CHINA
​​ Tibet
I spent a month in Tibet in 10's.

                                                   Sacred People, Sacred Hearts
​Buddhism's values and goals permeate almost everything Tibetan.  The grandeur of the temples, the worship of images and fierce protective deities that stand in doorways all seem to belie the basic tenets of an ascetic faith that is basically about renouncing the self and following the path of moderation.  The religious beliefs of the average Tibetan are a fascinating melange of Buddhism, Bon and folk religion.*​

A basic understanding of Buddhism is essential to getting beneath the skin of things in Tibet.* 

The grandeur of the temples, the worship of images and the fierce protective deities that stand in doorways all seem to belie the basic...*
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Even high lamas and monks come across as surprisingly down-to-earth.*

Life is a cycle of rebirths.  The common assumption is that there are many rebirths, but in Buddhist thought they are innumerable.*

Merit is best achieved through the act of rejoicing in giving, although merit can even be achieved through giving that is purely motivated by a desire for merit.*

The Noble Eightfold Path is the fourth of the Noble Truths.*
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Tibetan statuary, like Tibetan painting, is religious in nature.  Ranging from several centimetres to several metres in height, statues usually depict deities and revered lamas.*​​

Tibetan monasteries are based on a conservative design and share a remarkable continuity of layout.*​​
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With an average altitude of 4000m and large swathes of the country well above 5000m, the Tibetan plateau deserves the title 'the roof of the world'.*

​Lhasa, capital of Tibet, is one of the highest cities in the world. Lhasa, literally means "place of the gods", contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist Sites such as the Potola Palace and Jokhang Temple.

Buddhism's values and goals permeate almost everything Tibetan.*
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...tents of an ascetic faith that is basically about renouncing the self and following a path of moderation.*
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Buddhism is perhaps the most tolerant of the world's religions.*
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Karma might be thought of as an overarching condition of life.*

The giving of alms to the needy and to monks, the relinquishing of a son to monkhood, acts of compassion and understanding are all meritorious and have a positive karmic outcome.*

Tibetan painting is almost exclusively devotional in nature.*

The Potala is Lhasa's cardinal landmark and one of the wonders of Eastern architecture.*
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A construction crew makes repairs to a portion of the roof of the Jokhang.
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​The Jokhang is the most revered religious structure in Tibet.*
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Many are built in spectacular high locations above villages.*

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Tibet can be baffling on another level.*​
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Yet for all confusing iconography the basic tenets of Buddhism are very much rooted in daily experience.*
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Wherever if has gone it has adapted to local conditions, like a dividing cell, creating countless new schools of thought.*​

Every action in life leaves a psychic trace that carries over into the next rebirth.*

The first of the Four Noble Truths, then, is that life is suffering.*
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As with other types of Tibetan art, it is also very symbolic and can be seen on many different levels.*​​​

Really serious pilgrims may make to kora in continuous prostrations but even the least dedicated with prostrate themselves at the four major prostration points.*​

Tibet also has a secular tradition of wandering minstrels.  It's still possible to see minstrels in Lhasa and Shigatse, where they play on the streets and occasionally in restaurants.*​

Most were originally surrounded by an outer wall, built to defend the treasures of the monastery from bands of brigands, Mongolian hordes or even rival monasteries.*

*These captions are from Tibet -- Lonely Planet's travel guide.