Audio Tour Exhibit by https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz The Tibetan Ethnic Minority in China en-us 2021-01-07 14:27:08 UTC 2023-07-26 17:34:28 UTC hello@padlet.com Stop 1: Introduction vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1072435589 Hello everyone! Today we will be delving into the wondrous world of Tibet and its artifacts and culture! There is so much to explore today, so be prepared! To start, the ancestors of the present Tibetans lived along the Yarlung Tsangpo, also known as the Brahmaputra River. In the 6th century, the chief of the Yarlung tribe defeated several other tribes to become king. He was known as Zanpu and established the Po dynasty. In the early 7th century, Songtsen Gampo, Zanpu's grandson, brought together the entirety of Tibet and shifted the capital to Lhasa. In Chinese history, this empire is was dubbed the Tupo kingdom. If you're wondering about their language, there are four different dialects. Unlike many of China's ethnic groups, Tibetans have a traditional, indigenous writing system of their own. It was formed in the 9th century. They have a history of religious and historical literature that defines their society and customs.]]> 2021-01-11 01:26:53 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1072435589 Stop 2: vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1072569779 2021-01-11 02:59:04 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1072569779 Bhavacakra: Wheel of Becoming/Wheel of Life vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1072582793 Bhavacakra also named the Wheel of Becoming or Wheel of Life, is a form of mandala used mostly in Tibetan Buddhism. The Wheel of Life was painted on the outside walls of almost every Tibetan Buddhist temple. It was painted outside of the temples and monasteries for people who weren't monks, like farmers and everyday people, to learn the simple philosophy of life and perception it represented. The Wheel of Life communicates to a general audience; the wheel's hub represents the three poisons: ignorance, aversion, and attachment. The second layer represents karma, while the third layer represents the six realms of Samsara. The fourth layer represents the twelve links of dependent origination. The figure holding the wheel is a symbol of impermanence. In simpler terms, it represents that everything lasts for only a limited amount of time.]]> 2021-01-11 03:07:49 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1072582793 Stop 3: vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1075777455 2021-01-11 19:08:54 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1075777455 vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1076596681 2021-01-12 00:10:42 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1076596681 The Bumpa Vase vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1076630822 The Bumpa Vase is a religious ritual object in the Buddhist Himalayas. It is usually constructed with precious metals like gold, silver, bronze, steel, and aluminum. It is usually made up of five different parts. The base, which is usually called the foot, is the round cone shape at the bottom. The part above the foot is the vase's main body and is round and shaped like a pitcher. Its narrow bottom from the base widens, then drastically narrows to form the neck of the vase. The slender neck rises about the same length as the bulging middle and extends outward, and bends down to form the bump's mouth. On one side of the main body is the spout of the bumpa, which first rises to the mouth level and then bends outward.
The mouth, base, and beam of the bumpa are also decorated with lots of intricate carvings that can be plated in gold. A piece of metalwork or wooden plaque called khagyen is put inside the mouth. The lower end, inserted into the vase, is round, and its upper end is a flat oval-shaped plate with peacock feathers attached to it. The front part of the Khagyen would have been adorned with carvings, or an image of the Buddha stuck to it, or a mantra letter written on it. The picture and the letter depending on the ritual for which the bumpa is used. ]]> 2021-01-12 00:30:57 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1076630822 Stop 4: vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1076866153 2021-01-12 02:52:15 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1076866153 Donggar Frescos vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1076880331 Donggar Frescos are a form of China's cave art and connect on ancient Buddhist cave art in western Tibet. The caves are situated halfway up a mountain. Because no documents exist, the various historical, religious, and cultural files of Tibet remain a cultural mystery. What we know is that the frescoes of the grotto are over 1,000 years old. They were well-knitted with smooth, simple patterns, bright colors, and unique designs. The contents contain exotic figures, designs, and patterns. What's remarkable is that the frescoes still seem to be fresh after a long time. People assume the secret is the special mineral dye they used. The figures of the Buddha are the main images of the frescoes. There are also depictions of Bodhisattvas, Dharma protectors, and men of unnatural power. The frescoes also portray legendary tales about Buddhism. We can also find pictures of Buddhist texts and pictures of people worshiping Buddha. Other images contain numerous decorations, such as peacocks, dragonfish, twin dragons, two phoenixes standing opposite each other, and the Tantric Mandala. There are foreign species in the frescoes, such as dragon, phoenix, lion, horse, sheep, goats, wild goose, duck, and elephant. Heavenly girls are the most famous photos.]]> 2021-01-12 03:02:46 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1076880331 Stop 5: vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1081138141 2021-01-13 00:25:19 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1081138141 Dorje and Bell vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1081144300 Dorje and Bell (Tibetan: drilbu) are the most important ritual items in Tibetan Buddhism. Almost every lama has a pair and knows how to use it. They are "method" (dorje) and "wisdom" (bell). Together they symbolize enlightenment because they represent the union of all dualities: happiness and emptiness, compassion and intelligence, appearance and fact, conventional truth and ultimate truth, male and female, and so on. The dorje and bell are often seen depicted in the hands of the gods. When the ritual is practiced, they are kept in the monks' hands during the ceremonies, the vajra in the right hand, the bell in the left. They are moved in the prescribed motions. When the arms cross, it signifies that the two are united—representing enlightenment. The sound of the bell is believed to be the most beautiful music. This music is offered as one of the eight offerings to the deity honored during the ceremony. The Dorje and Bell were given to a distinguished lama of Tibet by the Chinese Emperor Yongle (1403–1424). The emperor may have wished the commission to achieve respect. Other gifts like this demonstrate the friendship between the Tibetan lamas and the Chinese emperors.]]> 2021-01-13 00:28:58 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1081144300 Stop 6: vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1081375790 2021-01-13 02:55:07 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1081375790 Skull Cup (Kapāla) vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1081452326 Tibetans use cups and bowls made of human skulls. In Tibet, the skull cup is shown on the Buddhist altar. It is used as a ceremonial offering to the fearsome dharmapāla, also known as the defender of the faith. The skull usually holds items like wine, which symbolizes blood, or dough cakes shaped to resemble human eyes, ears, and tongues to give to the divinities. The skull cup is a beautifully worked object and sits on a triangular pedestal depicting a sacrificial skull fire. The cup is mounted in metal, typically heavily embossed in silver or gold bronze. It is finished with a lid shaped like half a skull, with a thunderbolt-like handle. Some ceremonies at Potala Palace in Lhasa incorporate a container made from a silver-encrusted upside-down skull. The jaw bone is used for the lid. The cups are usually covered by leather, but sometimes they are covered with human skin. The bones belong to revered lamas and monks.]]> 2021-01-13 03:52:16 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1081452326 Stop 7: vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085382330 2021-01-14 00:15:27 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085382330 Mala Beads vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085389493 Tibetan Buddhists use rosaries made of 108 different skull beads. Items made of human bones are not seen as grim but rather as representations of shortness of life and the need for faith to promote rebirth. These rosaries can be made of dried seeds as well. Every time the beads are struck, a prayer is said, and honor is received. The reason why there are 108 specifically is that it is considered an auspicious number. Praying Buddhists pass their prayer beads through their hands, keeping track of their prayers. A bead is taken each time a prayer is said. A second string is usually used with it to keep track of the higher groups of prayers.]]> 2021-01-14 00:19:49 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085389493 vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085580617 2021-01-14 02:20:29 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085580617 vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085588847 2021-01-14 02:25:32 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085588847 vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085597981 2021-01-14 02:31:45 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085597981 vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085614361 2021-01-14 02:43:26 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085614361 vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085628024 2021-01-14 02:53:56 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085628024 vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085632883 2021-01-14 02:57:44 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1085632883 Stop 8: Timeline-Important dates of Tibet's history vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1089657133 Events of the 7th Century:
The rising Yarlung Dynasty (Tubo Kingdom) united the Shannan Region and became an offensive force.  Yumbu Lakang, the first Palace in Tibet, was built for the first king, Nyatri Tsenpo. His offspring, Songtsen Gampo, the mightiest and most intelligent king of Tubo, conquered other tribes and founded the first dynasty of this nation, the Yarlung Dynasty (Tubo Kindom). Songtsen Gampo also made great contributions to the culture, economy, technology, religion, and so on. He did this by interacting with the outside world. He married two princesses from Nepal and the Tang (618-907). The princesses introduced  modern technology, exotic culture, tea, silk and, most importantly, harmony and Buddhism.
779 A.D:
The King's descendants also followed the religion, and in 779 King Trisong Detsen founded the Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist temple in this region. The great religious teacher, Padmasambhava, was invited and Buddhism was accepted as a state religion. Buddhist influence grew as the Tibetan empire began to expand. Indigenous Bon was not happy with the success of Buddhism with the royal family.
836 A.D:
King Ralpachen was assassinated in 836, and Lang Darma, who believed in Bon and opposed Buddhism, was established as King. Extreme persecution of Buddhists ended the first transmission of Buddhism. Lang Darma was assassinated in 842 by a Buddhist, and the fall of the Yarlung Empire followed by a devolution of the region and a struggle for control for the next 400 years.
1042 AD:
In 1042, Atisa was invited to the land to begin the second transmission of Buddhism, and Buddhism was eventually revived. Gradually, Tibetan Buddhism divided itself into several branches and subcategories, that rigorously debated with each other, fighting for dominance by finding supporters among the feuding states.
1254 AD:
Kublai Khan granted the head of Sakyapa supreme authority over snowy land in 1254. The region was then incorporated as one of the 13 provinces of China. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Sakyapa declined and was replaced by the Kagyu Order, whose patron offered homage to the imperial court and was granted title and administrative authority.
]]> 2021-01-15 00:22:09 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1089657133 vhui3421 https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1089928532 2021-01-15 03:43:07 UTC https://padlet.com/vhui3421/9v3nje9ztchnufgz/wish/1089928532