Lama Mani of Tibet a short film by Preetam Koipillai

Lama Mani of Tibet a film by Preetam Koipillai (duration: 2 minutes)

Think Tibet introduces the storyteller of Tibet in 2 minutes short film ‘Lama Mani of Tibet‘ to introduce Lama Mani of Tibet.

Lama Mani is a traditional Tibetan story-teller who goes from place to place with a small shrine and a set of large thangkas (traditional Tibetan painted scrolls)

Lama Manis are wandering storytellers with a religious role: they impart ethical codes of conduct, illustrate the moral concept of karma (cause and effect), and encourage their audiences to feel compassion for all beings (bodihcitta). Traditionally, these storytellers are not scholars or members of the religious hierarchy. Instead, they have humble origins and easy access to people of all backgrounds. The tradition of lama mani in Tibet stretches back to at least the 12th century, but today this storytelling tradition is slowly dying both inside and outside Tibet.

The lama manipas travel from place to place with a small shrine and a set of large thangkas (traditional Tibetan painted scrolls), which depict various worlds of Buddhas and bodhisattvas (altruistic-minded beings), such as Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Members of their family assist them. Their audiences consist primarily of laity, many of whom have little or no religious training. At the conclusion of the wanderers’ story, the audience may make offerings to them in appreciation for the teaching.

Think Tibet publish children’s books. We found that in Tibet there were storytellers who went from place to place with their scrolls of thangkas, narrating the grand old epics. They were the Lama Manis of Tibet. We also found that the Tibetan epic of Gesar Ling is the world’s last living epic, the Iliad of the East as some call it. With such a tradition of storytelling, and such a vast cultural history to draw from, we set up Lama Mani Books, our tribute to the storyteller and our contribution to the community.

Lama Mani Books is an imprint of Think Tibet founded in 2008 with a sole mission and vision to reach the maximum number of young readers to read the stories of Tibetan life in exile, history, tales, and so on.