Dawa: Master of Tibetan Language in Tibet University
Dawa, who has just become one of the first batch of masters degree
holders trained in Tibet, is prepared to get married this year. "I
am the eldest son in my family. My parents have lost patience on me
and I cannot keep my girlfriend waiting any longer," he
explained.
In
the pasturing area of Tibet, Tibetan men usually get married around
the age of 20. However, Dawa is already 35. He mused that he might
already have a child in primary school but for pursuing advanced
studies.
Born into an ordinary herdsman's family in Sa'gya County of Xigaze,
Dawa and another nine Tibetan students from the Tibet University
and the Tibetan Medicine Institute have obtained a Master's Degree
and become the first batch of postgraduates trained in Tibet. Both
institutions only set up masters' programs in 1998, so this batch
of postgraduates is little bit older than the norm.
Dawa majored in Tibetan language, which was a privilege of lamas
and the children of high officials 50 years ago in Tibet.
He
has eight brothers and sisters. He already had five siblings when
he went to Sa'gya Primary School at the age of nine. As the eldest
son of the family, he was the labor force of the family and had to
earn work points by herding for the production team.
He
hailed the modernization of Tibet that had given him the chance to
study.
He
studied hard in the class and tried his utmost to remember what the
teachers said. He always took books with him when he was herding.
He always came out on top in the class since he never slackened his
efforts.
Tibet had started to conduct the family contract system with
remuneration linked to output when Dawa graduated from primary
school in 1981. His mother did not want him to continue his studies
because the family was short of hands. After thinking it over for
several days, Dawa told his mother: "Mom, please give me a chance.
I am not willing to give up."
Dawa later found that this was a very correct choice in his life.
When he was in the second grade of the middle school, the state
began carrying out the policy of free dining and lodging as well as
free clothing to primary and middle school students in Tibet.
Dawa recalled, "We had glutinous rice, gruel and steamed bun for
breakfast, potato and cabbage for lunch and noodles for dinner. We
had bacon in summers and beef and mutton in winters. We had
sufficient food every day." In order to provide enough iodine for
Tibetan students, the state also provided them with kelp every
week. The chef did not know how to cook it and the students did not
like it either.
He
still clearly remembers the scene when he read the four
masterpieces of China's classical literature in Tibetan "I like the
Outlaws of the Marshes best. I spent all my spare time on
it. Sometimes, I was enthralled by it and forgot to eat. I could
even recite some highlights which described the heroes such as Lin
Chong and Song Jiang."
In
1985, Dawa passed the entrance examination and entered the Tibetan
Language Department of Tibet University. He successfully obtained a
Master's degree of Tibetan Language in Tibet University in 2002. He
said: "Study is the most important part of my life. The endless
pleasure in Tibetan language research has attracted me to continue
my exploration. The hardship of childhood enables me to fear
nothing. I will continue to pursue advanced study when I have a
chance."
Puciren: Tibetan Language is My Life
Puciren had been reciting Tibetan folk literature The Story of
Agudunba since he was a child. He successfully obtained
Master's degree of Tibetan Language and Literature in Tibet
University.
His graduation thesis -- The Development and Features of Tibetan
Biographical Literature -- has proposed a new viewpoint that
Tibetan biographical literature originated from Tibetan primitive
legends, according to the Thesis Defense Committee. Therefore, it
corrected the belief that the Buddhist Jataca Story is the origin
of Tibetan biographical literature and made up for the inadequate
studies on the overall and systematic research of Tibetan
biographical literature in Tibetan literature circles.
The Tibetan language was created by a minister of the Tibet regime
in ancient China, Thun-mi-sam-bho-tra according to Sanskrit. It is
a language system that comprises 30 consonants and four vowels as
well as exquisite punctuation. Puciren has loved the Tibetan
language ever since he was a child and has a very good grounding in
it. He won the top prize with an article entitled My Respected
Teacher in the regional composition contest when he graduated from
middle school. This, his first article in Tibetan, was later
published by Tibet Youth Daily. It has encouraged him a
lot.
In
1986, he came first in the examination and was enrolled by the
Tibetan Language Department of Tibet University. Puciren has been
studing very hard in the university. He graduated with an average
score of 91.5 on his Tibetan language course, ranking fourth among
his classmates. He has written many articles during his study in
college, which were published on some newspapers including Tibet
Daily and Tibet Youth Daily.
Puciren has been teaching in the Tibetan Language Department of
Tibet University after graduation. He is totally addicted to the
Tibetan language research, "I continue my study on Tibetan language
while I am teaching. The glamour of traditional culture impels me
to master as much as possible the subtlety inside."
With over one thousand years of accumulation, the volumes of
domestic Tibetan ancient books and records are only second to
Chinese documents. At present, many experts are protecting and
sorting out as well as studying on these Tibetan ancient books and
records.
In
1999, Puciren passed the postgraduate examination of Tibet
University. He focused on the study of Tibetan biographical
literature with Professor Suolanpingcuo. Meanwhile, he attempted to
study it through applying theories of Western aesthetics and
poetics.
He
said: "there were some people studying Tibetan biographical
literature in the past. However, most focused on the study of the
composition time and content as well as significance of one
particular biography. I pay more attention to the developing
history of the whole biographical literature." As to his future
plan, Puciren said: "Tibetan language is my life. I will continue
to work for a doctorate if I have chance. My study will also focus
on Tibetan language and literature."
(新華社[Xinhua News
Agency], translated by Wang Qian for China.org.cn, August 29,
2002)