Recent religious developments in Asia reflect the social and political developments in the region'. Discuss this statement drawing on specific religious developments. Tibet, which is often referred to as 'the roof of the world', lies at the centre of Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometres. The earth's highest mountains, a vast arid plateau and great river valleys make up the physical homeland of 6 million Tibetans. It has an average altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level (Tibet at a Glance 1996). Tibet is the traditional home of Tibetan Buddhism which, historically, has played an extremely important part in the lives of the people of Tibet. Social and political changes within the Tibetan region have brought about many changes within the religion and over 40 years of Chinese occupation has stripped the people of their religious freedom and made it extremely difficult for Tibetans to openly practice their religion.
The 14th Dalai Lama as a young boy.
Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth and current Dalai La...
English: 14th Dalai Lama, Dharasmala, IndiaMahayana Buddhism, which is central to the Tibetan culture, has been considered by the Chinese rulers as backward and feudal. This has resulted in Buddhism being systematically and ruthlessly suppressed.
This essay will discuss the social and political developments within Tibet which have resulted in the persecution of the Tibetan people and the loss of religious freedom they have experienced. In addition to this, a discussion of the developments within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, such as the Tibetan Diaspora, which has resulted in the spread of Buddhism to parts of the world where it was once an unknown tradition. Also several important areas concerned with modern Buddhism, outside of Tibet, will be addressed. An examination of the challenges posed by secularisation and materialism that Buddhism must face outside of Tibet, such as the need to avoid extremes of total renunciation of the material and total immersion in social...