In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the doors of Latse Library closed permanently. The mission of the original library, which had been generously supported for seventeen years by the Trace Foundation, is now kept alive even with limited resources by former Latse staff Pema Bhum, Tenzin Gelek, and Kristina Dy-Liacco. The three have since launched: The Latse Project, a public, … [Read more...]
The Tibetan Struggle, Through the Lens of a Camera
Shina Chetti - A website, tibetcinematicexperience.blogspot.com For my final project, I will be conducting an analysis and experiential description of Tibetan cinematography, observing Kundun (1997), a biographical epic about the 14th Dalai Lama, directed by Martin Scorsese and The Sun Behind the Clouds (2010), a historical and biographical documentary directed by Tibetan … [Read more...]
Tibetan Historical Sites and Landmarks
Noufel Benteftifa - A prezi project describing historical sites and landmarks in Tibet. … [Read more...]
Tibetan Food Project
A website on Tibetan cuisine: livandtoryeattibet.wordpress.com Here, Andrew Eseigbe and Aaron Thompson have presented our project on Tibetan food. The project involves many different distinctly Tibetan foods and drinks, including momos, butter tea, and phingsha. Not only was the food delicious, but it was an incredible opportunity to learn about Tibet in a hands-on way. We … [Read more...]
Momos & Mates: A Tibetan Food Adventure
A website on Tibetan cuisine: livandtoryeattibet.wordpress.com Hi we are Liv and Tory and we attend Columbia University in the city of New York. We have been traveling around New York City to taste different Tibetan Foods in several restaurants. Our goal was to try a wide range of Tibetan dishes and then find which ones we liked the best. We have had an incredible experience … [Read more...]
Lepcha: A Case Study of Tibetanization in the Borderlands
Alex Whitman HSEA4812 S17 Dr. Tuttle Final Paper Lepcha: A Case Study of Tibetanization in the Borderlands Abstract The Lepcha people (self-referentially the Rong) are commonly recognized as the first inhabitants of Sikkim. The Lepcha claim to indigeneity lies closely in the historical linkage between Mount Khangchendzonga and Lepcha religious tradition, which … [Read more...]
Meditate NYC – Life Outside The Classroom
A website, nycmeditation.wordpress.com, by Tucker Klutey and Colin Keane Introductory letter: Hello all, My name is Colin, and along with my friend and partner for this project, Tucker, we have presented you a catalog of our journey with the practice of meditation in the greater New York City area. In an effort to avoid taking a cumulative final exam on the history of … [Read more...]
Tibet Chronology
The Periodization of Tibetan History: General Chronology This timeline includes dates of influential Tibetan figures and major political eras. At this point it does not attempt to represent the whole of the Tibetan cultural region, nor does it portray Tibetan history from a variety of subject-specific rubrics – art, medicine, literature, politics – in any systematic fashion. We … [Read more...]
Dilemmas in Writing National Histories: The Case for China and Tibet
Dilemmas in Writing National Histories: The Case for China and Tibet The website is designed to incite discussion and debate on the ways we construct and imagine national identity through historical narratives. Initially, the project developed from a seminar which explored theories of nationalism in order to analyze competing representations of Chinese and Tibetan history. … [Read more...]
Ruling Inner Asia from Beijing: Lamas and Emperors
A WIKISCHOLARS WEBSITE Late imperial China was marked by a multi-ethnic tradition of rulership that built on the foundations of the so-called “conquest dynasties.” This site will survey the central people, places, art and institutions that made Tibetan Buddhism as a religious ideology central to late imperial efforts at making China a multi-ethnic state. This … [Read more...]
Tibetan Meditation
Website: Tibetan Meditation: The science behind Buddhist practices by Lauren Crane … [Read more...]
An Oral History of Tibetans in New York City
Website: Preserving the voices and stories of Tibetans living in New York City... Inspired by StoryCorps Daphne Chow: Ever since an English teacher introduced me to StoryCorps my senior year of high school (thank you, Ms. Baker), I have wanted to take up another oral history project of my own, and have finally been able to with my final project for Professor Tuttle’s class, … [Read more...]
Development of Tibetan Monasteries
This dynamic map below demonstrates the long-term development of monasteries in Tibet from the 7th century to 2013. The red color shows the density of the clusters of monasteries. This map with timeline bar shows many interesting phenomenon. For example, after the 18th century, monasteries in western Amdo had significant growth. In fact, this trend is closely related to the … [Read more...]
Showing the Size of Tibetan Monasteries: Counting Monks and Monastic Housing
Maps by Valentina Strokopytova These maps visually represent the number of monks, monks quarters, and other rooms/spaces in the monasteries (the key to the map can be accessed by clicking on the double arrow in the top left corner). While some Tibetan Buddhist monasteries have been studied for their artistic, historical, or cultural significance, these maps start to allow us to … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]