International Conference on "Contribution of Tibetan Culture to Global Understanding"
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tibet.net
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama (L) laying the foundation stone for new
building of Tibet House, in November 1974, New Delhi, India (File
Photo/Tibet.net)
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Tibet House in New Delhi will bring together luminaries from across the globe to share their exploration in Tibet's traditions of philosophy, medicine and art, and describe how institutions can expand the audience for these.
Dharamshala: Around 36 scholars and institution-builders from 13 countries — Estonia, Canada, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Tibet and the USA - will come together at the conference on "Contribution of Tibetan Culture to Global Understanding: Progress and Prospects," at the India International Centre (IIC) from 18 - 20 December.
In recent decades, the upsurge of interest in Tibetan Buddhism and how its values may help achieve personal, social and ecological harmony has owed much to such institutes established worldwide.
Dr Alexander Berzin's keynote address, scheduled 18 December, IIC's Main Auditorium at 11.00 AM, will survey the permeation of Tibetan culture across Central Asia and the Himalayas through history, detail recent efforts to preserve and make accessible this heritage, and discuss in what ways Buddhism may be adapted for psychological healing.
The conference promises riches for every taste, with speakers discussing traditional spiritual practice as well as its renewal for twenty-first century challenges, Tibetan philosophy's inheritance from Sanskrit as well as fruitful efforts to bring it into dialogue with Judeao-Christian and Islamic beliefs.
Speakers on medicine include experts on canonical texts, on rural remedies and on both Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine. Papers on art range from ancient carpets to medieval architecture, from Indian prototypes of the thangka to contemporary secular art. Tibet Houses from Mexico to Moscow are represented in a panel discussion between institutional delegates, some from very young institutes with activities well underway in education, cultural exchange and charity, others with decades of involvement in building scriptural archives.
Artists from Gangjong Doeghar, a troupe of young dancers from Kalimponga, will present a dance drama, "Milarepa: The Hunter and the Deer' and "Folk Songs and Dances from the Roof of the World" on 18 and 19 December respectively at IIC's Gandhi-King Plaza at 5.30 p.m.
The Tibet House was founded in 1965 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to preserve and disseminate the unique cultural heritage of Tibet and to provide a centre for Tibetan and Buddhist studies. It has since widened its horizons.
Being a repository of valuable Tibetan art and artefacts, with nearly 5000 volumes of manuscripts and books, Tibet House offers incentives and resources for research and translation projects and publishes important texts and research results. It hosts lectures, organises conferences, exhibitions, filmshows, and festivals. These programmes focus on Indian and Tibetan Buddhist history, religion, philosophy, art, literature and culture, and bear witness to the vital and evolving heritage of the Tibetan people.
For registration and more details, please contact the Secretary, Tibet House, 1, Institutional Area, Lodhi RoadNew Delhi – 110003; Cell: 9810680434, 9871137321; Office: 2461 1515;
Email: tibethouse@airtelmail.in. |
