Tibetan Buddhism spreading among Han Chinese

Beijing: Notwithstanding China’s political conflict with the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism is increasingly becoming popular among young Han Chinese who see it as a true spiritual solace to overcome their frustrations in a fast-paced materialistic society. While Buddhism came to both Tibet and China from India, Tibetan and Chinese Buddhist practices remain different.
“Everyone is talking about Tibetan Buddhism now. Pop stars are talking about it, my friends are talking about it. It is cool. It is even cooler to sing Tibetan prayers in Hip-hop”, state-run Global Times daily quoted 29-year-old Liu Wen, a white-collar worker in Beijing, as saying in a detailed article on the new trend in China. Chinese Buddhism has attracted many Chinese followers because it connects with Chinese culture and history. But Tibetan Buddhism offers the follower a wider range of practices and rituals that are believed to help in attain enlightenment faster, the Global Times feature said.
The Tibetan Buddhist movement is flourishing and has become fashionable among young people in recent years. Many young non-Tibetan people wear Buddha prayer beads on their wrists as fashion accessories, but not necessarily as a mark of religious devotion, it said. It is politically and spiritually significant for a tiny population of over seven million Tibetans inhabiting the vast tracts of the Himalayan region as their religion, deeply ingrained in their hearts and lifestyles, is now catching on among the dominant Han Chinese, who constituted over 95 per cent of China’s population. Moreover, the Chinese ruling Communist Party is in political conflict with the exiled Dalai Lama who is based in India and continues to be a dominant spiritual figure in Tibetan Buddhism. “Many young people find Tibetan Buddhism more attractive than other religions because they think it is mysterious,” Li Decheng, director of the Institute for Religious Studies said.
“It is also because it offers psychological comfort to these young people who find themselves lost amid China’s rapid social and economic changes,” Li said. Each year, millions of visitors travel to Tibet from elsewhere in China and abroad to find faith, or just to leave home for a break.
Even though China is officially atheist, freedom of religious belief is guaranteed by the Constitution. It is officially estimated there are 100 million religious believers in China mostly Buddhists. Tashi Dondrup, a professor at Southwest University for Nationalities, said he has noticed more and more Han students wearing prayer beads in class. “The younger generation is more open-minded towards religion, they seem curious about something that is different than their own culture,” Dondrup said.
Other reasons include disappointment in Han Chinese Buddhism. Celebrity appeal is another attraction of Tibetan Buddhism. A number of celebrities, such as Faye Wong, a highly successful and influential Hong Kong singer, have expressed support for the religion. Chen Kun, a top Chinese actor, published a book called ‘Suddenly, I walk to Tibet’ in 2012, in which he described his amazing journey walking to Tibet to discover himself. (PTI)