Exhibition Opening and Reception: Golden Letters Arrayed Like Stars and Planets: The Tibetan Culture of Language and Letters

Abstract

Tibetans regard every syllable of their language as sacred, imbued with the power to liberate beings from suffering. The Tibetan religious corpus is among the vastest of any literatures in history and the sheer reverence with which Tibetans hold their language has been a defining characteristic of this civilization on the world’s highest plateau. This exhibition, which takes its title from a 13th century Tibetan poem, was curated by doctoral student Patrick Dowd. It features sacred scriptures, calligraphy, and numerous other powerful textual objects gathered from three continents and five countries, all representative of the epic, beautiful and ongoing story of the Tibetan culture of language and letters. The exhibition opening will feature reflections on Tibetan language and its historical and continued importance to global culture.

About the Presenters

Tsengdok Rinpoche was born in northeastern Tibet and received his monastic education at Ganden Jangtse Monastic College in India. He moved to Canada in 2005 and has since served as a central cultural and spiritual leader for the Tibetan population of British Columbia.

Patrick Dowd is a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology and is a Liu Scholar, Public Scholar, and Killam Doctoral Scholar at the University of British Columbia.

Sonam Chusang is the Khyentse Foundation Adjunct Professor in Tibetan language studies in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia.

 

*Please note*: This exhibition will until January 4, 2020 at the Lobby Gallery in the Liu Institute of Global Issues.

This event is co-sponsored by Tsengdok Monastery, the UBC Department of Asian Studies, The Liu Institute of Global Issues, and the Tibetan Cultural Society of British Columbia.

 

2 responses to “Exhibition Opening and Reception: Golden Letters Arrayed Like Stars and Planets: The Tibetan Culture of Language and Letters”

  1. Cindy

    What is the cost for the event?

    1. Himalaya Program

      Hello Cindy, there is no cost for the event. Simply come and enjoy the reception and excellent exhibition!

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