China Children Hearing Aid Foundation

Tibetan

FOLLOWERS OF SAKYAMUNI

Everywhere you go in Tibet, from the regional capital Lhasa to the cities, towns and villages, you can see the glittering, golden roofs of monasteries, high on the mountains, even as high up as at the foot of Mount Qomolangma, and by the big lakes. These monasteries contain numerous statues of the Buddha and the guardian deities. They are where monks spend their lives searching for the philosophy of life and the secret of Nirvana and where ordinary believers come to offer their prayers day and night. On this vast, sparsely populated land of Tibet, it is these monasteries and their vicinities that draw the greatest number of people, and it is from here that commerce and culture developed. Just as anyone traveling to Lhasa can see the golden roofs of the Potala Palace from far, far away, so in any town in Tibet, the monastery is always the most illustrious architecture and the place's hallmark. They are the embodiment of Tibet's architectural, painting, sculptural and musical arts merged into one, Their collections of wealth and treasures drawn from the people through the centuries reflect the talents of the Tibetans.

For a long time, people have been searching for the whys and wherefores of Lamaism's widespread and profound influence in Tibet. One cannot help noticing, however, two outstanding features of this faith. On the one hand, there is great stress on the study of the religious doctrines by the monks. Day after day, they recite the sutras. Year after year, they study and analyze the doctrines. Strict rules and requirements are imposed for the debates held regularly among the monks, demanding life-long persistence and faith. On the other hand, lay believers have to perform numerous rituals, including the constant turning of prayer tubes, endless kowtowing before the Buddha and prostrating of the entire body on the ground on long pilgrimages to the temples, the five-color flags which follow them wherever they go... Together, these rituals constitute one of the wonders of Tibet, the power of form never failing to astonish outsiders.

Religion has taken deep roots in the hearts of the Tibetan people, affecting every aspect of their lifestyle, and fostering in them kindness, benevolence, warmth and tolerance. Indeed, devotion to religion has become a part of the Tibetan character.