Tibetan Culture and ArtEssay Preview: Tibetan Culture and ArtReport this essayTibetan Culture and ArtTibetan culture and art possess a history of more than 5,000 years, and the Tibetan Buddhism has had the greatest influence on this culture. The development of Tibetan culture and art proceeded through four stages: prehistoric civilization before the 7th century; cultural stability during the Tubo Kingdom; high development during the Yuan Dynasty; and the height of cultural achievement attained during the Qing Dynasty.
The prehistoric stage includes all development from the ancient civilization that appeared during the New Stone Age some 5,000 years ago to the founding of the Tubo Kingdom in the 7th century. A salient feature of this civilization is the founding and development of the Bon, an animist religion. Findings from the ruins of the Karub New Stone Age Site in Qamdo and rock paintings found in Ngari, which have been dated from all periods from the late Old Stone Age to the Tubo Kingdom in the 7th century, all display a concentrated expression of the achievements of prehistoric civilization and reveal the budding of prehistoric art.
The Tubo Kingdom in the 7th century was an important period which witnessed the creation of Tibetan writing and the spread into Tibet of Buddhism from India and Chinas Tang Dynasty. Collusion and mutual assimilation of different cultures and arts constituted a major feature of this period. Cultural and artistic achievements made during this period of time include the Jokhang, Ramoche, Changzhug and Samye monasteries. These monasteries are a combination of architecture, paintings and sculptures, the styles of which were disseminated in accordance with the world model of Buddhism. The major architectural features of these monasteries were built using a style unique to Tibet, and also incorporating influences from India and the Central Plains of the Tang Dynasty. A unique culture was thus created and firmly planted in the soil of Tibet.
During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the culture and art of Tibetan Buddhism developed rapidly. Tibets first encyclopedia-like catalogue on Gangyur and Dangyur of Tibetan Tripitaka was compiled; Buddhist masters who played key roles in the development of Tibetan culture and art, including Sagya Pandit Gonggar Gyaincain, Purdain Rinqenzhub and Zongkapa, emerged. Works of historical significance created during this period of time include the History on Buddhism by Purdain, the Green Annals, the Red Annals, the New Red Annals and the Records on Five Sutras in Tibet. There was an exuberance of literary works, including mottos, philosophic poems, fables and stories. Classics created during that period of
a. The Tibetan language (including dialects, dialects, and ken-te) was an important cultural and intellectual source and translator of people’s views and traditions. Tibetan people, along with other non-Indo-European cultures, adapted to their environment in different ways, including the ways of life and culture, food, agriculture and social relationships, art, medicine, technology and literature. Tibetan language was extensively used throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and was used in all human institutions. Buddhist monk S.O. Gansha, who was also the founder of Buddhism in Tibet, has described Tibetan Buddhism in the six Suttas, which are the main source of Buddhism in China. In the six Suttas and the seven Temples of Buddha, Suttas are used to describe the world’s culture, art and religion. Temples of Buddha have also been used in Tibet, the South East and beyond. Tibetan children are taught in the Suttas of Saha, the Tibetan Buddha, and the Tibetan Dhamma, which are the source of Buddhism in the Tibetan Buddhist and Tibetan community of Tibet. On several occasions Buddhist monks are also taught in the Tibetan Dhamma, the source of Buddhist teachings and guidance, as well as Kön-Ting and Tibetan Tibetan Yoga. As shown in the figure above, in both the Tibetan and Tibetan communities, Buddhism and spirituality are intertwined, as were Buddhist and Indian religions when the ancient kingdoms were united and when religious institutions, rituals, and doctrines of both religions were established in Tibetan land. In both regions, Buddhism was regarded as supreme and to be revered. Buddhism, of course, is perceived as an art of power. The religious aspect of Buddhism is to be understood as an arts of religious power and to be used as a means of teaching to believers. At the same time, Buddhism is thought to be the most useful spiritual path for a person. And Buddhism is regarded in Tibet as a source of spiritual joy. There were a large number of Buddhist temples in Tibet and the Buddhist community lived in numerous temples; in many cases Buddhist homes were filled with Buddhist monks, teachers, members of special religious classes, and students in the educational system of Tibet. In the case of Tibet Buddhism was not only recognised in the Suttas but also as a symbol for the unity of all humankind. One of the most important historical documents collected by the Suttas was The Tibetan Zen Buddhism as found in the New Buddhist Record, an original edition of about one hundred Tibetan Buddhist books (which was translated onto the Western standard copy of Tibetan Buddhism in 1913 at a later date). It is from this source of Tibetan Buddhism that the first Suttas concerning