Paper short abstract:

This paper explores how fortune-tellers (mo dam), including religious lamas, practice divination and interact as/with nonhumans in order to manage and resolve conflicts among nomads of the eastern Tibetan region of Kham.

Paper long abstract:

In the management of conflict and its resolution among Tibetan nomads, two situations generally prevail. If causes are known, the conflict is subject to customary law, through which the village head or an external adjudicator will decide on proper compensation (mi tong) for loss or injury. Increasingly, this role is played by an official appointed by the Chinese bureaucracy and is thus subject to state law. If, as is often the case, the cause of conflict is uncertain, nomads appeal to a fortune-teller (mo dam) or incarnate lama. While these situations undoubtedly overlap, this paper focuses on the latter.

The uncertainty that surrounds the cause of conflict and its subsequent adjudication among Tibetan nomads is mitigated by the belief that divination will reveal 'truth' and guide proper resolution. In Tibet, divinatory practice is incorporated into the institutions of Tibetan Buddhism, thereby adding to its authority. In these practices, the nonhuman takes on various guises: as incarnate lamas that mediate between divine and human, as rosary beads, stones, dice and fire used to divine 'truth', and as the omens represented by animals, birds and clouds. The nonhuman not only influences resolution in practical terms but also mitigates uncertainty by activating divine authority. Importantly, however, nomads will not always follow through on the pronouncements, particularly where another cause of injustice is felt to exist. This is the case with revenge feuds. The resolution itself sparks off inquietude, which may not be resolved until the cycle of revenge is broken.