Do you who the Dalai Lama is?
October9
Sure, we see photos, we read stories about him. But how much do you know about the Dalai Lama? Here are some facts so you can better acquaint yourself with a revered and cherished world figure.
(Recent news - President Obama has declined to meet with the Dalai Lama during an upcoming visit. This will be the first time in 18 years a President hasn’t met with His Holiness. I personally am quite saddened by this choice.)
- The Dalai Lama is a lineage of religious officials of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. “Lama” is a general term referring to Tibetan Buddhist teachers.
- The Dalai Lama is believed to be the rebirth of a long line of tulkus, who have chosen to be reborn in order to enlighten others.
- The current Dalai Lama is the 14th of his line. He was born to a farming family in 1935 and given the name Lhamo Dhondrub. He was recognized at the age of two, and brought to live in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, at the age of four, where he became His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.
- When China annexed Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama and thousands of his supporters fled into exile. He has lived in Dharamsala, India since 1960 and heads the Tibetan government-in-exile. China does not recognize Tibet as an independent political entity.The Dalai Lama has been a powerful spokesman for Tibet and Buddhism in general and has written a number of books on the topic. His consistent opposition to violence was recognized in 1989 with the Nobel Peace Prize.
I don’t agree with everything Penn and Teller say, even in this clip I’m about to post, but they nicely sum up some of the negative aspects of the Dalai Lama in under 3 minutes. Take a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7t2Ztb92mE
The Dalai Lama has played an important part in the lives of many people. His books have helped people get in touch with their own spirituality, and learn their place in the rest of the world. There are some other facts to be considered when mentioning the Dalai Lama and the problems of Tibet.
The Lamas, translated into English as “teachers” were an elite group of dictators - similar to an oligarchy. They forced the other Tibetans into state-instituted slavery and lived their lives in selfish luxury. If it is the desire of all Tibetans to have their own nation, then it is right that they should fight for that opportunity, but I am sceptical of the Dalai Lama who - if the past is anything to go buy - is only trying to regain the exploitative position of his forebears.
He is the 14th of his line? The last few hundred years of the worlds history has been peppered with revolutions in which the people realised that lineage is not an indication of the right to be a leader. It is amazing that one can trace their family back that far, but it shouldn’t be thought of as some sort of “qualification” since every person is their own person, regardless of their past.
I think Obama is right to not meet with ‘His Holiness’, since religious and spiritual beliefs are a very personal matter. Belief is not something that should be used as part of a publicity stunt by politicans.
Get indignant about this if you want, but people do need to make sure they know all the points of view before they start waving their flags and making proclamations about right and wrong.