Conclusion

We live in an era in which cultures are rapidly disappearing and becoming relics of the past. In this process, unique philosophies, arts, languages, and activities are being lost, a tragedy for the entire human race. For this reason it is important to examine and analyze the success stories, the unique cultures, and individuals in that culture, who have not completely strayed from their ancestral practices. I believe the Tibetan communities in India are such a success story, particularly the religious practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

When I conceived this thesis, one of my major goals was to discover if Tibetan refugees in India have been able to continue their cultural traditions and maintain their cultural identity. It did not take long for me to be convinced that this was occurring, at least in the community of Dharamsala. My other goal was to simply learn about the specific practices of Tibetan Buddhism in India and to relate these practices to this cultural continuance. This is the main part of the thesis because what I observed in seven months in Dharamsala alone could fill several thousand pages. However, all the facts and direct information never became disassociated from my other goal.

So, now I have come to the question: How have Tibetan refugees maintained their religious and cultural identity? The practical cannot be overlooked, economics and politics are always connected to such matters. While I am neither a economic or political expert, it is obvious that Tibetan refugees have been quite lucky with their situation in India. Most Tibetan refugees have not immigrated to large cities in which they are a minority but dwell in separate Tibetan communities where they have been able to maintain cultural solidarity. The growing interest in Buddhism in the West has also brought support to the Tibetan refugees. While these are major parts of the story, there is also the individual Tibetans to examine.

I have experienced a personally ground-breaking, yet simple realization in the last several months. I believe that the present and the future of cultures exist in each individual participant of the particular culture. If certain traditions, customs, or beliefs are to survive it will have to be because the people of these systems want them to survive. They will have to value them, live the culture and be of that culture. This cannot be contrived or forced on populations but must occur in guileless spontaneity. This is not to say that certain steps cannot be taken to ensure the survival of particular traditions, but that the desire to do so must initially exist.

The Tibetans of Dharamsala value their ancestral lineage and religious beliefs. The people I came in contact with in Dharamsala loved to talk about their religion, their homeland, and their daily religious activities and thoughts. They were generally proud of themselves as Tibetans, as refugees, and as Buddhists. I believe that this tendency is more important than the political and economic situation, as these systems change, become obsolete, or collapse. It will be each individual that decides if the Tibetan culture is worthy of surviving. It seems to me that the strong philosophical tradition of Tibetan Buddhism will be maintained if the culture is able to continue. I also believe that the entire world will benefit if this success story continues.

Self Evaluation

As a culmination of my Friends World education, I have succeeded in making this thesis both a display of what I have learned and a learning experience. In three years I have lived in Japan, India, the Middle East and London and studied a wide variety of topics. In Japan, I studied Japanese culture and Zen Buddhism. My studies of Buddhism were continued in India while also discovering Hinduism and the native cultures. During the spring of year 2000 I lived in Dharamsala, studying Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and the situation of Tibetan refugees. Later, in the summer and fall I lived in the Middle East. By learning of the situation of Palestinian refugees I was able to understand the unique problems that refugees face in continuing their cultural lives. I also studied Israeli and Palestinian identity. All four topics of study, anthropological analysis, religious philosophy, the culture of refugees, and cultural identity are primary components of my thesis.

Basically, the previous one hundred pages is a climax of all my interests and studies in the last three years. The actual writing of this thesis was also a learning experience in itself. While writing I discovered I knew more than I thought and there were certain things that I originally hadn’t considered important that I now do. Departing from Dharamsala allowed me to analyze my scholarly and social position within the community and see how this could have affected the thesis.

Studying in a foreign environment, no matter how integrated one feels, causes certain difficulties. I felt completely at home in Dharamsala and with the Tibetan community. I lived with Tibetans and spent a hundred percent of my time with Tibetan people. However, I could not forget that this comfort does not equal complete belonging and understanding of Tibetan culture.

One morning I was circuambulating His Holiness residence and I saw something I considered odd. An elderly Tibetan woman, obviously a pilgrim and a newcomer because of her clothing, was circuambulating counter-clockwise. Tibetan Buddhists always circuambulate clockwise. Not only was she walking the wrong direction but she was spinning the prayer wheels backwards. I was befuddled but could not speak with her in my limited Tibetan. I asked my friends at home about this occurrence but they also had no idea. They even stated that maybe she was crazy. I could not accept this explanation, being someone who believes that most actions are done for reasons.

This was to remain a mystery until two months later, when I read a book on Bon. I then understood that people who follow Bon circuambulate counter-clockwise. I was triumphant to finally find the answer to the riddle and I also learned a lesson. I cannot know or understand everything that occurs around me. It was only luck that I happened to read that book on Bon. Tibetans don’t know everything about Tibetans or Tibetan Buddhism and I cannot expect to acquire all knowledge on this complex subject in such a small amount of time.

From this event, I also learned something about the Tibetan Buddhist religion. It had been my impression that all Tibetans were Buddhists and that most of the indigenous religion, Bon had integrated into Buddhism. I discovered that Buddhism was an inclusive religion that had not conquered Tibet but had integrated into the faith of Tibetan natives. I compare this to the religious situation in Japan, in which most of the Japanese population adhere to both the native Shinto faith and Buddhism. His Holiness encourages people to hold onto their religious traditions and I found Tibetans to be very open-minded about other religions and cultures.

Another problem I had was due to the language barrier. I am in the process of studying the Tibetan language, both verbal and written, but I am nowhere near conversational. This becomes even more complicated when using Buddhist terminology. I did all my work using English texts and a translator. Working with a translator is extremely difficult. A translator adds a obstacle between myself and the person I am interviewing. There are frequent misunderstandings and I often feel I do not get exactly what I want from the interview. I am not saying my translator was not skilled but that it is myself that is not experienced in working with translators.

In writing this thesis, I hoped to make a coherent presentation of Tibetan Buddhism for all people and to display the significance of the religion and the practices of the religion. I find it difficult to evaluate myself, how do I know if I have succeeded? Buddhism is complex and an understanding of the philosophy and practices can only occur after intensive study and experience. I am not an experienced teacher and have only an embryonic comprehension of Buddhism. I do however, feel that in my thesis I touched the surface of every major aspect of the lay practice in Dharamsala. I tried to present the daily life and mental processes of the Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala. I did this to the best of my ability.

I know that I could not have received an equivalent amount of understanding in a typical university in the United States. I utilized an extensive array of books in my studies but my main sources were oral dharma teachings and the people of Dharamsala. I could not have written this thesis by reading books, nor would I have had the desire to do so. I am extremely grateful that I have had the opportunities and experiences that I have had in the last three years. Evaluation of my success is difficult but the value of my experience is immeasurable.

There is one thing I am sure of, my personal benefit gained from living in Dharamsala and writing this thesis. In the last six months my love and appreciation of Tibetan culture and religion has solidified. I feel that I have taken but a few steps on a long path. Tibetan Buddhism and the people who practice it have become a part of my life and I will feel incredibly grateful if I can share this aspect of myself with others.