic teachings and precepts of Buddhism and seriously damage traditional Tibetan Buddhism's normal order and good reputation." The Dalai Lama has offered reasons for ending Shugden worship. Shugden worshippers believe his real reason is "he wants to become not only the supreme religious leader of all Tibetan traditions but also the universal leader of all Buddhists worldwide." The battle between continues. A few days ago, two young Shugden monks were sent to the hospital after being beaten by six followers of the Dalai Lama.

Contemporary Painting from Tibet

homunculus — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:15:38 -0800

Tibetan Visions: Contemporary Painting from Tibet.

The remotest places on Earth

Joe in Australia — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:26:21 -0800

Ever wondered where the remotest place in the world is? Short answer according to New Scientist: the Tibetan Plateau. Lots of cool maps showing transport times and methods. I was wondering about this and I was going to spend a question on it. Now I get to save my question for yet another week. Yay!

Field Force to Lhasa

Abiezer — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 14:36:41 -0800

Field Force to Lhasa 1903-04 Captain Cecil Mainprise accompanied General Sir Francis Younghusband's expedition to Tibet in 1903. He wrote 50 letters home which trace the expedition’s progress into Tibet. Read this insider's account on the day they were written some 105 years later. Final post is 18 November 2009. [Via]

GhostNet

homunculus — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:55:33 -0800

Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network. "A vast electronic spying operation has infiltrated computers and has stolen documents from hundreds of government and private offices around the world, including those of the Dalai Lama, Canadian researchers have concluded. In a report to be issued this weekend, the researchers said that the system was being controlled from computers based almost exclusively in China, but that they could not say conclusively that the Chinese government was involved." Another report does fault China: The Snooping Dragon: Social Malware Surveillance of the Tibetan Movement

Serf Emancipation Day

shetterly — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 07:43:06 -0800

Tibet serf debate shadows China's "emancipation day". Like Juneteeth or Martin Luther King Day, Tibet's Serf Emancipation Day commemorates the freeing of a million serfs in 1959. Much like the descendants of slaveowners mocking Martin Luther King Day, the descendants of Tibet's aristocracy have announced Smurf Emancipation Day.

Cross-cultural psychiatry

homunculus — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:34:35 -0800

West treats East. "To help traumatized Tibetan monks, doctors in Boston turn to cross-cultural medicine." [Via]

China's view of Tibet

shetterly — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:57:06 -0800

West 'uses Tibet to attack China'. Against a background of Chinese authorities denying police had shot a young Tibetan monk who tried to set himself on fire, China has issued Fifty Years of Democratic Reform in Tibet. For a little background: FACTBOX - Historical ties between China and Tibet. Xinhua has a flurry of articles on Tibet. Origin of the title of "Dalai Lama" and its related background tells about "soul boys" and how Chinese authorities have always approved the choices of Dalai Lamas. White paper: Tibetan people suffered from feudal serfdom, darker than medieval Europe has a great quote from Edmund Candler's The Unveiling of Lhasa, "Powerful lamas controlled everything in Tibet, where even the Buddha himself couldn't do anything without the support of the lamas." A warning: With Chinese sources in English, you have to watch more carefully for typos and copyeditor errors. For example, that White paper says, "All the farmers in Tibet are serfs saddled with lifelong debts, and it is almost impossible to find any of them who have paid off their debts," French traveler Alexandre David-Neel wrote in his book, Old Tibet Faces New China.. That should be "Alexandra David-Neel wrote in her book..." Also perhaps of interest: Relics renovation promotes employment in Tibet and Tibet to spend 450 mln yuan on environmental protection. An earlier MeFi post on related issues: Chinese Nationalism.

Tibetan Buddhism in China

homunculus — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:00:24 -0800

Buddhism's allure is fading for many young Tibetans. At the same time, growing numbers of middle-class ethnic Han Chinese are turning to Tibetan Buddhism. [Via]

a little midwinter serenity

nickyskye — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:03:53 -0800

Historic, beautiful and interesting footage of Tibetan lamas and yogis teaching Buddhism, just 4 years after their escape from Tibet, when the Chinese invaded in 1959. "In 1963, for the first time, the Dalai Lama allowed a Westerner, Desjardins, to film the heart of the Tibetan tradition." Some meditation instruction taught by yogis: Tantra as practiced in Tibet, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Lerab's Youtube channel has all kinds of video gems for those interested in Buddhist and Hindu spiritual practice. Buddhism and Tantrism: "two films were originally shown on French television in the 1960's and are a wonderful testimony, revealing some of Tibet's foremost masters as they were then. It includes footage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, the Sixteenth Karmapa, Dudjom Rinpoche, Ling Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche, Sakya Trizin, and the yogis Abo Rinpoche and Lopon Sonam Zangpo. The original sixties commentaries have been retained, even though it may sound a bit dated in places." "There are unusual scenes of yogis performing preparatory meditation exercises." About Arnaud Desjardins, born 18 June 1925. Books he's written. Also on Lerab's YouTube channel: The Tibetan Book of the Dead #1, 2, 3, 4, 5. From Lerab's blog: "A Short History of Bön - Extracted from the pamphlet "Tibetan gYung-Drung Bön Monastery in India," published by the Yungdrung Bön Monastic Center, Solan, 1983. Translated by Tadeusz Skorupski."

Resistance in Tibet?

twoleftfeet — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:21:45 -0800

The Tibetan Youth Congress has been described as an organization bent on terror wherein Young Tibetans ‘will resist China with blood’.