Features of Tibetan Literature
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Features of Tibetan Literature

Update: Dec. 27th, 2011

Tibetan Literature

Tibetan literature is the refraction of Tibetan culture and history. It reflects Tibetans life, thought and aesthetic conceptions of every history stage, different region, different class and different group. On the other hand, it is also important reference data to research Tibetan language, history, religious belief, moral cognition, spiritual world and local conditions and customs.

Throughout Tibetan literature, you can find the following features:

Features of Tibetan Literature – Strong Time Character

Compare Tibetan literature with the social development, it is easy to find the works of Folk literature and writer's literature are mirrors of its time, reflected the Tibetan life of every history stage. For example the Legends of Zampu, Legends of Songtsen Gampo Welcome Princess Wencheng reflected the figures and events in primitive society and feudal serfdom society. The works which reflects the period of division are in large quantity and high quality. Mani Omnibus reflected the society, history and culture of Tu Bo period; Saga Maxim is aimed to propaganda pursuing one's studies, going into politics and the manner by which one deal with people; especially the Tales of Divine Retribution which is aimed to praise the hero image in people's mind. These works pushed Tibetan literature into a new stage. After 1978, Tibetan literature flourished and achieved great success. Works written in Tibetans and Chinese get development; the writers of every age showed their own prowess; folk literature and writer literature develop together; literary creation and literary criticism on the same pace; poems, novels, essays, theatres, films, folk art forms were developed, and novel got the most outstanding success.

Features of Tibetan Literature – Folk Literature and Writer Literature Promote Each Other

Folk Literature and writer literature are the two wings of Tibetan literature, which can not be omitted. In folk literature, the great epic Gesar is the top of Tibetan literature, and famous work in the world literature. It is grand in construction and rich in content, constantly enriched and developed in long history. Gesar, represents the greatest success in ancient Tibetan literature, not only an outstanding literature work, but also an encyclopedia for researching ancient Tibetan social life, history, economy, class relationship, national communication, ideology, moral ideas, customs and religious belief.

Features of Tibetan Literature – Literature, History and Philosophy Developed Together

In a long history period, there isn't the concept of "literature" in Tibet, so there was a little pure literature works, and literature works were merged with history and philosophy, like the Dunhuang Literature Biography of Tubo Zanpu, historical works Baxie, Mani Omnibus; biography works Mar-pa Biography, Riqiongba Biography; Gnomic works Saga Maxim, Gedan Maxim. All of these influential works are not pure literature works, but recorded in the Tibetan literature history. Because they are not only recorded the history, but also brimming with literary grace, beautiful language, interesting stories and added large amount of folk songs, idioms and folk story, legends to it.

Features of Tibetan Literature – Closely Related with Religion

As the long history of Tibetan Buddhism and the system of combining religion with politics in Tibetan, moreover some writers are religious men, and even great Buddha, so you can find religious marks in Tibetan literature, especially the writer literature, and some source of works are religious stories.

Features of Tibetan Literature – Study from Other Nations

The communication of Tibetan and other nations is by translating. Since ancient, Tibetan were keeping touch with the around nations in political, economy and literature. In 7th century, Tubo period, a linguist created the Tibetan language by combining several India character and the Tibetan features. Later, a series of Tibetan scholars successfully translated Book of History, Strategies of the Warring States and some famous parts in Han Buddhism into Tibetan; in 13th century, an India rhetoric masterpiece was introduced into Tibet and translated into Tibetan. After the People's Republic of China built in 1949, the communication of Tibetan and other nations became more frequent. Tibetan Literature got tremendous development in constant communication.

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