Understanding Culture

Rituals, visual expressions, gender roles, work ethic, and means of subsistence are just a few of the essential factors that culture encompasses. The numerous categories and subcategories of culture make exploring the exact meaning of culture difficult. What is certain about culture is that there is no one correct culture. While the actual rituals, beliefs, practices etc. may vary from one culture to the next, cultures across the world ultimately have one linking bond - by studying culture one will discover the way by which humans make sense of their surroundings and the world they live in. Understanding the complexity of culture makes one pay closer attention to and gain a greater appreciation for the diversities among people and why these diversities exist.

Today Tibet, with its unique cultural heritage which incorporates Buddhist spirituality, is truly facing the threat of extinction. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, some kind of cultural genocide is taking place. Time is running out.

~His Holiness The Dalai Lama

The possibility of losing a culture also means losing a possibility of understanding the world we live in. The culture of Tibet has had a long history of suppression by the Chinese government, especially during the time of the Cultural Revolution. As a result, Tibet's culture is threatened by extinction. The destruction of over 4,000 monasteries and the banning of Tibetan religious practices demonstrate the kind of cultural annihilation the people of Tibet have been forced to suffer. In 1976 the ban on religious practices was lifted and some monasteries have since been reopened. However, the discrimination that many Tibetans must face remains. Protests and actions against Chinese rule have continued for years and are almost always met with violent suppression by the Chinese government.

If an entire culture is wiped out after a period of time the consequences are vast and disastrous. The people of that culture are no longer allowed to perceive the world as they once had. Losing a culture is a detriment for people who would have benefited from or found understanding or enlightenment by that particular culture.