Eliot Pattison - Water Touching Stone

khoshakhan. Turkic. A calming call made to lambs.

kumiss. Turkic. Fermented mare's milk, often carried in a leather drinking skin.

Kunlun. The high, long mountain range that defines the northern border of the Tibetan plateau, extending from the Pamir and Karakorum ranges on the Pakistan border for several hundred miles to the east.

lama. Tibetan. The Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit "guru," traditionally used for a fully ordained senior monk who has become a master teacher.

lao jiao. Mandarin. Literally "reeducation through labor," referring to a less severe incarceration facility where prisoners receive intense political education.

lao gai. Mandarin. Literally "reform through labor," referring to a prison labor camp.

lung ma. Mandarin. Traditionally, a "horse dragon," a mythical beast, part horse, part dragon, that brought justice to the common people.

lha gyal lo. Tibetan. A traditional Tibetan phrase of celebration or rejoicing, literally, "Victory to the gods."

mala. Tibetan. A Buddhist rosary, typically consisting of 108 beads.

mani stone. Tibetan. A stone inscribed, by paint or carving, with a Buddhist prayer, typically invoking the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum.

mani wall. Tibetan. A wall made of mani stones. Traditionally pilgrims visiting a shrine would add a mani stone to such a wall to acquire merit.

Mei Guo. Mandarin. America, literally, "Beautiful Country."

mudra. Tibetan. A symbolic gesture made by arranging the hands and fingers in prescribed patterns to represent a specific prayer, offering, or state of mind.

nadam. Turkic. Traditionally, a Kazakh horse festival, where Kazakh clans gather for several days to engage in horse racing, and other athletic competitions.

nan. Turkic. Flat bread, traditionally baked on a stone.

nei lou. Mandarin. State secret; literally for government use only.

pecha. Tibetan. A traditional Tibetan book of scripture, typically unbound in long, narrow loose leaves which are wrapped in cloth, often tied with carved wooden end pieces.

purba. Tibetan. Literally "nail" or "spike," a small dagger with a triangular blade used in Buddhist ritual.

Rinpoche. Tibetan. A term of respect in addressing a revered teacher, literally "blessed" or "jewel."

Sekset Ata. Turkic. The deity who protects goats.

sundet. Turkic. In Kazakh tradition a boy is circumcised between the ages of five and seven, in a ceremony called sundet toi. Often a pony is presented to the boy by his family at this time. Later in life this is referred to as the boy's sundet horse.

synshy. Turkic. A "knower of horses," or "horse speaker," who is thought to have special abilities to communicate with a horse and discern its personality, attributes, and illnesses.

Taklamakan. Turkic. A vast desert in south central Xinjiang, between the Tian Shan mountains in the north and the Kunlun range in the south, known for its extreme temperatures and treacherous shifting sands.

tamzing. Mandarin. A "struggle session," typically a public criticism of an individual in which humiliation and verbal and/or physical abuse is utilized to achieve political education.

tsampa. Tibetan. Roasted barley flour, a staple food of Tibet.

tsingha. Tibetan. Small cymbal-like chimes used in Buddhist ritual.

thangka. Tibetan. A painting on cloth, typically of a religious nature and often considered sacred.

torma. Tibetan. A ritual offering made primarily of butter and barley flour, shaped and dyed in many shapes and sizes in homage to Buddhist deities.

Urumqi. Mandarin. The capital of Xinjiang.

Xinjiang. Mandarin. The Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the name given by the People's Republic of China to the huge region bounded to the northeast by Mongolia, on the east by the Chinese provinces of Gansu and Qinghia, on the south by Tibet, and on the west by Kazahkstan, Kirghizstan, Tajikstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

zheli. Turkic. The rope stretched between pegs or trees to tether young animals.

Zhylkhyshy Ata. Turkic. The deity who protects horses, also called Khambar Ata.