TIBETAN CULTURE

Featured student projects from Columbia University

Featured Projects from Tibetan Civilization Coursework at Columbia University

Religious Affiliations of Monasteries in Tibet

The monasteries of the different religious traditions of Tibet are represented on this map. The traditions, sometimes called sects, represent distinct lineages of teachers and teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist and Bon religions. The affiliations of some monasteries changed over time, and this map only represents the affiliation of monasteries in the 20th century. Some … [Read more...]

Livestock of Monasteries in Amdo

Map by Valentina Strokopytova. The economic data in this map is collected from the social investigation in Amdo coducted by the Chinese Communist Party in 1950s. Each orange spot is a single monastery, and the size of green circle represents the amount of livestocks of each monastery. … [Read more...]

All About Tibetan Script

A website by Whitney Hartstone which provides information about the invention and integration of the unique Tibetan written language into Tibetan society. Tibetan script is different from all other written languages in the region; however, there are evident similarities between Tibetan characters and the lettering style of other surrounding countries, like Kashmir and Nepal. … [Read more...]

Tibetan Music Through Time

A Tibetan Music blog by Alain Dana Jabbour Introduction: In its earliest forms, Tibetan Music took its roots in Buddhism and religious practices. While not that much is known on the specific time period and early development of Tibetan music, we can qualify that genre as a type of Himalayan music, to the likes of Nepalese or Bhutanese music. The earliest records available … [Read more...]

Torma

Object biography by Dakshina Chetti, view full bio HERE, (excerpt below). Torma, coming from gtor-ba meaning to "cast away, break up, or scatter”, is the singular form for the flour and butter sculptures ritual cakes made as offerings in Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies. Although a staple benefaction in the religious proceedings of the Tibetan peoples, the Torma possesses … [Read more...]

Using Films in Mediathread Projects

Sarah Novak Lerner's Final Project, and her Tiny House Hunting object biography project use documentary film as a resource. Here she describes her process of choosing and adding film to mediathread projects. Sara Novak Lerner Here is a brief guide to uploading video clips in Mediathread in order to continue working on the project I began. My method wasn’t perfect, so I would … [Read more...]

Protective Wood Block Print

Object biography by Michaela O'Connor, view HERE. Introduction: "The object I chose to discuss is the Protective Wood Block Print. This object was particularly appealing to me during the Treasure Hunt stage of the paper because I focused on Avalokitesvara for my first paper and found the bodhisattva's importance in both religion and Tibetan identity intriguing. The … [Read more...]

Treasure Hunt

Object biography by Karina Dundukova, view HERE. Introduction: A fractal is a mathematical set or concrete object that is irregular or fragmented at all scales. A fractal is a way of seeing infinity. Benoit Mandelbrot CHOICE OF THE OBJECT In  search for a Tibetan object for my analysis I came across an image of Medicine Buddha – a 20th century Wall Mural from … [Read more...]

Prayer Wheel Object Biography

Object biography by Juliana Remark, view HERE. Introduction: "The object shown is a prayer wheel (below) , which is an integral object in Tibetan Buddhism. The goal of the Tibetan prayer wheel is to “relieve the misery of all beings” (Sakya 2012). Inside of prayer wheels are Mantras, sacred prayers associated with certain deities that are “empowered by enlightened beings and … [Read more...]

Tibetan Pilgrimage Through a Lhasa Cityscape

Object biography by Jenna Bucien, view HERE. Introduction: "I was first introduced to this unique idealized cityscape genre through the Monumental Lhasa exhibit at the Rubin Art Museum. This exhibit featured visions of Lhasa from the lens of both Tibetans and foreigners during the Ganden Podrang governance (1642-1959). In the exhibit brochure, curator Natasha Kimmet … [Read more...]

Discourse on the Demoness: A Look at Tibetan Geomancy and Landscape

Object biography by Ivy Chen, view HERE. Introduction: "Maps tell a story, not solely the story crafted by the cartographers and explorers who ventured to these previously unknown realms, but also the history of a civilization. While not one of the most traditional genres of art history analysis, reliving a space from the perspective of both those who occupied it as well as … [Read more...]

Tibetan Prayer Wheel

Object biography by Frankcarlos Castro, view HERE. Introduction: "The Prayer Wheel or mani ´khor lo (Sanskrit) is a common religious tool used by the Tibetan people. Some experts believe that the prayer wheels evolved from revolving octagonal Chinese bookcases dating back to 9th century. This assumption is supported by the existence of octagonal prayer wheels in Mongolia. … [Read more...]

Cosmological Scroll

Object biography by Corn Bronsther, view HERE. Introduction: "The Tibetan medical tradition represents an interesting intersection between fundamental Buddhist ideas and the empirical observation of the human body. Janet Gyatso writes about the medical tradition: “How can one adjudicate between the Buddha’s word and empirical observation? In Tibet these questions were never … [Read more...]

Neuroscience & Tibet

A website 'Neuroscience & Tibet' by Juliana Remark and Lindsey Remark. About: "A key component of Buddhist belief is that meditation literally transforms the mind. Thus, Buddhists are highly interested in scientific advances that could possibly help explain and/or provide evidence for this phenomenon. The question as to whether meditative phenomena have a biological … [Read more...]

A Guide to Tibetan Medicine

A website as an introductory guide to Tibetan medicine, by Luke Thorsell. In Tibet, medicine is one of the five major Tibetan sciences, and is known as gSo-ba Rig-pa – the science of healing. It's based mostly on the information contained in the Four Medical Tantras (rGyud-bzhi), the most prominent and authoritative Tibetan medical text. The four tantras are the root tantra, … [Read more...]

Sports & Recreation of Tibet

Solomon Rice & Chris Thompson A website reporting on the diversity of sports and recreation which are actively pursued in Tibet, including soccer, yak racing, basketball, wrestling, horse racing, and archery.   … [Read more...]

Tibet Art in NYC

A website 'Tibetan Art in NYC' serves to introduce various places to experience Tibetan art in New York, relevant news articles, and notable modern art pieces. By Jamie Kang. … [Read more...]

Tibet Era Periodization

Note: Timeglider shut down in 2020 so this timeline currently doesn't work —Jack Lambert, 06/12/23 Talia Sarit Rubin This timeline (visit interactive timeline website here) shows the general era periodization within Tibetan History. Recognizing that these dates are by no means stationary, and that time in Tibet is qualified differently than in the Western world, I have … [Read more...]

Visualization Project

A mapping visualization project based on locations referenced in biographical texts. Visualization Project Report The following is a summary of the steps I took over the course of the visualization project. It will be useful for understanding the final output, and for anyone who wants to pick up where I left off. Phase I: Location and Significance Extraction This phase was … [Read more...]

Jackson Heights: A Tibetan Perspective

A Brief History Over the past one-hundred and twenty-five years, Jackson Heights, a community situated in the northern part of Queens, New York, has become one the most ethnically diverse communities in the United States. In the early 20th Century, when Jackson Heights was first developed, nothing about its design or purpose precluded to the ethnic diversity it has today. … [Read more...]