Buddhism is the religious system founded by Buddha, one of the most prominent doctrines of which is that Nirvana, or an absolute release from existence, is the chief good. According to it pain is inseparable from existence, and consequently pain can cease only through Nirvana; and in order to attain Nirvana our desires and passions must be suppressed, the most extreme self-renunciation practised, and we must, as far as possible, forget our own personality.
In order to attain Nirvana eight conditions must be kept or practised. The first is in Buddhistic language right view; the second is right judgment; the third is right language; the fourth is right purpose; the fifth is right profession; the sixth is right application; the seventh is right memory; the eighth is right meditation. The five fundamental precepts of the Buddhist moral code are: not to kill, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to lie, and not to give way to drunkenness. To these there are added five others of less importance, and binding more particularly on the religious class, such as to abstain from repasts taken out of season, from theatrical representations, etc. There are six fundamental virtues to be practised by all men alike, vizcharity, purity, patience, courage, contemplation, and knowledge. These are the virtues that are said to 'conduct a man to the other shore'. The devotee who strictly practises them has not yet attained Nirvana, but is on the road to it.
The Buddhist virtue of charity is universal in its application, extending to all creatures, and demanding sometimes the greatest self-denial and sacrifice. There is a legend that the Buddha in one of his stages of existence (for he had passed through innumerable transmigrations before becoming 'the enlightened') gave himself up to be devoured by a famishing lioness which was unable to suckle her young ones. There are other virtues, less important, indeed, than the six cardinal ones, but still binding on believers. Thus not only is lying forbidden, but evil-speaking, coarseness of language, and even vain and frivolous talk, must be avoided. Buddhist metaphysics are comprised in three theories - the theory of transmigration (borrowed from Brahmanism), the theory of the mutual connection of causes, and the theory of Nirvana. The first requires no explanation. According to the second, life is the result of twelve conditions, which are by turns causes and effects. Thus there would be no death were it not for birth; it is therefore the effect of which birth is the cause. Again, there would be no birth were there not a continuation of existence. Existence has for its cause our attachment to things, which again has its origin in desire; and so on through sensation, contact, the organs of sensation and the heart, name and form, ideas, etc, up to ignorance. This ignorance, however, is not ordinary ignorance, but the fundamental error which causes us to attribute permanence and reality to things. This, then, is the primary origin of existence and all its attendant evils.
Nirvana or extinction is eternal salvation from the evils of existence, and the end which every Buddhist is supposed to seek. Sakya-muni did not leave his doctrines in writing; he declared them orally, and they were carefully treasured up by his disciples, and written down after his death. The determination of the canon of the Buddhist scriptures as we now possess them was the work of three successive councils, and was finished two centuries at least before Christ. From Buddhism involving a protest against caste distinctions it was eagerly adopted by the Dasyus or non-Aryan inhabitants of Hindustan. It was pure, moral, and humane in its origin, but it came subsequently to be mixed up with idolatrous worship of its founder and other deities. Although now long banished from Hindustan by the persecutions of the Brahmans, Buddhism prevails in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Indonesia, and Japan, and its adherents are said to comprise about a third of the human race. Research Buddhism
A plateau or tableland generally denotes a large stretch of highland which is practically the same height above sea-level, and which descends on all sides to lower ground. Some plateaux, however, such as those of Tibet and Bolivia, that are fringed by high mountain ranges which tower above the plateau level, are known as intermont plateaux. Sometimes they are so completely enclosed as to have no outlet to the sea.
A plateau might be regarded as an elevated plain, but there is often a great difference between the surface of a plain and that of a plateau. As a plateau is high, rivers are swift and carve deep, narrow valleys instead of the broad, open valleys of the lower rivers of the plains. Such plateau areas as Wales and the Highlands of Scotland, are broken by deep, narrow valleys, and are termed dissected plateaux. On reaching the top of such an area one has a long view of a series of flat-topped mountain ridges. These ridges are all of approximately the same height, and if one imagines the clouds descending until they touched one ridge, then almost every other ridge would be similarly cloud-capped. Other good examples of plateaux are Tibet in Asia, the Ecuador and Bolivian plateaux in South America, and nearly the whole of the continent of Africa.
The Deccan of India is a plateau that has been tilted so that the western edge is much higher than the eastern edge, and all the main rivers drain eastwards. In many instances plateaux are formed by the denudation or wearing down of higher mountainous areas. Ultimately, such areas may become so low that they are nearly plains, i.e. peneplains, such as the land around HudsonBay. Millions of years ago lava was forced up through cracks in the earth's crust, and spread out over the land in great sheets which have since hardened to form plateaux of basalt.
Two well-known examples of such plateaux are in Antrim (Ireland), and on the Deccan of India to the east of Bombay. Many of the most extensive areas of plateaux in the world are composed of very hard old rock. The GuianaHighlands, most of Africa, Arabia, the Deccan of India, and the West Australian plateaux are all composed of rocks of similar age. The ancient plateau lands are principally valuable for their minerals, such as the gold of Western Australia; the iron and manganese of the Brazilian Highlands; the gold, copper, and diamonds of the African plateau; and the gold of the Lena plateau in Siberia. Where plateaux are found in tropical areas they are important because, being cooler than the neighbouring lowlands, they offer greater possibilities for successful European settlement and development. The highlands of Brazil, Kenya, and Tanganyika are illustrations of this. Much of the tropical plateau area is covered by savannah grasslands. Most of these areas are not yet developed, but offer possibilities for the production of a large variety of both animal and vegetable products when communications have been developed and further settlement has taken place. Research Plateau
The cashmere is a small domesticated goat with large ears and small horns kept for its wool, milk and meat in mountainous areas of China, Iran and Kashmir, and also extensively farmed in the USA and other developed countries primarily for its wool. The Cashmere goat is remarkable for its fine downy fleece, said to be found in perfection only in Tibet in the neighbourhood of Lhassa, but also found in other parts of this region, including Ladakh, now a province of Cashmere. The colder the region where the goat pastures, the heavier is its fleece. A full-grown goat yields not more than eight ounces, the fine curled wool being close to the skin. A large shawl of the finest quality requires 5 lbs of the wool; one of the inferior quality from 3 to 4 lbs. Research Cashmere More information about Cashmere
The chiru or TibetanAntelope (Pantholops Hodgsoni) is an antelope nearly allied to the saiga, found in Tibet. It is very shy and difficult to approach and is chiefly remarkable for the swollen nostrils and greatly elongated horns of the male; the horns are absent in the female. Research Chiru
The Dzeren, Dzeron or Chinese antelope (Procapra gutturosa) is a remarkably swift species of antelope inhabiting the dry arid deserts of Central Asia, Tibet, China, and Southern Siberia. It is about 130 cm in length, and 76 cm high at the shoulder. Research Dzeren
The kiang (Equus hemionus or Asinus hemionus) kyang or dziggetai, is the largest species of wild ass. Native to Tibet it has a coat that is reddish-brown on the back and face, with a cream colour on the neck and under parts. The kiang has relatively short ears and more closely resembles a horse than most other donkeys. Its head is large like that of the ass, but in form it resembles that of the horse. The kiang runs with a rapidity exceeding that of the best Arabian horses. Research Kiang
Natter-Jack Toad (Bufo calamita) is another name for the Rush Toad. It is light yellowish-brown in colour, clouded with dull olive and with a bright yellow line running down the back. The warts of the skin and the eyes are more prominent than in the Common Toad but the glandular swellings on the head are less. The Natter-Jack Toad lays eggs in water which hatch into very small tadpoles which take about six weeks to metamorphose. The Natter- Jack Toad is rare in England but found across Europe and Tibet. Research Natter-Jack Toad
The Pallas cat (Felis manul, manul, steppe cat) is an Asian wild cat living in rocky areas from the eastern border of the Caspian Sea to Tibet and Mongolia. It is about the size of domestic cat with soft, long, and thick fur which is whitish grey or light yellowish with black spots on the crown and black stripes on the rump. It eats small mammals and birds. Research Pallas cat
The panda is one of two carnivores of different families, native to north west China and Tibet. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) has black-and- white fur with black eye patches and feeds mainly on bamboo shoots, consuming about eight kg of bamboo per day. It can grow up to 1.5m long, and weigh up to 140kg. The lesser, common, or red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is of the raccoon family, and is about 50cm long and is coloured black and chestnut, with a long tail. Research Panda
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