Tibet House US facts for kids
Tibet House US
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| Established | 1987 |
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| Location | 22 West 15th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, Manhattan, New York, USA |
Tibet House US (THUS) is a Tibetan cultural preservation and education nonprofit founded in 1987 in New York City by a group of Westerners after the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, had expressed his wish to establish a cultural institution to build awareness of Tibetan culture.
Part of a worldwide network of Tibet Houses, Tibet House US focuses on the promotion and preservation of Tibetan culture through education on philosophy; cognitive or mind science based on the workings of mind and emotions; techniques of mediation and mental transformation; and contemporary and ancient arts and culture. These are presented to the public utilizing:
- Lectures, classes and workshops on mind science, philosophy and meditation classes, with teachers from many traditions including the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, and psychiatrists and meditation teachers such as Mark Epstein, Joe Loizzo and Sharon Salzberg.
- A gallery that presents a rotating permanent collection and multiple exhibitions yearly of modern and ancient works from Buddhist cultures including Tibet, Mongolia, Korea, Japan and Russia.
- Museum exhibitions, conferences, print publications and media productions including online courses, books, a graphic novel biography of the Dalai Lama, Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet, and a quarterly magazine.
- Lectures and events for the Tibetan community.
- A traditional Tibetan shrine room.
- A lending library of books and videos.
- Online digital archives.
- Tours to areas of Buddhist cultural influence.
Mission
THUS works to preserves Tibet's intangible culture heritage when it is threatened inside and outside Tibet, and presents a contemporary understanding of the contributions of a minority culture endangered by ever "more assimilationist policies, designed to absorb these minorities into the fold of one Chinese nation," although The Constitution of the People's Republic of China stipulates: "All ethnic groups in the People's Republic of China are equal. The state protects the lawful rights and interests of the ethnic minorities and upholds and develops a relationship of equality, unity and mutual assistance among all of China's ethnic groups. Discrimination against and oppression of any ethnic group are prohibited ...and they have the freedom to preserve or change their own folkways and customs."
History
In 1987, Columbia University professor and THUS President Robert Thurman, the first western Buddhist monk, actor and Chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet, Richard Gere, and modern composer and THUS Vice President Philip Glass, founded the organization, located in the Flatiron district of New York City. Managing Director Nena Thurman initiated the annual benefit concert with Glass, and the annual benefit auction. She is also the Executive Chairwoman of the THUS project, Menla Retreat.
THUS has worked with many different educational and cultural institutions. This includes sponsoring teachings in New York by the Dalai Lama, and a three-day conference in 2011, The Newark Peace Education Summit, on the policies and methods used by communities to establish peace. Participants included the Dalai Lama and fellow Nobel Laureates, anti-landmine activist Jody Williams, and Iranian civil rights activist Shirin Ebadi; Cory Booker, Martin Luther King III, economist Jeffrey Sachs, Deepak Chopra, Rabbi Michael Lerner; anthropologist Wade Davis, who shared a stage with representatives of the Navajo, Dene, and Hopi nations; and many other international and local activists. A Shrine for Tibet: The Alice S. Kandell Collection, "a visual knockout of a book" published by THUS, was the accompanying publication for the traveling exhibition In the Realm of the Buddha at the Smithsonian. THUS also serves as a meeting place for local Tibetan and Tibetan Buddhist community programs and events.
The Art of Freedom Award, honoring outstanding contributions reflecting THUS' mission, has been presented to author and human rights advocate Eliot Pattison, director Martin Scorsese, and artist Roy Lichtenstein, among others.
Fundraising events include a yearly auction and dinner, and a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall organized by Phillip Glass that has featured Patti Smith, David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Björk, Debbie Harry, FKA Twigs, Annie Lennox, Eddie Vedder, Phoebe Bridgers, Tenzin Choegyal, The Flaming Lips and many other musicians over its thirty-plus years history. Opening 2021's online, live stream 34th benefit, the Dalai Lama sent a video message of congratulation and thanks to Tibet House US, Bob and Nena Thurman, and those who started Tibet House in New York. He also thanked Sogpo (Mongolian) Wangyal, the late Geshe Wangyal, Thurman's teacher, for also contributing to advocating Tibetan Buddhism among Americans.
