Ebook70 pages8 minutes
Faces of Tibet
By Wayne Jex
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this ebook
These are some of the people I have met in my journeys to Tibet and nearby areas in Asia. The purpose of this book is very simple. It is to connect the person viewing this book to the people of Tibet; from the beggars who came to our camps of foreigners looking for food or a little money, to highly realized Buddhist Lamas. It is to put a human face on Tibet and the issues concerning the Tibetan people. The gaze of most of these people into the camera is direct and unflinching. The eyes communicate to me the pride they have in being Tibetan and in their culture and religion. They communicate strength to me: physical, spiritual, and cultural.
I am hoping that someone picking up this book is either informed about the history of Tibet since 1949, or will be motivated by the book to become more informed about that history and the current situation in Tibet as well as ethnically Tibetan areas. I wont make any political statements myself because I want to eliminate even the possibility of repercussions on any of the people shown because of what I may have said. This is also why I wont give very many names.
A few words about where the photos were taken. The largest number of them were taken at Katog Mardo Tashi Choling, a Buddhist monastery in what was historically the Golok area of Amdo Province of Tibet. It is now part of Qinghai Province of China. I spent 2 months at the monastery in the summer of 2007. The abbot of the monastery is Khentrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche, who is of the Katog lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is now a citizen of the United States and I have been a student of his teaching of the Buddhist Dharma since 2004. His website is: https://katogcholing.com/ At the peak,
there were over 80 of Khentrul Rinpoches Western students at his monastery. The main reason I went there was that H. H. Katog Moktsa Rinpoche was going to be giving 5 days of empowerments in August. An empowerment is a ritual in Vajrayana Buddhism which initiates a student into a particular deity practice. Moktsa Rinpoche is one of the five golden throne holders of the Nyingma Katog lineage and is revered as "the Father of Katog Lineage". He is the abbot of Katog monastery in the Kham area of Tibet, (now part of Sichuan Province of China) the mother monastery of Katog Mardo Tashi Choling. Its easy to find out a lot more information about both Rinpoches online so I wont give any more information. Tibetan monks and nuns and lay people also journeyed to see him. I and around 10 other Americans arrived about 5 weeks earlier than the majority of the students and helped arrange things for their arrival and helped teach English in the monastery school.
Rinpoche is an honorific term used in Tibetan Buddhism. It literally means "precious one," and is used to address or describe Tibetan lamas and other high-ranking or respected teachers. This honor is generally bestowed on reincarnated lamas, or Tulkus, by default. In other cases it is earned over time, and often bestowed spontaneously by the teacher's students.
A few photos were taken in 2005 when I journeyed to Tibet to do a pilgrimage, or circumambulation, around Mt. Kailash in western Tibet. We started in Lhasa and drove to Mt. Kailash, visiting the cities of Gyantse and Shigatse along the way. Mt. Kailash is the holiest mountain in Tibet to Tibetan Buddhists and also to Hindus. Hindus consider it to be the home of Shiva, and Tibetan Buddhists believe it is the home of the deity Chakrasamvara. The Bon religion, which predates Buddhism in Tibet, believes it is the seat of all spiritual power. It is also significant in Jainism. There is a pilgrimage route of 32 miles around the mountain. At the time you could drive about a third of the 32 miles, and the rest had to be walked. It is considered more beneficial and meritorious to walk the entire way. The highest poin
I am hoping that someone picking up this book is either informed about the history of Tibet since 1949, or will be motivated by the book to become more informed about that history and the current situation in Tibet as well as ethnically Tibetan areas. I wont make any political statements myself because I want to eliminate even the possibility of repercussions on any of the people shown because of what I may have said. This is also why I wont give very many names.
A few words about where the photos were taken. The largest number of them were taken at Katog Mardo Tashi Choling, a Buddhist monastery in what was historically the Golok area of Amdo Province of Tibet. It is now part of Qinghai Province of China. I spent 2 months at the monastery in the summer of 2007. The abbot of the monastery is Khentrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche, who is of the Katog lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is now a citizen of the United States and I have been a student of his teaching of the Buddhist Dharma since 2004. His website is: https://katogcholing.com/ At the peak,
there were over 80 of Khentrul Rinpoches Western students at his monastery. The main reason I went there was that H. H. Katog Moktsa Rinpoche was going to be giving 5 days of empowerments in August. An empowerment is a ritual in Vajrayana Buddhism which initiates a student into a particular deity practice. Moktsa Rinpoche is one of the five golden throne holders of the Nyingma Katog lineage and is revered as "the Father of Katog Lineage". He is the abbot of Katog monastery in the Kham area of Tibet, (now part of Sichuan Province of China) the mother monastery of Katog Mardo Tashi Choling. Its easy to find out a lot more information about both Rinpoches online so I wont give any more information. Tibetan monks and nuns and lay people also journeyed to see him. I and around 10 other Americans arrived about 5 weeks earlier than the majority of the students and helped arrange things for their arrival and helped teach English in the monastery school.
Rinpoche is an honorific term used in Tibetan Buddhism. It literally means "precious one," and is used to address or describe Tibetan lamas and other high-ranking or respected teachers. This honor is generally bestowed on reincarnated lamas, or Tulkus, by default. In other cases it is earned over time, and often bestowed spontaneously by the teacher's students.
A few photos were taken in 2005 when I journeyed to Tibet to do a pilgrimage, or circumambulation, around Mt. Kailash in western Tibet. We started in Lhasa and drove to Mt. Kailash, visiting the cities of Gyantse and Shigatse along the way. Mt. Kailash is the holiest mountain in Tibet to Tibetan Buddhists and also to Hindus. Hindus consider it to be the home of Shiva, and Tibetan Buddhists believe it is the home of the deity Chakrasamvara. The Bon religion, which predates Buddhism in Tibet, believes it is the seat of all spiritual power. It is also significant in Jainism. There is a pilgrimage route of 32 miles around the mountain. At the time you could drive about a third of the 32 miles, and the rest had to be walked. It is considered more beneficial and meritorious to walk the entire way. The highest poin
Author
Wayne Jex
I’ve been taking photographs since I was old enough to hold an old box camera with roll film and figured out how to press the shutter. Well into my 6th decade of life as I write this, I’m finally figuring out how to share some of my most meaningful images, with the help of current developments in self-publishing.
Related to Faces of Tibet
Related ebooks
Boundless Treasury of Blessings: A Collection of Prayers, Teachings and Poems Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVenerable Father: A Life with Ajahn Chah Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shantideva's Guide to Awakening: A Commentary on the Bodhicharyavatara Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIntegral Buddhsim: Developing All Aspects of One's Personhood Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Steps on the Path to Enlightenment: A Commentary on Tsongkhapa's Lamrim Chenmo, Volume 2: Karma Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Road to Freedom - A Journey from Occupied Tibet: The True Story of the Search, Discovery, and Escape of a Reincarnate Lama Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Warm Heart to Warm Heart: The Transmission of Dharma in the Modern World eBook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Promise: A Tsem Rinpoche Biography (2nd ed) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Door of Liberation: Essential Teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBuddhism for Beginners: All you need to start your journey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Generate Bodhicitta Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Paths of Pure vision: The Histories, Views, and Practices of Tibet's Living Spiritual Tradition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSilent Mind Holy Mind: A Tibetan Lama’s Reflections on Christmas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSealing of the Five Senses: Advanced Practices for Becoming a Taoist Immortal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Advice from a Spiritual Friend Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gates to Buddhist Practice: Essential Teachings of a Tibetan Master (Revised Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Magical Journey: to the Path of Enlightenment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWisdom in Exile: Buddhism and Modern Times Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Five-Minute Buddhist’s Buddhism Quick Start Guide: The Five-Minute Buddhist Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWaking Up: A Week Inside a Zen Monastery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cakrasamvara Tantra (The Discourse of Sri Heruka): A Study and Annotated Translation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sera Monastery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Voice of the Primordial Buddha: A Commentary on Dudjom Lingpa's Sharp Vajra of Awareness Tantra Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Door to Satisfaction: The Heart Advice of a Tibetan Buddhist Master Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSteps on the Path to Enlightenment: A Commentary on Tsongkhapa's Lamrim Chenmo, Volume 4: Samatha Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Four Noble Truths: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought, Volume 1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Advice for Monks and Nuns Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Asia Travel For You
Lonely Planet Japan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Yakuza: life and death in the Japanese underworld Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJapanese for Fun: A Practical Approach to Learning Japanese Quickly (Downloadable Audio Included) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tagalog for Beginners: An Introduction to Filipino, the National Language of the Philippines (Online Audio included) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings1000 Japanese Flash Cards: For Smart Phones and E-Readers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Basic Korean: Learn to Speak Korean in 19 Easy Lessons (Companion Online Audio and Dictionary) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5History of Japan: Revised Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tagalog Stories for Language Learners: Folktales and Stories in Filipino and English (Free Online Audio) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEssential Tagalog: Speak Tagalog with Confidence (Tagalog Phrasebook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mandarin Chinese for Beginners: Mastering Conversational Chinese (Fully Romanized and Free Online Audio) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fodor's Essential Japan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLearn Vietnamese: Start Speaking Today. Absolute Beginner to Conversational Speaker Made Simple and Easy! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTokyo on Foot: Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Basic Tagalog: (Audio Recordings Included) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBeginning Japanese Workbook: Revised Edition: Practice Conversational Japanese, Grammar, Kanji & Kana Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lonely Planet Tokyo Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJapanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Japan - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJapanese for Beginners: Learning Conversational Japanese - Second Edition (Includes Online Audio) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/514 Days in Japan: A First-Timer’s Ultimate Japan Travel Guide Including Tours, Food, Japanese Culture and History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDishoom: The first ever cookbook from the much-loved Indian restaurant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Really Happened In Wuhan: A Virus Like No Other, Countless Infections, Millions of Deaths Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cool Japan Guide: Fun in the Land of Manga, Lucky Cats and Ramen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Faces of Tibet
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Faces of Tibet - Wayne Jex
0Qa book_preview_excerpt.html Tn0v:M3AC;
(LIOoFIV0 S$)h;oIo96OBZjy}|w0F蹤=ԫ5;WwMy2T F;ցp/lIRVlkI
->Ow6$+AΣRXzF`p80RtvVckK
TʽEHw81ԢmP{ªba2^l %wͨ5Zцh'#9^ Y<|YvE٦f,y|~zgDk9ddx2$e2>)ף_|!ށE<2#D@[(
Z GKNbxfkl*
B3d)A (ؕe%[N.*6\H-o4d`ouױW`XEʹ
UQAr>W8GܧFWpv9ΆQ犸K'1z]|\²wApWLd2HƣIy1o6=䥼)p^`}dP|^+q\:
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1