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SCIENCE TODAY
TIBET'S JOURNEY WITH SCIENCE

By Lhundup Dorjee Khangsara

Modern scientific thinking never took its root in traditional Tibet. To be precise, it didn’t even vaguely occupy the mindset of the Tibetan public. In fact, a substantial amount of daily applications in our social life are influenced immensely by the adapted scientific implications. Unfortunately, our pious ancestors never realized the enormous impacts the science have had on our worldly comforts. All the scientifically inspired inventions in the past remained intact without a slightest modification. May be because we were Buddhist, we Tibetans tend to be very contented but contentment must not stop us from keeping apace with the changing world.

The two prime factors that curbed the development of science in the traditional Tibet. Our staunch Buddhist beliefs and self-imposed isolation from the outside world had hindered the coming of scientific thinking. Undeniably, today every walks of our life is highly under the domains of Buddhist beliefs and popular practices. Of course, some principles in Buddhism are very relevant to our day-to-day life. More importantly for the lives to come but some still require timely alteration and adaptation. Gautama Buddha himself had advised his followers to practice his teachings only after meticulous investigation and analysis. Yet many of the practices and beliefs of the followers do not have a logical base for further implementation.

For instance, mining of natural resources was seemingly discouraged and prohibited with a notion that such extraction of natural resources would disturb the guardians of wealth. The traditional notion widely believed was that such rampant and mindless extraction and exploitation of natural resources would harm the natural balances and thus we experience many natural calamities and disasters. It is known today that there is a geological connection between mining and certain natural calamities only if the situation exceeds the limit of nature. Actually, we could have utilized the abundant resources tactfully for researches and developmental activities so that the country could enjoy the lasting material prosperities. This didn’t materialize due to the lack of expertise in mining techniques and scientific knowledge on part of our ancestors. China after colonizing our country richly endowed with resources with a better-equipped scientific technology and expertise we lacked. Ironically the end products from resources and raw materials are sold as commodities in the international markets, where we Tibetans remain one of the most loyal consumers unconsciously.

A number of unpredictable geological imbalances are occurring quite often in Tibet today. These are due to China’s greed of extracting and exploiting natural resources beyond the limit.Another traditional misconception of explaining the lunar eclipses as certain demon in the sky swallowing the moon. The modern astronomy called this natural occurrence as lunar eclipse during which the earth cast shadow on the moon. In the past, people tried every measure to create loud noise to chase away the demon. Such practices are still prevalent in some remote areas of Tibet even toady. In reality, even the loudest noise that man can ever create will not reach the moon’s surface. These are the most visible instances to showcase us our lack of knowledge of science could waste resources and energy.

Tibet’s isolationism had propelled the promotion of Buddha Dharma but it immensely hampered the development of modern science and advent of technologies. The country being fortified by towering Himalayan ranges had made it difficult for entry and exit of new ideas and thoughts from the outside world. Therefore the ancient Tibetan people lived in a small world around them like a frog in well. While on other hand, through their Buddhist beliefs they believe in the existence of Shangrila, the mythical world. Of course such beliefs are yet to be proved by scientific evidence and thus require further inquiry and investigation.

Similar to circumstances prevailed in the medieval Europe steeped in religious orthodoxy where new ideas that preached ground breaking views and knowledge were punished for its blasphemy. Everything must and should conform to held beliefs and views of the time. The people were satisfied and contented in their narrowly confined and defined world. Our ancestors lived a simple and happier life. Although it has a virtue of self-contentment but on the other side, it also contributed to lack of innovation, progress and advancement. Ironically such static stagnant society contradicts the very cardinal view of Buddhism that expound phenomena subject to constant change. Having struck in that condition for a long period, it led to stagnancy in knowledge and material progress. However, I should admit here that I believe in our Buddhist view of inner or mental happiness superimposing the physical happiness. It is equally true that physical comforts do contribute to inner and mental state of individual to a certain extend unless a person is truly an embodiment of an enlightened being. Therefore, we come to a mutual accord where it is clear that these two aspects go hand in hand to attain the ultimate happiness. A fine balance must be reached.

Historically, the first mechanical device came to Tibet in the early part of the last century. Younghusband’s expedition of Tibet in 1909 opened Tibet to mechanical devices and strides science was making at that time. The British expedition was an awesome display of how scientific advancement can be used as a tool of occupation and colonization of other land. We have witnessed in history the western colonizers with advanced modern ammunition and arms were no match against the outdated mode of resistance war fought by many of Asian and African nations. Asian and African continents’ long association with primitivism and darkness only cursed them to doom and destruction. When we looked back it was not western continent that occupied the eastern world but science occupied the primitive eastern world. Consequently, the British expedition in 1909 reached the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa with little resistance.

Then in later years a foreign country gave two Austin cars to the fourteenth Dalai Lama as a souvenir. Humorously there were no proper roads on which the cars could be transported to Tibet. The cars were transported in parts on Yaks and then assembled them once they reached the capital city of Lhasa. However, there was no person who could operate them and hence they remained unused for a long time. The cars were nothing more than a mere collection. The presence of cars had left a lasting impression and curiosity on the mind of the young fourteenth Dalai Lama. He often mentioned about how he used to play with them and on one occasion slammed one of the cars to a tree. He showed immense love for science and felt its priceless significance. Except the dalliance of the young fourteenth Dalai Lama on wonders of science, science never find its place amongst the general masses of Tibet except Gendun Choephel.

It was only after the Chinese occupation of our country that we realized the importance and significance of science, however it was too late. It was sheer manpower couple with Chinese being a generation ahead of us in embracing science and modernity that we lost our country. The superior armed “People’s Liberation Army” and modern technology had put the situation in China’s favour. The Chinese occupation exposed Tibetans being ill-equipped and primitive in warfare. Thereby China occupied us with without much ado. The CIA’s covert operation of arming, dropping ammunitions, training in resistance warfare failed to claim our freedom. We Tibetans have learnt the wonders of science through difficult ways. Leave aside the propagation of modern scientific views; even the imparting of secular or non-monastic education among the lay community of the Tibetan society was unheard of. The negligence, zealous resistance and opposition on the part of our ancestors toward science was a great historical error. It was costly mistake that could be made only once.

The principle cause of Tibet’s tragic fate was rooted in its political system. The vicious and cunning interference of successive dynasties in China couple with the corrupt and decadent rule of aristocrats had virtually kept Tibetan subjects blind and ignorant. Their desire to hold to what has been a ‘providence given power’ stemmed out any coming of new ideas from the outside world. Much of it again stem from their innate fear of losing their hold to power. Leaving the Tibetan subjects ignorant of changes taking place in the outside world and making Tibet a forbidden nation had paid its rich dividends to their hold on to power for a certain period of time but not forever. When historical inevitability comes, Tibet crumbled under its massive weigh of rotten and decadent political system that had pervaded her for so long. Keeping science at bay was our undoing.

For long His Holiness has been advocating the importance of science and modern education in our exile community. The education system in exile community in the last four decades had produced a generations of educated people but not enough to go apace with the pace of advancement and progress making in education system in the western world. Sensing the mediocrity in our education the 12th Kashag had embarked on new education policy, a radical and paradigm shift. The chief purpose is to produce a generation of people specialized in a particular field of expertise.

Today a dialogue is being taking place between science and Tibetan Buddhism. The frequent associations with experts from various fields of studies in recent times had further reinforced the importance of collaboration between the two worlds. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been the most ardent advocate in these new ground breaking explorations of wisdom of the east and west. Every year seminars, workshops and conferences are organized. Through those exchanges and his visit to various scientific communities around the world shows his believe and faith in this new collaboration one day turning into a pillar for growth and development of the mankind. It is strikingly true that Tibetan Buddhism and western science have lots of things in common and ongoing convergences between the two will take us to new frontiers of knowledge and making great contributions for all the sentient beings. In this background, curriculum on science has been introduced and recommended in the monastic institutions in exile. However, this is the just the end of beginning and lots need to be achieved in future.

In a nutshell, more practical method of imparting science education should be adopted. Those who are pursuing science studies should be encouraged and given support particularly in the areas of scholarship and funding to realize their ambitions in the field of research and development. Though other aspects of our Tibetan community in exile seem to showcase progress but scientific education has taken a backseat. Bringing scientific education to the front is the next yeomanry task for all of us. This would rescue we Tibetans from being consumers and importers of goods produced by foreign countries.