Sacred Arts of Tibet (.pdf) - Asian Art Museum | Education

Sacred Arts of Tibet
receive high graduate degrees such as the Geshe (doctoral) degree. Each of the larger monasteries contained
separate colleges specializing in such fields as ritual, philosophy, meditation or medicine. Monks in
Tibet have always enjoyed a measure of freedom that contrasts sharply with their Western counterparts.
They could seek teachers of their own choice, return to their family’s home, live in their own home,
transfer to other monasteries or enter into solitary meditation retreats. The Buddhist religion demands
intellectual integrity and independent thought above adherence to any doctrine or authority. This made
traditional Tibet a peaceful and spiritual society, but has now proved disastrous in the face of the Chinese
penchant for absolute obedience to arbitrary authority.
The monasteries were the cultural and administrative centers of Tibet. They were primarily the places of
worship and religious training, but they were also the preservers of tradition. They were the centers of
learning and the arts as well as the libraries and printing houses (see Slide 7, 8, and 12). They provided
social welfare to the needy in the way of orphanages and retirement homes. The monasteries had their
own lands, which were worked by hired laborers; these laborers were paid by the monasteries, thus fulfilling
a role similar to that of farm workers in America and Europe. The monasteries were self-contained
communities complete with elected leaders and bureaucracies. The largest, Drepung Monastery near
Lhasa, had over 10,000 monks at one time.
In fact, what made the Tibetan system unique is that the religious and secular systems were thoroughly
mixed together right up to modern times. This unification is best represented in the figure of the Dalai
Lama, who, from the sixteenth century until today, is viewed by Tibetans as both their spiritual and political
leader. His winter palace in Lhasa, the Potala, held the highest offices of both the lay and monastic
officials who comprised the central government of Tibet. This complete blending of the two worlds permeates
all aspects of Tibetan life and thought, producing an essentially spiritual outlook. One important
expression of wealth is the commissioning of religious statues of precious metals and paintings of exquisite
workmanship to be kept in the family shrine or donated to a monastery or temple. Religious art is thus
close to the heart of all Tibetans.
This historical role of monasteries no longer exists in Tibet. Since the invasion in 1959, most of the 6,000
monasteries have been destroyed. The remaining monasteries are run by a skeleton crew of monks who
are forced to perform on demand for tourists. Parents who want to send their children to be educated in
monasteries often leave Tibet to join the growing exile communities in India and elsewhere.
8
Asian Art Museum