tStutninuan St nice Janunry 21, 1951

Tibet—An Indian Study

within mill without the monasteries, tliougn not

^ conceived with eastern intellectual brilliance or

{Continued from page 5) emotional insist alwfiy|\ have for (her themes

religious inspiration m the typical .Indian way.

their good. That is the peculiar bent of laiuaism, The .lama-painters who decorate the walls of the

the high importance Tibetans attach to meditation, monasteries with fluid frescoes illustrating various

The literati in Tibet follow the Mn-llci-uiiik • or aspects of the faith of the Buddha, the deities of

the Umu doctrine of Klu-grub, the great philoso. the lama p mtlieon, ■ deified lamas anil Inihaic

pher Nagarjuntl* as expounded in Pritjnuparamitd, symbols, have not allowed the extinction of the

which Tibetans of all sects hold in the highest great art-tradition of Buddhism as reveal.d by

■reverence. the Ajanta frescoes, of Circa O.'.O A. 1). The

TiiC lamas are the most notable section of fi,»» Lsma-urtisis, like the early artists of Nepal

the population of Tibet. Ueligiun comes above aml M">tan, "cut for picture and poetry to

all in Tibet fo much so that Tibet is known as l0''1 century India, when cultural contacts were

tho "Land or Religion". For the Tibetans behove most mtimato between North India anil South

that in a religionless country, there is nothing Tibet. The early missionary envoys of India to

but sin. greed arid war which lead to seas'eless (0!ltr"' Aa,atho *** ,':"<t "s'''' P>ot\iro.art

Inisrrv and the fall of mankind. I.amas live in « lh,° *•»"» »« ***** '""I .teaching of

monasteries which often are bigger than large *• doctrine of the Buddha in greater India,

villages and arc monastic scats of learning on Tl'° "*> •**». wl,° Fete keen on the quick

the models of Xalmda and Vikramasila of old "' Buddhism in their country, found the

India. There arc over 3,000 of these in Tibet, traaitton of the picture-scrolls tho most conv. nioat

almost every village has one or. two of these m'f for convoying home to their folks the life

monasteries or nunneries the largest and most
powerful beini the monastery uf Prepimg nejr

am! tfachinn of tho Buddha. Hence aro*e tin-
art of U heru.it tkunknsi for whose rich brilliance

Lhasa. The (.nnden and Sera monasteries . are lovely (Jiuic.c brocades and natural vc;etab,c...lyes

immensely wealthy uiyi .their landed estates' ate "orc locally available.

comparable in size and strength .With those of the The monastery-architecture, though medieval
Government of Tibet herself. The abbots of these in style and character, is gen-rally a groat delight
monasteries have a strong representation on the to the eye: austero and perfect in line, witu
Depashung (the Goveruoient) and the Tsongdu evidence of a definite artistic perception for white
(the National Assembly . AU institutional blfa1>lish- walls stripped in red or black o orchre bands
roents of the country are located in the monas- aiong their tops. Often situated on a projecting
t.eries where congregate Tibetans for studies isolated lofty cliff or under its shelter in a uarrow
spiritual as well as temporal. Here in the monas- nook, the-.? awo.inspiring laraaic dwellings lend a
teries the lamas study the scriptures, ti.e Kiwi'jur, pio'urosqi. cliarm to tho red and sunny landscape
■and the 7.Vino^» , and engage in practising virtuous of'the Tibetan plateau. These white tcinplo build-
lire for themselves and for the people on whose mgs, ensiirhing tho gods of Latnaic Buddhism,
benefactions they live. These monasteries ate arc ever so rOTOihing to tho eyes of travellers,
also centres of art and culture of Tibet'and Softened by tho 1 ghts of s twilight, the niulti-
o.xert a great influence on the evcrvday lilo of I colourings of these temples shed noun other than
her people. I a warm comfortable g.oiv; their interiors, with
The lama painters have a di/tinct fondness Wm\ columned ceilings and rroseoed walls, keep
fur catching some fundamental mfstcrv of the an onlooker spcllho..uil with the lively tints'of
lainaic faith in order to give body and Shape to cilt-s atuos and w th the rich brilliance ol luxuriant

broi:ado ol ailk b......"»*••

it for purposes of interpretation and understanding.

inner..

They paint remarkable frescoes depiotirig tho ..\s a community, Tibetans are the hapoies.

various phases of human life. Lama'(lane s, known people in the world, the generality pfthelll pass

to the world as the 'devil dances' of Tibet, arc on their days merrily, drinking chiaruj their beer

also meant to interpret through gns uros and tilts', 0f barley. For Tibet' is quite self-sufficient ill

this or that mystery of life and death f.,r the regard lo loud and other essentials of life. The

common peoplo and amuse them as well for a p„„m are always chanting ''Om niani padmc hum",

while The music, though weird and jarring in Tibetans arc also very fond of dnno.ng and singing:

tone nnd rhythm to tho sophisticated; is also-- they dance and sing together, men and women,

conceived.|,{p produce-the maximum la maic effect, humour or love ditties. ' Arid they sing as ther

for Tibeian listeneis. The murals anil paintings dunce to rhythm of body and siiul. Dance and