Explore

WWC Home Page
Religious Studies Home

Where do you want to go?

Major and Minor Information
Meet The Faculty
Meet The Students
BE website
Tibet Worldwide

Tibet Worldwide: Summer 2006

Student Ryan Morra: "We stayed a few days in the capital city, Lhasa, and spent a lot of time camping in the countyside while visiting monastaries, temples, and other holy sites along the way. We slept in two big tents - boys and girls - and got to know each other all too well. But that didn't get in the way of our getting to know the Tibetan people."

Click here to view photos of Tibet taken by students

group

Dr Hun Lye (Religious Studies) taught a World Wide course on "The Religious and Cultural Heritage of Tibet" (Spring 2006) that culminated in three weeks of on-site learning in Central Tibet. Students who took this 3-credit course, also took the 4-credit course "Tibetan Buddhist Culture" in the same semester.

The on-site learning component of the World Wide course included about a week in Lhasa (the ancient capital of Tibet) and the remainder of the time was spent in valleys, grasslands and mountain ranges outside of Lhasa. Director of Student Activities, Dustin Rhodes co-led the class that consisted of sixteen students. Prior to Tibet, students worked in pairs to become "on-site experts" of a particular site or ritual-activity that we were expecting to visit or encounter while in Tibet. Once on-site, these students gave lectures and led discussions on their own area of expertise. For example, Ryan Morra and Gregory Traymar gave a lecture on the history of the Jokhang Chapel on the morning of the day we were scheduled to visit the Jokhang while Ashley Pasteka and Erin McDuff discussed the mandala-principle behind the architeture of Samye Monastery (the oldest monastery in Tibet) at our campsite right next to Samye Monastery.

Also, while in Tibet, students came up with the idea of fundraising for free reading glasses for monks and nuns of Drigung Valley in Tibet. If you can give the "gift of sight," please contact Dr. Lye at HLye@warren-wilson.edu.

Return to Religious Studies Homepage