A Site for Cross-Cultural Encounter

Located on the extreme opposite side of the world from the place I call home, the country of Tibet seems to be shrouded in perplexing mystery. At the present time I have only a vague notion of Tibet’s people, customs, and other intricacies. Regrettably, only blurry images of colorful strings of flags, golden Buddha, and misty mountains constitute my understanding of Tibet.

My motivation for expanding my understanding of Tibetan culture surfaced after I watched a documentary on Alexander the Great. I learned from the documentary that the vast empire of Alexander the Great made a big impact on Tibetan culture. Greek statues and figurines influenced followers of Buddhism to create statue representations of the Buddha, which formerly had no such portrayal. I am of Greek parentage and I find that the connection between Greek and Tibetan culture through art and religious representations is intriguing.

Studying Tibet as a whole, I will investigate the country’s diversities and cultural make-up; however, I will be focusing on the religious practices and the beliefs of Tibetan people. I presume these practices and beliefs are vastly different from the religions and beliefs that have surrounded me as I have grown up on the east coast of the United States.

I look forward to gaining insight into how and why the people of Tibet consider their culture one of value and importance, while also developing an understanding for the culture myself.