The Encyclopedia of World Religions

Torah S 453

Lopez, ed., Religions of Tibet in Practice (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1997); John Powers, Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Ithaca, N.Y.: Snow Lion Publications, 1995).

laypeople as well as Buddhist and Bon monks observe. For example, it is common for Tibetans to write PRAYERS on the perimeters of wheels or on flags. When worshippers spin the wheels or the wind blows the flags, each revolution or move ment is equivalent to saying the prayer. Tibetans also work to acquire merit—spiritual credit that will benefit them in future births. One impor tant way to do so is for laypeople to give gifts to monks. This important act sustains the monastic institutions. Another common Tibetan practice is PILGRIM AGE . Worshippers traditionally traveled to destina tions such as Lhasa, the seat of the Dalai Lama, and Mount Kailasa, the most sacred Tibetan mountain. There they circumambulated the sacred places and objects, Buddhists in a clockwise direction, Bon pos counterclockwise. In addition to worshipping Buddhist or Bon deities, Tibetans have preserved from pre-Buddhist days the idea that aquatic spirits live beneath the Earth. When human activity disturbs these spirits, they must be pacified. Tibetan legends tell of an earthly paradise in the snowy regions to the north, hidden by the mountains and known as Shamb hala. They also tell of a mythical king named Geser. Tibetans locate him in the past, present, and future, all three. In the remote past, Tibetans say, Geser descended from heaven to Earth to restore order. In the present he protects his worshippers from danger and provides advice. Tibetan Bud dhists say that he will come in the future to drive out enemies and institute a golden age. SIGNIFICANCE In earlier years, Europeans and North Americans found it difficult to travel to Tibet. As a result the region evoked images of magic, mystery, and a mythical paradise. During the 20th century, a more realistic image of Tibetan religion began to emerge. There are still aspects of Tibetan religion, however, that scholars know little about. Further reading: Per Kværne, The Bon Religion of Tibet: The Iconography of a Living Tradition (London: Serindia Publications, 1995); Donald S.

Torah Hebrew meaning “teaching”; the most revered part of the Hebrew B IBLE . The first five books of the Hebrew Bible, traditionally said to have been written by M OSES , are known as the Torah. The first book, Genesis, tells the story of the creation of the world and the lives of A BRA HAM and his immediate descendants in Canaan. The last four tell of the freeing of the people of Israel from bondage in Egypt ( see E XODUS ) and

The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is used in the form of a scroll in synagogues and prayer services. (Image Bank)