Introduction to Tibet: History, Religion, and Politics: Lesson Plan Class by Class

Class #1 – Introduction – Lecture/Socratic

 * 1) Greetings, introductions, etc.
 * 2) Review Syllabus
 * 3) Questions:
 * 4) What do you know about Tibet?
 * 5) When did you first hear about Tibet?
 * 6) What do you think about China’s relationship with Tibet?
 * 7) What do you know about Buddhism?
 * 8) How have you seen ‘Eastern’ things (like Buddhism and Tibet) portrayed?
 * 9) Talk about bias
 * 10) I do not believe that there can be no such thing as bias, that one can be completely objective and keep ideology out of the things they teach. Whether done consciously or not, ideas and opinion get pulled into the equation when teaching, so it is important to explain my position:
 * 11) I am teaching this course primarily because I hope to help educate and preserve knowledge about Tibetan culture – I believe that it is something worth preserving. Not that this knowledge remains static or that it can be guaranteed in every instance, but that there is a commitment to continually learn about Tibet, as it continues to unfold.
 * 12) I am teaching this course out of utmost respect to Tibetans and their plight, and I will try my best to present our investigation in a respectful way.
 * 13) You do not have to take my presentation of Tibet as truth – in fact, you should not. The perspective on Tibet you will find in this course is but one of many.
 * 14) Some of the texts and films we will be reading and watching are written with a strong political purpose and intent, and we must always be aware of the perspectives of the writers we will consult.
 * 15) More than anything, I advocate being critical of your learning experience. Question the writers, question the approach, not in an accusatory way, but rather investigate the who, what, where, when, how and why of what you are reading.
 * 16) Talk about my goals & student goals for the course
 * 17) My Goals
 * 18) Provide participants with a firm, basic level of understanding of Tibetan histories, religions, cultures and politics.
 * 19) Provide participants with this understanding in auditory, visual, conceptual and other ways.
 * 20) To teach that an exploration of Tibet is necessarily an exploration of perspectives about Tibet.
 * 21) To express respect for Tibet, and also to drive home the point that we cannot generalize or fit all of Tibet in a neat little package – it is far too complex for such simplification.
 * 22) Student Goals?
 * 23) Talk about authenticity & respect
 * 24) It is absolutely essential to talk about other cultures with respect, as I mentioned before. When I was designing this course, I often had issues with trying to teach about what Tibet is “really like,” because I find that is not so simple.
 * 25) It is hard to pin down exactly what Tibet “is” or “was,” because this suggests that it can be summarized and generalized, and that these generalizations will hold true in every instance. Instead, I plan to offer some trends which have been prominent, but certainly do not stick in every situation.
 * 26) Equally important, I am going to try my best to teach questions upon questions, rather than answers upon answers. A lot of my questions about Tibet still don’t have answers, and most of them never will.
 * 27) Reading Excerpts Out Loud
 * 28) “Khabachen: The Land of Snow” (p. 33-45) from Thubten Jigme Norbu’s Tibet (General wider view of Tibetans & beliefs).
 * 29) Portions of “Introduction” (p. 5-6) from Melvyn C. Goldstein & Matthew T. Kapstein’s Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet: Religious Revival and Cultural Identity (Tibet in general & importance of Buddhism in Tibetan society).
 * 30) Portion of “Chapter 1” (p. 3-5) from Tashi Tsering’s The Struggle for Modern Tibet (View of remorse over Tibet’s old traditional society).
 * 31) “Honored Among Thieves” by Nagpa Karma Lhundup (p. 49) from Brian Harris’ Tibetan Voices (Views of life among brigands in western Tibet, specifically Changtang).
 * 32) “To the Nomad Camps” by Jamyang Sakya from Harris’ Tibetan Voices (views of life among nomads).
 * 33) “The Sleeper Awakes” by Lobsang Gyaltso from Harris’ Tibetan Voices (views of nomad life, and Tibetan humor).
 * 34) “Muslim Neighbors” by Tsering Dolkar Yuthok from Harris’ Tibetan Voices (views of Buddhist-Muslim relations in Lhasa).

Class #2: A First Glimpse of Tibet – Lecture/Storytelling

 * 1) Introduction: Today, I would like to give you an opening look of Tibet. Some of you maybe already have seen films and images that show Tibet. Some of you may be Tibetan and don’t need pictures to get a sense of what this place is like. Regardless, I have chosen some images and I’ve also selected some specific readings from Tibetans and westerners alike that will hopefully give you a broad spectrum, a very wide brushstroke, of perspectives on Tibet. First, I am going to start with a few basic facts about Tibet…anything you’d find in a National Geographic or Almanac.
 * 2) Questions to keep in mind today:
 * 3) How do these perspectives on Tibet differ? How are they the same?
 * 4) What common themes do you hear repeated?
 * 5) Who is the author, and what perspective are they coming from?
 * 6) Tibet: Basics
 * 7) Location: Central Asia, northeast of India, Nepal and the Himalayan mountain range, southwest of Mongolia, neighbor of China.
 * 8) The Tibetan plateau rises avg. 12,000 feet above sea level. It is nearly the size of Western Europe, and only contained about 6 million people in 1950.
 * 9) The staple crop is barley, though it usually only grows in valleys. Most of the rivers in South Asia originate in Tibet, and the plateau is known for its rich mineral deposits, enormous forests and staggering mountain passes.
 * 10) The main religion is Buddhism, although a similar pre-Buddhist tradition known as Bön exists in Tibet, as well as Islam.
 * 11) Tibet has had many border conflicts with China, and has found itself controlled by (and controlling) China throughout history. We’ll get to more of this later.
 * 12) Tibet has a long history of agrarian settlements as well as nomadic peoples. Cities such as Tsang City, Lhasa, Tashilhunpo are examples of urban living. Until 1950, the lifestyle was very much devoid of technology; the wheel was outlawed (except for prayer wheels) until the Chinese invaded.
 * 13) Tibet takes much of its religion, culture and foods from its neighbors, especially India, Mongolia and China.
 * 14) Students reading excerpts aloud
 * 15) Portion of “Khabachen: The Land of Snow” (p. 40-45) from Thubten Jigme Norbu’s Tibet (General wider view of Tibetans & beliefs).
 * 16) Portion of “Introduction” (p. 9) by Colin M. Turnbull from Thubten Jigme Norbu’s Tibet (General wider view of Tibetans & beliefs).
 * 17) Portion of “Leopard Cubs” (p. 12-17) from Mikel Dunham’s Buddha’s Warriors (Views of life in eastern Tibet, specifically SE region, Kham).
 * 18) Portion of “Tibet As it Used to Be” (p. 15-17) from A. Tom Grunfeld’s The Making of Modern Tibet (denouncing the old regime).
 * 19) “The Begging Classes” (p. 71) from Harris’ Tibetan Voices (describing the existence of beggars and the lower classes).
 * 20) Portion of “In Communist China” (p. 101) from Tenzin Gyatso (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama)’s Freedom in Exile (positive views of the old order of Tibet).
 * 21) “Tibet” (p. 6-7) from Chris Mullin and Phuntsog Wangyal’s The Tibetans (denouncing Tibetan Buddhism, monasticism, etc.).
 * 22) “Disguised in the Market” from Harris’ Tibetan Voices (contrary views of Mullin/Wangyal re. the seclusion of HHDL.
 * 23) Questions
 * 24) What do you make of each passage?
 * 25) What do you see as being important? What strikes you, or appeals to you?
 * 26) What picture does this paint of Tibet?
 * 27) Compare someone like Grunfeld and Mullin/Wangyal to what HHDL says about Tibet and the ‘old order’.
 * 28) How does one reconcile such divergent views of Tibet and Tibetans? Does one?
 * 29) Did you find any racist/orientalist comments in any of these passages?
 * 30) Final Comments
 * 31) The sources I am using are many, and each perspective is powerfully distinct and differs vastly from its other accompanying examples. As often as people like (or try) to stereotype Tibet, the point here is that no two perspectives on anything are exactly the same. Tibet did have less contact with other nations, which leads many to believe that Tibetan culture was very concrete and seemingly of a singular nature.
 * 32) But there are remarkable differences between the beliefs and feelings of different Tibetans (although not all these authors are, in fact, Tibetan). Some of these authors make more judgments than others. Some are critical and some are nostalgic over the traditional Tibet that existed before China. These differences in opinion are important, and this is really what I hope to teach above all: that nothing is as simple or straight-forward as we might try to make it be. I hope to teach questions rather than answers.
 * 33) Final Questions:
 * 34) What are the main points you drew from today’s class?
 * 35) What went over well, what didn’t you grasp?
 * 36) What would you like to see more of in this class?

Class #3: Buddhism – Socratic/Group Interaction/Mixed Lecture

 * Finish talking about the 3 excerpts (15m)
 * Pass around attendance sheet
 * Introduce any new people

Today, we will begin our exploration of Tibet with an exploration of Buddhism. I chose to take this approach, because it has been my experience that much of Tibet has been bound by the fabric of Buddhism, so to begin to understand the first thing about Tibet, one has to understand Buddhism – or at least some of it.


 * 1) Assessment – Questions before/writing @ end.
 * 2) What is the goal of Buddhism? Is the path the goal? Is the goal at the end of the path?
 * 3) Is Buddhism a philosophy or a religion?
 * 4) Socratic (5m) questioning: prior to this reading,
 * 5) What did you know about Buddhism?
 * 6) How has Buddhism been presented to you in the past? When did you first learn about it?
 * 7) Group Activity: The first 3 noble truths. (10m/20m)
 * 8) Depending on how many students are present, it would be great to have them break up into groups and discuss the first three of the Four Noble Truths. E.g., if there are six students, break them up into groups of two, and have each group discuss and write down what they see as being the most important aspects of the first three Noble Truths.
 * 9) Essential aspects of the Four Noble Truths
 * 10) The Truth of Dukkha: What is “dukkha”? What kinds of notions does this word encompass? How many different kinds of dukkha are there, and how do they differ?
 * 11) Dukkha is a word that is often translated as “suffering,” but such translations are misleading, and create much of the inaccurate notions that Buddhism is a pessimistic tradition. A better translation is to leave the word untranslated, and to keep in mind that it connotes wider philosophical meanings like dissatisfaction, insubstantiality, impermanence, etc., as we read about for today.
 * 12) This truth exposes the reality of everyday life. It suggests that we run around in this life trying vainly to attach our hopes for some kind of ultimate peace, happiness or refuge on ephemeral things like objects, people, sense pleasures and the like.
 * 13) The Truth of the source of Dukkha: What causes dukkha?
 * 14) Ourselves – We are very strange creatures. We see what we want to see, we hear what we want to hear. We are subjective and look at the world through our own lenses, giving ourselves the false idea that there is some dichotomy between subject and object. We see ourselves as being fundamentally separate from those surrounding us, and are prone to acts of selfishness and greed. This greed comes in the form of a very powerful thirst that we have to accumulate, acquire and possess more pleasurable experiences.
 * 15) The world around us – We think that objects around us are permanent, and will provide endless amounts of comfort and joy. We see pleasurable sensual experiences as being the primary goal and, thinking that these pleasures are happiness, we grasp onto them. We develop attachment for certain experiences, and aversion towards others.
 * 16) The Truth of the cessation of Dukkha (Nirvana): what is the end to dukkha?
 * 17) Nirvana refers to the blowing out of the flame of suffering. When one has conquered and eliminated all the sources of Dukkha, one has understood Nirvana. This is an important point. Nirvana is not attained or grasped, but rather it is understood. It is the mountain path; the mountain does not change dependent on whether or not you walk towards it, but rather, it is always there.
 * 18) The way to understanding the truth of Nirvana is to realize that the self does not exist in its own right, and that, in fact, nothing in this world exists of its own right. When analyzed to its core, one finds that the person has no core—no soul, no partless particle that serves as a bearer of parts. Fully understanding this in a non-linguistic, non-symbolic way is the key to understanding the truth of Nirvana.
 * 19) But one cannot reach this point without first going through the path.
 * 20) To be Enlightened means to be completely free of suffering and its causes, to have blown out the candle of cyclic existence, to be free from karma, and to be completely free from delusion and ignorance, brimming with compassion for all beings. And, of course, to have understood the ineffable.
 * 21) Today we’ll be discussing only three of the four truths, because the fourth has some more philosophically significant themes, and we’ll be exploring those tomorrow.
 * 22) This is the Buddhist path, in its most basic form, the way to become a Buddha.
 * 23) TRANSITION: All of this begs the question: who was the Buddha?
 * 24) Work out the history & life of the Buddha with students (5m)
 * 25) The Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama, approximately 2551 years ago, in current-day Nepal. Important aspects:
 * 26) Kept in the palaces by the King
 * 27) Four life-altering sights
 * 28) Sickly being, old person, a corpse and a renunciate
 * 29) Great renunciation
 * 30) Great asceticism
 * 31) The middle path
 * 32) Enlightenment
 * 33) Teachings
 * 34) Sangha
 * 35) Death
 * 36) I chose to speak about the Dharma first, because even the Buddha said that after his passing, his holy teaching would be the primary source on how to reach buddhahood. While the Buddha is an essential as the teacher of these revelations, even he viewed his Dharma to be more important than himself.
 * 37) TRANSITION: He taught that, for the followers of his word, the Dharma should be the guide. Who are his followers?
 * 38) Among Buddhists, there are two different kinds: monks and laypersons.
 * 39) Laypersons take the most basic of vows – not to kill, steal, practice sexual misconduct, speak in a way that is divisive, harsh, unnecessary or untruthful, and in many cases, to avoid intoxicants of any kind.
 * 40) Monks follow much stricter guidelines, avoiding tall, soft beds, perfumes, jewelry, foods after noon, and other parts of life that are deemed to be luxurious. The goal here is to eschew sense pleasures and the trappings and fetters of life that encourage the creation of attachment and aversion in our minds, and also to commit one’s life to altruistic deeds.
 * 41) The biggest distinction here is that of the different kinds of vows and oaths that monks and laypersons take.
 * 42) When one is to become a Buddhist, one must take refuge in three essential elements of Buddhism:
 * 43) The Buddha (the historical Buddha as well as the prospect of one’s own Buddhahood) – the doctor
 * 44) The Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha) – the medicine
 * 45) The Sangha (the community of monks and nuns) – the team of nurses
 * 46) These elements are referred to as the triple-gem of Buddhism. Only with these three working together, and only by taking refuge in these three can one really engage on the Buddhist path. Taking refuge is committing oneself to the path, as well as requesting protection from these three sources.
 * 47) What does it mean to take refuge? Taking refuge is having faith in the guidance of the Buddha, his teachings, and the monastic community which diligently helps to uphold and remind us of these teachings. Buddhism does not really require that you take a leap of faith, or that you suspend your disbelief until you get used to it. Buddhism’s faith is one built on a strong foundation of experiential knowledge. One must not take the words of the Buddha at face value, but rather investigate deeply as to the degree of their truth. If you understand and agree with the Dharma, the Buddha says, practice it.
 * 48) TRANSITION: There are three categories of the Dharma
 * 49) The Buddha’s teaching can be grouped into mainly three categories: Sutra, Shastra and Tantra.
 * 50) Sutra refers to the actual words of the Buddha. All Sutras begin with the phrase, “Thus did I hear.” They outline the Dharma and the full corpus of the Buddha’s actually spoken teachings.
 * 51) Shastra refers to teachings or commentaries based off of the Sutras. Works drawing from the Dharma, but that are not of the Buddha’s own composition are Shastras.
 * 52) Tantra refers to texts and teachings found in the Vajrayana branch of Buddhism, which outline a much faster path towards Enlightenment.
 * 53) Buddhism consists of three branches: Sravakyana, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
 * 54) Sravakyana – This is the oldest vehicle of Buddhism, and has existed since the Buddha’s time.
 * 55) It follows that the disciple (the sravaka) is seeking out Enlightenment for their own uses to free themselves from the endless rounds of death and rebirth.
 * 56) The Mahayana came about right around 0 C.E., suggesting that the true goal of any Buddhist disciple is to attain Enlightenment in order to liberate other beings from their own sufferings.
 * 57) There is a uniquely compassionate nature of this second kind of Buddhism. The Mahayana has what is called the bodhisattva ideal – that a being can become Enlightened and then not pass away, but choose to be reborn in order to help others. Everything is done for the benefit of all sentient beings. A typical figure of this compassionate intent is that of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, who has 1,000 arms to help everyone from their pain.
 * 58) The Vajrayana came about circa 500 C.E., and can be seen as a subset of the Mahayana branch, given that the underlying altruistic motivation is still present, however there is a different approach towards realizing Nirvana.
 * 59) In the Vajrayana branch, there are various internal and external rituals that one undergoes in order to utilize the negative and positive energies and mental states as method for spiritual attainment.
 * 60) ASSESSMENT: Do some writing
 * 61) I want students to spend 5-10 minutes writing down some ideas.
 * 62) What went over well this class? What information came across most clearly?
 * 63) What didn’t come across so clearly?
 * 64) Were there any specific parts that students liked/disliked?
 * 65) What could I do better in the future to make the class more effective?


 * Next class, we’ll be discussing some of the more complex and intricate elements of Buddhist philosophy and practice.
 * HAND OUT READINGS!

Class #4: Buddhism II – Mixed Lecture/Group discussion/Socratic method

 * At the end of the last class, we talked about the first three Noble Truths, the Dharma and the Sangha, and the life of the Buddha specifically. Today, I’d like to talk about a few more important basic aspects of Buddhism like the difference between monks and laypeople, the three jewels and what it means to ‘go for refuge.’ After this, we’re going to delve a little deeper into some of the more complicated aspects of Buddhist philosophy. We will be investigating these elements through three different lenses: impermanence, interdependence and selflessness.
 * ALSO, I’d like to thank you for your comments, they’re helping me out a lot, and I’d like to see your continued feedback. Also, I’d just like to take a moment to thank you all for taking part in this…sometimes I feel a little selfish, because I really am trying to become a better teacher, and you are all helping me so much.
 * BRIEF lecture – I want to explain 3 things…the 3 kinds of Dharma, the 3 jewels, and going for refuge. (5-10m)
 * The Buddha said his Dharma was the most important aspect to keep in mind after his death, but what exactly is the Dharma?
 * Sutra, Shastra Tantra (explain)
 * But the Dharma is not the only element of Buddhism. Generally understood to be the most essential aspects are the three precious jewels,
 * Buddha
 * Dharma
 * Sangha (we talked about this already a bit)
 * When one becomes a Buddhist (whether a monk or a layperson), one must go for refuge to the triple jewel, not only as a sign of respect and dedication, but there is very much an attitude of protection. You are going for refuge, as you would from a storm.
 * ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON?


 * Discussion Questions:
 * GENERAL:
 * What caught your attention?
 * What did you find interesting?
 * What didn’t you understand?
 * SPECIFIC
 * What comprises the human form? What are we made of?
 * What reincarnates if the soul is asserted to be nonexistent?
 * What, exactly, is emptiness? What are we empty of?
 * Is emptiness nihilistic?
 * Why is emptiness important?
 * Emptiness is form, form is emptiness. Emptiness is not other than form, form is not other than emptiness.
 * The Truth of the path to the cessation of Dukkha (Magga)
 * The path towards the cessation of Dukkha is often described in terms of the Noble Eightfold Path:
 * Right Understanding
 * Right Thought
 * Right Speech
 * Right Action
 * Right Livelihood
 * Right Effort
 * Right Mindfulness
 * Right Concentration
 * These can be generally grouped into three major disciplines that must be followed in order to understand the Truth of Nirvana:
 * Conduct – how we behave…the grossest level
 * Meditation – the development of positive and concentrated states of mind
 * Wisdom – having the correct view and perception of oneself and the world. This point is especially important. Wisdom also involves the understanding of a central Buddhist concept of no-self.
 * No Self (anatman or annatta – check spelling –) is a complicated philosophy that suggests that there is no everlasting soul or permanent inherently existent bearer of parts that controls all the aspects of the sentient being. No self is the affirmation of the five aggregates – psycho-physical components – that make up this ephemeral existence.

Selflessness. This refers to an integral part of Buddhist belief, that there is no everlasting soul that is the bearer of parts, that we do not exist inherently.
 * No Self: Last time we talked about how Buddhism rejects the idea that there is a single soul or some self that exists independently of this body.
 * Through Enlightenment, the Buddha saw that by imposing a false sense of “me” “I” or “self,” humans designed their own demise. For whatever psychological or emotional reasons, we have invented some illusory “self” that we believe to be permanent and unchanging.
 * This begs two questions:
 * what are we made of, and
 * if, according to Buddhism, we are reborn and die constantly, what exactly, if not a soul, is reborn?

Interdependence: According to Buddhism, nothing happens without multiple conditions bringing about its result. I should stress here that it is really conditions, and not causes. Cause implies that there is a direct and singular reason for some being or phenomenon’s occurrence, but this can never be found. If I am reading and I want a light so that I can read more effectively, there are several conditions: It should be noted that in none of these elements can one find a singular cause of the light turning on. If I simply had the will for the light to be activated, but the light switch was nowhere to be found, the wires had been cut, or the filament broken (preventing the atomic reaction within the bulb that yields the light), my efforts would be in vain.
 * 1) My wish for the light to be on
 * 2) My flipping of the light switch itself
 * 3) The cables and wiring being in good status
 * 4) The actual atomic action happening within the bulb

Getting back to this burning question: what are we made of?
 * Five Aggregates: We are composed of five psycho-physical elements called the aggregates. They are…
 * Form, which is the entirety of the realm of matter, internal and external, understood by the six sense faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind)
 * Sensations, in the forms of pleasant, neutral and unpleasant, also registered through the sense faculties
 * Perception, which is the recognition of physical and mental objects through the six sense faculties
 * Mental formations, the willful and volitional acts, both positive and negative. This comprises Karma, which are not (as we are often led to believe) the results of the actions we commit, but rather the actions themselves. The result is called “karmic fruit.”
 * Consciousness, the reaction or response that has an internal faculty as its basis and an external object as its object…so, the visual consciousness has the basis of the eye, and object of visual form. The consciousnesses arise dependent on these conditions of faculty & object, and vanishes when the specific stimulus does.
 * These elements are not to be understood as eternal parts of the body, or “partless particles,” but rather come together and disintegrate at every moment of life.
 * This nature of human existence is often compared to a stream, or a candle flame, which flows continually and is never the same for two moments, and yet, is not different. There are many other analogies used to describe this unique relationship. A boy grows up to be a man of 60. The man is not the same as the boy, but still he is not another. A sprout grows out of a seed placed in the earth. The sprout is not the same as the seed, and yet did not come from anywhere other than the seed.

We read about the 12 links of codependent arising as explained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and we see further into the nature of existence in this world. The 12 links assert that nothing exists in its own right independent of other factors, which is precisely the point of the two truths of a philosophy called sunyata or emptiness.

Selflessness.
 * Emptiness (snkrt. Sunyata) takes the concept of anatman and applies it to a much wider spectrum. It suggests that there is no inherently existent phenomena or being.
 * That we not only consist of the five aggregates, but that our existence is conditional upon all those who helped us along the way, down to the growers and harvesters of the foods we eat. But it does not stop there.
 * The pickers and the growers also depend on others, and their dependencies in turn depend on others, and so it goes; we are interconnected in every direction infinitely. Great scholars such as Nagarjuna have written extensively as to the full impact of ideas like emptiness.
 * The Two Truths of Sunyata says that there is a conventional and ultimate truth to life.
 * The conventional truth follows along everyday needs; I am “Will” This is a “table,” and so on. These are all dependent designations, and reflect the rules and conditions we rely on for our everyday existence.
 * The ultimate truth seeks to determine the ontological status of phenomena and beings, and finds that ultimately, there is none. I do not exist as a separate and independent being. I am not inherently existing because my existence is conditional on other elements, because I condition others, and so on.
 * This aspect of sunyata is very difficult to understand. It suggests that the ultimate truth about existence is not some hidden mystery lying behind each object, but rather that both the conventional and the ultimate are dependent on each other, like two sides of the same coin; there is a non-duality between these two truths.
 * It is best explained through the Heart Sutra, an essential Mahayana text that we read for today. It reads, “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Form is not other than emptiness, emptiness is not other than form.” In order for something to not exist ultimately, it must first exist conventionally, and vice versa.
 * We can see many manifestations of the two truths in other aspects of Buddhism. For example, in death and rebirth, we will see how the conventional and the ultimate come into play.

Impermanence. You will recall from last class that Dukkha is most closely connected with this idea of impermanence and the ephemeral nature of this worldly life.
 * Death and Rebirth
 * Given the repudiation of a soul, what, precisely is reborn? Beyond this physical, gross body, are the aggregates that come together and disintegrate with each moment of existence. These subtle energies, and the consciousness are what continue on. It is a flow that is unbroken (in the sense that it continues on from one life to the next), and yet it is constantly interrupted by the arising and disintegration of the five aggregates.
 * The whole of this philosophy on death and rebirth is based on this idea of the continually flowing, and continually broken stream.
 * All of life is predicated on the moments that come before the current moment; all that comes before conditions the present.
 * So why would it not follow that even when this form dies away that our consciousness will continue on (broken and unbroken) into a new form? If the aggregates are constantly coming together and constantly disintegrating, what does it matter if they come together in a new form when the old one wears out? Continuity is the fabric of this worldly existence.
 * The idea of consciousness being continually broken, and yet continually unbroken presents us with yet another conventional-ultimate paradigm. Conventionally, we are the same entity from start to stop, and yet ultimately, there is nothing that is consistent about us even from one moment to the next.
 * What keeps us going throughout cyclic existence? We are driven by ignorance (about the nature of the self, the nature of the world), by our karmic actions, and by our unquenchable thirst to constantly be, become, to acquire and so forth. This drive and the delusions we have about the world keep us trapped within it, perpetually.


 * Writing at the end of class…write a reaction to something that piqued your interest, and also give me some notes about how I can improve, how you feel the course is progressing, etc.

Class #5: The History of Tibetan Buddhism – Lecture
Today, we’re return to the topic of Tibet, after our brief exploration of Buddhism on the whole. Today, we will specifically be looking at how exactly Tibet came to be a home and a stronghold of Buddhist practice. I will give a lecture on the dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet, and afterwards, I have something interesting planned.


 * 1) Introduction
 * 2) Intro: For a long time, even until as late as 1992, Tibetan Buddhism has been referred to as “Lamaism,” suggesting that it is somehow different from Buddhism due to the emphasis on the role of the teacher, the Lama. In this way, it has been compared to Roman Catholicism in terms of hierarchy and structure, and is fairly pejorative.
 * 3) So, as we begin to talk about the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet, we should know from the start that it is so different from other traditions that some people have even suggested that it is another religion altogether, especially when examining the tantras, which we will talk more about later.
 * 4) (A teacher of my sister’s even was heard speaking on multiple occasions that Tibetan Buddhism is some aberration of traditional pure Buddhism).
 * 5) Goals: I am trying to give you a sense of:
 * 6) how Buddhism came to Tibet.
 * 7) Questions: What do you know about Tibetan Buddhism?
 * 8) The first dissemination
 * 9) Our text says that Buddhism began arriving in Tibet during the ninth and tenth centuries…but really, it was first introduced much, much earlier.
 * 10) Tibetans first came into contact with Buddhism by being so militarily powerful, ransacking Buddhist institutions in Central Asia.
 * 11) The first introduction of Buddhism to Tibet occurred in 233 C.E. when, according to legends, a Buddhist text and relics fell from the sky to the roof of king Totori Nyentsen, but no one understood them, as they were written in Sanskrit, nor was Tibetan an actual language at that point.
 * 12) To see the first real transmission Fast-forward about 400 years to about 640, with King Songtsen Gampo. Gampo was the great unifying king…he brought most of Tibet together, and wanted to extend his ties, get some allies and so he took two wives, one from Nepal (Bhrkuti) and one from China (Wengcheng). Please just keep in mind that that’s how they did things back in the day – not egalitarian by today’s standards. Each of them brought statues of Buddhist deities (pass out Askhobya and Sakyamuni), each of them is enshrined, bringing the first real transmission.
 * 13) He also helps create a formal Tibetan language.
 * 14) After Gampo dies, there are a series of Tibetan Buddhist leaders. The next one is named Trisong Detsen. He invites this amazing abbot Shantaraksita who is hassled by pre-Buddhist Bon deities and natural disasters. He is forced to leave, but suggests inviting Padmasambhava to Tibet to subdue the demons.
 * 15) Which Padmasambhava does as Dorje Drolo. This all takes place in the 8th century.
 * 16) Shantaraksita comes back, and he and Padmasambhava set up the first monastery at Samye (779).
 * 17) During this time, there is a great deal of translations going on, and many texts are being transmitted to Tibet.
 * 18) A couple kings later, Lang Darma, a Bon king, represses Buddhism. This ends the first dissemination period.
 * 19) During a theatrical performance, a Buddhist monk kills Lang Darma because the general idea among Buddhists was that he had been possessed by a demon, and needed to be freed from it.
 * 20) Disunity
 * 21) This period is marked with political instability and the decline of the Tibetan empire. Nations get their land back, and the Tibetans retreat. This period lasts for about 200 years.
 * 22) Stop and check
 * 23) Any questions? Should I slow down at all?
 * 24) Second Dissemination
 * 25) Buddhism remained strong in western Tibet, and a king from the west, Tsenpo Khore decides he doesn’t want to be a king anymore…he wants to be a Buddhist monk. So he sends some great Tibetan disciples to India and Kashmir to study, and the two that survive are responsible for translating really important texts. End of tenth century
 * 26) The most important event is the arrival of a great master named Atisa (1042). He is invited by this king, who takes on the name Yeshe Ö and after a vision, decides to go to Tibet to help spread the Dharma. Atisa is a great master of the Tantras, and brings teachings of the Tantra to Tibet, writes many works for the benefit of Tibetans, and trains many disciples. He also begins the Kadampa order, so we see different sects are starting to form.
 * 27) Development of Buddhism in Tibet
 * 28) Buddhism flourishes and different schools begin. The first is known as the Nyingmapa, which literally means “old.” Their lineage is traced back to Padmasambhava. A principal teaching of theirs is the Great Perfection, which suggests that the nature of the mind is clear and luminous…think back to Tathagatharba. They were not particularly engaged with politics, nor were they as hierarchical as some of the other sects.
 * 29) The Sakyapa sect
 * 30) traces its lineage back to one of the translators who studied under tantric master Virupa (hand out image of Virupa). TENTH CENTURY The Sakyapas have been always closely associated with the tantras; it is often said, “where there is the Sakyapa, there is tantra.” Virupa developed the Lam Dre (path and fruit) tantric practice which is a mainstay of the #Virupa was a great master and teacher at Nalanda university, the largest Buddhist institution that has ever existed. He began to study the tantras, and broke his monastic codes by drinking and cavorting with women. He was kicked out of Nalanda, and took to wandering and begging, following the tantras. He developed strong powers, so much so that in one instance, he bet someone that he could stop the sun, and did.
 * 31) The Sakyapa were heavily involved with the Mongols when Genghis Khan and his descendents held some control over Tibet . The highest of the Sakyapa order, the Sakya Pandita was sent to Mongolia 1249 to teach the ruler and their descendants.
 * 32) The Kaguypa
 * 33) This school is connected with a Tibetan named Marpa the Translator 1012-1099. whose main disciple was the great Tibetan tantric yogi Milarepa (hand around image). This school also has the Karmapa, who is the third highest incarnation in Tibetan Buddhism, preceded by the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama.
 * 34) The Gelukpa
 * 35) This has no specific lineage, but is founded by Je Tsongkhapa 1357-1419 as a way to reify the vinaya. Tsongkhapa felt that the monks of the other schools had broken their monastic vows by having women and drinking and the like, so he set up a more intensive and strict monastic code, and founded this new sect.
 * 36) This sect had political connections to Mongolia starting 1578, and one of the successors of Tsongkhapa, Sonam Gyatso was invited by Altan Khan to Mongolia. Altan was so amazed by Sonam that he gave him the title Ta le Lama – Ocean of wisdom. The Mongols of this particular tribe became Geluk Buddhists, and two generations later, helped the Gelukpas and the fifth Dalai Lama fight against the Karmapa’s forces, gaining power over U Tsang (political Tibet) 1642.
 * 37) How did Buddhism change as a result of being in Tibet?
 * 38) Context. A lot can be said for location. Tibet was removed from the world for a large part until 1950. Of course it wasn’t airtight, and had the most central influences from and cultural connections with India, China, Mongolia, & all of the trans-Himalayan countries and ethnicities. This group of influences has definitely changed the flavor of Tibet.
 * 39) Because Buddhism evolved and grew alongside and in tandem with (there was NO separation of church and state – the two were one) society at large, it has been influenced by Tibet.
 * 40) Due to the isolation, Tibetan Buddhism developed in a very secretive, closed way, but was heavily influenced by the masters who came from India.
 * 41) The translators who turned a wealth of Sanskrit texts into a massive library of Tibetan Buddhist literature. No other culture has been so prolific with Buddhism as Tibetans have. Their attention to scriptural accuracy is unparalleled.

So, this concludes the history of the dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet. But what about all these unique schools and sub-traditions? I’d like you to break up into groups, and then we’re going to pick topics. The topics are:


 * Nyingmapa sect, Lam Dre Tantra, Hevajra Tantra
 * Kagyupa sect, Vairocana, Nine Vehicles of the Nyingmapa
 * Sakyapa sect, Vimalamitra
 * Gelukpa sect, Padmasambava
 * Kadampa sect, Santaraksita
 * Tantra (generally)	Atisa

I want each group to discover as much as they can and present as much as they can about their groups by next class. Prepare a small 5-10 minute presentation about what you have discovered and present it to the class. While you are doing this, I’d like you to have a few questions in mind. You don’t have to answer them as if it were some kind of study guide, but keep these in the back of your mind as you’re going through this:


 * What are the practices you’ve encountered?
 * Why is your topic unique or important?
 * What are some of the stereotypes you encounter surrounding Tibetan Buddhism in general, and also your own topic?
 * What kinds of figures do you encounter?
 * What kinds of stories do you encounter?
 * What does this tell you about the ways in which religion and government, and also daily life were intertwined?

Class #6: Screening of Wheel of Time by Werner Herzog

 * Herzog's page

Class # 7: Tibetan History I – Politics at Home – Socratic/Mixed Lecture
Today, we’re going to be moving into our discussion of Tibetan politics, starting with the ways in which Tibet’s governmental systems (or occasional lack thereof) have changed throughout history. For homework, I asked you to read a chapter out of one of my favorite books. This chapter briefly outlines Tibetan history from the imperial period up until Tibet had de facto independent status.

I thought at first that I wanted to teach a class on Tibetan politics at home versus its international politics, but I realized that making such a divide was somewhat absurd…because it’s never that easy. So, I decided to divide it up between the imperial era versus the 40- (or so) year stretch where Tibet was functioning as an independent nation (although it had not been recognized by the international community as such). Then, next week, we’ll be covering the Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet. I want to start off the class with some questions. Some key bits: SIX kinds of governing
 * What kinds of larger political systems have you seen when examining Tibetan history?
 * How have these changes been seen in light of the Chinese claims over Tibet versus the Tibetans in Tibet, and in exile?


 * Three Dharma Kings & Lang Darma [Temporal and Spiritual leaders]
 * Songtsen Gampo – Unified and introduced Buddhism via two wives.
 * Trisong Detsen – Invited Padmasambhava and Shantaraksita.
 * Senalek
 * Relpachen – Invited many masters, was subordinate to the Sangha, helped to codify the translation techniques & improve accuracy.
 * Lang Darma – Persecuted the Buddhist tradition, assassinated by a Buddhist Monk.
 * Disunity [??]
 * general political chaos; areas ruled by chieftains,
 * Buddhism retreats to western Tibet, Bon flourishes in the central region.
 * Genghis Khan, Godan Khan and the Sakyapa rise to power. [Mongols Temporal leaders; Sakyas Spiritual leaders.] (1207-1372)
 * Godan Khan “invites” Sakya Pandita (Kunga Gyaltsen) to the Mongolian court.
 * Appoints the Sakyapa school as a sort of Regent for the Mongolian rule over Tibet. This continues through Kublai Khan, who conquers China and begins the Yuan dynasty (ca. 1279). The Ming dynasty replaces the Yuan.
 * Geluks vs. Karma Kagyu. [Rimpung and Tsangpa Temporal; Karma Kagyu & Geluks Spiritual] (1372-1644)
 * Central Tibet is ruled politically by the Princes of Rimpung, and later the Kings of Tsangpa. These figures back the Karma Kagyu sect of the Kaguypas.
 * Their opposition is the Gelukpa force in Central Tibet, founded by Je Tsongkhapa, backed by Altan Khan, and later Gushri Khan of the Qoshot tribe.
 * The Fifth Dalai Lama and Gushri take Lhasa from Tsangpa forces, and solidify their control.
 * The Manchu Qing Dynasty replaces the Ming (1644),
 * Geluks and the Qing. [Qing via Qoshot Mongols Temporal; Dalai Lamas Spiritual] – 7 Phases. (1644-1911)
 * 1. The Great Fifth dies and this news is hidden from public view for 14 years. His regent, Sangye Gyatso intrigues with the Dzungar Mongols, to offset the Qoshot Mongols. Dzungars are the largest threat to Qing, & lose their unifying campaign. Lobsang Khan, Qoshot son of Gushri executes the 6th Dalai Lama’s Regent, exercises more control over Tibet, assuming the title of “King of Tibet.” 6th Dalai Lama sent to exile, dies en route.
 * 2. Geluk monks invite Dzungar Mongols to oust the Qoshot. Dzungars win, but then ransack Lhasa and kill several monks.
 * 3. Qing army sent to Lhasa, with the aid of Polhanas and Khangchennas (western governors) kick out Dzungars, and set up a council of four ministers (kalon), of which Khangchennas is the leader. Other three ministers kill Khangchennas, attempt to kill Polhanas, but he flees, returns, and captures Lhasa.
 * 4. Qing send force that rules jointly with Polhanas via the ambans, Manchu “advisors.” 7th Dalai Lama sent into exile for conspiring with the Dzungars. Eventually is brought back only as a figurehead. Polhanas is a stable and effective ruler.
 * 5. Polhanas’ son Gyurme Namgye ascends to power after father’s death, Reduces Qing influence, restarts machinations with the Dzungars. Ambans find out, kill Namgye, but his followers kill the Ambans. 7th Dalai Lama takes control during political void.
 * 6. The 7th Dalai Lama is appointed as ruler, and councils are established with members of the Sangha to offset the influence of the aristocratic laypeople. During this time, Tibet was relatively weak and disunited. Ambans exercised great power, although Tibet was not incorporated into China Proper, did not pay any kind of tribute, and even est’d. its own standing army (its first) via Qing reforms.
 * 7. Tibet becomes more self-sustaining until England (via colonial India) wants to open up trade. When they are denied an audience with the Dalai Lama, Younghusband invades to Lhasa, the gov’t signs an agreement, which is almost immediately replaced by a treaty with the Qing. This brings us up to…
 * Geluks and de facto independence. (1913-1950)

Class #8: De Facto Independence – Socratic/Mixed Lecture
Today, we’ll be resuming where we left off last time. Under specific examination is the time period from 1913 (the fall of the Qing dynasty) to 1950, when Tibet was invaded by Maoist China. Why can we cover 1,313 years of history in one class and then spend another class examining 37 years? Well, for one thing, this time period has a great richness of information due to some of the visitors to Tibet like Sir Charles Bell and Heinrich Harrer. For another thing, this time period is very special because it is the highest level of autonomy that Tibet maintained since the time of the great Dharma Kings and the period of imperial expansion. Few Chinese were present in Lhasa, and the ones that were there held no political sway. Tibet was left to its own devices, and many, many scholars, activists, etc. have tried to reconstruct, recreate and reimagine this time period as the truest vision of what a truly independent Tibet would look like.
 * Readings?
 * Socratic Questions
 * How did the Tibetan Government function? How did the government enact its decrees?
 * How did the secular and monastic forms of government interact?
 * To what extent did these two branches of the central government make decisions and influence policy?
 * How is ethnographic Tibet different from political Tibet?
 * Who were some of the different Lhasans, and what did they do?
 * Essential aspects of “independent” Tibet:
 * Political system in Lhasa/governmental structure
 * Ruler-Lönchen-Kashag/Chigyab Khembo/National Assemblies-Tsigang-Other Bureaucrats; Chigyab Khembo-Yigtsang
 * Ruler was either HHDL or Regent, Lönchen ruled when ruler was in exile.
 * Kashag was in charge of all secular affairs of interest to the government, and served as the gatekeeper of secular requests etc. that reached HHDL.
 * National Assemblies made up of three separate assemblies comprised of lay, monk aristocrats, mid-level bureaucrats and the seats of the three great Geluk monasteries
 * The Yigtsang was the office in charge of all monk officials, the highest ranking being the Chigyab Khembo.
 * The Tsigang was the Revenue Office, in charge of taxes and accounts, also had large hand in choosing new Bureaucrats.
 * Mid-level bureaucrats occupied offices of little power, but better pay, like the Mint and Foreign Office.
 * Governance (police, courts, extending control to western Tibet)
 * Lay
 * Army comprised roughly 1,000-1,500 stationed in Lhasa at any given moment.
 * All pleas and claims sent by individuals involved with the laity went through the chains of Bureaucracy, up to the Kashag and HHDL.
 * No real control over Kham/Amdo…political Tibet (the Tibet that was controlled by HHDL/Lhasa gov’t) is quite different from ethnic Tibet, which extends east, west, and south into the trans-Himalayan belt. In Kham, they sometimes paid taxes to the Tibetan government, and especially when defending the borders against Chinese aggression, the central gov’t made a strong presence on the eastern frontiers.
 * Lhasa did control most of western Tibet through an interconnected system of small government offices, operated by mid-level bureaucrats.
 * Monastic
 * A group of specialized police monks, the dhob dhobs, numbered in the thousands, and dwarfed the Army.
 * Most major issues settled within the monastery by various disciplinary heads (gegö), and by the heads of the Tratsang and Khamtsen.
 * Parent monasteries were the locations of the main seats (e.g., Sera, Drepung, Ganden), and smaller subsidiary monasteries would keep in contact, send monks to the parent monasteries, etc.
 * Hence, when a monastery like Ganden said it was or was not supportive of some act or decree made by the government, it was a wide network of monasteries that backed up their decision.
 * Serfdom
 * Lay – Lay aristocrats high in the central government (the Shapes of the Kashag, the Tsigang Office, some of the National Assembly, etc.) held massive land holdings, replete with fields and serfs, who often owned their own fields, and depending on the level of affluence, may have even had their own serfs. The aristocratic families ruled through heirs, and their estates continued on in this way. Some families were required to give a child (always male) to the bureaucratic system.
 * Monastic – Monastic bureaucrats had to rule through adoption of heirs, being either family members/relatives or (rarely) unrelated heirs. For incarnate monks, their land holdings and serfs, etc. were part of the labrang, the whole of their worth from the past incarnations, and all their future possessions.
 * Role of the monastery & mass monasticism
 * Monasteries (especially the Three Seats of Ganden, Drepung and Sera) were self-contained cities, replete with their own governing systems, granaries, land holdings, serfs, etc. They were funded by manorial estates, endowment funds, central gov’t funds, donations from the faithful. Monks were paid a trifle amount, having to find their own jobs, although the monasteries did go to great lengths in order to ensure that all monks got some tsampa and tea during prayer festivals, etc. Monks also received some of the donation money. Profits rendered by the monasteries were used to fund and support monks.
 * Organization:
 * Monastery
 * Tratsang (college)
 * Khamtsen (sub-unit organized around origin of the students)
 * Mitsen (dormitories)
 * Monks or Monk Households (Shagtsang)
 * Authority and bureaucratic structure:
 * Monastery
 * Tratsang ruled by Abbot
 * Abbot served by 3 “religious heads” (uchö) – umdze (prayer leader); gegö (disciplinary head); lama shuglenba (monk in charge of religious studies).
 * Religious heads served by managers (chabu) who keep track of Tratsang resources, and other college resources like the labrang.
 * On the monastery-wide level, two disciplinarians (tshogcen shenggo) served one-year rotating terms, chosen from the Tratsang.
 * Chiso took care of economic affairs.
 * Photrang Depa held accountable for all gov’t property within the monastery and served as liaison to the central gov’t.
 * Lachi was the main assembly of the monastery, consisted of
 * Present abbots, ex abbots, Photrang Depa, the Tshogcen Shenggo, both Chiso, the Umdze (prayer leader)
 * Richi was another committee made of six abbots of the tratsangs teaching logic.
 * Monasteries were held as the backbone of the society, in that the profits they gained went to help monks, feed monks, etc. Up to 26% of all males were monks, about 13% of the society at any given moment were involved in the Sangha.

Class #9: Tibetan Government 600-1913
So, there are three things I’d like students to keep in mind during this exploration:
 * Changes in the kinds of Tibetan political systems (generally)
 * What were these changes?
 * How did they come about?
 * Who precipitated them?
 * How were foreign powers involved?
 * The kind of system used by the Gelukpa sect from (1913-1950)
 * How would you characterize this system?
 * How did it function?
 * What were the benefits?
 * What were the drawbacks?
 * How did the government serve the needs of the people?
 * How didn’t the government serve the needs of the people?
 * How did the Tibetan Government function? How did the government enact its decrees?
 * How did the secular and monastic forms of government interact?
 * To what extent did these two branches of the central government make decisions and influence policy?
 * How is ethnographic Tibet different from political Tibet?
 * Who were some of the different Lhasans, and what did they do?

Some key bits: SIX kinds of governing -


 * Three Dharma Kings & Lang Darma [Temporal and Spiritual leaders]
 * Songtsen Gampo – Unified and introduced Buddhism via two wives.
 * Trisong Detsen – Invited Padmasambhava and Shantaraksita.
 * Senalek
 * Relpachen – Invited many masters, was subordinate to the Sangha, helped to codify the translation techniques & improve accuracy.
 * Lang Darma – Persecuted the Buddhist tradition, assassinated by a Buddhist Monk.
 * Disunity [??]
 * general political chaos; areas ruled by chieftains,
 * Buddhism retreats to western Tibet, Bon flourishes in the central region.
 * Genghis Khan, Godan Khan and the Sakyapa rise to power. [Mongols Temporal leaders; Sakyas Spiritual leaders.] (1207-1372)
 * Godan Khan “invites” Sakya Pandita (Kunga Gyaltsen) to the Mongolian court.
 * Appoints the Sakyapa school as a sort of Regent for the Mongolian rule over Tibet. This continues through Kublai Khan, who conquers China and begins the Yuan dynasty (ca. 1279). The Ming dynasty replaces the Yuan.
 * Geluks vs. Karma Kagyu. [Rimpung and Tsangpa Temporal; Karma Kagyu & Geluks Spiritual] (1372-1644)
 * Central Tibet is ruled politically by the Princes of Rimpung, and later the Kings of Tsangpa. These figures back the Karma Kagyu sect of the Kaguypas.
 * Their opposition is the Gelukpa force in Central Tibet, founded by Je Tsongkhapa, backed by Altan Khan, and later Gushri Khan of the Qoshot tribe.
 * The Fifth Dalai Lama and Gushri take Lhasa from Tsangpa forces, and solidify their control.
 * The Manchu Qing Dynasty replaces the Ming (1644),
 * Geluks and the Qing. [Qing via Qoshot Mongols Temporal; Dalai Lamas Spiritual] – 7 Phases. (1644-1911)
 * 1. The Great Fifth dies and this news is hidden from public view for 14 years. His regent, Sangye Gyatso intrigues with the Dzungar Mongols, to offset the Qoshot Mongols. Dzungars are the largest threat to Qing, & lose their unifying campaign. Lobsang Khan, Qoshot son of Gushri executes the 6th Dalai Lama’s Regent, exercises more control over Tibet, assuming the title of “King of Tibet.” 6th Dalai Lama sent to exile, dies en route.
 * 2. Geluk monks invite Dzungar Mongols to oust the Qoshot. Dzungars win, but then ransack Lhasa and kill several monks.
 * 3. Qing army sent to Lhasa, with the aid of Polhanas and Khangchennas (western governors) kick out Dzungars, and set up a council of four ministers (kalon), of which Khangchennas is the leader. Other three ministers kill Khangchennas, attempt to kill Polhanas, but he flees, returns, and captures Lhasa.
 * 4. Qing send force that rules jointly with Polhanas via the ambans, Manchu “advisors.” 7th Dalai Lama sent into exile for conspiring with the Dzungars. Eventually is brought back only as a figurehead. Polhanas is a stable and effective ruler.
 * 5. Polhanas’ son Gyurme Namgye ascends to power after father’s death, Reduces Qing influence, restarts machinations with the Dzungars. Ambans find out, kill Namgye, but his followers kill the Ambans. 7th Dalai Lama takes control during political void.
 * 6. The 7th Dalai Lama is appointed as ruler, and councils are established with members of the Sangha to offset the influence of the aristocratic laypeople. During this time, Tibet was relatively weak and disunited. Ambans exercised great power, although Tibet was not incorporated into China Proper, did not pay any kind of tribute, and even est’d. its own standing army (its first) via Qing reforms.
 * 7. Tibet becomes more self-sustaining until England (via colonial India) wants to open up trade. When they are denied an audience with the Dalai Lama, Younghusband invades to Lhasa, the gov’t signs an agreement, which is almost immediately replaced by a treaty with the Qing. This brings us up to…
 * Geluks and de facto independence. (1913-1950)

Class #10: Tibetan Government 1913-1950
Essential aspects of “independent” Tibet:
 * Political system in Lhasa/governmental structure
 * Ruler-Lönchen-Kashag/Chigyab Khembo/National Assemblies-Tsigang-Other Bureaucrats; Chigyab Khembo-Yigtsang
 * Ruler was either HHDL or Regent, Lönchen ruled when ruler was in exile.
 * Kashag was in charge of all secular affairs of interest to the government, and served as the gatekeeper of secular requests etc. that reached HHDL.
 * National Assemblies made up of three separate assemblies comprised of lay, monk aristocrats, mid-level bureaucrats and the seats of the three great Geluk monasteries
 * The Yigtsang was the office in charge of all monk officials, the highest ranking being the Chigyab Khembo.
 * The Tsigang was the Revenue Office, in charge of taxes and accounts, also had large hand in choosing new Bureaucrats.
 * Mid-level bureaucrats occupied offices of little power, but better pay, like the Mint and Foreign Office.
 * Governance (police, courts, extending control to western Tibet)
 * Lay
 * Army comprised roughly 1,000-1,500 stationed in Lhasa at any given moment.
 * All pleas and claims sent by individuals involved with the laity went through the chains of Bureaucracy, up to the Kashag and HHDL.
 * No real control over Kham/Amdo…political Tibet (the Tibet that was controlled by HHDL/Lhasa gov’t) is quite different from ethnic Tibet, which extends east, west, and south into the trans-Himalayan belt. In Kham, they sometimes paid taxes to the Tibetan government, and especially when defending the borders against Chinese aggression, the central gov’t made a strong presence on the eastern frontiers.
 * Lhasa did control most of western Tibet through an interconnected system of small government offices, operated by mid-level bureaucrats.
 * Monastic
 * A group of specialized police monks, the dhob dhobs, numbered in the thousands, and dwarfed the Army.
 * Most major issues settled within the monastery by various disciplinary heads (gegö), and by the heads of the Tratsang and Khamtsen.
 * Parent monasteries were the locations of the main seats (e.g., Sera, Drepung, Ganden), and smaller subsidiary monasteries would keep in contact, send monks to the parent monasteries, etc.
 * Hence, when a monastery like Ganden said it was or was not supportive of some act or decree made by the government, it was a wide network of monasteries that backed up their decision.
 * Serfdom
 * Lay – Lay aristocrats high in the central government (the Shapes of the Kashag, the Tsigang Office, some of the National Assembly, etc.) held massive land holdings, replete with fields and serfs, who often owned their own fields, and depending on the level of affluence, may have even had their own serfs. The aristocratic families ruled through heirs, and their estates continued on in this way. Some families were required to give a child (always male) to the bureaucratic system.
 * Monastic – Monastic bureaucrats had to rule through adoption of heirs, being either family members/relatives or (rarely) unrelated heirs. For incarnate monks, their land holdings and serfs, etc. were part of the labrang, the whole of their worth from the past incarnations, and all their future possessions.
 * Role of the monastery & mass monasticism
 * Monasteries (especially the Three Seats of Ganden, Drepung and Sera) were self-contained cities, replete with their own governing systems, granaries, land holdings, serfs, etc. They were funded by manorial estates, endowment funds, central gov’t funds, donations from the faithful. Monks were paid a trifle amount, having to find their own jobs, although the monasteries did go to great lengths in order to ensure that all monks got some tsampa and tea during prayer festivals, etc. Monks also received some of the donation money. Profits rendered by the monasteries were used to fund and support monks.
 * Organization:
 * Monastery
 * Tratsang (college)
 * Khamtsen (sub-unit organized around origin of the students)
 * Mitsen (dormitories)
 * Monks or Monk Households (Shagtsang)
 * Authority and bureaucratic structure:
 * Monastery
 * Tratsang ruled by Abbot
 * Abbot served by 3 “religious heads” (uchö) – umdze (prayer leader); gegö (disciplinary head); lama shuglenba (monk in charge of religious studies).
 * Religious heads served by managers (chabu) who keep track of Tratsang resources, and other college resources like the labrang.
 * On the monastery-wide level, two disciplinarians (tshogcen shenggo) served one-year rotating terms, chosen from the Tratsang.
 * Chiso took care of economic affairs.
 * Photrang Depa held accountable for all gov’t property within the monastery and served as liaison to the central gov’t.
 * Lachi was the main assembly of the monastery, consisted of
 * Present abbots, ex abbots, Photrang Depa, the Tshogcen Shenggo, both Chiso, the Umdze (prayer leader)
 * Richi was another committee made of six abbots of the tratsangs teaching logic.
 * Monasteries were held as the backbone of the society, in that the profits they gained went to help monks, feed monks, etc. Up to 26% of all males were monks, about 13% of the society at any given moment were involved in the Sangha.