SnowMountainsGlistenUnderSunshine─Forwordfor DictionaryonTibetanNationalityDAINZHOLONBEN TheQinghai-TibetPlateau,theRoofoftheWorld,i samagnettoallpeople.Sinceancienttime,ithasr eceivedworld-widerespect.Itisaregionofmanym ountainsandrivers.Theyincludethehighestmoun tainandthehighestriverintheworld.Theendless lyflowingYarlungZangboandthetoweringHimalay ashaveexperiencedlittlechangeforcen-turiesa ndenjoyeverlastingpride.Sparkling,pristinew hitesnowremainseveninspringandsummer.Kangde se,Tanggula,KarwaGarboandAnyaimaqenexemplif ymysteri-ousnessandgreatness.Splendidsnowmo untains!BrilliantSnowland!Snowmountainsares plendid,andsoistheculturecreatedbytheTibeta ns.Highlandinhabitantswerefoundalmostinever ypartoftheregion.Theyweretheforefathersofpr esent-dayTibetans.Intheprotractedstruggleag ainstnature,theyhaveleftbehindKarub,Qukong, Medog,Dogarzeandotherculturalsites,rockpain tingsinGyalinginnorthernTibetandRutoginNgar i,andthestill-toldstoryOfhowtheTibetansevol vedfrommonkeys.TheTibetanraceexpandedintwop laces:NgariandYarlungRiverValley.TheNgarici vilizationgavebirthtotheBonreligion,whichun i-fiedtheculturalsenseoftheTibetanswithitsu niqueform;theYarlungRiverValleycivilization gavebirthtotheBuryats,which,composedinitial lyofsixtribes,reliedontheirpowerfulpolitica landmilitaryforcestounifytheQinghai-TibetPl ateau.Thetwocivilizationscombinedtogivebirt hto,cultivateandexpandtheTibetanrace,giving itaunifiedlanguage,unifiedculture,unifiedso vereigntyanduni-fiedculturalpsychebeforeent eringthestageofthepowerfulTuboKingdom.Thise xpandedmilitarily,whilealsodoingitsbesttoab sorbthecreamfromothercultures,anddevelopits econo-my.Duringthisperiod,theTuboKingdommad emuchsocialprogress.TheTuboKingdomhadsome60 0,000menunderarms.Duringitswars,itincreased theeconomic,reli-giousandculturallinkswitht heterri-toriesitinvaded;SongtsanGambo,GarTo ngtsanYusong,Lunqenlin,TrisongDetsanandothe rfamousmil-itarists,diplomatsandstatesmenem ergedatthistime.Italsointroduced,inafairlyc om-prehensiveway,Indianculturefeatur-ingBud dhism.ScholarsweresenttostudyBuddhistclassi csinIndiaandvoluminouscopiesofBuddhistsutra sweretranslatedintoTibetan.Buddhismpenetrat edeveryaspectofthesociallife.Siteswerechose nforBuddhistactivities;workshopsweresetupto printBuddhistsutras;monkgroupswereorganized undertightrule;andincensewaswidelyburned.Du ringthisperiod,ThonmiSambhota,Basalsnangand othermenoflettersemerged.Economically,theTu boKingdomexpandeditstradewithotherraces.Its musk,yaktails,borax,jadeandartsandcraftswer eexportedtoCentralAsiaandChina'shinterland. Itabsorbedscientificandtechno-logicalfruits fromIndiaandtheHanareaYutogYundainGoinboeme rgedasafamousmedicalpractitionerandTibetfin allycreateditsownmedicalscienceandcalendar. Therewasalsobigprogressinagriculture,animal husbandryandhandicrafts,whichhelpedpromotes ocialprogress.Ideologically,absorptionofali enculturesledtoformationofitsownphilosophic alsystem.Buddhismgrad-uallygainedapredomina ntposition.Thoughthistouchedoffasharpideo-l ogicalstruggle,itexertedapositiveroleintheu nificationandconstructionofideologyandcultu reforthelaterdevelopmentofTibetanhistory.Po litically,Tuboformeditsownpoliticalsysteman dlaw,layingtheframeworkforthepoliticalandle galsystemsofthefutureTibetansociety.TangDyn asty(618-907)PrincessWenchengwasmarriedtoth eTuboKingSongtsanGambo.Thisservedasthefirst grandeventinthehistoryofrelationsbetweenthe Tibetanraceandthemotherland.Followingthefal loftheTuboKingdom,Tibetansocietyenteredaper iodofdivisionandTibetanculturesufferedserio usdamage.Manynewpoliticalandlegalsystemswer eburiedunderthehistoricaldust.Culturalbril- lianceintheperiodoftheEarlySpreadofBuddhism andthehardstrugglewagedtoreviveBuddhisminth eperiodoftheLaterSpreadofBuddhismformasharp contrast.Intheformerperiod,Buddhismandcul-t uregainedgroundwithgovernmentsupport;inthel atterperiod,Buddhismandculturewererevivedth roughindi-vidualandregionalefforts.TheTubop eriodleftbehindarichideologicalandculturalheritage,pluscompara-tivelycompletesetsofBuddhistscrip-tures.Followingaperiodofsilence,variousBuddhistsectsrosearoundTibetanBuddhi
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