Symbol and power: the Dalai Lama as a charismatic leader

This article originated in a brief but inspiring analysis by Margaret Nowak. Nowak used Sherry Ortner's concept of ‘summarising symbol’ to imply that, much the same way as the American flag was the epitome of the United States to each and every American, the Dalai Lama encompasses everything Tibetan to the Tibetan people. What does this comparison say about the Dalai Lama? I examine the relationship between symbol, power and charisma with Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama, as a case in point. With exile, there has been a shift in the symbolic importance of the Dalai Lama, both as a man and as an institution, from a symbol of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism to a symbol of the Tibetan cause and, more generally, to a symbol of Buddhism in the world. These changes have given Tenzin Gyatso a new authority in the Tibetan community: he is now the unique and unquestioned leader of the Tibetan cause in the world. I discuss the problems that occur when a symbol is also a man and a leader, as well as the solutions proposed, at a moment when the Tibetan community in exile is experiencing democratisation.     

QAMBA ZUNZHUB AND HIS TIBETANSHOES

Qamba Zunzhub is the board chairman of the Lhasa Caiquan Liming Handicrafts Co. Ltd, principal of the director of the Lhasa Caiquan Welfare and Recuperation Clinic. He is indeed a man absorbed in work day by day. But, in the eye of numerous business people along Barkor Street in Lhasa, he is none other than the "shoe king." In fact, they say, about 60 percent of Tibetan shoes created as Tibetan tourist souvenirs that are on sale in Barkor come from Qamba Zunzhub. When this writer met h…     

拉萨八廓街旅游劳工移民地方融入研究

地方融入是地方理论的延展和应用领域,其本土化实践与理论研究还有待推进.本文以拉萨八廓街的旅游劳工移民为研究对象,采用关键词网络分析和扎根理论,结合四层一体分析框架,探索该群体的地方融入现状和过程.研究表明:①拉萨八廓街旅游劳工移民地方融入过程可划分为自评、动机、实践和依恋4个阶段;②拉萨的社会氛围体现在对外的高度包容性...     

Aquatic Birds Winter In Lhunzhub County（Ⅰ）

Lhunzhub County is located in the middle of Tibet along the upper reaches of the Lhasa River,It is also called Pengbo after the Pengbo River.Gandain Qugo Town,the county government headquarters,is 65km from Lhasa.     

NEWS IN BRIEF

Four Wetlands in Lhasa Added into the List of the Natural Preserved Zone In April,having approved by the local government of Lhasa Municipality,four new wetlands were added into the list of wetland preserved zone at the municipal level of Lhasa,and another two were named as the natural preserved zones.These were respectively Trikhang     

GARMA CERING＇S EXPECTATIONS

In April 2006, cold air reigned in Lhasa. My friend Balsang and I were driving to Yangbajain railway tunnel, the first one after leaving Lhasa Railway Station. The tunnel is surrounded by emerald mountains from north to south. Beside the mountains, flocks and herds were grazing, and more than ten railway workers were walking along the railway line checking its safety. In the distance, the roaring of the machines could be heard from time to time. There were six or seven persons chattering happily while they worked on a flat dam not far away, neatly putting unfired earthen bricks in place.     

WELCOME TO LHASA HOTEL

The Lhasa Hotel(from August 8th 1986 to August 8th 1997 it traded as the Lhasa Holiday Inn) offers 4-star accommodation over 70532 m~2 with a total of 455 guestrooms(800 beds)in Chinese, Tibetan and Western styles as well as King Deluxe Suites.A range of restaurants can satisfy any     

Trees in Lhasa

Trees are flourishing in Lhasa wherever the history exists. There is such a man. He has already been through cus-toms after his annual trek to Lhasa, which he has been doing for over twenty years in succession to visit his tree.Although he has been making this journey for so long,it is neither to visit friends or family,nor is it his hometown.It is a tree that is tied so profoundly to his heart.When the wind blows fiercely on the bare tree and winter snow falls,he stands be-fore the tree with tears of jo...     

清代及民国时期西藏地方的丹达神崇拜

本对丹达神崇拜的产生、发展、衰落过程作了考述。认为丹达神源于清乾隆十八年入藏的云南参军彭元辰殉职于丹达山。后这一崇拜为清朝倡导,遂向拉萨、成都及康藏交通线传播;至辛亥革命位于拉萨和成都的丹达神庙才逐渐废弃,而边坝的神庙香火一直持续到20世纪30年代中期。     

Life of Monks

If Tibetan Buddhism were taken as a lake.Lhasa would be an island inits center.When the wind blows,the lake ripples with gentle waves spreading out to the eastern tip of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.That part of the world is home to Tibetan.Tu and Han ethnic groups and boasts 29monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Why were there so many monasteries in sucha small and remote place inhabited by not only Tibetans,but also people of other ethnic groups?     

THE LAST TRADE CARAVAN IN TIBET WANGCHEN WAS BUSY IN AN AGRICULTURAL AREA

Setting off from Lhasa we followed Lhasa River,passing through Chushur County,then,driving along the banks of the Yarlung Tsangpo River,we finally arrived at Nyemo Bridge.Next we headed northward and into a long valley.Finally,we reached Nyemo County.Although it was not a big county,it looked much more prosperous than Palgon County.A large government office building greeted us in a main street offering shops,both big and small,as well as restaurants-which also caught our eye.Nevertheless,the wandering la...     

MIRACLES SHOWN BY MARRIAGE CUSTOMS IN SOPA FISHING VILLAGE

Sopa Village in Chushur County of Lhasa Municipality is the only village in Tibet with a fishing business.The unique culture of this village includes ancient traditional customs.One in particular is a strange marriage custom.     

RIDING A TRAIN IN THE SKY

Ashis Chakrabarti travels to Lhasa on a rail track across high mountains and glacial fields that sustain a rare ecosystem and endangered wildlife.     

QINGHAI-TIBET RAILWAY:FROM DREAM TO REALITY

On July 1,2006, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway will go into service on a trial basis, taking people in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu to Lhasa and back.     

MY Feelings about Lhasa

<正>During breaks between meetings,I visited a dozen citizens in Lhasa in order to get to know about their lives.I was very impressed by their happy existence.     

Equal Access to International Debate: Visas and Their Implications

This paper describes the experience of Jordanian student who is studying for a PhD degree in Museum Studies in the UK. She outlines the difficulties that she has met in getting a visa to travel to conferences and feels that the difficulty of obtaining a visa has impacted upon her development as a scholar. One outcome is that she ignored so many conferences and calls for papers because she knew that she could not get a visa in time to attend. She questions why the process of applying for a visa has to be so difficult.     

People Active in Border Area

In April, while Lhasa enjoyed sunshine, the border county of Cona, hundreds of km away saw heavy snow.Meidog?s Carding Machine About two years ago, Meidog, 47, came to the county seat. She carded wool into balls with carding machine bought at some 80,000 Yuan. Several years ago, she was a herdswoman. There are only four people in her family. Her husband worked as a projectionist, her son grazed the cattle and her daughter-in-law managed household chores. Therefore, they had to hire others …     

“TRAIN IS ALL NEW TO US”

With the successful completion of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, Lhasa has entered the stage of counting down until the first train pulls into its glittering new station.     

拉萨西藏博物馆缂丝不动金刚唐卡之断代

在学术界,拉萨西藏博物馆所藏的这幅不动金刚唐卡一直是藏传佛教唐卡中早期作品的范例之一,有关其断代众说不一。本文专就此唐卡的断代问题进行了深入的讨论和广泛的比较,认为此唐卡不应是传统所认为的宋或西夏时期的作品,而应是14世纪初以早期旧唐卡为底本的一个元代缂丝仿制品。     

The Tibetan Ieg of the Olympic Torch Relay

As scheduled,the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch relayed its Lhasa journey on June 21~(st).The relay in Tibet had 156 torch bearers including 75 Tibetans and covered 9.3 kilometers.