Sunday, March 30, 2008

Que Sera, Sera ... ?


So, while doing research on the new novel, I came across an interesting little bit of information.

In Tibet, there used to be a somewhat pugnacious order of Buddhist monks who were apparently handy with fist or blade, and willing to use either or both without much provocation. Hundreds of them were apparently killed during a revolution in 1947.

Gone during the Chinese invasion in 1959, most of them, not a few of whom apparently went down swinging.

What is fascinating about this to me is that this fraternity of fellows, called the Dob-dob, operated out of a large monastery known as Sera.

Which name, if you've been paying attention, you know is also the core name of the Indonesian martial art I study: Pukulan Pentjak Silat Sera ...

Given my writer's mind, this opens up another whole train of thought.

As well as maybe another historical can of worms. I love it.

So much I don't know. So little time ...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Given my writer's mind, this opens up another whole train of thought."

Hmm ... as in: Pukulan Pentjak Silat Sera might have been founded/influenced by one of these monks from Sera ... and what a tale it would make to take that connection and create a historical travelogue/adventure story with Buddhist and martial arts overtones?

*chuckle* If you can write it fast enough, in today's world with its news about Tibet and with the world focused on it in the summer because of the Olympics, it might catch the wave of people's interest (or, more importantly, publishers' interest). Or not.

"So much I don't know. So little time ..."

Preachin' to the choir, here.