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Chapter 07
Ancient Tibet - History and Culture
The Buddhist tradition notes that certain locations were the home of Bodhisattvas and Arhats - hidden peaks such as rTsa-ri; the majestic mountain range gNyan-chen-thang-lha in central Tibet; the sacred lake Mansarovar (Ma-pham) near holy Mount Kailash (Ti-se). For untold centuries, pilgrims from India and the northwest had visited Ti-se and Ma-pham. Mantras and handprints of dakinis can be seen naturally impressed in the rock around this lake, and the water has curative properties. White peaks in the Himalayas such as Jo-mo-gangs-dkar (Everest) and Gangs-chen-mdzod-Inga (Kanchenjunga) were recognized as natural power centers, as were mountains to the north such as A-mnyes-rma-chen and gNyan-po-g-yu-rtse. Over the centuries long before Buddhist teachings reached Tibet, a way of life developed that was closely attuned to the land and its natural powers.
This ancient culture had been presided over by twenty-seven generations of kings up to the last bTsan king. These kings had ruled or six hundred and twenty years since the arrival of gNva -khri-btsan-po. With iHa-tho-tho-ri, the last of the bTsan kings, a new cultural era was to begin, one in which the Buddhist tejcrangs slowly began to influence Tibetan civilization. Trade Routes Across Ancient Asia
To Greece and Rome
Caspian Sea
To Persia and Rome
To Persia
spices incense ivory
To Arabia and Africa
Aral Sea
Bactra
grapes
Puruşapura
Indian Ocean
Lake Balkhash
horses
Kashgar Yarkand
wool
NORTHERN HSIUNG-NU
•Taxila
Mathura
copper
Kucha
gold
Khotan
jade
indigo
SANAS sugar cane
INDIA
Pataliputra '
Tun-huang Shan-shan jade
precious stones
Hsiung-nu Court
SOUTHERN, HSIUNG-NU
Tämralipti
TIBETAN PLATEAU
Bay of Bengal
سال
Koko Nor
313
Lake Baikal
Chang-yeh
cinnamon copper
Ch'ang-an
silk
Shu
•Lo-yang
HAN DYNASTY CHINA
FUNAN
Nan-hai
South China Sea
In 112 B.C. the Silk Route was opened across Central Asia. This trade route linked China and India in the east with Persia and Rome in the west. Goods flowed in both directions along
Ancient Tibet
