Part Four:

The Laity of Dharamsala

Tibetans have been called the most religious people in the world and from my experience in the refugee community of Dharamsala, I believe this statement holds some truth. I must emphasize that my thesis is not a comparison of religious practice between Tibetans in Tibet and the refugees in India. I have not yet visited Tibet and am therefore unable to make this comparison. My concepts of the Tibetan people and the Buddhist practice of Tibetan laity is based solely on my contact with Tibetans in India, mainly Dharamsala in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh. While I am thus limited, I am able to state that the amount and quality of lay practice in Dharamsala is extremely impressive.

The Tibetan refugees of Dharamsala form a unique refugee community of India, mainly due to the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Many of the Tibetan refugees in India came from Tibet the same time as His Holiness, around the time of 1959 when Chinese aggression in Tibet became particularly brutal. However, the community of Dharamsala contains a high percentage of newcomers who come to receive a Tibetan education and of pilgrims who come for the main purpose of being near and having an audience with His Holiness. Ultimately, this has made Dharamsala a community of exceptionally religious individuals.

The Tibetan Buddhist faith is entrenched in most every aspect of the community life in Dharamsala. Every home, business and restaurant displays an altar of offerings before a picture of His Holiness and images of Buddhas, bodhisattvas or other lamas. Throughout the typical day Tibetans can be viewed carrying out various religious practices, such as making offerings or circuambulating a holy place while repeating mantras, fingering rosary beads and spinning prayerwheels. There are frequently special events at Namgyal Temple, the temple of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the main temple of Dharamsala. Basically, the entire environment of Dharamsala is intrinsically religious.

Dharamsala is also a very politically minded Tibetan community. While my goal is to focus on the religious aspects of Dharamsala and not the political, there are several points where the political and religious elements coincide and I am unable to separate the two. Suffering is a main theme in Buddhism as an unavoidable aspect of life. Therefore, the suffering the Tibetan people have experienced and that have caused them to become refugees in India has naturally acquired religious significance. The imprisonment by China of important religious figures, particularly the twelve year old Panchen Lama, is the topic of many prayers. All political gatherings are held in Namgyal Temple as the only large communal area of the village. The high percentage of political involvement in Dharamsala is directly related to the great religious devoutness of the entire community.

There exists the occasional notion that the esoteric nature of Tibetan Buddhism secludes the laity, allowing only the monastic community to be "true" Buddhists. I do not believe this is the case, although it is a fact that the two separate communities practice on different levels. The Tibetan sangha could not exist without the laity and the relations between the two are quite intimate. The Tibetan monastic population is very high, in some areas it is as much as thirty percent of the population. I have many friends who were once monks but have decided to give up their vows and join the lay community. It is important for a Tibetan to know their own limitations and to figure out their place in the material and spiritual world.

Tantra practice is an important part of Tibetan Buddhism but no more important than the other less subtle practices of Mahayana. Tibetans realize that not all individuals are able to practice tantra, in fact it is known that tantra could possibly be dangerous for those who are untrained in the other vehicles. For this reason, the Tibetan laity greatly respects the sangha yet are content with their own form of practice.

My interviews of Tibetans displayed the general pattern of lay practice in Dharamsala. I spoke with newcomers and those that have lived in India their entire lives, the young and the old, and Tibetans from different regions of Tibet. The most variance I found in practice was between the old and the young. I do not believe this is caused by a decline in Tibetan Buddhist practice in India but is mainly a common case in most religious societies. The elderly have more time to spend on dharma practice and are preparing for death and their future lives. When I asked a friend why he did not practice as much as older people he laughed and explained that he would certainly do the same when he became older. Tibetans are also likely to explain that the specific actions are not as important as the heart (sem), or mind.

From my experience, the heart of Tibetans are generally in accordance with Buddhism. As individuals and a community they are the most kind, generous, light-hearted, and down-to-earth people I have ever come in contact with. This is not to say that they are perfect, they are humans with faults like all others, but it is obvious that they have all been raised with Buddhist ideals. I rarely viewed anger in any person and it seems to me that as a people, they laugh very frequently. I must admit that there were many times that I did not understand their jokes but the laughter was always contagious. In general, the collective character of the refugee community in Dharamsala is a perfect example of the positive effects Buddhism can have on society, as well as displaying the strength of the Tibetan laity.

Daily Activities of Dharamsala's Laity

The lay practice of the Tibetans in Dharamsala is a dynamic and vital aspect of the community and, as I previously mentioned, can be viewed throughout the village. There are specific activities that many Tibetans practice daily and all Tibetans perform on certain occasions. These activities can be separated into the giving of offerings and prayer, circuambulation, and visiting holy places such temples, monasteries, and stupas.

The making of offerings is the most frequently performed practice of the laity, most households do it on a daily basis. There are many different kinds of offerings, categorized under material objects, physical actions, and mental offerings. The giving of offering is not practiced for the benefit of the Buddhas or religious figures. Buddhas and highly realized beings are completely unselfish and non-materialistic and gain no benefit from any of the three kinds of offering. On the contrary, as a repeated act of reverence the giving of offerings can subtly transform the mind of the giver. So, as in all practices, the actions of the mind are of ultimate consequence and for an offering to be of great benefit the person must have pure intentions. The mind should be focused on the qualities of the Buddha or realized being and hope to become like these beings so to be able to benefit others.

Tibetans typically make their material offerings in the morning, on an altar before an image of an enlightened being. Water is a common offering, presented to the Buddha in small bowls. These bowls of water are to be like mirrors which are widespread symbols of emptiness. Water is also a good offering as it is a humble substance that most people are able to afford. This displays that the actual material given is not of importance, only the intention of the individual.

Another typical offering is incense. Incense (po) is used in many different Tibetan rituals as a tool of purification. Other appropriate material offerings are fruit, grains, bread products, butter lamps and flowers. The goods should be of high quality and should be mindfully presented. These are all things that are offered on average days, there are other materials offered on special occasions.

On special occasions khata, silk scarves that are usually white, are offered to people or to sacred images. One of my most vivid memories of the teachings of His Holiness are of white khata flying through the air, from person to person, in honor of His Holiness. During the teachings, people of the community also brought useful offerings of butter and milk for the tea or donated money to monks and nuns.

The Tibetans that I socialized with in Dharamsala were not wealthy individuals and rarely dined out, had special meals, or drank alcohol. These rare occasions were times of joy and thankfulness and there were always offerings made. If a special meal was cooked the first and choicest portion went before the altar. If beer or whiskey was partaken of there would be a ritualistic offering, consisting of dipping the ring finger in the liquid and flicking the alcohol three times, representing the Three Jewels, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. These practices of material offering can be viewed at any time in Dharamsala.

Offerings can also be physical practices, the most prevalent being the giving of prostrations. Prostration can either be half prostrations with the knees and head touching the ground or full prostrations, during which the full body is laid on the ground. During prostration the hands should be together with the thumbs tucked inside to hold the Tripikaya and Dharmakaya. The hands are then placed on the forehead for Buddha’s crown, the throat for Buddha’s speech (dharma), and the heart for Buddha’s mind. They are often practiced as supplementary to the material offerings in the morning but are also practiced on special occasions or at special locations. Prostrations are always given towards a sacred object or image or are practiced during circuambulation. Prostrations are useful tools in acquiring humbleness and loosening attachment to the self.

The final but not least important kind of offering is the giving of mental offerings. Mental offerings are usually imaginary and magical gifts such as a wish-fulfilling jewel offered to Buddhas to aid their assistance of all beings. Another important mental offering is the offering of one’s own merit, the benefits received from positive karma. This is devoting these positive actions for all beings instead of being a miser and retaining them for the self. These are the greatest example of the idea that the actual object offered is not of consequence and it is only the mind-stream of the person that truly matters.

Prayers are also usually made while giving offerings. The subject matter of personal prayers vary from the mundane to the supramundane. Many individuals told me that they prayed for the solution of problems such as poverty, illness, or the political situation of Tibet. However, all people said that they prayed for the benefit of all sentient beings, for the welfare and enlightenment of all. While praying it is common to take refuge in the Three Jewels, a declaration of faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Also, most personal prayers include the wish that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will have a long life.

The second major activity of lay practitioners is circuambulation. To circuambulate is to go around something, in the case of Tibetans to walk around holy buildings or places. Buddhists always circuambulate clock-wise and it is common to do so three times. The main place for circuambulation in Dharamsala is the path around the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During all times of the day there are people walking this path. Along this path are mani walls, stupas, prayer wheels attached to structures, and places to hang prayer flags. Most individuals carry their own hand held prayer wheels or finger rosary beads to count their recitations of mantras.

Mantras are short prayers that subtly benefit the mind and allow the chanter to form connections to a certain Buddha. In Dharamsala the predominant mantra is ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’, which literally translates as ‘Om the jewel in the lotus Hum’. Om symbolizes the ultimate nature of all reality, the truth we are all searching for in Buddhism. The jewel in the lotus is compassion rising from the muck of the mundane, embodied by Avalokiteshvara. Hum is the symbol of fivefold primordial wisdom, the essence of all Buddhas. This is the mantra of Avalokiteshvara and His Holiness, hence the preferred mantra of Tibetans.

Each prayer wheel has this mantra inside and each spin of the wheel is like repeating the mantra. Prayer flags have prayers or mantras written on them and send out the prayer every time the wind blows through them. The ultimate goal of repeating any mantra is to become like the Buddha, the acquisition of the buddha’s qualities and omniscient ability to aid all beings.

During circuambulation practitioners also practice the final activity I mentioned, the visitation of holy places. While circuambulating the residence of His Holiness people also visit Namgyal Temple. Here they perform most of the practices mentioned above, the giving of offerings, prostration, circuambulation and the spinning of prayer wheels. As the temple of His Holiness, Namgyal is a very special place, the central location of Dharamsala.

Many individuals visit the temple daily but there are certain days that the majority of the community visit the temple, such as festival days and any day that His Holiness makes an appearance. There are other sacred places in and around Dharamsala that are good to visit and circuambulate. Any monastery is sacred and the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives has a temple and a museum full of sacred objects. Stupas are also special structures that are visited and circuambulated. Simply being near sacred places, objects, or people is beneficial for the practitioner and a positive activity for all.

All of the above activities are ritualistic practices that Tibetans have developed over hundreds of years. Each activity is a noticeable part of the daily life of Tibetans in Dharamsala, making the community into a religious environment. While each activity is considered significant, it is essential to be aware that in themselves, activities are meaningless, that the mental state and intention of the practitioner is of foremost consequence.

Material Culture of Dharamsala's Laity

Prayer Wheels(chos korten)

There are three typical sizes of prayer wheels. It is very common for Tibetans to constantly carry hand-held prayer wheels and to frequent places where there are larger prayer wheels. The wheels are always turned clock-wise, the direction of Buddhism. Turning these wheels is also accompanied by the recitation of mantras, especially Om Mani Padme Hum. Inside the different cylindrical prayer wheels there are papers of esoteric texts or mantras, once again usually Om Mani Padme Hum. Each turn of the wheel generates equal merit as reading the text or mantra and subtly transforms the mind if the individual has correct motivation. The hand-held prayer wheels have a wood or metal handle and a ballasted chain to aid turning while the larger versions are spun by handles. Photographs 1b and 1c are of prayer wheels on the circuambulatory route around the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Prayer Flags (dorchok)

The hanging of prayer flags is an old Tibetan tradition that is still very popular in Tibetan refugee communities. They can either be large single flags or long strings of smaller flags, all imprinted with prayers and mantras. Common places to hang flags are near one’s home, around sacred places, or on travel routes after a particularly treacherous mountain pass. Photograph 2a is of flags on the circuambulatory route around His Holiness’ residence in Dharamsala. The large flag is green, the astrologically lucky color of His Holiness, as he was born in the Wood Hog Year. Above the flag is a banner, which is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols, celebrating the victorious promulgation of Buddhist dharma. Prayer flags are often hung by individuals on special occasions, such as festivals but are also hung for individual prayers. Mondays and Fridays are the best days to hang prayer flags and throughout the year there are certain days when one must not hang flags.

Rosary Beads, (thengba or mala)

Rosary beads are used throughout the Buddhist world but are particularly popular to Tibetans. Most every individual has a set of prayer beads, either that they wear daily or that they keep by their altar for certain rituals. Most prayer beads have one hundred and eight beads, separated by four beads for easy counting and terminating in three larger beads. One hundred and eight symbolize the one hundred and eight passions that Avalokiteshvara defeated and is also an auspicious number as it is divisible by three. The number three represents the Three Jewels. Prayer beads are used to mark the number of times mantras are chanted and are particularly important in tantric rituals, a probable reason they are so popular in Tibet.

Offerings

The offerings in photographs 4a and 4b are great displays of material offerings. The water bowls were described previously but the set up of altars needs to be elucidated. The center piece of altars are always images of enlightened beings, sometimes several different enlightened deities. If there is a photo of His Holiness the Dalai Lama or a particular master he should be on top as he is an enlightened being of such kindness that he shares our environment and teaches us personally. Mainly, it is important that unenlightened deities, such as dharmapalas, are not above enlightened deities such as Shakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara, or His Holiness. Generally the offerings are specifically donated to the central deity of the hierarchy so to not confuse the mind. In photograph 4b there are waterbowls, flowers, a candle and incense, all very typical offerings. Above the thangka is a white khata as a permanent offering and blessing of the image.

Religious Places and Structures

The central position that Buddhism plays in the lives of Tibetans is apparent in the amount of Buddhist monuments, temples, monasteries and sacred areas. Around Dharamsala there are several such places which are foci of religious practice. The places that I came in contact with on a daily basis were the area around the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Namgyal Temple and the area around the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.

The path around His Holiness’ residence is lined by rock piles called dimbe. These rocks are picked off the path by people circuambulating, piled up, and frequently white-washed. This is possibly symbolic of taking the mundane (dirty ground) and transforming it to the supramundane (religious structure). Larger stones, in Dharamsala usually slate are engraved and painted with mantras, typically ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’.

Stupas (chorten) are the most ancient form of Buddhist monument and are found wherever there is a Tibetan community. Originally they were erected over the bodies of the sacred deceased but became monuments holding holy relics or documents. Each section of a chorten is symbolic of one of the five elements. The square foundation represents the earth and the dome is water. Then there are thirteen ‘steps of enlightenment’ symbolizing fire leading to the parasol which is wind. All this is capped by the sun and the moon ‘twin symbol’ which is the symbol of ether. Over the sun and moon is the ‘seed of highest enlightenment’ which corresponds to the tsugtor on the top of a buddha’s head. Most chorten in Dharamsala have snow lions holding the base, similar to the lion throne of Buddha.

The picture below is the front of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. The intricate painting displays the common style for religious buildings. The artwork is full of symbolic significance, most of which I do not know. The three lines on the pillars symbolizes the Three Jewels and there are eight sections around the door which represent the eight-fold path. The windows of the Library are surrounded by black, slightly tapering borders. These are meant to represent a protective bull deity, invoking protection for the dharma and the holy relics inside the structure.