Tibetan Topography and Sacred Landscape

Tibetan Topography and Sacred Landscape

Tibetan Topography and Sacred Landscape

event Tuesday 18 February 2025 schedule 6.00pm - 7.00pm GMT
Past event
Past event
event Tuesday 18 February 2025 schedule 6.00pm - 7.00pm GMT
  • Lhasa in Tibert with the sunrise
Online
Open to: 
Alumni and guests

Join us for an insightful lecture by Professor Charles Ramble, renowned scholar of Tibetan culture and history, as he delves into the fascinating relationship between landscape, religion, and cultural imagination in Tibet and the Himalayas.

As the historian Simon Schama once remarked, "Landscapes are culture before they are nature," and this event will explore how Tibetan landscapes are not just physical terrains but deeply embedded in cultural and religious identity. Professor Ramble will discuss how natural landscapes in Tibet are often viewed through a spiritual lens, particularly in the context of the Buddhist “Buddhicisation” of the region. From divine realms to religious topographies, the meaning of landscape transcends mere geography and becomes a living expression of belief, as seen in murals, scroll paintings, and sacred architecture.

The lecture will also touch upon how Tibetan conversion narratives shape the perception of the natural world and its significance within Buddhist teachings.

This is a unique opportunity to learn more about the profound cultural and spiritual significance of the Himalayan and Tibetan landscapes from one of the leading experts in the field.

Schedule

6.00pm - Welcome from Claire Baxter Cambridge Alumni Office and Daniel Moore, Distant Horizons

6.10pm - Talk from Professor Charles Ramble

6.45pm - Q&A with Professor Ramble, facilitated by Daniel Moore

7.00pm - Finish

Please note, this event will be recorded.

This talk is part of the Cambridge Alumni Travel programme, and is organised by Distant Horizons who will be arranging the alumni journey to Laos, Yunnan and Tibet in October 2025 accompanied by Professor Charles Ramble.

Booking information

Click the 'Book online' button to register your place for Professor Ramble's talk.

Capacity: 
500

Booking for this event is now closed.