NANGPA
NANGPA. Insider; one who is within. This term is used often in the context of one who looks inward and focuses on a spiritual path rather than external influences and distractions. It also represents kinship, community, and belonging.
Tibet or བོད་ is an independent and unique region. Characterized by its mountainous terrain, strategic location, and water sources, Tibetans’ care for their land is marked by spirituality and reverence. This indigenous population also fostered a form of Mahayana Buddhist tradition, known as Tibetan Buddhism. This spiritual practice and its population emphasize compassion, meditation, and integration of spirituality with daily life.
In 1950, Maoist forces annexed Tibet, an independent region, as part of their Chinese reunification agenda. This move marked decades of genocide, memoricide, and widespread human rights violations. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fled to India along with many other refugees in 1959. This testing exile was documented as one of the most difficult forced migrations in human history, traversing the Himalayan range and its rugged conditions. One such refugee was Geshe (Monk) Lhundub Sopa. In 1959, Geshe Sopa was one of His Holiness’s select Geshe degree examination proctors and Sopa conducted the exam before he had finished his own Geshe degree. Geshe Sopawas personally sent to the US to teach Tibetan culture by His Holiness. Geshe Sopa began teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and established the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Oregon, WI. This center was the site of the first Kalachakra initiation ceremony in the Western Hemisphere and has undergone several renovation projects and building phases. The building serves as a reminder of the strength of the Tibetan diaspora, enduring all obstacles through its dedication to their principles of faith, love, and understanding. Madison’s Tibetan population remains strong and is part of a worldwide presence of resilience that reflects the endurance of the Tibetan people.
In the summer of 2024, I embarked on a journey to Ladakh, a region in Northern India that represents the unique axis of diaspora and nationalism that the Tibetan story navigates well. The idea of “nangpa” unites the narrative of people I in Ladakh and Madison, and offers a novel look into “diaspora”. This project presents a documentarian perspective of this resilience. The underlying thread of community still exists, stretched across the world and tested, albeit strong as ever.
Meanwhil In
a a