June 22 (Kangba TV)--Mani stones of different sizes are quite common in central Tibetan Plateau. Carvers use nail hammers or electric drills to carve the mani mantra. Some are devoted monks and some are folk artisans who make a living in this way. Tsering Nemei, 48 years old, is one of those folk artisans.  

One afternoon in early spring, Tsering Nemei concentrated on carving stones at his studio. With an electric drill in hand, he swiftly carved characters on a stone without any marks.  

“This is the auspicious six-syllabled mantra. I carve about 300 stones every year.” Tsering Nemei has been a carver for 6 years. According to him, he only carves the six-syllabled mantra. With rich experience in this field, he is able to directly carve stones without marking them.  

Tsering Nemei is a villager of Changjiangyuan Village, Golmud, Qinghai. Before 2004, Changjiangyuan villagers lived at Tanggulashan Town where they suffered harsh environment of cold and low oxygen. In the wake of the ecological protection of the Sanjiangyuan area, 128 households at Tanggulashan Town moved to the suburbs of Golmud, a place with an average altitude of 3,000m. They started new life there.  

“At first, I used a pencil to draw out characters. Later, I employ my experience and feelings. From stone selection to carving to coloring to sunning, I devote myself to stone carving with reverence. Carving a mani stone is equal to worshiping Buddhas and chanting sutras.” According to Tsering Nemei, he treats stone carving as not only a profession but also a way of expressing emotions.

As introduced by village secretary Tsering Tadui, training courses were held at Changjiangyuan Village several years ago. A batch of mani stone carvers have benefited from those courses. Today, there are 20 carvers at the village certified by Golmud Municipal Employment Bureau.  

In fact, training is only a part of sources of Tsering Nemei’s exquisite craftsmanship. He believes that the six-syllabled mantra is a kind of belief carved in his heart. He prefers to carve stones in accordance with inner intentions. In that way, all stones are of emotional significance other than pure solids.  

Compared with other mani stones, Tsering Nemei’s stones are diverse in shapes. Some are oval stones as large as over 30cm in diameter. Some are heart-shaped or round stones with a diameter less than 10cm. These stones are of natural shapes and lines.

Mani stones refer to those stones on which the six-syllabled mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is carved.  

According to Xin Xiangdong, director of Golmud Municipal Bureau of Religious Affairs, devout disciples believe that mani stones can bring auspiciousness, and mani stones also represent the openness and boldness of Tibetan people.