Tibetan’s Celebrate at the Shoton Festival in Southwest China
Shoton (Yogurt) Festival Celebrated by Tibetans
In the autonomous region of Southwest China, Tibetans freely worshipped Buddha on Monday at the annual Shoton Festival, known as the Yogurt Festival. The festival took place in the western part of the regions capital city of Lhasa and Tibetans met and enjoyed picnics while listening to traditional Tibetan Operas.
The Drepung Monastery was the opening ceremony that attracted over tens of thousands of people.
A guide of the festival, Tsering Donggar, with his wife offered hada to the Buddha. He was dressed in a traditional Tibetan attire and he offered a piece silk as a greeting gift to the Buddha of the monastery. This process of giving a greeting gift is known as hada.
Donggar said that every year the Tibetan people of Lhasa come together at the Shoton Festival either at the Drepubg Monastery or at the Norbulingka Garden.
The Shoton Festival literally means the yogurt banquet festival and is one of the most important festivals for the Tibetans. It dates back to the 11th century when it began as a religious occasion for local residents to offer yogurt to monks completing their retreats of mediation. The Drepung Festival which kicks of the festival is held at the bottom of the Gebeiwoze Mountain in a tranquil valley rising with colours as a result of the hada offerings.
Only around the 17th century did the Shoton Festival become an annual tradition which was celebrated by all Tibetans, featuring Buddhist rituals, traditional opera and other performances.
The Shoton festival almost always falls in the month of August by like all other eastern celebrations, it is not celebrated on the exact same date every year.
A man named Gyatso set up tents across two trees preparing for days of family fun, tradition and food in an exciting environment. He looks forward to the celebration every year to spend the seven-day festival in tents with his family playing card, eating food, drinking , sleeping and watching Tibetan operas on the grassland.
The Shoton Festival along with the Tibetan New Year are the two most important festivals for the Tibetan community.
The Shoton Festival brings family together in the spirit of celebration, respect to Buddha all while embracing a sense of being within the community.
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I consider it absolutely disgraceful that this website refers to Tibet as “Southwest China”. This is not only deeply offensive to those Tibetans who have suffered under the current military dictatorship of Tibet and who have had to either escape or have been born, in exile from their homeland, but also for the family members and friends of those who have lost their lives at the hands of the oppressive regime in Tibet or have suffered torture and/or imprisonment, many of whom despite the atrocities perpertrated against them and their fellow Tibetans, harbour nothing but compassion to their captors. It is also deeply offensive to anyone in touch with their true humane nature horrified by these same atrocities. I urge those who hold editorial control over the contents of this site to rethink how they refer to the land of Tibet and not be swayed by the propaganda that much of the world’s media outlets employ to serve, what is quite obvious a terrible crime of biased confusion fed to the world populace that serves only the economic and militaristic interests that wish for the continued exploitation of the Tibetan plateau. In referring to the land of “Tibet” as “Southwest China” you are assisting these economic and militaristic interests in brainwashing the public of the world into believing that their goals are right, fair and justified. You give credence to the genocide and atrocities perpertrated against the Tibetan people and you do nothing in assisting the work of those around the world committed to love, peace and the humane treatment of which all peoples of the world deserve for themselves, their families, their culture and their lands. You are also revoking the pledge which you yourselves have committed yourselves to, that of “spreading the light of Dharma culture”.
Again, I urge you to rethink how this site refers to the land of Tibet and please note that I in no means whatsoever wish to cause offence to the creators of this site, but only to make you aware of the upset you will be causing to those sensitive to the plight of the Tibetans, a people who have (I’m sure you will agree) taken the dhamma and tantric practices and weilded it as one of the most positive forces for good in any of the world’s cultures.
I thank you for your interest and time and wish you well,
bob