Tibetan Culture in America: A Preview

In life, we are born into a sphere (our earth), which moves around its axis and periodically revolves around the sun. The moon revolves around us and creates the cyclical nature of time: day, week, month, year. Similarly, the planets in our solar system move around the sun. Therefore, as the Tibetans believe that in nature, there are infinite mandala movements that we live and experience on earth, for example flowers, snowflakes, tree trunks, conifer cones, hurricanes, Helix Nebula etc. Mandala means “holy circle” in Sanskrit which refers to a typical circuit, which can be a drawing, or other graphical mark. Over the years, various cultures around the world gave the notion of mandala a variety of symbolic meanings. There are cultures in which the mandala symbolizes the pattern of existence, and represents the basis of meditation and visualization. In addition, it represents a blessed place. The mandala represents the spirit of the cosmos and the existence of the world. The Squares, which appear consecutively, represent the dual principles, but also the complementary of the universe, the establishment of creation, and the rise of the soul to heaven. They also represent the center of power, leaving the secure zone from the effects of conflicts. This center functions as a key to enter heaven.

The mandala is built from a central point from which the branches that form circle-packed lines, geometric shapes, signs and symbols.  It symbolizes an energy drawing. The purpose of the mandala is to connect us to our soul and represent the flow of life. Furthermore, the energy circle symbolizes the energy of life. Mandala creation is based on the shape of the circle and helps in the process of personal healing and positive energy. Therefore, with these mandalas  that were inspired by my modern life time. I would like each of the observers to take his own individual inspiration from those Mandalas. It is up to the individual to interpret the meaning behind the mandalas, and to relate this meaning to themselves and to the larger world. This is the beauty of mandalas, and much of the spiritual Tibetan culture as a whole.

Here are the mandalas that we have chosen, both of which we thought could provoke interesting thoughts from the viewers. Also, they are two very different mandalas, and show the variety that can be seen between various modern mandalas.

At Little Tibet, we took a few minutes to interview the chef of the restaurant, a woman named Tenzin Che Ni, to find out some more about Tibetan food and the culture found in a Tibetan restaurant in New York City.

Amit : First of all, we really like the food, and the restaurant. It’s the first time we have been in Jackson Heights area, and it has been a very nice experience so far. We are taking a class om Tibet culture and the Tibet civilization. First of all, what is your name?

Tenzin Che Ni: My name is Tenzin Che Ni.

Jack: Nice to meet you. We have a few questions prepared for you about Tibetan food and culture. To begin, where are you from?

Tenzin Che Ni: I am originally from Tibet, but was born in India. My parents fled to India after 1959 when China occupied Tibet. My parents weren’t married then, and were very young, but they fled to India and that’s where I was born.

Amit: In terms of food what is your favorite dish to make?

Tenzin Che Ni: To make? I’m not sure, but as a kid I always enjoyed a traditional dish which is called Phingsha. It’s braised beef with vermicelli noodles in it and it has black dried mushrooms. That’s one of my favorites.

Jack: And in your perspective, what is the most Tibetan dish that you serve in the restaurant? If you have something in mind that is particularly Tibetan.

Tenzin Che Ni: I would say the dish I just mentioned and of course, Momos. The dish you just tried. It can be… Traditionally it’s beef Momos, but of course different tastes… Momos have evolved. You can do chicken, veggie, and everything.

Amit: So, in terms of people coming to the restaurant, are there any tourists?

Tenzin Che Ni: Yes a lot of them actually. One of our friends is a tour guide in Queens, so he brings in a lot of people from different parts of the U.S. Usually it’s from the U.S., but we’ve had a few international people from Australia and Japan. He has a website where people contact him to have a tour.

Amit: What’s his name?

Tenzin Che Ni: His name is Jeff Orleck. He’s very popular and he does the annual Momo crawl. It’s almost like a Momo festival where all the restaurants they compete in the best Momo, and we won this year. You see the trophy up on the wall? She showed us the trophy and apologetically rushed back into the kitchen, as the restaurant was very busy during that time. We were impressed with the trophy and with the overall experience that the restaurant provides. From the food, environment, design of the space, and of Tenzin herself, everything was exceptional.

 

Little Tibet: 72-19 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights, NY 11372

Jeff Orleck TOUR: http://iwantmorefood.com

Kundun is an amazing movie about the circumstances surrounding the choosing of the 14^th Dalai Lama, and the story of his life. Directed by renowned director Martin Scorsese, the true story of the film begins in 1937 with monks who are on a mission in search of the 13^th Dalai Lama’s reborn spirit. The 13^th Dalai Lama died three years before this search, when the current Reting Rinpoche, or regent of Tibet, has a vision about the next Dalai Lama. The ensuing search eventually leads to a small village in Tibet, where the two-year old 14^th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Yeshi Paichang) is found. The child is tested to see if he is really an incarnation of the Dalai Lama, and has to choose which of various objects that the monks possess are his. He passes this test with flying colors, and spends the next few years being taught by the monks, until he can be ready to leave with them back to Lhasa. The film is shot in episodes rather than scenes, and a large amount of time passes in between each episode.

The second portion is the Dalai Lama’s journey to Lhasa and his arrival as the spiritual leader of Tibet, in which he faces many challenges. The now five-year old Dalai Lama (Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin) is scared of all of the attention he faces and the pressure put on him, and feels very homesick as a result. However, he is comforted by the monks, specifically about their story of the first Dalai Lama, who they call Kundun. Once they reach Tibet, all is better, as he is enjoying his life as a child in an amazing land, living a comfortable life. However, in the next part of the movie, there is much turmoil in the Dalai Lama’s life, and he faces many challenges.

The viewer finds themselves right in the middle of China’s invasion of Tibet next, where the now twelve-year old Dalai Lama (Gyurme Tethong) faces an interesting dilemma. He must defend his homeland and the people he has been tasked with protecting, while keeping the Buddhist ideals of nonviolence. The Dalai Lama therefore has an intriguing inner conflict during this part of the film, and must choose whether or not to uphold his religious values in order to put his people at risk. He also meets with the leader of China at the time, Chairman Mao, to discuss their conflict. During their meeting, the intimidating figure of Chairman Mao tells the young Dalai Lama that “religion is poison”. Once he returns from this meeting, there is an agreement in place that never ends up being fully followed, as the Chinese still plan to kill him. His family and colleagues then convince him to flee to India, where he stays for the rest of the movie. This interestingly displays the difficult decisions that the real 14^th Dalai Lama had to face during this time period, where tensions with China were never higher.

Lastly, the adult Dalai Lama (Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong) finds himself on a treacherous journey through the rough terrain of Tibet, moving towards India. He faces many hardships during this trek, and even gets very ill during it. He has visions about the past and the future during this time, but eventually makes it to the Indian border, where he is finally at ease. The movie concludes with him reaching his residence and safe haven. Lastly, these crucial final lines appear on screen: “The Dalai Lama has not yet returned to Tibet. He hopes one day to make the journey”. This displays how much the Dalai Lama has had to deal with his entire lifetime, while staying devout and open-minded. Overall, this movie shows a plethora of Tibetan culture throughout, with rituals, prayer, and many of the historical events that transpired in Tibet during the mid 20^th century, but that are not yet resolved, as the Dalai Lama has still not returned to Tibet. I think that Kundun tells the story of the 14^th Dalai Lama amazingly, with a well-articulated plot and great acting to do the extraordinary story justice. Thus, I would recommend this movie to anyone looking to discover more about Tibetan culture as a whole, or to someone who is interested in Tibetan history. However, I think it would be an entertaining movie for anyone, as it accurately tells the astonishing true story of the journey that the 14^th Dalai Lama has undergone throughout his lifetime

A pocket of Tibetan culture in New York, Jackson Heights is home to many Tibetans, some of whom have relocated to the United States from foreign lands, others who simply chose to live in the area because of the large Tibetan population. The area is an old one, which began to gain popularity in the early 1900’s. Then, the population mostly housed white people, but has undergone many transformations since then. Many immigrants moved into the area around the 1950’s and 1960’s, and with that came many Tibetans, due to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the exile of many Tibetans that occurred during this time. Since then, the area has become amazigly diverse, leading up to the large Hispanic and Asian populations that the area has today.

Walking down from the subway station, you emerge on one of the more commercial streets in Jackson Heights, Roosevelt Avenue. On this street, there are multiple
Tibetan restaurants to be enjoyed, including Little Tibet, and a Himalayan Yak Restaurant. In addition, there are other Tibetan shops and stores nearby, and there is even the Om Shakti Temple, a place for these Tibetans to practice their Buddhism. The area of Queens in general is home to many different cultures, but this neighborhood has a specific Tibetan feel to it. This is due to these businesses, which can be seen all around the area. The majority of the people within Jackson Heights are in fact not Tibetan, but it is home to a large amount of Tibetans relative to other places in New York City and around the United States. Thus, Jackson Heights is an area filled with the  very unique culture of Tibet, which is on display all around the neighborhood.

 

 

Photo Credit: Google Images

Seven Years in Tiet is an intriguing film with many aspects of Tibetan culture intertwined into the plot. It tells the amazing true story of an Austrian climber named Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) that gets stuck in the area of Tibet while climbing the Himalayas, because of the start of World War II. He is captured by British soldiers on his trek down off of the mountain after a failed attempt to climb it, and is trapped in a British prison camp for two years at the beginning of the war. However, after many failed attempts, he escapes from the prison camp, and tries to make it on his own in the wild. Eventually, he makes it to Tibet with another Austrian named Peter Aufschnaiter (David Thewlis) whom he travels with throughout the movie. In Tibet, they are not popular figures at first, and face many hardships from the people there. Citizens who see them clap in their direction, trying to drive the evils of them away, and they are called devils by many people. At this time, foreigners were not allowed into Tibet, and so after a few days, the unwelcome Austrians are kicked out. Eventually, however, they find their way back to Tibet, and even reach Lhasa, where they are protected from exile by some local Tibetans.

When they get to Lhasa, the movie shows different parts of Tibetan culture, including prayer ceremonies, and the clear Chinese influence over the land. While they are there, the then young 14^th Dalai Lama takes some interest in Heinrich, and invites him to a meeting. The Dalai Lama calls Heinrich because he wants him to build a movie theatre near his palace, and while that is taking place, Heinrich teaches him all about the world outside of Tibet. They end up developing a close relationship, and the Dalai Lama even becomes a son-like figure for Heinrich, who abandoned his son in Austria. At this time, everything in the story is going well, until Chinese troops begin to approach Tibet. Because of this, Heinrich must help the Tibetans try to create an army, a very difficult task given their resources. Heinrich describes it as “a peace loving nation vainly attempting to create a military”, while also openly shaming the Chinese for disrupting such a peaceful nation. Three Chinese generals fly into Tibet for a meeting with the Dalai Lama, and they agree to remain peaceful, as long as China can become the political master of Tibet. This does not end up working out, however, and the Chinese beat the Tibetans easily in battle. So, China ends up in charge of the area, imposing harsh regulations onto Tibet. At the end of the movie, Heinrich says an emotional goodbye to the Dalai Lama, and leaves Tibet to return to Austria.

Overall, I would rate this movie highly on an educational and historical level, as it shows much about the region of Tibet. The movie gives a good feel of the tension in the area during this time period between the Chinese and Tibetans, and the chaos that broke out when the Chinese came to Tibet to gain power over the region. However, the film also focuses on many cultural aspects within the region, from attire, to prayer ceremonies, to religious art and music. This gives the viewer context into some of what makes Tibet such a unique and interesting place, and makes the movie entertaining as a whole. Thus, I would recommend this movie to anyone trying to see more about the culture of Tibet in an artistic setting, or anyone who is interested in learning about some recent Tibetan history.

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