White Wednesday: "The Lhakar Pledge"

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by a Tibetan blogger that was originally posted online on June 9, 2010 on a blog hosted by the now defunct site Tibet123.com.

The topic of this blogpost is "Lhakar", a term that literally translates into English as "White Wednesday" and a movement that has been growing inside Tibet in recent years. As Wednesdays are considered by Tibetans to be auspicious, the blogger outlines simple ways that Tibetans can assert their identity once a week.

High Peaks Pure Earth has been regularly monitoring online exertions of Tibetan identity, especially since 2008. The upsurge in online activity was first noted in our post of February 4, 2010 titled "I Am Tibetan" and over the next few months we translated many articles and poems by Tibetan bloggers that were all titled "I Am Tibetan". Follow this link for an online booklet of the "I Am Tibetan" poetry series.

More recently, High Peaks Pure Earth focused on Tibetan identity assertion looking through the lens of food, read the article "Tsampa Eaters and Sweet Tea Drinkers: Tibetan Identity Assertion Through Food". Whilst the force and scale of the Lhakar movement inside Tibet, by its very nature, is difficult to measure, there has been some exile Tibetan commentary written on it and also a burgeoning parallel campaign for Tibetans outside Tibet to support and engage in the Lhakar movement as well.

The Lhakar Pledge

1. The Nature of the Movement

This modest movement called Lhakar comes from the fact that I am Tibetan, and it is like a note reminding us that we are Tibetan in our daily life. Through this movement, we restore, renovate and keep our language, culture, identity and tradition.

Through this technique we can keep the people of the Snowland's soul language till the end of humankind. This technique helps us retain Tibetan culture, Tibetan good morals and the traditions which are born from our soul language. This technique is easy and it is meaningful.

2. Anticipation

This Lhakar movement began in anticipation as remedial medicine for hundreds of diseases for Tibetan brothers and sisters who live in every region. I hope that many Tibetan brothers and sisters will participate in this movement without any invitation and follow the eight promises or keep even one of them, and practice it. I am requesting all Tibetans to keep this pledge as I kneel down on my knees and humbly fold my hands on my chest, and make this request innumerable times.

Lhakar:

• I am Tibetan, from today I will speak pure Tibetan in my family.
• I am Tibetan, from today I will speak pure Tibetan whenever I meet a Tibetan.
• I am Tibetan, from today I will remind myself every day that I am a Tibetan till I die.
• I am Tibetan, from today I will wear only Tibetan traditional dress, chuba, every Wednesday.
• I am Tibetan, from today I will speak only Tibetan every Wednesday.
• I am Tibetan, from today I will learn Tibetan language.
• I am Tibetan, from today I will stop eating meat and only eat a vegetarian diet and gain more merit every Wednesday.
• I am Tibetan, from today I will only use Tibetan and speak Tibetan when I call or send a message to Tibetans.

Comment: 

I am really happy, thank you very much my good friend.