"Why Was the Documentary To Commemorate the Yushu Earthquake Banned?" By Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser written on April 7, 2011 for the Tibetan service of Radio Free Asia and posted on her blog on April 14, 2011, the one year anniversary of the Yushu earthquake. 

"Three Provinces of the Snowland, Losar Tashi Delek!" By Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser that was originally written for broadcast on Radio Free Asia on March 1, 2011 and posted on her blog on March 4, 2011.

Woeser's blogpost is timed to coincide with Losar, Tibetan New Year. This year, there has been much discussion amongst Tibetan netizens on the regional variations when it comes to celebrating Losar, as well as the conflict in celebrating Chinese New Year when the timing does not coincide with Losar. For more on this topic, see the previous posting here on High Peaks Pure Earth titled "One Tibet, Many Tibetan New Years".

One Tibet, Many Tibetan New Years: Tibetan Bloggers Call for Unity

A Losar Card found on the popular social networking site RenRen.Com
The Tibetan reads: Good Losar, Happy Losar, Hope after Losar There Will Be A Change

High Peaks Pure Earth has been monitoring Tibetan blogs in the run up to Losar (Tibetan New Year). In 2009, we noticed that many sites were closed down in this period for "maintenance", partly also because the sensitive date of March 10 was approaching and also because many blogposts had been appearing, urging Tibetans not to celebrate Losar that year. 

Tibetans Write A Letter to the State To Air Grievances

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated an anonymous letter that appeared on a Tibetan blog on October 19, 2010, this was the time when Tibetan language protests were taking place in Amdo.

The letter was posted onto this blog on TibetCul but had already been removed just two days later. The blogpost does not provide any details or commentary on the 10 points contained in the letter. The blogger has just made a note that he copied the posting from somewhere else on the internet.

A Blogpost and A Poem on Tibetan language

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost and a poem both on the topic of Tibetan language.

Since the student protests of last month, October 2010, against the proposals to restrict the use of Tibetan language in classrooms in Qinghai province, the serious issues facing Tibetan language have evidently been weighing on the minds of Tibetan netizens.

Interestingly, the Tibetan language blog sites have been very quiet and prefer not to directly talk about the issues the recent language protests have raised, whilst on the Chinese language blog sites frequented by Tibetans, there is much chatter about the issue. Perhaps the language issues are felt more acutely and painfully by those who have lost their language. 

The Tradition of ‘Gu-thug’ Before Losar

As Losar (Tibetan New Year) is quickly approaching this year on February 14, and Tibetans in Tibet and all over the world are proudly asserting their Tibetan identity, what better way to start the year 2137 with a traditional bowl of hot steaming Gu-thug on Friday evening? 

High Peaks Pure Earth would not want anyone to partake in this tradition without knowing the ins and outs! High Peaks Pure Earth is therefore very grateful to Tsering Dhondup for allowing us to post his translation of "The Tradition of ‘Gu-thug’ before Losar" taken from "The Collected Works of Chabpel Tseten Phuntsog" ('chab spel tshe brtan phun tshog gi gsung rtsom phyogs sgrigs') and first published by China Tibet Educational Publishing House ('krung goi bod kyi she rig dpar skrun khang) in 1993. This article has also previously appeared in a newsletter published by Tibet Foundation, based in London.

Many Tibetans will be spending Gu-thug night far from home. Below, High Peaks Pure Earth has posted a 2008 video made by Tibetans studying in universities in Beijing. The video shows them preparing Gu-thug together and playing games. The video has three songs as its soundtrack, two Tibetan songs and one Chinese song. The first Tibetan song is by exile Tibetan pop star Phurbu T Namgyal called "Phayul Mayul", meaning "Fatherland, Motherland" and the second Tibetan song is by the most prominent Tibetan singers in Tibet, Yadong, Kunga, Tsewang and Gangshuk called, "Sems Kyis Log Phebs", meaning "Mentally Return". Both songs urge Tibetans to unite and assert their identity strongly.

The Tradition of ‘Gu-thug’ Before Losar

On the eve of the pen-ultimate day of the outgoing year, i.e. the 29th day of the twelfth month according to the Tibetan calendar, most Tibetans in and outside Tibet uphold an ancient folk tradition by having a family get-together for a special dinner called ‘Gu-thug’. Many people wrongly think that 'Gu-thog' derives its name from the nine different ingredients added to the broth when in fact it's a reference to the 'thugpa' taken on the 29th day.

This ritual symbolises the banishment of all evil and malevolent spirits that may be lurking in the house-hold. It appears to be a form of ancient folk rather than religious tradition of exorcising evil spirits because no monks and 'tantric' practitioners, whether Bon and Buddhist, are invited to participate in the ritual ceremony. The ritual involves neither prayers nor making offerings to deities for blessings or favours. The secular origins are evident from the fact that all members of the family, male and female, old and young, unite to share the ‘Gu-thug’ and then ritually drive out all evil spirits without help from holy men.

Given the regional variations that have occurred during the course of thousands of years, the following description of ‘Gu-thug’ ritual is primarily based on the tradition peculiar to the ‘Tsang’ region of Central Tibet, according to Chabpel Tseten Phuntsog on whose accounts this article is based.

The 29th day of the last month may be seen as a ‘spring cleaning’ when the family busy themselves in dusting, cleaning and tidying all the rooms. The layers of dust, soot, grime and all filth accreted during the year are got rid of, as much as possible. As the day wears off, it’s time to start preparations for cooking the ‘Gu-thug’.

Unlike the usual broth of meat in which small chunks of kneaded dough is cooked, care is taken to add special dough balls of varying shape and design, (see Table A) each supposed to symbolise the character trait of the person who draws it in his or her bowl of porridge. Twelve other dough balls of identical shape and size are made in which are inserted objects symbolising different human characteristics (see Table B). These special balls are dry-baked slightly on a fire so that they would hold their shape once they are mixed in the boiling stew of meat and chunks of dough. In addition, it's become common to add nine different ingredients such as cheese, radish, peas, ‘droma’ (wild sweet potato), salt, pepper, meat, dough balls, etc.

Another group of the family members may busy themselves preparing the dough effigy of a human figure to serve as the scapegoat for ritual banishment. The effigy is always placed in a broken piece of pottery or any other worthless utensil or expendable container. All around the effigy are placed all sorts of things such as dregs of tea-leaves, ‘bang ma’ (leftover grain after barley beer is made), bits and pieces of rubbish collected during the day’s cleaning, etc.

Then the members of the family gather and begin the ritual cleaning of oneself by rolling and wiping from head to toe with pieces of kneaded dough held in each hand.

Whilst rolling, rubbing and wiping oneself, one is supposed to face the dough effigy and say aloud things like, "Hey, you Scapegoat! Take away with you all sorts of pain, hurt, physical ailment, mental afflictions; all the four hundred and twenty four kinds of diseases and all of the eighty thousand kinds of impediments induced by  malevolent spirits that strike during the course of ‘360’ days or twelve months of the year and any other such disagreeable things that remain. Take them all with you across the great limitless ocean!” No taking chances here!

Finally, after about sunset, members of the family take their seats according to age and seniority in readiness for the ‘Gu-thug’ broth to find out who draws what kind of character predicting special dough balls. Traditionally, two empty bowls are placed in front of the family elder. Then the lady of the house starts serving the ‘Gu-thug’ with her eyes covered with a white sash to ensure impartiality whilst serving the prophetic dough balls.

Members of the family begin to help themselves to the ‘Gu-thug’ with mixed feelings. The special dough balls are fished out to discover what symbolic dough ball one has drawn. The discovery of positive predictions attract envious comments and congratulations but those who draw the negative predictions could feel very embarrassed as everyone seems to rejoice in having a laugh at one's cost. This is an occasion for great commotion and laughter depending on the person concerned and the draw made. The favourable dough balls drawn are collected in one bowl and the negative balls in the other bowl. At the end, each adds a bit of their left-over ‘Gu-thug’ around the Scapegoat effigy. The bowl containing the negatives draws are also poured around the Scapegoat. The bowl with the positive symbols are taken upstairs or on the roof-top.

Then follows the actual ritual of exorcising the evil spirits from the household. Two younger male members of the family carry a flaming torch fashioned with cloth, straw or bramble, and go from room to room shouting menacingly “Come out! Come out, you evil spirits and demons!” A female member of the family then carry out the broken pottery or container with the Scapegoat mired in a pile of leftover food and refuse. The men with the flaming torch follow her in mock chase of the evil spirits. Others clap their hands in ritual to signify good riddance. Then the door is tightly shut behind.

A significant point to note for those escorting out the banished Scapegoat is not to cast any backward glances towards their home while going out and not to look back towards the castaway Scapegoat while returning lest the evil spirits follow them home. The Scapegoat is placed at the nearest cross-road and the flaming torches are also left there. Often, as people from different families in the neighbourhood gather at the cross-road for the same purpose, they all linger on to sing and perform circle dances as a celebration of the successful banishment of the evil spirits.

Guthug Night in Lhasa 2007 from HPeaks on Vimeo

In the family home, they have to keep handy a tinder and bunch of dry bramble, a pail of water, ladles and bucketful of ‘tsampa’. As the Scapegoat escorts return and knock on the door to be let in, a voice from inside challenges them, “Our door needs a description before we can let you in.” And in response, the returning escorts sing, “Open up, the wooden-frame above the door is made of yellow gold. Open up, the thresh-hold below is made of turquoise. Open up, the four frames are made of purplish ‘mchong’ stone. Open up, the 'melong' frame is of red sandalwood. Open up, the door bolt is made of white conch shell.”

Finally, those inside hurriedly kindle the bunch of dry bramble and open the door.  As the escorts hurriedly walk in and leap over the crackling bundle of bramble, others from the sides douse them with water and sprinkle ‘tsampa’ over them as ritual cleansing and prevention of any evil spirit that might attempt to sneak in with them.

Then follow a happy period of drinking ‘chaang’and merry making with songs in praise of those who had drawn positive character traits and teasing of those who had drawn negative character traits, who are often parodied according to what kind of person they are supposed to be. The partying and merry making lasts until the wee hours, to mark good riddance to all things negative and to usher in the New Year that is hoped to bring health, happiness and success to all the members of the family.

Table A - Dough balls of varying shapes and their symbolism

Shape and design of dough ball	Name and symbolism
Spherical sun	‘Nyima’ – glory and fame
Barbed wire with sharp points	‘Zema Rago’ – wicked, hurts everyone
A crescent	‘Dawa’ – glory and fame
Like a cashew nut with the pointed end bent	‘Ma Nue Tse Kyog’ – incompetent sloth
Like a drop of pearl	‘Lama Konchog’ – honest and altruistic
Like a grain of rice or barley with pointed ends	‘Yar Nyung Mar Nyung’ – malicious, slanderer, instigator
Like a volume of scriptures	‘Dam Choe Puti’ – educated and cultured
Like a cashew nut with the pointed end tapering straight	‘Tog La Tse Nyung’ – greedy and gluttonous
A flat cuboid	‘Den Chung Dru Zhi’ – a life of ease and luxury
Like a 'Damaru' hand drum	‘Damaru’ – unreliable, two-faced person
A fat darkened spherical ball	‘Dug Droe Gormo’ – Gluttonous sloth
A smaller ball joined atop another larger ball	‘Lan Chag Gyabkhur’- illegitimate child-birth or illicit affair

Table B – dough balls of identical size and the symbolism of their contents

Content	Symbolism
Round white marble stone	Kind hearted, noble spirit
Ball of white wool	Forbearing, patient, good-natured
Thread rolled inwards	Introspective, withdrawn, introvert
Thread rolled outwards	Extrovert, creative, open-hearted
Piece of china	Loves food but hates work
Piece of charcoal	Scheming, calculating, vicious
Piece of chilli	Abrasive and hot headed
Piece of paper	Tendency to petty theft and pilfering
A ball of green pea	Cunning, scheming, deceptive
A piece of onion	Bag of farts
A piece of rock salt	Bum laden with salt-bag, lazy, sloth
‘Khul bu’ short soft undercoat of animals	Short tempered, ill-natured

“We Have our own Religious Symbols, our own Culture and History!” By Woeser

Ancient Tibetan mural depicting the origins of Tibetans

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser that was originally written for Radio Free Asia on January 20, 2010 and posted on her blog on January 25, 2010.

Woeser has written on similar themes in the past, follow this link to read her poem "2005-2008: Nothing Left but a Windblown Flame" translated by Ragged Banner. Woeser also refers to the Dragon Boat Festival in the fourth paragraph of her article below and last year, High Peaks Pure Earth translated a sarcastic and cutting commentary on the enforced celebration of Chinese festivals on minorities by a Tibetan blogger which is worth reading or reading again!

We Have our own Religious Symbols, our own Culture and History!
By Woeser

At the beginning of the New Year, the Chinese education department issued a new notice asking the entire country’s various kinds of schools during Spring Festival to organise their students to participate in an event “wishing the beloved motherland a happy and prosperous new year”.  The essence of this “congratulating the motherland” event is absolutely trivial: first, praise the magnificent native soil; second, praise the legendary early ancestors, Yan and Huang Emperors; third, praise the past dynasties’ outstanding figures; fourth, praise the revolutionary martyrs; fifth, praise all exemplary heroes; sixth, praise the millions of common people. A Chinese university professor sarcastically wrote on his blog: “our magnificent native soil has been continuously exposed to destructive exploitation and severe pollution affecting the lives of our descendents.” Furthermore, it has bit by bit been broken up into personally owned territories by the high officials and wealthy people, “which the poor will never get to see”.

Meanwhile, the following criticism will certainly stir up many people’s emotions: “praising the legendary early ancestors, Yan and Huang Emperors, means forcing people to all entertain the exact identical belief. The two emperors, Yan and Huang, are pre-historical legendary characters who are mainly worshipped by Han Chinese as their earliest ancestors… In the 21st century, the education department has come out asking all schools to organise the worshipping of the Yan and the Huang Emperors as the earliest ancestors, hence, forcefully interfering with people’s own beliefs and not respecting other minority nationalities’ own ancestral worship”. This reminded me of when the Uighur professor Ilham Tohti during his talk at the Central University for Nationalities two months ago where he particularly emphasised that “we are not the Yan and Huang Emperors’ descendants, neither are we the descendants of the dragon, we have our own religious symbols, our own culture and history!”

Gangchenpa, who has lived on the snowy highlands for generations, is of course also like this. There has never been any legend passed down since ancient times, nor has there been any page in ancient records and accounts that expresses or acknowledges how we are connected to the utterly irrelevant Yan and Huang Emperors. Opening up our Blue Annals, Red Annals, White Annals and so on, all of them written beautifully and sentimentally, describing the beauty of the snowy highlands, where “the three circles of Ngari on the upper parts are like a pool, the four wings of U-Tsang on the middle parts are like a canal, and the six hills of Khamo on the lower parts are like a field.” There the ape, the embodiment of the Bodhisattva Avolokiteshvara, and the rock demoness, who is the embodiment of the most venerated Tara, gave birth to the black-headed Tibetan people. The earlier Bon religion has in fact a creation myth of more ancient times. Many of the old legends are actually more related to India, especially the origins of our religion.

Recently I have been reading “Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny” by Economic Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen. He expresses that “only if we recognise diversity and variety in our lives, only if we regard ourselves as world citizens, think rationally and do not place people firmly inside a set of rigid boxes, can we perhaps realise peace in the contemporary world.” It is a shame that the more and more fascist China is brandishing the principles of nationalism and patriotism like two sharp swords, and is even abandoning the pretentious opposition to “Han Chauvinism” during the Mao era. It is simply going to assimilate the various “minority nationalities” under its control, and speed up the pace of the assimilation. One year ago, the Chinese Premier promulgated the decree that the traditional Chinese festivals, including the Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, were to be turned into official national holidays by law, requesting the country’s 56 nationalities to celebrate those three Han festivals on exactly those three days, thus, turning them into “faces of China” just like the Han. Furthermore, today, they simply start with the “babies in the cradle”, who have their own minority cultural background and inheritance. Since childhood, when they are just like a blank piece of paper, they are forcefully tainted by such ritualised events as “wishing the beloved motherland a happy and prosperous new year” thus applying a type of “Chinese quality” that is specific to totalitarianism.

Totalitarianism is the most violent form of terrorism. Totalitarianism does not only seize land, it also seizes the people living on the land, and it even more seizes the people’s memory and spirit. For this reason, following the everything but soft hearted military colonisation, now there exists the highest degree of cultural colonisation. However, identification with a country can by no means be achieved by using a gun against people’s minds. Otherwise, how is it possible that on the vast highlands of the three provinces in the past half-century, almost every 10 or 20 years desperate protests erupted everywhere?  How can Tibetans not know that bullets kill, that prisons exhaust life? Also, the identification with a country can neither be obtained through the superior feeling majority nationality’s charity. Just like one Uighur intellectual said: “If there is a certain degree of the Chinese people’s identification with the Uighurs, then there will be the same degree of Uighurs’ identification with the country.” These lines articulate the deepest agony as a result of discrimination, prejudice and severe impairment.

Beijing, January 20, 2010

To All Those Longing and Hoping, Summer is Approaching, the Dragon Boat Festival has Arrived!

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost originally written in Chinese by a Tibetan blogger calling himself "The Lost Curse" and was prompted by the Dragon Boat Festival holiday* (端午节 - duanwu jie) which this year fell on May 28th.

The Chinese government grants a 3-day holiday for the Dragon Boat Festival that this year also coincided with the Tibetan holy month of Saga Dawa (sa ga zla ba). In different years of his life, Lord Buddha took birth, achieved Enlightenment and passed away attaining Nirvana, all three of these important events are celebrated in the festival of Saga Dawa.

Which festivals to celebrate and which festivals not to celebrate have been the subject of much debate this year for Tibetans. Perhaps the most well-known example earlier this year was the decision by Tibetans in all Tibetan areas not to celebrate either Chinese New Year or Losar, Tibetan New Year. At the same time, it was reported that Tibetans were forced to celebrate Chinese and Tibetan new years against their will. Not long after, a newly designated 'celebratory day' was introduced by the Chinese government in the form of "Serf Emancipation Day".

This Tibetan blogger has cleverly used the enforced celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival instead of Saga Dawa as a starting point from which to ruminate on the greater issue of patriotism and concepts of a nation. By invoking Chinese historical figures and writing in an ironic style (that continues in the comments), this blogger has managed to avoid making overtly political statements related to Tibet.

Interestingly, one politically provocative was removed from the blog (High Peaks Pure Earth has translated it below the article), it is unclear who removed it and for what reason. However, the other comments are worth reading and show the familiarity and friendship between the blogger and the readers.

*The original link http://danda-466572.tibetcul.com/59786.html only works with Internet Explorer.

To All Those Longing and Hoping, Summer is Approaching,
the Dragon Boat Festival has Arrived!
By "The Lost Curse"

Recently, the work unit held a mass meeting demanding that the country’s cadres not celebrate the Saga Dawa Festival and also instructing their families not to participate. Three days ago, the work unit held a small meeting demanding all of us to correctly celebrate our Dragon Boat Festival and commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. After the meeting was over, I fostered a great interest towards this patriotic poet, who during his lifetime loved his country and after his death loved his country more than ever. Personally, I don’t remember history that well; I barely remember how Qu Yuan died; I cannot recall if he fell from grace with his superiors, lost all hope in his official career, took too many blows in life and jumped into a river or if he, facing all the corruption among officials, seeing the GDP drop severely, could not be bothered anymore and hence jumped into a river? Or did he jump and sacrifice his life when the Qin Dynasty was established and the northern as well as the southern sphere of his home soil (the Chu State) had disappeared? If he jumped because he saw his small homeland vanishing in an instant, well then he really was a truly remarkable patriot, and his end was really very tragic.

Talking about patriotism, Murong Fu, as vividly put in writing by the old fellow Jin Yong, was probably even more patriotic than Qu Yuan; he devoted everything to his thoughts and ideas, performing the greatest martial art stunts in order to restore his country (the Yanguo). But in the end this was not achieved, and he became insane. He was also a truly remarkable patriot, and his end was also really very tragic.

Now someone will surely ask: how is it possible that the two greatest patriots Chinese history ever witnessed are both so tragically tainted? Well, this is why: the surge of world events is gigantic; those who follow prosper, whereas those who oppose perish. These two people both opposed the great undertaking of uniting this ancient nation named China. They did not intentionally nurture the desire to divide the nation and to split China. Yet looking at it objectively, their behaviour did work towards obstructing the unification of the motherland and the great revival of the Chinese nation, going against the interest of the Chinese nation as a unit, hurting the feelings of the Chinese people who have the idea of unity. This is exactly why writing poems was fruitless; jumping off a building or into a river didn’t work either, and even if Qu Yuan had become the King (of the Chu State), would it have made any difference? Or would Murong Fu who had become the son-in-law of the Western Xia Dynasty’s emperor have been able to restore his country?......On a different note, at present, as a Marxist, one’s aim would be to eliminate the differences between countries and ethnic groups, to implement communism, and to liberate all human beings. Patriotism shouldn’t be growing as the size of a country diminishes; it should be: the bigger the country the greater the patriotism; along the lines of, it should be so until all its mountains and rivers have turned “red” and until there is no country to love. Hence, why tell people to excessively commemorate Qu Yuan? Isn’t it enough to just stay at home and eat some zongzi (rice dumplings)...... But the general masses can still say: if one cannot love a small country, how can one love a big country? We common people should still love Qu Yuan’s patriotic spirit, no matter whether what he loved was Hunan, Hubei, Henan, or Hebei. Besides, we’ve all got some days off now, everybody enjoy some nice food, there’s nothing wrong with that... so, let’s celebrate!

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, let’s celebrate, and eat some moon cakes! Lha Gyalo!








July 10 2009
Comment:
Oh, there’s a lot going on here. It seems I’m a bit late, the Dragon Boat Festival was a month ago, really sorry! I’m still in the process of acclimatising; everyday my brain feels muddy and obtuse, there’s no leisurely sophistication anymore, it’s all in black and white, all in decimal points, like a swarm blowing into my face...painful!
Sigh, long time no see. My deskmate is as charming as ever. Enjoying the festival and writing a short commemoration for an ancient honoured personality. It’s just showing respect for the patriotic Qu Yuan. You are a good cadre! I’m thinking that cadres who are this obedient will be above me in the future as sports committee members or as art and literature committee members, wow, amazing!!! Committee member comrade, what are you going to do on July 1st (the day the Chinese Communist Party was founded in 1921), and then it’s August 1st (the day of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army in 1927), and after that it’s October 1st (the day of the declaration of the People’s Republic of China in 1949). The good cadres will be really busy! I think highly of you!!!


[The following comment was subsequently deleted from the blog]

Comment:
Those stupid Tibetans! They just don’t deserve to stay in China, just get out of here!

The Lost Curse's reply:
You are hostile towards Tibetans; you are against Tibetans speaking out! Who are those stupid Tibetans? Apart from me, which other ones are there? Tell me! Idiots should get out of China? Chinese citizens should be deported because they’re stupid? According to which paragraph of the law is this? Are the stupid Tibetans in fact a foreign nation? Should we apply the same law that is used against foreigners? I see, you don’t only know anything about law, you are actually also a separatist!







June 15 2009
Comment:
Very well written, very discerning.

The Lost Curse's reply:
Thanks a lot!









June 12 2009
Comment:
Hey, zongzi actually taste really good.

The Lost Curse's reply:
In terms of taste, they are quite good, although I don’t really like eating sweet things.
They say that the Koreans have already successfully declared the Dragon Boat Festival as Korean cultural heritage, and the Chinese are naturally very unhappy about that. But taking zongzi as an example, South Asia is the home of rice; many have the habit of eating rice wrapped in a palm leaf, for instance, the Dai minority, the Thai people etc. Each one of them differs and is unique in terms of taste and style. In the future we should jointly hold a South Asian zongzi Festival, wouldn’t that be great? You would approve by raising both of your hands, right? Yes, the world’s people unite!









June 1 2009
Comment:
Haha! A most intriguing piece of writing!
Be grateful, be happy, eat zongzi, commemorate Qu Yuan, I’m brimming with tears...The Saga Dawa Festival has nothing to do with zongzi, nothing to do with Qu Yuan, we just have to yield in order to avoid conflict...

The Lost Curse's reply:
But we are happy! We are in their favour: let’s take good care of ourselves. Let’s not leave the house (let’s look after each other), we might get lost; let’s stay at home with our brothers and sisters, eat zongzi, which our forefathers have never eaten, and yearn for a patriot, which our forefathers have never heard of...!









30 May 2009
Comment:
I always thought that the Dragon Boat Festival is our greatest celebration, our act of kindness. Let us reject this extremely ignorant and backward religious Saga Dawa Festival, and grant us the exclusive authority to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. Some Koreans say that the Dragon Boat Festival is theirs; some countries’ people are just really irritating. I am currently at home feeling deeply thankful, eating some zongzi. Patriotic feelings will arise naturally.

The Lost Curse's reply:
It is!!! Celebrating traditional Chinese festival really is such an act of happiness! Eating jiaozi (dumplings), eating tangyuan (stuffed sweet dumplings), eating yuebing (mooncakes), eating zongzi, eating...eating...eating...eating...eating... You didn’t eat the wrong food, right?! Today’s the 29th; do we not have to eat yuebing? You definitely mustn’t eat the wrong thing...

More from Tibetan bloggers about Tibetan New Year

Tibetan netizens are really having heated debates about Losar, Tibetan New Year celebrations. The Tibetan language internet forums and blogs are full of posts diccussing the issue. Most of the posts are opposed to the celebration of Losar this year.

There are two points about Losar, the first issue is whether Tibetans should celebrate Chinese New Year or not and the second issue about whether it is appropriate or not to celebrate in light of last year's events. Some of the posters argue that particularly in Amdo, that Chinese New Year has always been celebrated and this year is no exception. However, some netizens argue that all the Tibetans should institute a common Tibetan New Year and adopt the date celebrated in Lhasa.


The posts are too numerous to translate, here High Peaks Pure Earth has translated two posts written in Tibetan entirely in verse. The first post (photo of the blog above) by a blogger named Cham med sha (khyams me zhags) is titled 'This year, No Losar for us' (nga tsho la lo sar med).

The second post is on a blog called Kyi! Kyi! My Tibet (Kyi! Kyi! Nga yi bod). This is also written in verse, in a sarcastic style and the blogger writes “This is written on behalf of the people of Dechen", (bDe chen pa’i tshab tu brigs). The title of the verse is “We are not Tibetan” (Nga tsho Bod pa min). High Peaks Pure Earth readers will remember that Dechen, in today's Yunnan province, is now formally named Shangri-la by the Chinese and has become one of the major tourist destinations in the area. Now, Tibetans have modified the name and added an adjective Khu sim meaning “silent” to the name. Khu sim Dechen (Silent Dechen) is used on account of the fact that last year, Dechen was one area where there were no protests. Hence the satirical tone of the verse.


This year, No Losar

Last year was washed by blood,
In Lhasa, countless compatriots
Were fallen under a piercing arrow,
This year, no Losar for us,
In Sichuan, countless people
Buried under the earth,
This year, no Losar for us,

There is only the word “no” on your lips.
We are speechless,
You are filled with anger
We have no bitterness

For the sake of the deceased valiant heroes
Let us offer our regrets.
For the deceased people,
Let us make offerings

Therefore, This year
How can Losar be celebrated?
Unequivocally! No.
To celebrate is like a mindless beast,

Furthermore,
An aeroplane crashed against a cliff,
This year, no Losar for us,
A train crashed,
This year, no Losar for us,

Even more, it’s endless,
Snowstorms covered the high lands,
This year, no Losar for us,
Drought in the low lands,
This year, no Losar for us,

Smile covered countenance,
A deceitful expression,
A sign of a defeat
It is a smile of fear
Adorned with a smile of happiness,
Actually, this is a false smile
Covering dishonesty,

You are thoughtless of the people,
You pay no heed to the world,
Have you looked at the world?
You have not tread the modern path,

Mind is filled with sadness
And suffering,
Therefore, because of our anguish,
Let's not partake in Losar this year.



We Are Not Tibetan
Written on behalf of the Tibetan people of Dechen

Didn’t hear what happened in Lhasa last year
No idea what is happening there today,
Shortly, it will be Chinese New Year,
Preparing to celebrate,

Don’t know if Tibet is stable or not
Cannot see Chinese trickery,
Anycase, in a day or two it will be Chinese New Year,
Will joyfully celebrate,

In a few days time it will be Chinese New Year,
Will decorate the altar with meat and beer,
Will sing and dance
Celebrating joyfully,

In a few days time it will be Chinese New Year,
Welcome Losar with songs,
After singing the songs,
Cast them out from the Tibetan race.

Comments:






These people are really as fickle as butterflies.










Friend thank you for visiting,
Thanking of your advice,
However, the news from Dechen, Yunnan,
Is the people of Dechen will not be celebrating Losar,
This is the honest truth,
This is written in the style of a song,
Friend don’t be offended.











Living without seeing and hearing,
Dancing and singing songs like this,
It's pointless to say these things,
I have one thing to say to you,
Compatriots who lost their lives
Remember them in the heart,
Throw away this year’s Losar,
Don’t cast them from the Tibetan race,
Flesh and blood cannot be changed,
The people can be transformed
Can you hear, my heartfelt friend?

Tibetan bloggers discuss Tibetan New Year

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a Tibetan blogpost on the subject of Tibetan festivals and celebratory days. On January 16th 2009, the TAR Regional Government announced that March 28 of every year will be observed as "Serfs Emancipation Day". The institution of a new celebratory day in Tibet is clearly an attempt to alter Tibet's historical memory and enforce greater obedience and linkage to China.

A blog by Lamlak (lam lags) reports that the County government is forcing Ngaba Monastery to change the dates of new year and winter religious ceremonies to coincide with the Chinese New Year - this year, the two new years are a month apart. On Tibetan blogs, there has been much discussion about this year's Tibetan New Year, Losar (lo gsar). A blogger called A thub (a thub) confirms what Lamlak has written. A thub says that everyone is being forced to celebrate Chinese New Year, not just in the monastery but the ordinary villagers in Ngaba are also being told the same.

Another blogger named Mangbu Rukam (Mang bu rus skam) noted on his blog that there had been much discussion on the internet about whether Losar should be celebrated this year or not. Rukam also discusses if Tibetans should institute the same date for Losar amongst the Tibetans, as traditionally Losar is celebrated on different dates in different parts of Tibet.

As evidence of this ongoing debate about whether to commemorate or to celebrate, a text message is being circulated amongst Tibetans in Tibet and around China. High Peaks Pure Earth has the following blurred photo of the text message in Chinese:


The text message reads: To mourn the lives of more than 2000 Tibetan heroes and compatriots who died in 2008, for this sorrowful year for Tibetans whose blood was shed, in the Tibetan Community all over the world, new year and all festivals won't be celebrated, holding the palms of the hands together in prayer, forward [this message] to Tibetans.

Finally, for a poem by Woeser about Tibetan festivals, please go to this translation by Ragged Banner.


Blog by Lamlak (lam lags)


News from Kirti Monastery in Amdo Region

A few days ago, the People’s Government of Ngaba County declared that Kirti Monastery should celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year and all winter rituals which actually take place during the Great Prayer Festival must be performed one month earlier than its actual date. The reason is because the people of Tibet are to celebrate Chinese New Year as Tibetan New Year. All the monks in the monastery are planning to return to their homes.

As a matter of fact, this is just taking control of freedom of religion. The celebration of May 1st (Labour Day) and October 1st (the celebration of the founding of the PRC) have come about by Chinese government order.

Religious belief is something in the mind of the people. How can it be proper to force people to celebrate their religious festival that is in no accordance with the religious calendar. Now, it is really difficult for the Tibetan people to predict whether the Great Prayer Festival will take place or not this year. We are not sure whether all these notices come directly from the State Council or not. There are many people coming to Ngaba Dzong, who have no idea about Tibetan customs and are promoting activities that have no relevance to our culture.

Comments:








Friend, thanks for the news. This is really astonishing! If Tibet is being developed as planned by the government of China, then Tibet will disappear one day. Therefore, for the sake of our nationality, the only thing we can is to be more alert of our situation and take greater responsibility.








Corruption is prevailing in every corner of society and the intellectuals and politicians are becoming tools of politics, then who will taking care of the wellbeing of the ordinary people?








After reading this kind of news, what we can do?






The Red Government of China is truly a bloodsucking, brutal regime.

'Let Us Make Lamp Offerings and Light Candles to Commemorate the Souls of the Deceased' by Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser originally written for Radio Free Asia on 8th January 2009 and posted on her blog on 14th January 2009.

'Let Us Make Lamp Offerings and Light Candles to Commemorate the Souls of the Deceased' by Woeser

At the beginning of the New Year, the various festivals with best wishes have arrived one after another. These festivals include those of the East, the West, Tibet and China etc. If it is really a peaceful and flourishing age, a true reunion of the entire family, and if it is indeed a period in which the old can grow old, people in the prime of their life can put their talents to use and the young can grow up and mature peacefully, then we will naturally have our own unique customs to celebrate these festivals which have lasted for centuries.

However, this year’s celebration will be different. This year’s differences are due to the fact that so many people have been plunged into the abyss of misery. In the land of Tibet, in the villages, pastures and towns of Amdo, central Tibet and Kham, many white-haired grandparents and parents had to endure the suffering of attending the funeral of young blacked-hair people. What is even more tragic is that some of these white-haired ones have not been able to attend the funeral services since the black-haired ones have disappeared without their corpses being able to be found. The family members do not know the day they died, thus, it is not even possible to hold the religious ceremony to release the soul of the deceased from purgatory suffering. The monasteries have already been closed, and monks expelled. There are countless vultures circling around over the desolate sky burial grounds.

Then, let us light butter lamps to make offerings in memory of the deceased, whose exact number we still do not know, in the corners where the video surveillance can not reach. Furthermore, those of us who live in alien lands and do not have butter lamps to offer, let us light candles for those deceased whose exact number we still do not know. Like March 16 last year, several hundred Tibetan students from the Northwestern University for Nationalities in Lanzhou spread out banners with the slogan “share weal and woe with Tibetans” on the ground, and staged a sit-in under candlelight throughout the night. On March 17, over a hundred Tibetan students from the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing also lit candles and staged a sit-in on the campus, thus, the fire of protests extended to the capital of the “empire”.

In our culture and tradition, we attach great importance to the commemoration of the deceased. Many rites are the ones to offer sacrifices, and all the sacrifices have to make offerings to deities for the souls of resentful relatives and creditors. The forty-nine days, from the first week to the seventh week, are the forty-nine phases the soul of the deceased has to pass through the intermediate stage between death and rebirth, so the family not only need to invite the monks to perform Buddhist rites to release the soul of the deceased from purgatory suffering, but also have to give alms on a large scale to the poor. The coming year is similarly important, in fact the entire coming year should be the year to make sacrifices! At such a moment, we should pay tribute to the monks who are qualified to be called lamas. It is because only the practice of the monks can help the souls of the deceased to head for the truth, the light and a good rebirth. This is not superstition, on the contrary, it is the cherished memory of the deceased, which is the deepest and most beautiful feeling of mankind. Even Lenin said that “forgetting the past means betrayal”. For those of us who believe in religion, forgetting about the deceased means betrayal and signifies that we walk around without any feelings. If one does not commemorate one’s deceased relatives, then one is worse than a beast. If members of an ethnic group do not commemorate their deceased compatriots, then they are also worse than beasts.

Cherishing the memory of the deceased is not a virtue unique to any ethnic group. Similarly, the Han Chinese also deeply cherish the memory of their compatriots who have died. I read an article written by a Chinese who suffered in the “Incident of June 4” in 1989. After having been silent for as long as twenty years, he made a series of short films entitled “1989: The Calling of Memory”. He wrote, “ …the gun shots smashed all our dreams, how is it possible what’s smashed are just dreams of individuals? Our entire ethnic group has a common pain, but because of fear, we even dare not think about the pain, or dare not touch the pain. In this way, this pain has been buried in the heart of each one of us for year after year…When all our world desires have been satisfied, we ourselves are feeling more and more lost. We have material wealth, but we have lost our soul.”

To respect life is to respect oneself, and to cherish the memory of the deceased is to rescue and redeem oneself. The brutality and valiance of a materialist lies in the fact that he believes in guns and money. However, they also acknowledge the law of birth, death, illness and death as well as the law of rise and fall. Even Mao Zedong, who claimed that he himself was an outstanding person compared with others in history, was not able to avoid death. What is absurd is that after Mao’s death, a memorial hall was built for his corpse. Is this different from the countless terracotta warriors buried underground by the First Emperor of Qin? Certainly, if materialists also have the right to cherish the memory of the deceased, Tibetans who have religious belief should also have the right to cherish the memory of the deceased!

Therefore, 2009 is the year for us to cherish the memory of the deceased. And we have our own way to do so: make lamp offerings and light candles to commemorate the souls of the deceased, and recite the mantra of Avalokiteshvara: Om mani padme hum!

8th January 2009, Beijing