Travels with Alex: Music for viola obbligato and various ensembles

Travels with Alex is a cycle of nine pieces for viola obbligato and various combinations drawn from an ensemble of 24 musicians (including two performers on Tibetan instruments). Ideally these compositions are to be played as a complete cycle, given the use of a large-scale durational interval succession to derive the relative durations of the individual pieces and sections within them. However, performance individually or in smaller combinations is also possible. The initial inspirations were twofold: the gift to the composer of a Tibetan thangka, and the travel writings of the French Buddhist, Alexandra David-Néel (1868-1969). Musically speaking, the cycle explores a range of methods, serial and otherwise, for ‘composing out’ from small, modal, mantric motifs. In Buddhist traditions, these and others like them have been used to invoke the presence of a particular bodhisattva (a ‘patron deity’, or mythical being, committed to guiding humanity towards Enlightenment) — in this case, Tārā or Jetsun Dölma, amongst whose attributes devotees prize her protection of travellers. The supporting commentary explains how these micro-elements are used to build a musical structure lasting around an hour. The commentary credits a compositional lineage featuring particular works of Tōru Takemitsu, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Peter Maxwell Davies and Jonathan Harvey. Specific technical indebtedness is also ascribed to other twentieth-century figures such as Igor Stravinsky, Michael Tippett, Elliott Carter, Witold Lutosławski, Luciano Berio and Pierre Boulez. Amongst the original features of the cycle is the juxtaposition of typical Western orchestral instruments with instruments used in Tibetan Buddhist ritual practices (played in the recording by Tibetan monks) and the inclusion of poetry in French inspired by David-Néel’s writings. The latter appears in two of the nine pieces, involving the addition of a countertenor to the instrumental ensemble

Constructing Tibetanness from the 'in-between' : self-representations of hybrid identity in Tibetan fiction films

Tibet is a contested and ambiguous concept perched precariously between multiple and contradictory sociocultural and historical discourses. In this thesis, I examine self-representation in the liminal space of Tibet through twelve Tibetan feature films in order to determine how the filmmakers, crew, and actors use the poetics of film to construe Tibetan individual, cultural, religious, political, and national identity. These films, with Tibetan directors, Tibetan actors, and largely Tibetan crews, have been described in the press as “Tibetan.” I adopt a neoformalist approach informed by postcolonial theory, especially Homi K. Bhabha’s conception of hybridity, to examine Tibetan self-representations in fictional feature films. The twelve films consistently make use of narrative structures in which protagonists embark on physical quests in order to locate ambiguous or unknowable entities. Their stories often take the form of road films, and emphasize internal yearning and development over external plot detail. Internal character development and identity are conveyed through cultural performance of songs, theater, and storytelling that serve as narrational devices for self-expression and identity articulation. Thematically, identity is represented on these journeys through paradigms of tradition and modernity, complex hybridity, and disenfranchised masculinities. The thesis concludes with an analysis of the career and films of auteur Pema Tseden, an internationally respected auteur. In Tseden’s films, the implications of liminality for Tibetan identity are dire, but the possibility for the processual and ongoing articulation and construction of Tibetanness through the medium of film are emphasized. This group of Tibetan film representations may not reveal an essential Tibetanness, but they do constituate an invaluable platform for critical deconstruction, formulation, articulation, and continual rearticulation of Tibetanness.Radio-Television-Fil

Path of awareness: the relationship between mindfulness and place

Mindfulness meditation has been increasingly used as a tool to address both physical and mental health issues in contemporary society and has gained growing interest and application in various fields. Meanwhile, designers have attempted to use architectural design to help improve people's well-being. However, the relationship between dedicated mindfulness practice and the physical environment in which it is practised awaits further exploration. This study aimed to investigate how spatial design can facilitate formal mindfulness practice. To do so, this research examined a wide range of literature, including related mindfulness theories originating in the Buddhist tradition, architectural and landscape design, and environmental psychology. It established an initial research framework for empirical study and application. The study first distributed an online survey to over 200 mindfulness practitioners in the UK to gain a quantitative understanding of their views toward the environment in which they practised mindfulness. The case study method was then adopted to explore this topic further. The case of Kagyu Samye Dzong London was selected to qualitatively investigate the influence of a specifically dedicated space for mindfulness and whether setting up a specific space for practice is necessary. Empirical data was collected through spatial analysis, an online questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. The results were analysed using architectural interpretation, IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) Statistics means analysis and factor analysis (version 27.0), and the Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) NVivo (version 11). This research conducted a comprehensive comparison of mindfulness practitioners based on factors such as expertise level (beginner/proficient), religious background (Buddhist/non-Buddhist) practice frequency, and gender, aiming to gain diverse perspectives on how the environment can effectively facilitate mindfulness practice. The findings of this empirical research provided a systematic and refined research framework consisting of nine main factors, achieved through the quantification of qualitative research. Not only it suggested that setting up a specific physical environment for mindfulness practice is necessary, especially for beginners, but it also provided the order of impact for the elements. Among the elements, quietness was among the top for positively influencing mindfulness meditation; second, the use of tools (such as meditation cushion); and third, the warm room ambience. This framework provided guidance for both designers and mindfulness practitioners to change the environment and better facilitate mindfulness meditation – which leads to long term well-being. Such physical environment, like mindfulness practices itself, is a tool to help people reach their goals. Hence, people would be encouraged to go beyond physical boundaries and obtain awareness, happiness, and well-being with the support given. To sum up, this research holds both academic and practical significance as it enriches the existing field of architectural design through its systematic review and empirical framework. Furthermore, it provides an accessible toolkit for individual practitioners to enhance their mindfulness practice

Path of awareness: the relationship between mindfulness and place

Mindfulness meditation has been increasingly used as a tool to address both physical and mental health issues in contemporary society and has gained growing interest and application in various fields. Meanwhile, designers have attempted to use architectural design to help improve people's well-being. However, the relationship between dedicated mindfulness practice and the physical environment in which it is practised awaits further exploration. This study aimed to investigate how spatial design can facilitate formal mindfulness practice. To do so, this research examined a wide range of literature, including related mindfulness theories originating in the Buddhist tradition, architectural and landscape design, and environmental psychology. It established an initial research framework for empirical study and application. The study first distributed an online survey to over 200 mindfulness practitioners in the UK to gain a quantitative understanding of their views toward the environment in which they practised mindfulness. The case study method was then adopted to explore this topic further. The case of Kagyu Samye Dzong London was selected to qualitatively investigate the influence of a specifically dedicated space for mindfulness and whether setting up a specific space for practice is necessary. Empirical data was collected through spatial analysis, an online questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. The results were analysed using architectural interpretation, IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) Statistics means analysis and factor analysis (version 27.0), and the Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) NVivo (version 11). This research conducted a comprehensive comparison of mindfulness practitioners based on factors such as expertise level (beginner/proficient), religious background (Buddhist/non-Buddhist) practice frequency, and gender, aiming to gain diverse perspectives on how the environment can effectively facilitate mindfulness practice. The findings of this empirical research provided a systematic and refined research framework consisting of nine main factors, achieved through the quantification of qualitative research. Not only it suggested that setting up a specific physical environment for mindfulness practice is necessary, especially for beginners, but it also provided the order of impact for the elements. Among the elements, quietness was among the top for positively influencing mindfulness meditation; second, the use of tools (such as meditation cushion); and third, the warm room ambience. This framework provided guidance for both designers and mindfulness practitioners to change the environment and better facilitate mindfulness meditation – which leads to long term well-being. Such physical environment, like mindfulness practices itself, is a tool to help people reach their goals. Hence, people would be encouraged to go beyond physical boundaries and obtain awareness, happiness, and well-being with the support given. To sum up, this research holds both academic and practical significance as it enriches the existing field of architectural design through its systematic review and empirical framework. Furthermore, it provides an accessible toolkit for individual practitioners to enhance their mindfulness practice

Mobilizing for Tibet: Transnational politics and diaspora culture in the post-cold war era

Since the end of the Cold War, the international system has become more cosmopolitan, communicative, and connected. These changes have taken place against a backdrop of intensifying processes of globalization, the unevenness of which has helped redefine possible fields of political action. This dissertation offers an interpretation of how we might go about understanding and representing the intercultural dynamics and forms of politics that constitute the transnational Tibet Movement

Local Perspectives of Sacred Landscapes and Tourism: Exploring the Linkages in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal

Many cultures around the world attach sacred values to natural and cultural sites. Although different cultures interpret the word “sacred” differently, sacred places generally reveal strict behavioural restrictions, a sense of separateness (Hubert, 1997), as well as strong emotion-oriented and place-bound characteristics (Levi & Kocher, 2013). However, the concept of sacred landscape appears to be a vague one, and is not fully examined in existing literature. As many sacred places turn into popular tourist destinations, the environmental, economic and social implications of tourism to such destinations require deeper understandings of tourism’s role in reshaping spiritual values and reproducing local perceptions of the “sacred”. This study examines local residents’ objective recognition and subjective interpretations of a sacred landscape, and how these are influenced by tourism development. The Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park (SNP) in Nepal’s Khumbu Region was selected as the case study area. The region is perceived as a sacred beyul (hidden valley) by local Buddhist Sherpas, and has undergone tremendous environmental, economic and social changes brought by trekking tourism. This study is exploratory in nature, and is based on author’s field observation and 33 in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with Sherpa residents during fall 2014. Study findings indicate that Sherpa residents’ objective recognition of sacred landscape are influenced by geographical proximity to sacred sites, age of residents, and their religious background. Subjective interpretations of sacred landscape are shaped by a strong awareness of the behavioural restrictions, family influence, as well as personal experiences. Sherpas’ emotional and spiritual bonds with the landscape are reinforced through routinized contact with the sacred cultural features, and consistent compliance with the rules of conduct at sacred sites. Through everyday practices, Sherpas unconsciously remind themselves about the spiritual values and religious beliefs embedded in the landscape. Sherpas are actively engaged in activities such as religious festivals which promote their cultural identity and spirits. Tourism’s influence on local spiritual values is evident and reflected in three aspects: changes in mountain deity worship; shift in human-land relationship; and, alterations of religious routines and practices. Tourism development has made beyul Khumbu a hybrid and dynamic place, where traditional spiritual values and religious practices exist simultaneously with increased commercialization and modernization due to tourism. Although Sherpas still regard Khumbu as a sacred place and are actively focused on retaining the essential components of Sherpa spiritual values and cultural identity, the religious influence of beyul is slowly declining as people’s life drift away from the land, and interests shift to material consumption. This research aims to make contributions to the existing literature on landscape studies and cultural geography by examining local residents’ perceptions toward multiple aspects of a sacred landscape under changing social and economic contexts. Also, exploring the changing indigenous spiritual values and religious beliefs will help developing more sustainable and effective management policies in cultural and environmental conservation

Thresholds

This is a catalog of an exhibition held at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park, Charleston, S.C. on December 4, 2003 - February 1, 2004

Tribal Margins: Dalit Belonging and State Recognition in the Western Himalayas

Tribal Margins analyzes the project of tribal fashioning in the Western Himalayas against the backdrop of affirmative action politics. Specifically, it unpacks the discursive loop between government-administered ethnological paradigms for positive discrimination and its effects on ethnic belonging and spirituality. These dynamics are located among the Gaddis of Himachal Pradesh, a heterogeneous tribal/Dalit community traditionally associated with transhumant pastoralism on both sides of the Dhauladhar Mountains. The 2002 awarding of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to only high-caste Kangra Gaddis has instigated a range of tribalizing strategies from Dalit groups who identity as Gaddi and are partially assimilated into tribal life. These low-status groups demand tribal recognition as both a form of social justice in the face of longstanding social discriminations and as a pragmatic strategy for state support amid the growing tide of neoliberalism. They rightly contend that the demographics of Himachal Pradesh (with the second-highest Dalit population in India) cause fierce competitiveness within the Scheduled Caste quota – about four times as competitive as the Scheduled Tribe quota. Many have mobilized under the trending discourse of Scheduled Tribe Dalit (STD) and fused indigenous ethnic associations with the pan-Himalayan struggle for double SC/ST status. The analysis of marginalized social formations in the tribal margins fundamentally reconceptualizes how political subject formation trickles into social life. The introduction of self-identifying Gaddi Dalits, largely sedentary laborers and former landless tenants, into the transhumant tribe disrupts the colonial literature on Gaddis. It further unsettles assumptions of tribal egalitarianism and complicates how South Asian sociology theorizes the discrete borders of tribal and caste organization. Understanding the intersectional identity of Gaddi Dalits speaks to the broader issue of tribal casteism and the double marginalization of low-status groups who remain misrecognized by the state and discriminated against in their everyday lives. In short, it imagines new trajectories of ethnic belonging and social justice for Himalayan Dalits. Each chapter attends to these trajectories within the lived experiences of Gaddi Dalits, specifically Halis (former landless tenants) and Sippis (wool-workers and shamans). The experience of fractured caste consciousness has led to ongoing legal woes due to their juridical liminality. These dynamics shape how Gaddi Dalits experience divinities, exorcism and witchcraft. Individual chapters trace forms of spirituality, religious conversion and ritual practice that provide powerful personal arenas for the re-articulation of ethnic identity and the burgeoning emergence of tribal multiculturalism. The presence of Tibetan refugees in Gaddi villages around Dharamsala has injected contestatory forms of sociality, modern aspiration and cosmopolitan competencies into tribal performance