TIBET

Tibet under the rule of China has become a place of suffering. Its resources are not being put to good use and the lives of many people in Tibet have become ones of suffering as they cannot live out their beliefs in harmony without being imprisoned by the Chinese. As a world part of our culture and history is being slowly lost. But all this could be ended and Tibetan culture could be restored with people like John the Gardener's help. In this Guide entry the challenges that the H2G2 Friends of Tibet have set and opticalillusion has answered, will come together providing an overview of Tibet and its culture. It does not attempt to go into detail about the Chinese rule over Tibet which has already entries on it. See A2671814 and A3073691.

The Land of Tibet

To many Tibet can be a place of wonder, enchantment and beauty. With a decorated landscape of mountains, rivers and lakes which can only be described as breath taking. Set in the Himalaya's Tibet is enclosed by China and India and home to the highest mountain in the world Mount Everest. Over time the mountain has had many names, such as ‘Chomolungma’ meaning ‘father of mountains’ and Qomolangma ‘mother of the universe’ given it by the people of Tibet, who also believed that the mountain was home to many a wild creature. Whilst the people of Nepal call the mountain Sagarmatha and the Chinese call it Pinyin. Despite its many names the Western world know it as Mount Everest and this has been of concern to the Tibets who believe it should be known to all as Chomolungma. For many years Chomolungma was believed to not be climbable and nobody reached the summit until 1953. During the 1800’s a Briton named George Everest decided to create an office and measure the Himalaya mountains, which lie along the border between China and Nepal. In 1852 the task was completed and the height calculated reached 8,840 metres later extending to 8,882 metres. With Sir Andrew Waugh, the British surveyor-general of India, naming the mountain after his predecessor Sir George Everest. After a century had passed Sir Edmund Hillary a New Zealander, and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, a skilled Nepal Mountaineer, reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. They needed oxygen masks to aid their climb and when they reached the top they placed the flags of Britain, Nepal, India.

Tibet before China took over

Before Chinese rule Tibet was ruled by its self it had its own flag which featured two lions on it that symbolised the country and people turned to the A644195 for inspiration and believed the Dalai Lama and the Snow Lions would keep them safe. It has never been discovered whether lions ever did roam Tibet and many people believe that the Snow Lions were actually a figment of the imagination, a wonderful myth that enchants all that hear about them. This Tibetan myth/legend has it that Snow Lions protected the Buddha. They took the form of two dogs next to him when safety appeared but when danger aroused they grew long manes and turned into lions in order to protect the
A195626 and keep him safe from harm. Sadly this myth is being lost gradually under China who have already outlawed the Tibetan flag.

Religion

Alongside this myth and the Tibetan flag is the people of Tibet’s A295544 Buddhism. In Buddhism several techniques are used in worship one being A1045784 whilst another is prayer wheels. Which are otherwise known as Dharma wheels and Mani chho-kor devices used in spiritual blessings and for well-being. To create a Mani a cylinder (usually metal) is used to contain strips of paper or wound sheets on which Mantra (prayers) Om Mani Padme Hum are written. The cylinder is then attached to a rod handle in order to be able to be held. The cylinder spins on its axle in order to be read by higher forces. Prayer wheels can be found where the elements can turn them, for example near water, steam or in the wind. Always spun clockwise so that the mantra would come across to a passer by in the way it's meant to be read, it follows the suns direction and matches the circumambulation of the stupas. The Buddhists believe that saying the mantra out loud will bring about Chenrezig's powerful blessings and attention (the embodiment of compassion). Said to date back to 400AD the prayer wheel was only used in Tibet for spiritual purposes. Today however, Mantra wheels can be found in many areas of Tibet and places which carry the Tibetan culture. It is said that the Tibetans even carry the wheels around for hours and even on pilgrimages now. With the culture spreading towards the west new Mani are being created. Practitioners of Bon the pre-Buddhist spiritual tradition of Tibet, spin their Mani wheels counter clockwise, the same direction they use in circumambulation. The Mani wheel is said to have many benefits such as healing and purification. By generous donation John-the-gardener has given me this mantra: 'Om Mani Padme Hum' Alternatives The A644195 believes that the computer can also work like a prayer wheel if it has a mantra on it, as the computers hard drive spins around many times and can contain many mantra. Viewing a written copy of the mantra is said to have the same effect and the mantra is carved into stones near paths where travellers will see them. Spinning the mantra around in a Mani wheel is also meant to have the same effect and the more copies of the mantra the better the effect. Unfortunately the religion of the people of Tibet Buddhism may be believed to be the root cause to many people suffering as the Chinese desire Buddhism to be eradicated and they will throw people into prison and worse to try and stop the people of Tibet carrying out their beliefs.

Drapchi 14

One such prison known well to the people of Tibet is called Drapchi. There have been various accounts surrounding the Drapchi prison as to what happens in it. Amongst these rumours are that the conditions are poor and the prison officials are violent, often ill-treating the females that are kept at Drapchi for their supposed wrong doings. An example of one set of women imprisoned at Drapchi can be found when looking at the case of the Drapchi 14. The Drapchi 14 were one such group who non-violently protested against the Chinese and desired an independent Tibet. This group consisted of 14 nuns that were imprisoned primarily because of their protests between the years 1989 to 1992. But the Drapchi 14’s sentences in prison were expanded due to the singing of protest songs whilst in prison and recorded messages to families that when received by the families spread like wild fire among the people of Tibet. Finally, after seventeen years behind bars the Drapchi 14 were freed from the infamous Drapchi prison in Lhasa Tibet all except one that is who died as rumour has it during her prison sentence and another who appears to have either been set free or escaped. To find out more about Tibet and the Drapchi 14 you can visit link here to website. Whilst John the Gardener has provided another in sight into the lives of the Tibetan nuns here A663284

Gu-Chu-Sum

Of course it is not just females who are suffering under Chinese rule and are treated badly. Men are also under great suffering especially monks and others of religious order who practice Buddhism. John the Gardener has also provided an in sight into the Tibetan monks here A644212. Whilst in answering one of the challenges opticalillusion has come across the Gu-Chu-Sum. The Gu-Chu-Sum derives its name from three major protests in A668810. Gu meaning September 27, 1987, "Chu" meaning October 1, 1987, whilst "Sum" meaning March 5, 1988. Created by monks who protested alongside their monasteries and suppressed under Chinese rule these monks were imprisoned for their belief that Tibet should be free. As a result of their demonstrations they were starved to death, forced to do hard labour and were physically and emotionally tortured for their belief. Many of these monks died in prison whilst some were freed just before their deaths so that their families would have to deal with the horrific ordeal they’d been subjected to.

Today, over 1,200 prisoners of conscience are going through the same ordeal in Chinese prisons in Tibet. That is why it is so important that the Gu-Chu-Sum set up on March 27, 1991 in Dharmasala, India, by ex-political prisoners led by Yeshe Togden, should be in place in order to stop this in-human suffrage. The Gu-Chu-Sum, is a Tibetan movement that promised to help Tibetan political prisoners still being held hostage. Primarily, started by nuns, monks and lay people, the Gu-Chu-Sum movement supported by the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Government-In-Exile and Indian Government, expanded in kind. The Gu-Chu-Sum also declared that they would inform all the international community, which included all NGO’s, individuals and governments, about the suffering Tibetan Political prisoners in Chinese prisons. As a consequence, they hoped that the international community would pressurise the Chinese into surrendering their power over the Tibetans and set them free, so that they can live out their basic human rights in peace.

The Gu-Chu-Sum also provide assistance for their fellow ex-political prisoners. For example, Lung-Ta house accommodates many ex-political prisoners as well as providing them with the basic support in order to be able to go out and find jobs. This support ranges from financial to moral support and can be seen encompassing skills such as knowledge about computers to tailoring and silk workshops as well as providing the ability for them to study English. Whilst education, training and economic assistance are also provided for them.

Medical assistance is also available to those that have suffered from the torture that has been inflicted on them from the Gu-Chu-Sum and the Tibetan Government is also on hand to help, but still the country is desperate for assistance and many people are unable to receive help. The western countries also sponsor them occasionally and give them clothes.

In order to help maintain these workshops, whilst also making the movement aware to others in the world, the Gu-Chu-Sum regularly circulate information available to them, whether it be in book form or otherwise. The organisation alongside the NGO’s also conduct demonstrations such as candle-lit vigils, hunger strikes and other such protests in order to be heard.

Other entries worth a peek

Other entries on H2G2 that are worth having a look at are A2122507, A196292, A644249, A415450 and A644230