The Nashi people are thought to have come originally from northwestern China, migrating south toward Tibetan populated regions, and usually inhabiting the most fertile river-side land, driving the other competing tribes farther up the hillsides onto less fertile land. The Nashi, along with Bai and Tibetans, traded over the dangerous overland trading links with Lhasa and India, on the so-called Tea and Horse Caravan routes. (Wikipedia)
The Nakhi as they are known, are very direct in their demeanour.
They smile and laugh all day long, tempered with the most extraordinary amount of gossiping.
Scandal runs amok, most of it made up. Still the more it is discussed, the better the stories become..
Everyone knows everyone. Who did what and when.
The women are never idle. working from dawn to dusk. Everyone is seen as equal.
The men have always been brave, courageous and loyal. Brilliant horsemen, tireless walkers, they have learned to live with very few provisions on their treks.
They have never been swayed from their beliefs by missionaries of any faith.
Although their ancient religion is Animism and Shamanism, they accepted Buddhism.
Animism is the religious belief that objects, places and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.
Potentially, animism perceives all things ,animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork and perhaps even words, as animated and alive. (Wikipedia)
Shamanism is indispensable for the protection of the living and the dead.
The acceptance of life for how it is allows the people to live peacefully.
People who’s simple pleasures have always been the underpinning of their existence.
The missionaries tried to take their way of life away from them .
To abandon all that was near and dear to their way of life.
Ancestor worship was going to ne banned so was the choice to worship in their beautiful lamaseries and temples.
What would have been left for them?
Nothing.
Nothing but a living hell, collapsed into a manipulating and controlled religion of some kind.
Thank goodness they chose to stand up for what they believed.
There is a lot to learn from these beautiful people.
Love Elizabeth x
