Presenting Hada
Present hada is a common practice among the Tibetan
people to express their best wishes on many occasions, such as wedding
ceremonies, festivals, visiting the elders and the betters, and entertaining
guests. The white hada, a long narrow scarf made of silk, embodies purity and
good fortune.
 |
|
Present hada is a common practice among
the Tibetan people to express their best wishes. (Xinhua
Photo) |
Proposing a Toast and Tea
Proposing a Toast and Tea When you come to a Tibetan
family, the host will propose a toast, usually barley wine. You should sip three
times and then drink up. To entertain guests with tea is a daily etiquette. The
guest has not to drink until the host presents the tea to you.
 |
|
Norbu Cering (L) takes a tea break with
other villagers in a newly harvested field at a village in Quxu County,
southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Aug. 12, 2008. It is now the
harvest season of winter wheat and coleseed along the Yarlung Zangbo River
and in the Lhasa River valley in the region.(Xinhua
Photo) |
Greetings
Greetings don't forget to add "la" after saying hello
to the Tibetan people to show respect. Make Way to others. Try not to make any
sounds while eating and drinking.
Sky Burials
Sky burial is a common form in Tibet. There are many
prohibitions. Strangers are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Visitors should
respect this custom and keep away from such occasions.
 |
|
Photo by Yvon Haze
£¨France£©
Debating Buddhist scriptures, Sera
Monastery |
Tibetan Buddhism
Also known as the Lamaism, the Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to Tibet from the mainland and India in the seventh century. The Tibetan Buddhism consists of four major sects, the Ge-lug-pa (Yellow) Sect, the Nying-ma-pa (Red) Sec, the Saturday-kya-pa (Variegated) Sect, and the Ka-gyu-pa (White) Sect.
Pilgrimage
The immediate motivations of pilgrimage are many, but
for the ordinary Tibetan it amounts to a means of accumulating merit or good
luck. The lay practitioner might go on pilgrimage in the hope of winning a
better rebirth, cure an illness, and end a spate of bad luck or simply because
of a vow to take a pilgrimage if a bodhisattva granted a wish.
In Tibet there are countless sacred destinations,
ranging from lakes and mountains to monasteries and caves that once served as
meditation retreats for important yogin. Specific pilgrimages are often
proscribed for specific ills; certain mountains for example expiate certain
sins. A circumambulation of Mt. Kailash offers the possibility of liberation
within three lifetimes, while a circuit of Lake Manasarovar can result in
spontaneous Buddha hood.
(Source: China Daily)
