The Tibetan Concept of Ethics and Morality in Daofu County of Sichuan

GENJIA Wengmu　LIAO Hongyu

Abstract： The concept of ethics and morality is a cultural phenomenon which penetrates the daily life of every ethnic group. It has a wide and profound influence on standardizing peoples behavior， their judgment of right and wrongs， and it maintains the normal functioning of society. Daofu is located in the western part of Sichuan， and its people have formed a unique concept of ethics and morality due to the influence of a unique geographical environment， religious beliefs and customs. The basic content and representations of the Tibetan concept of ethics and morality in Daofu is reflected in the following aspects：

1） Ethics and morality in marriage and funeral customs. Marriage is a unique social phenomenon of human beings. The ancestors of man gave marriage its cultural meanings， and gradually conventionalized， socialized and moralized it. The Tibetans in Daofu are monogamous， and practice exogamous marriages， marriages arranged by parents and free courtship. Within the Daofu Tibetans criteria of mate selection， the man will observe whether a woman is hardworking， capable， has good character， and filial piety. However， the appearance of the woman is not the number one important factor. The woman， on the other hand， will observe whether the man is hardworking， honest， has the ability to earn money， and there is no special requirement for his personnel appearance. Funerals are a peoples way of dealing with the dead and their corpses. Based upon their beliefs and regional customs， different countries and different ethnic groups have differing customs and practices. The funeral customs of the Tibetans in Daofu also have been formed from the rules of ethics and morals found in Tibetan Buddhism. The death practices in Daofu are relatively complex. Historically， there were sarcophagi in the Daofu area. In addition， today there are still sky burials （these were the majority before Liberation）， pagoda burials （this was mostly for Living Buddhas and high ranking monks）， and cremation （this was mostly for important lamas and monks）.There were also river burials and interment， including secondary burials. The kind of burial is normally divined and， decided upon by eminent monks or folk diviners.

2）Ethics and morality in daily life. The concept of ethics and morality of the Tibetan in Daofu is a kind of moral rule consciously formed by the Tibetans for the purpose of constantly standardizing， restraining and perfecting their behaviors. It is like a diffused light or lens， and is reflected in all aspects of the peoples daily life. Hence， all aspects， including the peoples ideology， and the basic necessities of the life are marked by the groups conceptof ethics and morality. Firstly， due to the gradual infiltration of Tibetan Buddhism， the Daofu Tibetans have a moral tradition of hospitality， honesty， solidarity， fraternity， and they treat others with earnestness. Secondly， they have a moral tradition of paying filial piety to the aged， taking care of parents. Thirdly， they also have a tradition of respecting teachers or masters.

3） Ethics and morals in life rituals. Tibetans are an ethnic group who pays a lot of attention to the rituals of life， therefore their concept of ethics and morality also runs through the life rituals in their daily life. To the Tibetans， the birth of a new life is a big and happy thing， and a celebration must follow it. Therefore， the Tibetans have their unique “name giving” ritual and a “babys one-month-old celebration” ritual. Within the life rituals， there is also a custom of “tossing the baby teeth” to give blessings for the childrens health. If we compare them with neighboring Tibetans， the coming of age ritual held for Daofu Tibetan women is very special. When a girl reaches the age of 15， she must plait her hair and twist the braid on her head. This kind of hair style is called as skar i， and it is marker of unmarried women in the Daofu area.

4） Ethics and morality in folk literature. Folk literature is another mirror that accumulates， preserves and reflects the Tibetans concept of ethics and morality. For thousands of years， the traditional ethics and morals of the Daofu Tibetans have been given a vivid and lively interpretation in the proverbs and folk stories of Daofu. Proverbs and folk stories are the two most representative styles in the folk literature of the Tibetans in Daofu. They are the cultural artistic forms with unique ethnic characters created in the process of the Daofu Tibetans living and production. The proverbs and folk stories open a door for us to step into the spiritual world of the common Tibetan. Moreover， the concept of virtue and vice has always been a value system with which to judge the moral standard in the Tibetan society. Speaking from moral philosophy， virtues are moral， and vices are immoral. It is a moral evaluation of an individual or a group and involves all aspects of the society. In brief， most orally transmitted literature is always filled with the praises about the bravery， strength， hardworking， kindness， and the philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism， including promoting good and abstaining from evil， cause-and-effect transmigration， maha-karuniko， benefitting the whole and selflessness. All of these can still give people great enlightenment and moral lessons.

The Daofu Tibetans concept of ethics and morality has the following basic characteristics： Firstly， it takes religious morality as its core； secondly， it is characterized by of compatibility and openness； thirdly， it is characterized by universality； fourthly， it is characterized by stability and gradual change. In general， during the long process of the history， the Tibetans who have lived in Daofu of western Sichuan for generations are gradually developing， continuing， and enriching their value system of ethics and morals from their own unique way of thinking. It is not only an important part of the Tibetan culture， but also an important content which cannot be separated from the ethics and moral culture of the Chinese nation.

Key Words： Daofu Tibetan； ethics and morals； content； characteristics

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