I don't know if it is possible now to preserve Tibetan Culture in Tibet. Because of how few the Tibetans actually are now and because of how many the Chinese are it may be much like the plight of native Americans in the 1800s and 1900s. It may only in the end be blend or die just because of numbers. Though there could yet be a Little Big Horn and someone like Crazy Horse I don't presently see a good outcome from Tibetans fighting the Chinese for their country.
However, I believe firmly that Tibetan Culture and Religion must be preserved and I believe that everyone possible should work to preserving as much as possible of the several thousand year old Tibetan Culture so it won't be completely lost in the next 100 years or more.
To me, Tibetan Culture fills a place that no other culture on earth can or does. It was until about 1950 the only culture left untouched by the ravages of secular and religious war.
Because of this, records from 2500 years ago concerning Asia, the middle east and Europe were all stored in Tibet much the same way that duplicate records were stored in multiple computers in the United States in case one city was nuked during the 1950s through 1980s. In fact, the internet came directly from this technique.
It is vitally important that all of the older Tibetan people who are literate share in the form of books or on internet blogs what life was really life for them and their parents and their parents. It is vital that they share their families religious experiences and what worked for them in this amazing and isolated until 1950 Tibetan Kingdom.
In 1985 and 1986 when I visited Nepal and India it was still quite difficult to get into Tibet from Nepal and India and one friend of mine had taken a bus from Kathmandu, Nepal to Lhasa and had seen a busload of tourists frozen to death on the road at 20,000 feet. This discouraged me from taking my wife and family into Tibet by bus, which was the only way open to us from Nepal and India at that time. So we never went to Tibet but only stood on the border of Tibet and Nepal high in the Himalayas.
However, we met many Tibetans and Sherpas which both tend to be Tibetan Buddhist. I was very moved by such kind, simple, precious and devoted people. I felt very honored to meet every one of them I met during my 4 months in Nepal and India.
I went with my family to Bodhgaya to meet a Tibetan Lama friend that we met in Santa Cruz, California. We did not know that the Dalai Lama was also going to be there with 500,000 other Tibetan Buddhists and other Buddhists who wanted to receive the Kalachakra Initiation from the Dalai Lama. After we met our Lama friend there he convinced us to also as a family to receive the 4 day Kalachakra initiation while we were there. We didn't know what it was at the time except that it had something to do with entering Shamballa for a good life after one passes on. Shamballa is a dimensional heaven type of place that the movie Shangri-La is based upon(the 1930s one and the more recent one(S)?
I found the Tibetans and Nepalis and Sherpas some of the most kind and sincere people I had ever met. They also tended to be very physically strong and tough. But always very kind and helpful and resourceful.
I knew then that such and evolved and kind culture must be preserved for all mankind for I have seen nothing else like it on earth.
The Tibetan culture was and is the most naturally ecological culture I have ever seen. To survive mostly above 8000 feet is a feat in itself, constantly dealing with the issues of thin air, craggy trails, hypothermia and many many other ways to die every day I could only have the greatest respect for such a people who actually survived above 8000 feet for thousands of years and did so well at it.
IN such a culture people are always prepared to die at any moment. This changes the way people relate and tends to make them much more straightforward and honest when everyone knows anyone could die at any moment. This creates a kindness and helpfulness I haven't seen many other places on earth. Such components of a culture must be preserved because these ideas will help the human race physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually survive all the amazing and incredible challenges we all must face now and in the future!
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