Sports in Tibet :: Buddhism Recreation Culture Papers

Sports in Tibet When one hears mention of Tibet certain things initially come to mind, most commonly images of an isolated, peaceful, extremely religious society. One of the last things one would imagine from such a seemingly docile people would be a history deeply entwined with athletic showmanship, yet this actually is the case. Unfortunately most historians overlook this pivotal piece of information when studying the Tibetans’ rich culture and consequently the casual scholar rarely sees this side of the Tibetan people. One of the factors that may have influenced this attitude towards Tibetan sports is that the Dalai Lama has in fact previously banned certain sports citing various religious reasons. This may lead people to believe that the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism, in principal, are against all sport, although in reality many of the Dalai Lamas have been quite the opposite. The banning of certain sports was mainly due to the fear of outside influence corrupting Tibet as o pposed to actual problems with the sports themselves. Tibetans have a strong historical bond with sport and use religion as an excuse to expel foreign authority. Sports have played an integral role in defining the culture of Tibet. They are commonplace at the various religious festivals throughout the year. Oftentimes entire religious festivals are based around traditional athletic sporting events. Sir Charles Bell, an English diplomat who was an intimate of the thirteenth Dalai Lama, witnessed one of these annual festivals noting that, During the concluding days of the ‘Great Prayer’ there were sports of various kinds, gun-firing and arrow-shooting on galloping ponies, a pony race without riders, a foot-race over a 6-mile course, wrestling, and the carrying of a heavy weight. These sports are presided over by two masters of ceremonies, who are chosen from the youngest officials just beginning their career. They are attended by a large staff, including six Maids of Honour chosen from the ladies of Lhasa.[1] Heinrich Harrer, another westerner who found himself immersed in Tibetan culture, witnessed a similar annual festival, this one taking place during the Tibetan New Year.[2] Both of these festivals show the deep connection between religious activities and athletic events. The sporting events not only take place during religiously significant festivals but they are presided over by monks and other religious figures. Sports in Tibet :: Buddhism Recreation Culture Papers Sports in Tibet When one hears mention of Tibet certain things initially come to mind, most commonly images of an isolated, peaceful, extremely religious society. One of the last things one would imagine from such a seemingly docile people would be a history deeply entwined with athletic showmanship, yet this actually is the case. Unfortunately most historians overlook this pivotal piece of information when studying the Tibetans’ rich culture and consequently the casual scholar rarely sees this side of the Tibetan people. One of the factors that may have influenced this attitude towards Tibetan sports is that the Dalai Lama has in fact previously banned certain sports citing various religious reasons. This may lead people to believe that the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism, in principal, are against all sport, although in reality many of the Dalai Lamas have been quite the opposite. The banning of certain sports was mainly due to the fear of outside influence corrupting Tibet as o pposed to actual problems with the sports themselves. Tibetans have a strong historical bond with sport and use religion as an excuse to expel foreign authority. Sports have played an integral role in defining the culture of Tibet. They are commonplace at the various religious festivals throughout the year. Oftentimes entire religious festivals are based around traditional athletic sporting events. Sir Charles Bell, an English diplomat who was an intimate of the thirteenth Dalai Lama, witnessed one of these annual festivals noting that, During the concluding days of the ‘Great Prayer’ there were sports of various kinds, gun-firing and arrow-shooting on galloping ponies, a pony race without riders, a foot-race over a 6-mile course, wrestling, and the carrying of a heavy weight. These sports are presided over by two masters of ceremonies, who are chosen from the youngest officials just beginning their career. They are attended by a large staff, including six Maids of Honour chosen from the ladies of Lhasa.[1] Heinrich Harrer, another westerner who found himself immersed in Tibetan culture, witnessed a similar annual festival, this one taking place during the Tibetan New Year.[2] Both of these festivals show the deep connection between religious activities and athletic events. The sporting events not only take place during religiously significant festivals but they are presided over by monks and other religious figures.