Tibetan Buddhism. 311 paper proposal. Religion & Theology Essay

Tibetan Buddhism
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Abstract/Reflection
The emergence of COVID-19 has revitalized the world order in multiple ways. For instance, cultures have been forced to reorganize their activities to match the new demands of social distancing, wearing face masks, and maintaining proper hand hygiene. That is particularly difficult for cultures that prosper on collectivism and interdependence celebrations. Tibetan Buddhism is one of such cultures. Buddhism in Tibet is one of the most notable historical phenomena the world has ever witnessed. The dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet was an active prospect in the period between the 6th and the 9th centuries. The developments in different leadership regimes, such as the Mongol Yuan dynasty, eventually propelled Buddhism beyond Tibet’s borders into China. These political changes steered a feeling of unity among Tibetan Buddhists. They resorted to religion to approach their challenges collectively. Tibetan Buddhism still features cultural practices linked to their historical development, something that could bear impacts on their perception and adaptation to the prevalent world order.
Tibetans have endured maintaining their culture amidst changing political and cultural environments. Tibetan rituals are something worth admiring. After the 1950s, Tibetan Buddhists were aspersed throughout the world with notable influences even in western cultures. Their rituals are mirrored in every prospect of their activity. The Tibetan rituals include simple spiritual practices such as the mantras among the lay Tibetan Buddhists. These rituals accommodate public gatherings, making offerings to bodhisattvas or statues of Buddha, and actively attending the public ceremonies. These activities are characterized by gatherings and sharing of cultural prospects. The rituals also accommodate Tibetan temple ceremonies. The ceremonies are visually striking and often noisy. Musical and impressive chanting from the formally dressed monks, cymbals and gongs, and brass instruments dominate the rituals. These rituals are conducted in monasteries and strikingly designed temples. The principal motivation of the rituals is to reunite a people spiritually amidst the multiple disintegrating factors. These rituals are an aspect of identity among the Tibetan Buddhists, something that could change with COVID-19. Tibetan Buddhists are having a challenging time exercising the important aspects of their culture following the influx of strict restrictions that limit gatherings and human-to-human interactions.[The Tibetans (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publications, 2013), 128.] [Cutz, Gustavo Szpilman, Jill Rathus, Hilary B. Vidair, and Ruth Derosa. "Assumptions and Conclusions: Fundamental Distinctions between Tibetan Buddhist and Western Approaches to Happiness." Journal of Rational - Emotive & Cognitive - Behavior Therapy 33, no. 4 (12, 2015): 356.] [Introduction to the Tibetan Buddhism (New York, NY: Slow Lions Publications, 2007), 411.] [Pope, Alan. "Beyond Walden: An Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Critique of Utopia." The Humanistic Psychologist 44, no. 1 (03, 2016): 42.]
Research Questions
* How have Tibetan Buddhist cultural activities been affected by the introduction ...