Tibetan Civilization

Tibetan Civilization

Author: Rolf Alfred Stein

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 1972

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 9780804709019

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An overall view of the Tibetan civilization, both ancient and modern Tibet. This book relates developments in Tibet to those in the rest of Asia.


Book Synopsis Tibetan Civilization by : Rolf Alfred Stein

Download or read book Tibetan Civilization written by Rolf Alfred Stein and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 1972 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An overall view of the Tibetan civilization, both ancient and modern Tibet. This book relates developments in Tibet to those in the rest of Asia.


The Dawn of Tibet

The Dawn of Tibet

Author: John Vincent Bellezza

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2014-08-29

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 1442234628

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This unique book reveals the existence of an advanced civilization where none was known before, presenting an entirely new perspective on the culture and history of Tibet. In his groundbreaking study of an epic period in Tibet few people even knew existed, John Vincent Bellezza details the discovery of an ancient people on the most desolate reaches of the Tibetan plateau, revolutionizing our ideas about who Tibetans really are. While many associate Tibet with Buddhism, it was also once a land of warriors and chariots, whose burials included megalithic arrays and golden masks. This first Tibetan civilization, known as Zhang Zhung, was a cosmopolitan one with links extending across Eurasia, bringing it in line with many of the major cultural innovations of the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age. Based on decades of research, The Dawn of Tibet draws on a rich trove of archaeological, textual, and ethnographic materials collected and analyzed by the author. Bellezza describes the vast network of castles, temples, megaliths, necropolises, and rock art established on the highest and now depopulated part of the Tibetan plateau. He relates literary tales of priests and priestesses, horned deities, and the celestial afterlife to the actual archaeological evidence, providing a fascinating perspective on the origins and development of civilization. The story builds to the present by following the colorful culture of the herders of Upper Tibet, an ancient people whose way of life is endangered by modern development. Tracing Bellezza’s epic journeys across lands where few Westerners have ventured, this book provides a compelling window into the most inaccessible reaches of Tibet and a civilization that flourished long before Buddhism took root.


Book Synopsis The Dawn of Tibet by : John Vincent Bellezza

Download or read book The Dawn of Tibet written by John Vincent Bellezza and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2014-08-29 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book reveals the existence of an advanced civilization where none was known before, presenting an entirely new perspective on the culture and history of Tibet. In his groundbreaking study of an epic period in Tibet few people even knew existed, John Vincent Bellezza details the discovery of an ancient people on the most desolate reaches of the Tibetan plateau, revolutionizing our ideas about who Tibetans really are. While many associate Tibet with Buddhism, it was also once a land of warriors and chariots, whose burials included megalithic arrays and golden masks. This first Tibetan civilization, known as Zhang Zhung, was a cosmopolitan one with links extending across Eurasia, bringing it in line with many of the major cultural innovations of the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age. Based on decades of research, The Dawn of Tibet draws on a rich trove of archaeological, textual, and ethnographic materials collected and analyzed by the author. Bellezza describes the vast network of castles, temples, megaliths, necropolises, and rock art established on the highest and now depopulated part of the Tibetan plateau. He relates literary tales of priests and priestesses, horned deities, and the celestial afterlife to the actual archaeological evidence, providing a fascinating perspective on the origins and development of civilization. The story builds to the present by following the colorful culture of the herders of Upper Tibet, an ancient people whose way of life is endangered by modern development. Tracing Bellezza’s epic journeys across lands where few Westerners have ventured, this book provides a compelling window into the most inaccessible reaches of Tibet and a civilization that flourished long before Buddhism took root.


Soundings in Tibetan Civilization

Soundings in Tibetan Civilization

Author: International Association for Tibetan Studies. Seminar

Publisher:

Published: 1985

Total Pages: 438

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Soundings in Tibetan Civilization by : International Association for Tibetan Studies. Seminar

Download or read book Soundings in Tibetan Civilization written by International Association for Tibetan Studies. Seminar and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Sources of Tibetan Tradition

Sources of Tibetan Tradition

Author: Kurtis R. Schaeffer

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 853

ISBN-13: 023113598X

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The most comprehensive collection of Tibetan works in a Western language, this volume illuminates the complex historical, intellectual, and social development of Tibetan civilization from its earliest beginnings to the modern period. Including more than 180 representative writings, Sources of Tibetan Tradition spans Tibet's vast geography and long history, presenting for the first time a diversity of works by religious and political leaders; scholastic philosophers and contemplative hermits; monks and nuns; poets and artists; and aristocrats and commoners. The selected readings reflect the profound role of Buddhist sources in shaping Tibetan culture while illustrating other major areas of knowledge. Thematically varied, they address history and historiography; political and social theory; law; medicine; divination; rhetoric; aesthetic theory; narrative; travel and geography; folksong; and philosophical and religious learning, all in relation to the unique trajectories of Tibetan civil and scholarly discourse. The editors begin each chapter with a survey of broader social and cultural contexts and introduce each translated text with a concise explanation. Concluding with writings that extend into the early twentieth century, this volume offers an expansive encounter with Tibet's exceptional intellectual heritage.


Book Synopsis Sources of Tibetan Tradition by : Kurtis R. Schaeffer

Download or read book Sources of Tibetan Tradition written by Kurtis R. Schaeffer and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 853 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most comprehensive collection of Tibetan works in a Western language, this volume illuminates the complex historical, intellectual, and social development of Tibetan civilization from its earliest beginnings to the modern period. Including more than 180 representative writings, Sources of Tibetan Tradition spans Tibet's vast geography and long history, presenting for the first time a diversity of works by religious and political leaders; scholastic philosophers and contemplative hermits; monks and nuns; poets and artists; and aristocrats and commoners. The selected readings reflect the profound role of Buddhist sources in shaping Tibetan culture while illustrating other major areas of knowledge. Thematically varied, they address history and historiography; political and social theory; law; medicine; divination; rhetoric; aesthetic theory; narrative; travel and geography; folksong; and philosophical and religious learning, all in relation to the unique trajectories of Tibetan civil and scholarly discourse. The editors begin each chapter with a survey of broader social and cultural contexts and introduce each translated text with a concise explanation. Concluding with writings that extend into the early twentieth century, this volume offers an expansive encounter with Tibet's exceptional intellectual heritage.


The Renaissance of Tibetan Civilization

The Renaissance of Tibetan Civilization

Author: Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf

Publisher:

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 121

ISBN-13: 9780907791218

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The young ruler of Tibet donned the traditional garb of a Tibetan tribesman and fled on horesback to India to escape the Chinese occupation of his homeland. The 14th Dalai Lama arrived in Indiain the spring of 1959, the first and most illustrious refugee of the waves soon to pour out from the ancient 'Forbidden Kingdom'. "The Renaissance of Tibetan Civilization" is an inspiring story of the power of courage and hope - the story of refugees who arrived destitute at the frontiers of India and Nepal, yet a mere forty years later have managed to rebuild the essential patterns of Tibetan culture in exile as a legacy for the future. The book documents the struggle for survival and the emerging way of life of individual refugees and families, as well as there construction of religious and artistic traditions. Per Kvaerne appends an essay on the Bon religion which augments the background material necessary for understanding the ingredients of the diaspora. The forced exodus of Tibetan culture is one of the most remarkable stories of our time: how an enclosed and highly conservative community assumed global significance, in the realm of politics as well as in the realm of culture. The tragedy of Tibet has enriched the world by giving it access to the high intellectual and artistic values which gave Tibetans their sense of meaning.


Book Synopsis The Renaissance of Tibetan Civilization by : Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf

Download or read book The Renaissance of Tibetan Civilization written by Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The young ruler of Tibet donned the traditional garb of a Tibetan tribesman and fled on horesback to India to escape the Chinese occupation of his homeland. The 14th Dalai Lama arrived in Indiain the spring of 1959, the first and most illustrious refugee of the waves soon to pour out from the ancient 'Forbidden Kingdom'. "The Renaissance of Tibetan Civilization" is an inspiring story of the power of courage and hope - the story of refugees who arrived destitute at the frontiers of India and Nepal, yet a mere forty years later have managed to rebuild the essential patterns of Tibetan culture in exile as a legacy for the future. The book documents the struggle for survival and the emerging way of life of individual refugees and families, as well as there construction of religious and artistic traditions. Per Kvaerne appends an essay on the Bon religion which augments the background material necessary for understanding the ingredients of the diaspora. The forced exodus of Tibetan culture is one of the most remarkable stories of our time: how an enclosed and highly conservative community assumed global significance, in the realm of politics as well as in the realm of culture. The tragedy of Tibet has enriched the world by giving it access to the high intellectual and artistic values which gave Tibetans their sense of meaning.


The Ancient Tibetan Civilization

The Ancient Tibetan Civilization

Author: Tsewang Gyalpo Arya

Publisher: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives

Published: 2022-01-27

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 9390752728

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How interesting it is to realize that the lifestyle we live, beliefs and faith we live by and the language we converse in, all has its own distinct history of origination and how it has evolved and progressed over time to become everything present today. The book is a marvellous attempt to understand one’s own civilization enlightening the path to startling revelation on ‘How did Tibetan civilization came about?’. The widely popularized Tibetan origin myth of ‘The Monkey and the Ogress’, is it really true? Did Tibet really had its first king descended from the sky? How is Tibetan scripts so similar to the Gupta Brahmi script? This book leaves no stone unturned to fill this grey area on the dawn of Tibetan civilization and intrigues the readers to deliberate over the subject. ‘The Ancient Tibetan Civilization’ explicitly debunks popular mythologies, misconceptions and misinformation surrounding the origination and evolution of Tibetan civilization. -Tenzin Wangmo


Book Synopsis The Ancient Tibetan Civilization by : Tsewang Gyalpo Arya

Download or read book The Ancient Tibetan Civilization written by Tsewang Gyalpo Arya and published by Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. This book was released on 2022-01-27 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How interesting it is to realize that the lifestyle we live, beliefs and faith we live by and the language we converse in, all has its own distinct history of origination and how it has evolved and progressed over time to become everything present today. The book is a marvellous attempt to understand one’s own civilization enlightening the path to startling revelation on ‘How did Tibetan civilization came about?’. The widely popularized Tibetan origin myth of ‘The Monkey and the Ogress’, is it really true? Did Tibet really had its first king descended from the sky? How is Tibetan scripts so similar to the Gupta Brahmi script? This book leaves no stone unturned to fill this grey area on the dawn of Tibetan civilization and intrigues the readers to deliberate over the subject. ‘The Ancient Tibetan Civilization’ explicitly debunks popular mythologies, misconceptions and misinformation surrounding the origination and evolution of Tibetan civilization. -Tenzin Wangmo


CIVILIZED SHAMANS PB

CIVILIZED SHAMANS PB

Author: SAMUEL GEOFFREY

Publisher: Smithsonian

Published: 1995-09-17

Total Pages: 725

ISBN-13: 9781560986201

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Civilized Shamans examines the nature and evolution of religion in Tibetan societies from the ninth century up to the Chinese occupation in 1950. Geoffrey Samuel argues that religion in these societies developed as a dynamic amalgam of strands of Indian Buddhism and the indigenous spirit-cults of Tibet. Samuel stresses the diversity of Tibetan societies, demonstrating that central Tibet, the Dalai Lama's government at Lhasa, and the great monastic institutions around Lhasa formed only a part of the context within which Tibetan Buddhism matured. Employing anthropological research, historical inquiry, rich interview material, and a deep understanding of religious texts, the author explores the relationship between Tibet's social and political institutions and the emergence of new modes of consciousness that characterize Tibetan Buddhist spirituality. Samuel identifies the two main orientations of this religion as clerical (primarily monastic) and shamanic (associated with Tantric yoga). The specific form that Buddhism has taken in Tibet is rooted in the pursuit of enlightenment by a minority of the people - lamas, monks, and yogins - and the desire for shamanic services (in quest of health, long life, and prosperity) by the majority. Shamanic traditions of achieving altered states of consciousness have been incorporated into Tantric Buddhism, which aims to communicate with Tantric deities through yoga. The author contends that this incorporation forms the basis for much of the Tibetan lamas' role in their society and that their subtle scholarship reflects the many ways in which they have reconciled the shamanic and clerical orientations. This book, the first full account of Tibetan Buddhism in two decades, ranges as no other study has over several disciplines and languages, incorporating historical and anthropological discussion. Viewing Tibetan Buddhism as one of the great spiritual and psychological achievements of humanity, Samuel analyzes a complex society that combines the literacy and rationality associated with centralized states with the shamanic processes more familiar among tribal peoples.


Book Synopsis CIVILIZED SHAMANS PB by : SAMUEL GEOFFREY

Download or read book CIVILIZED SHAMANS PB written by SAMUEL GEOFFREY and published by Smithsonian. This book was released on 1995-09-17 with total page 725 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Civilized Shamans examines the nature and evolution of religion in Tibetan societies from the ninth century up to the Chinese occupation in 1950. Geoffrey Samuel argues that religion in these societies developed as a dynamic amalgam of strands of Indian Buddhism and the indigenous spirit-cults of Tibet. Samuel stresses the diversity of Tibetan societies, demonstrating that central Tibet, the Dalai Lama's government at Lhasa, and the great monastic institutions around Lhasa formed only a part of the context within which Tibetan Buddhism matured. Employing anthropological research, historical inquiry, rich interview material, and a deep understanding of religious texts, the author explores the relationship between Tibet's social and political institutions and the emergence of new modes of consciousness that characterize Tibetan Buddhist spirituality. Samuel identifies the two main orientations of this religion as clerical (primarily monastic) and shamanic (associated with Tantric yoga). The specific form that Buddhism has taken in Tibet is rooted in the pursuit of enlightenment by a minority of the people - lamas, monks, and yogins - and the desire for shamanic services (in quest of health, long life, and prosperity) by the majority. Shamanic traditions of achieving altered states of consciousness have been incorporated into Tantric Buddhism, which aims to communicate with Tantric deities through yoga. The author contends that this incorporation forms the basis for much of the Tibetan lamas' role in their society and that their subtle scholarship reflects the many ways in which they have reconciled the shamanic and clerical orientations. This book, the first full account of Tibetan Buddhism in two decades, ranges as no other study has over several disciplines and languages, incorporating historical and anthropological discussion. Viewing Tibetan Buddhism as one of the great spiritual and psychological achievements of humanity, Samuel analyzes a complex society that combines the literacy and rationality associated with centralized states with the shamanic processes more familiar among tribal peoples.


The Tibetan History Reader

The Tibetan History Reader

Author: Gray Tuttle

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2013-04-09

Total Pages: 749

ISBN-13: 0231513542

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Covering the social, cultural, and political development of Tibet from the seventh century to the modern period, this resource reproduces essential, hard-to-find essays from the past fifty years of Tibetan studies, along with several new contributions. Beginning with Tibet's emergence as a regional power and concluding with its profound contemporary transformations, the collection is both a general and specific history, connecting the actions of individuals, communities, and institutions to broader historical trends shaping Asia and the world. With contributions from American, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan scholars, the anthology reflects the international character of Tibetan studies and its multiple, interdisciplinary perspectives. By far the most concise scholarly anthology on Tibetan civilization in any Western language, this reader draws a clear portrait of Tibet's history, its relation to its neighbors, and its role in world affairs.


Book Synopsis The Tibetan History Reader by : Gray Tuttle

Download or read book The Tibetan History Reader written by Gray Tuttle and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013-04-09 with total page 749 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covering the social, cultural, and political development of Tibet from the seventh century to the modern period, this resource reproduces essential, hard-to-find essays from the past fifty years of Tibetan studies, along with several new contributions. Beginning with Tibet's emergence as a regional power and concluding with its profound contemporary transformations, the collection is both a general and specific history, connecting the actions of individuals, communities, and institutions to broader historical trends shaping Asia and the world. With contributions from American, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan scholars, the anthology reflects the international character of Tibetan studies and its multiple, interdisciplinary perspectives. By far the most concise scholarly anthology on Tibetan civilization in any Western language, this reader draws a clear portrait of Tibet's history, its relation to its neighbors, and its role in world affairs.


Contributions to the Cultural History of Early Tibet

Contributions to the Cultural History of Early Tibet

Author: Matthew Kapstein

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2007-09-30

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 9047421191

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The study of the rise and institutions of the Tibetan empire of the seventh to ninth centuries, and of the continuing development of Tibetan civilization during the obscure period that followed, have aroused growing interest among scholars of Inner Asia in recent decades. The six contributions presented here represent refinements in substance and method characterizing current work in this area. A chapter by Brandon Dotson provides a new perspective on law and divination under the empire, while the post-imperial international relations of the Tsong kha kingdom are analyzed by Bianca Horlemann. In “The History of the Cycle of Birth and Death”, Yoshiro Imaeda’s investigation of a Dunhuang narrative appears in a revised edition, in English for the first time. The problem of oral transmission in relation to the Tibetan Dunhuang texts is then taken up in the contribution of Sam van Schaik. In the final section, Matthew Kapstein and Carmen Meinert consider aspects of Chinese Buddhism in their relation to religious developments in Tibet.


Book Synopsis Contributions to the Cultural History of Early Tibet by : Matthew Kapstein

Download or read book Contributions to the Cultural History of Early Tibet written by Matthew Kapstein and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2007-09-30 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of the rise and institutions of the Tibetan empire of the seventh to ninth centuries, and of the continuing development of Tibetan civilization during the obscure period that followed, have aroused growing interest among scholars of Inner Asia in recent decades. The six contributions presented here represent refinements in substance and method characterizing current work in this area. A chapter by Brandon Dotson provides a new perspective on law and divination under the empire, while the post-imperial international relations of the Tsong kha kingdom are analyzed by Bianca Horlemann. In “The History of the Cycle of Birth and Death”, Yoshiro Imaeda’s investigation of a Dunhuang narrative appears in a revised edition, in English for the first time. The problem of oral transmission in relation to the Tibetan Dunhuang texts is then taken up in the contribution of Sam van Schaik. In the final section, Matthew Kapstein and Carmen Meinert consider aspects of Chinese Buddhism in their relation to religious developments in Tibet.


Sources of Tibetan Tradition

Sources of Tibetan Tradition

Author: Kurtis R. Schaeffer

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2013-03-26

Total Pages: 853

ISBN-13: 0231509782

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The most comprehensive collection of Tibetan works in a Western language, this volume illuminates the complex historical, intellectual, and social development of Tibetan civilization from its earliest beginnings to the modern period. Including more than 180 representative writings, Sources of Tibetan Tradition spans Tibet's vast geography and long history, presenting for the first time a diversity of works by religious and political leaders; scholastic philosophers and contemplative hermits; monks and nuns; poets and artists; and aristocrats and commoners. The selected readings reflect the profound role of Buddhist sources in shaping Tibetan culture while illustrating other major areas of knowledge. Thematically varied, they address history and historiography; political and social theory; law; medicine; divination; rhetoric; aesthetic theory; narrative; travel and geography; folksong; and philosophical and religious learning, all in relation to the unique trajectories of Tibetan civil and scholarly discourse. The editors begin each chapter with a survey of broader social and cultural contexts and introduce each translated text with a concise explanation. Concluding with writings that extend into the early twentieth century, this volume offers an expansive encounter with Tibet's exceptional intellectual heritage.


Book Synopsis Sources of Tibetan Tradition by : Kurtis R. Schaeffer

Download or read book Sources of Tibetan Tradition written by Kurtis R. Schaeffer and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013-03-26 with total page 853 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most comprehensive collection of Tibetan works in a Western language, this volume illuminates the complex historical, intellectual, and social development of Tibetan civilization from its earliest beginnings to the modern period. Including more than 180 representative writings, Sources of Tibetan Tradition spans Tibet's vast geography and long history, presenting for the first time a diversity of works by religious and political leaders; scholastic philosophers and contemplative hermits; monks and nuns; poets and artists; and aristocrats and commoners. The selected readings reflect the profound role of Buddhist sources in shaping Tibetan culture while illustrating other major areas of knowledge. Thematically varied, they address history and historiography; political and social theory; law; medicine; divination; rhetoric; aesthetic theory; narrative; travel and geography; folksong; and philosophical and religious learning, all in relation to the unique trajectories of Tibetan civil and scholarly discourse. The editors begin each chapter with a survey of broader social and cultural contexts and introduce each translated text with a concise explanation. Concluding with writings that extend into the early twentieth century, this volume offers an expansive encounter with Tibet's exceptional intellectual heritage.