Tibetan literature - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Tibetan literature generally refers to literature written in the Tibetan language

Tibetan language

The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...

since the invention of the Indic-style script

Tibetan script

The Tibetan alphabet is an abugida of Indic origin used to write the Tibetan language as well as the Dzongkha language, Denzongkha, Ladakhi language and sometimes the Balti language. The printed form of the alphabet is called uchen script while the hand-written cursive form used in everyday...

in the mid 7th century. The term can also be applied to any work by a Tibetan, as writers sometimes opt to use Chinese

Chinese language

The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

or English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

to reach a wider audience.

Historical

Literature in the Tibetan language received its first impetus in the 8th century with the establishment of the monastic university Samye

Samye

The Samye Monastery or Samye Gompa is the first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet, was most probably first constructed between 775 and 779 CE under the patronage of King Trisong Detsen of Tibet who sought to revitalize Buddhism, which had declined since its introduction by King Songtsen Gampo in...

for the purpose of the translation of the voluminous Buddhist texts from Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

into the vernacular. In their final form, established in the 14th and 17th centuries respectively, they comprise the 108-volume Kangyur

Kangyur

The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various schools of Tibetan Buddhism, made up of the Kangyur or Kanjur and the Tengyur or Tanjur .-The Tibetan Buddhist Canon:In addition to earlier foundational Buddhist texts from early Buddhist schools, mostly...

, and its 224-volume commentary, the Tengyur

Tengyur

The Tengyur or Tanjur is the Tibetan collection of commentaries to the Buddhist teachings, or "Translated Treatises"...

. Because of the destruction of the monastic universities of India by the Mughal

Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire ,‎ or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...

s, the Tibetan versions of some works are the only extant ones. Around 950, a secret library was created in the Mogao Caves

Mogao Caves

The Mogao Caves or Mogao Grottoes , also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas , form a system of 492 temples southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China...

near the oasis of Dunhuang

Dunhuang

Dunhuang is a city in northwestern Gansu province, Western China. It was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. It was also known at times as Shāzhōu , or 'City of Sands', a name still used today...

to protect Buddhist scriptures, and it is by this means that we possess many of the oldest versions of some Tibetan, Chinese and Uighur texts.

Throughout most of its history, Tibet has been dominated by lamaseries, and consequently the majority of Tibetan works are strongly marked by Buddhist thought: they are mostly religious, historical, and biographical texts, or a mixture of these genres. There are also collections of folktales (for example, those involving the trickster

Trickster

In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. It is suggested by Hansen that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this...

figure Uncle Tompa) and works dealing with the ancient Bön religion. Particularly well known in the West are the Tibetan Book of the Dead
Bardo Thodol
The Liberation Through Hearing During The Intermediate State , sometimes translated as Liberation Through Hearing or Bardo Thodol is a funerary text...

, translated into English in 1927, the 120-volume Epic of King Gesar, one of the few living epics, and The Tale of the Incomparable Prince by Tshe-rin-dban-rgyal (1697–1763), translated into English in 1996.

During this time the mainstream is translated Buddhist scriptures, but also related to other disciplines such as philosophy, medicine, astrology, literature and so on. Translation from Sanskrit to Tibetan mainly. So how does the situation of literary translation? Translated into Tibetan Buddhist classics, in addition to a lot of discussion outside the writings of Buddhist teachings, there are many of the Buddha, the Buddha's biography, fables, stories, poems praising deities, these works of literature and the color is very strong. To describe the Buddha's life merit for the content of rhyme body work "wishful vine" is a very beautiful poetry, which later became the model for the Tibetan poets reading. Not only is the book discusses Buddhist teachings, in order to facilitate memory and recite, most have adopted the body in the form of rhyme, the text narrative, the description of thinking in images, Xing means than the use of literature are no doubt add a lot of color. So, Tibetan literature and culture of Tibetan Buddhism has very close ties. The early Tibetan history books, "Pakistan Association", "five teachings," the latter part of the history books, "Wise Wedding Banquet", "WANG Chen mind; Cuckoo Song" and although the history books, its literary value can not be ignored, the book some of the wonderful dialogue and delicate portrayal gives memorable impression. This means that a lot of translation of Buddhist scriptures in Tibetan literature for the development of inadvertently creating good conditions. The thirteenth century, proficiency in ten out to learn Pandita - Sakya Gongga Gyaltsen first talked about rhetoric. In his "Introduction to the wise," This book's second chapter describes the very limited space, rhetoric, and his insights from the seventh century these well-known classical Indian literary theory book, "Poetry Mirror" (The author is in India in the seventh century classical literary theorist Tan D). To the fourteenth century, the London literary theoretical works by the great male teacher translated into Tibetan, was made to help teachers carefully collated translation, as a textbook for teaching, since "poetry Mirror" has become the top scholar of Tibetan monks to learn writing This required course. From this phenomenon we can consider, Sakya Pandita is the first in the history of Tibetan literature, literary theory, the introduction of foreign masters. The male London, to help two big division is to continue to complete the translation of Albert Saban, comprehensive and systematic introduction of foreign literary theory, the theory of Indian classical literature, "poetry mirror" in the Tibetan literary roots in the soil, and the later Tibetan literature had a profound impact. Fourteenth-century "poetic mirror," the first translation until the twentieth century, nearly seven years in Tibetan Tibetan literary writers were actually based on the "poetry mirror" theory made a profound comprehensive study of its great research, writing many with outstanding achievements in the Tibetan literary theorists have meters next; Spengler Namgyal, the Fifth Dalai Lama, Hong chase; Tenzin song Jini Ma, suka; Los chase Jeb, Jen collapse; Ngawang tie, Kume next; Namgyal Gyatso, was Dan Xia Rong, Maoergai; Sangdan, East Ga; Lausanne red columns, etc., they write a lot with the insights of the "poems mirror" theory works, and creative a "poetic mirror," as the creative guidance of outstanding poems, a traditional Tibetan literary works of poetry a model. Produce such a work of literary theory at the same time, the Tibetan scholars in the rhetoric of science has also made outstanding contributions. Rhetoric writings of "wise men earrings" is Jen collapse; Ngawang bar book, this book's rhetoric in the writings of the existing length of the largest, richest vocabulary. Rhetorical writings of the advent of the rich Tibetan literary language, play a positive role in promoting, thus the prosperity of Tibetan literature has created good conditions. Outstanding Classical Literature in India at this time as "wishful vine", "cloud that", "six young people story" (Some people think that "six young people story" is not a translation, but the Tibetan literary writer, I have a different view, once wrote the article that "the story of six young people" is the translation of works) "thirty-four Bunsen Biography", "winning praise God destroy", "Ramayana", "Shagongdaluo" (translation section) and maxim poem "King of the line" theory, "advised the family and friends book" and other works of Tibetan translations appear, greatly broadened the horizons of Tibetan writers are creative. (Editor CHEN Jing)

In modern Tibet

After 1980, Tibetan literature underwent a period of great expansion as the destruction wrought by the Cultural Revolution

Cultural Revolution

The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...

was slowly repaired, and the influence of Chinese poetry, and of Western poetry in Chinese translation, began to make itself felt. Despite these influences, critics and editors gave priority to stories and poems with traditional settings. Most new work takes the form of poetry; the number of modern novels in the Tibetan language is still under 25.

The literary scene since the 1990s generally organises itself in terms of small self-named groups of young writers, many of whom studied at Qinghai University

Qinghai University

Qinghai University is a university located in Xining city, the capital of Qinghai province, China. Established in 1958, the university awards bachelor's degrees in the areas of economics and management, agriculture and stockbreeding, science and technology, engineering, veterinary sciences, adult...

in Xining

Xining

Xining is the capital of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. It has 2,208,708 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,198,304 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.-History:...

(Silung). Among the first were the Four Demons of the Old Fort, followed by such groups as the Four Scholars, the Four Owl-Siblings of Rongwo, the Third Generation, etc. There is a Tibetan Association of Writers and a literary journal. Within China the most promoted author is Alai

Alai (author)

Alai is a Chinese poet and novelist of Rgyalrong Tibetan descendent. He was also editor of Science Fiction World.- Novels :...

(1959-), who writes in Chinese.

Diaspora literature

Writers in the Tibetan diaspora

Tibetan diaspora

The Tibetan diaspora is a term used to refer to the communities of Tibetan people living outside Tibet. Tibetan emigration happened in two waves: one in 1959 following the 14th Dalai Lama's self-exile in India, and the other in the 1980s when Tibet was opened to trade and tourism. The third wave...

also produce literature. The first literary journal of such writers was Jangzhon (1990–97), which was succeeded by several different independent periodicals; and the First National Conference of Tibetan Writers, organised by the Amnye Machen Institute, was held from 15–17 March 1995 at Dharamsala

Dharamsala

Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....

, India. Books in English

English language

have been written by exiles such as Bhuchung T. Sonam, Tsering Wangmo Dhompa

Tsering Wangmo Dhompa

Tsering Wangmo Dhompa is the first Tibetan female poet to be published in English. She was raised in India and Nepal. Tsering received her MA from University of Massachusetts Amherst and her MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University...

, Jamyang Norbu

Jamyang Norbu

Jamyang Norbu is a Tibetan political activist and writer, currently living in the United States, having previously lived for over 40 years as a Tibetan exile in India.-Biography:...

and Tenzin Tsundue

Tenzin Tsundue

Tenzin Tsundue is a poet, writer and Tibetan activist. He won the first-ever Outlook-Picador Award for Non-Fiction in 2001. He has published three books to date which has been translated into several languages. Tsundue's writings have also appeared in various publications around the world...

. Especially popular are autobiographies

Autobiography

An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...

of Tibetans for an American and British audience. However, pressures from the popular expectations of Western readers for what Vincanne Adams calls the "authentic Tibetan" limit success to authors who identify themselves "as Buddhist, as nationalist, and as exiles". Tibetans who actually live in Tibet, or whose experience incorporates aspects of Chinese or Western culture

Western culture

Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...

, are seen to be "tainted".

Some modern writers

Dungkar Lozang Trinlé
Dungkar Lozang Trinlé
Dungkar Lozang Trinlé was one of the most important Tibetan historians of the 20th century....

(1927–97)
Tseten Zhapdrüng (1910–85)
Mugé Samten (1923/4-93)
Dorjé Gyelpo (1913–92)
Khyenrap Ösel (1925-)
Druprik Khyumchok (1930-)
Tupten Nyima (1943-)
Alak Dorzhi (1935/6-)
Lugyel Bum
Jamyang Drakpa
Döndrup Gyel (1953–85)
Nordé
Penjor Langdün
Repgong Dorjekhar
Sebo (1956-)

Chapgak Dorjé Tsering
Chöpa Döndrup
Dorjé Tsering (Jangbu)
Rinchen Trashi
Tsering Döndrup
Tashi Dawa (1959-, Sinophone)
Patsé
Lhagyel Tsering
Namsé
Gönpo Trashi
Orgyen Dorjé
Trashi Döndrup
Pema Tseten
Tenpa Yargyé
Yangzin (1963-)

External links

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Historical

In modern Tibet

Diaspora literature

Some modern writers

See also

External links