Tibet’s Past, Present, and the Urgent Call for Preservation
In its historical heyday, Tibet stood as an ancient nation, engaging in a vibrant cultural exchange with its surrounding neighbors. It shared borders with China to the east, India and Nepal to the south, Baluchistan, and various central Asian regions to the west, and Mongolia to the north. The seventh century CE saw a significant milestone with the development of the contemporary written script, coinciding with the systematic translation of numerous classical Sanskrit philosophical and religious texts into Tibetan. Many of these texts, now existing solely in Tibetan translations, represent a rich repository of the golden age of classical Buddhist India.
This cultural evolution transformed the Tibetans into custodians of a profound heritage. Over time, the Tibetan language and culture emerged as a vital matrix for cultural development and exchange across central and inner Asia. To this day, diverse communities throughout this expansive region view the Tibetans as the primary source of their traditional spiritual heritage.
This cultural connection extends beyond communities in the Himalayan region bordering the Tibetan plateau. It is also palpable among Mongolian communities across central Asia, ranging from Inner Mongolia in China to Mongolia itself. Additionally, this influence resonates in republics like Kalmykia, Tuva, and Buryatia within the Russian Federation.
Unlike the experiences of most nations and cultures in Asia, Tibet’s introduction to the modern world was deferred until after World War II. However, this long-awaited encounter manifested abruptly and disastrously in 1949 through the invasion by the newly ascendant Chairman Mao’s Chinese Communist government. The occupation led to Tibet’s assimilation into China, a process that has persisted in a totalitarian manner for the past half-century. By 1960, the non-governmental International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) had already presented a report to the United Nations titled “Tibet and the Chinese People’s Republic.” This report explicitly asserted the occurrence of genocide in Tibet. The undeniable reality is that Chinese policies, whether by design or inadvertently, equate to a form of cultural genocide in Tibet.
The broad contours of Chinese governance, encompassing the destruction of monasteries and cultural institutions, the denial of human rights, and large-scale killings, are widely recognized globally. Equally evident is the explicit and persistent policy of the Chinese government, which seeks to vilify the spiritual and governmental leader of Tibet. This individual, acknowledged worldwide for his five decades of leadership, stands as a paragon of unwavering commitment to peace, non-violence, dialogue, and compassion.
The relentless and prolonged effort to undermine the Dalai Lama’s legitimacy has had a notable repercussion: not only has it diminished the perception of the Dalai Lama among Tibetans and Chinese citizens, but it has also tarnished the image of the Chinese government on the global stage. This has led to an inherently unsustainable political situation. If China aims to assume a leadership role on the world stage in the 21st century, a crucial requirement will be affording greater freedom to its own people. In today’s interconnected world, the correlation between knowledge and freedom is evident, and the Chinese populace is likely to react as they eventually realize that the narrative they have been taught about China and Tibet is rooted in a denial of years of painful history.
On March 10, 2023, the 64th anniversary marked the departure of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to India, triggering the exodus of thousands of Tibetans from their homeland. Over these six decades, the Tibetan exile community, led by the Dalai Lama, has achieved remarkable success in establishing a foundation in India. This includes the creation of historically significant cultural and religious institutions. With support from the Government of India, schools were set up to provide modern education for Tibetan refugees and their children.
Tibet’s historical monastic institutions were reinstated in exile, resuming their traditional programs of rigorous scholarship and practices. Additionally, new cultural institutions, such as TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts), Tibetan Medical Institute, Library of Tibetan Works & Archives, Tibet House in New Delhi, and Norbu Lingka Institute, were founded to advance the non-monastic aspects of Tibet’s classical heritage.
Although not formally recognized by any country, a de facto government-in-exile has been established in Dharamsala, India, operating in line with democratic principles. This central Tibetan secretariat oversees the needs of the Tibetan exile community and manages their educational and cultural institutions.
On the political front, the Dalai Lama and his followers have steadfastly embraced a nonviolent approach, tirelessly striving to address the Tibet issue through dialogue. Commencing in 1979, numerous rounds of discussions unfolded, with a notable resurgence of direct communication in 2001 leading to eight rounds of talks between representatives of the Dalai Lama and those of the Chinese communist government.
Regrettably, in the eighth round of talks, the Chinese side flatly rejected the proposed framework for genuine regional autonomy for Tibet, disavowing the very existence of the Tibet issue. Within Tibet, suppression of public expressions of Tibetan aspirations intensified, particularly following the extensive demonstrations across the Tibetan plateau around March 10, 2008. This coincided with a sustained personal attack on the Dalai Lama, signaling a perceptible shift in the Chinese government’s stance on the Tibet question.
Today, the situation in Tibet and for its people has reached a critical juncture, prompting the Dalai Lama to bluntly declare that “Tibet faces something akin to a death sentence.”
The Tibetans have reaped significant benefits throughout this prolonged period of occupation and exile, thanks to the Dalai Lama’s success in inspiring their endeavors, sustaining hope, and bringing global attention to the Tibetan plight. At 88 years old, the Dalai Lama has retired from his active leadership role, signaling that the Tibetan people must persevere in their struggle for survival in the years ahead.
The pivotal question arises: Are the Tibetan people equipped for this enduring challenge? It is against this pressing backdrop that THE TIBET HERITAGE INSTITUTE has been established. Its mission goes beyond safeguarding the cultural, spiritual, and national legacy of the Tibetan people. More crucially, it aims to lay a robust global foundation to support the ongoing efforts of the Tibetan people.
Preserving Tibet’s opulent classical culture could open the door to an extraordinary convergence between the legacy of classical Buddhist Indian civilization—known for its profound exploration of the human mind—and the Western heritage of the Greco-Roman intellectual tradition. This unique encounter carries the potential for a sincere and positive transformation of consciousness and knowledge, essentially impacting humanity at its core.