Attention Gene Ching, I got a question on Tibet

[diego]

"Tibet is the rooftop of the world. Although this sounds romantic, in truth, that soaring altitude is an extremely harsh environment that can barely sustain life. Tibetan people have to be incredibly tenacious just to survive in this barren landscape. This is reflected in Tibetan Buddhism, replete with horrific symbolism, of flayed skins, terrifying demons, flaming swords and grinning skulls. While westerners embrace the compassionate teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the complicated (and unpopular) back story is that, under Lama rule, Tibet was incredibly backward, with extreme poverty for the majority while the elite monk class enjoyed relative wealth. The monks were slave owners and by many accounts brutal warriors." Gene's quote

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/maga...hp?article=661

You caught my attention with this paragraph, but left me wondering Would you so kindly share all you know about tibetan warrior monks?.
Peace

[diego]

upping ttt

[HOKPAIWES]

http://www.case.edu/affil/tibet/book...dab%20Ldob.pdf


I extremely am interested in the replys to this topic, recently I stumbled across this site linked above. I found it pretty dry at first but it was good reading and informative once it got really rolling. Aside from the stuff involving young boys the system was set up pretty cool, a bit of Tibetan gladiatorism so to speak.

[diego]

http://www.case.edu/affil/tibet/book...dab%20Ldob.pdf


I extremely am interested in the replys to this topic, recently I stumbled across this site linked above. I found it pretty dry at first but it was good reading and informative once it got really rolling. Aside from the stuff involving young boys the system was set up pretty cool, a bit of Tibetan gladiatorism so to speak.

Thanks for the link

Gene, the crickets are getting vewy sweepyyy...

[unkokusai]

"Tibet is the rooftop of the world. Although this sounds romantic, in truth, that soaring altitude is an extremely harsh environment that can barely sustain life.

That's for sure. When I was there back in '95 nearly half the tourists (Han and waigouren alike) dropped from altitude sickness within 12 hours of arrival.

[GeneChing]

Goldstein's paper is the best source for this info. Chris Heintzman (student of David Chin) had passed that along to me when I was working on the article. The ****sexual aspect is fascinating - something I seriously toyed with for the intro of that article but then decided it wouldn't fit that well.

I'm afraid my other sources are rather colloquial. One of my close personal friends went to Tibet to work on a photography book - he lived there for a spell and got to know some monks quite well. I consulted him for the intro to that article. Also, I used to do volunteer work with a woman that did some security work with the personal guard monks of the Dalai Lama. I've lost contact with her, but she had some very interesting observations. I didn't use anything from her because I didn't know her that well and I could never cross validate what she said. My only research beyond that was personal - mostly into Yamataka and Mahakala cults.

Please note that I mean no disrespect to the Dalai Lama, but the Tibetan monastic system can be very harsh. Most Americans don't know the half of it. Most don't want to know.

[unkokusai]

In related news, the PRC is planning on building a road up the side of Mt. Everest.

[GeneChing]

China to build highway up Everest
POSTED: 9:32 a.m. EDT, June 19, 2007

BEIJING, China (AP) -- China will build a $20 million blacktop highway on Mount Everest as part of the route for the Olympic torch relay, state media reported Tuesday.

Xinhua News Agency said the construction would turn a rough, 67-mile road stretching from the foot of the mountain to a base camp at 17,060 feet, into a paved "highway fenced by undulating guardrails."

Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, is 29,035 feet tall.

It said construction would start next week and would take about four months, and the new highway would become a major route for tourists and mountaineers.

In April, organizers for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics announced ambitious plans for the longest torch relay in Olympic history -- an 85,000-mile, 130-day route that would cross five continents and scale Mount Everest.

Taking the Olympic torch to the top of the mountain, seen by some as a way for Beijing to underscore its claims to Tibet, is expected to be one of the relay's highlights.

China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially an independent state for most of that time. Chinese communist troops occupied Tibet in 1951 and Beijing continues to rule the region with a heavy hand.

Ever since building the great wall, China has loved tackling absurd structures.

[lkfmdc]

Tibetan history and culture is fascinating but sadly clouded by a desire to paint the people in nothing but positive light. Yes, they are currently oppressed and homeless, the Chinese do a lot of terrible things, but no one is served by white washing aspects of their traditional history and culture

[lkfmdc]

Ever since building the great wall, China has loved tackling absurd structures.

"tackling absurd structures"? sounds almost like trying to moderate this forum

[PangQuan]

"tackling absurd structures"? sounds almost like trying to moderate this forum

LOL!

Anywho, I saw this special on the train that goes from China(not sure what part) to Tibet.

Really crazy thought, highest altitude train on the planet...250,000 workers to do it, 4 years, and deaths...

[diego]

Goldstein's paper is the best source for this info. Chris Heintzman (student of David Chin) had passed that along to me when I was working on the article. The ****sexual aspect is fascinating - something I seriously toyed with for the intro of that article but then decided it wouldn't fit that well.

I'm afraid my other sources are rather colloquial. One of my close personal friends went to Tibet to work on a photography book - he lived there for a spell and got to know some monks quite well. I consulted him for the intro to that article. Also, I used to do volunteer work with a woman that did some security work with the personal guard monks of the Dalai Lama. I've lost contact with her, but she had some very interesting observations. I didn't use anything from her because I didn't know her that well and I could never cross validate what she said. My only research beyond that was personal - mostly into Yamataka and Mahakala cults.

Please note that I mean no disrespect to the Dalai Lama, but the Tibetan monastic system can be very harsh. Most Americans don't know the half of it. Most don't want to know.

I've heard mutters about the darkside of tibet...read an article breaking down myths, talking about ghandi was rascist to blacks, mother theresa was a spiritual pimp fundraising hustler, and dali llama was mean or something...

another thing I read was from the mystic stuart wilde...he is by no means an authentic link as a source but he said something that caught my eye...he said watch out for the tibetans...there is a darkness behind them...all the death imagery etc

little whispers like this i keep hearing and your comment about the mons being slavemasters really caught my eye...what's that about?

Thanks for the replies you guys!.
James

[Shaolinlueb]

"tackling absurd structures"? sounds almost like trying to moderate this forum

thats why gene "ching" does it so well

now thats cheap heat.

[HOKPAIWES]

I've heard mutters about the darkside of tibet..James

Yes, I have heard some hints to this as well. One was that at one point in their history the standard operation for encountering a (Chinese) trespasser was castration. And that the life and practicies of fighting monks and the spiritual monks are 2 very different worlds. But like you say, just mutters.


On the subject of the road, they were saying on a TV documentry the vibrations from all the large eqipment such as dump trucks making their way to the job site is shaking apart a near by monastery that had managed to survive otherwise. I remember thinking what a waste as the place is very important to the art world for unlocking some of the mysteries to the creation of the Buddhist wall paintings.


Is it possible to read any more of these writings from Gene Ching, or a book or more articles for those who need more? It seems impossible to find anything about the subject of the warrior monks. I would like to learn more, but the material just isn't out there. I have been pouring over this site,

http://www.case.edu/affil/tibet/curr.../goldstein.htm

[diego]

I read a book on the tibetan 5 rites way back in the 90's at the local library, and just found this link showing the rites...yall seen this?

http://www.night-thunder.com/fivesecret.html#detox

this link has the original photo's in the book

http://www.berrybesthealth.com/tibetans.html