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A Buddhist Theocracy
Overview of a Theocracy
Much has been made of Tibet as a Shangri-la The real Tibet is at once more and less than meets the eye Tibetan Buddhism is an intriguing model of the universe Daily life of the Tibetan herdsman or peasant is somewhat more mundane We look at both sides of Tibetan life in this module
Location of Tibet
Tibet lies between China and India in the Himalaya chain Virtually all of the country is highland peaks and plateaus
Topography of Tibet
Tibet is called The Roof of the World for good reason: As a plateau region averaging 16,000 feet, it is the highest region in the world
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism follows the Mahanyana (Great Vehicle) school The principle lies in reaching a state of Buddhahood or enlightenment In doing so, the lama or monk helps all other sentient beings attain that state Sometimes defined as a state of omniscience, the Buddhist principle that all things derive from mind All limitations to help others are thereby removed Karma of sentient beings limit the Buddhists ability to help them
Left: Panorama of Lhasa as it is today Right: Potala Palace, the home of the Dalai Lama and seat of Tibetan Buddhists of the country
Definitions of Buddhism
Introspection, or internist, is the Tibetan definition of Buddhism Story of Aryadeva cleaning the outside of a cess-pot When asked why he ignored the inside, replied that ritualism also ignores the essential Two steps: to have taken refuge from the external And to observe the four seals of dharma:
the original translation of the scriptures New Translation (the other three traditions): reliance on more recent translation Red Hat: Color of the hats worn by lamas in the first three traditions Yellow Hat: Color of the hats worn by lamas of the Gelugpa tradition, the current ruling group Other movements: Jonangpa in Eastern Tibet Rim, an ecumenical movement
Left: A wrathful deity, which one might encounter in the Chonyid Bardo Right: A more peaceable deity, portraying the Buddha and his consort in an erotic pose.
Chinas Intervention
Chinese troops invaded Tibet in 1951 Rationale of invasion: to overthrow the feudal system Replace religion with atheism Hundreds of monasteries were destroyed Lamas, including the Dalai lama, were forced into exile Chinese have repopulated the area with Han (ethnic Chinese) A worldwide Tibetan movement has been launched to recover the country
Conclusion
Tibet is a classical theocracy Whether it was an oppressive theocracy has been debated Peoples themselves are either herders or peasants or both Tibetan Buddhism emphasizes the major tenets of most Mahayana schools The Dalai Lama represents the Gelugpa tradition Tibetan Book of the Dead is a model of the transition between one life and the next.