Description:

 A generation of Tibetan religious scholars fell victim to China’s rule; the fragmentary stories of their imprisonments offer a glimpse into the troubled history of modern Tibet. This lecture examines some of these scholars’ official and unauthorized publications, as well as correspondences that emerged from inside Tibet—rather than those crafted in exile—of incarcerations, struggle sessions, and labor camps. Some scholars were able to express views of the violence despite state censorship, while others published unofficial accounts that provide detailed views of state power. I argue that scholarship which simplifies the historically complex and personally traumatic narratives of these religious scholars' experiences to themes like spiritual realization or collective karma prevents us from seeing the full historical reality. It is essential to examine these skillfully written accounts closely, as their fragmented narratives are often concealed, expressed indirectly or through metaphorical language, and shared prudently through unauthorized publications.

Dhondup Tashi Rekjong is a PhD candidate in the Religious Studies Department at Northwestern University.