 |
|
|
About Tibet Tibet is located between India, Nepal and China. Most of the Tibetan plateau lies above 14,000 feet. Tibet is the source of five of Asia's greatest rivers, the lifeblood of 2 billion people. Since 1959, Tibet's fragile environment has been destroyed through extensive deforestation and misuse of farm land. Where Tibetans traditionally; grew barley, rice was substituted, which depleted the land in many areas.
Tibet has remained remote to the rest of the world. In 1989, increased international awareness was raised when His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize for non-violence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tibetan Buddhism has 5 traditions of religious practices, Bon, Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug. The Bon tradition represents the earliest pre-classical Indian Buddhists culture of Tibet. The Nyingma represents the first wave of transmission of classical Indian Buddhist lineages into Tibet, beginning the seventh and eighth centuries. The Kagyu and Sakya represent the second wave of transmission of classical Buddhist lineages from India, beginning in the eleventh century. The Gelug represents a distinct tradition which formed towards the end of the fourteenth century. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Since 1959, 1.2 million Tibetans have been killed, 6,000 monasteries have been destroyed, and thousands of Tibetans have been in imprisoned.
120,000 Tibetans fled to India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim. And now many are relocated in Europe, and North America. Meanwhile, the Tibetan refugees who are now scattered around the world have attempted to reconstruct and preserve the Tibetan culture. Only 6 million Tibetans are left in Tibet, making Tibetans a minority in our own country. They are people who are in most need of aid whether it be education, public health, or creating economic opportunities.
If you would like to help contact World Concern |
|
|
|
