On the Dalai Lama
MBFM: comment on Buddhism fascism?
Submitted on 2009/12/06 at 10:53am
Some years ago, I attended one of the DLs lectures and appreciated it. And I was very pleased that the lectures began and ended on time, merchandism was kept to a tasteful minimum, and we were given, at the end of the event, a full financial account.
This being said, I was troubled by the very gooey childish adulation manifested by a subgroup of the Western audience. They were, to my minds eye, using the DL as a charismatic focus. To me this violates the Mahayana vow which counsels us to beware of using intoxicants.
Getting tripped out on anyone, even the DL is to me, no differently then getting shit faced on heroin or crack cocaine.
By contrast, I noticed that the Tibetans though respectful, tended to feel quite free to walk in and out during the lecture.
Two, we need to keep sternly in mind, that the Dalai Lama has been given virtually a blank checque by the Western media.
Unlike the Roman Pontiff (and I am a collapsed Catholic–told the church to remove me from their roster when I left, and I sent registered letters to both the Bishop and Chancellor of the diocese where I resided)..
The Roman Pontiff has a media presence right on his doorstep. Liberal anti dictatorial Catholic publications challenge him. The National Catholic Reporter, The Tablet, they and many other liberal and dissident Roman Catholic publications challenge the repressive and authoritarian behavior of the pontiff. Articulate and effective groups of lay persons are fighting the church to get fiscal reparation for victims of molestation by church personnel. Others are fighting hard and publicly for the ordination of women and freedom of access to all medical methods of family planning.
And, by now, there is a thorough history of abuses of power during the past 2,000 years of the Latin Church. The Inquisition. The witch massacres. Nazi and Catholic collusion. The list goes on and on and on.
But the Dalai Lama does not have an equivalent level of challenge and accountablity on his doorstep.
We do not really know what goes on behind closed doors at Dharamsala.
And do get and read an old edition of Harrers book. It gives a photo of the roof of the 13th Dalai Lama’s tomb and states that over a ton of gold was used for its decorations.
All that gold went onto the roof. It must have been mostly extracted from the farmers and was wealth that never went back into circulation, let alone for clinics or hospices.
And Harrer mentions how, during his stay in Lhasa, he was often asked by the rich nobles to write letters for them to merchants in Europe. They wanted to buy gems and furs. They were not asking for doctors or nurses or to set up a clinic to assist the poor and homeless in Lhasa.
If the DL and his pals came back to take power, theyd be like returning White Russian nobility using guns and bombs to recapture their fiefdoms.
The DL would probably be marginalized to the sidelines wailing, ‘People be nice’ while they’d ignore him and retake their estates back.
Some years ago, I attended one of the DLs lectures and appreciated it. And I was very pleased that the lectures began and ended on time, merchandism was kept to a tasteful minimum, and we were given, at the end of the event, a full financial account.
This being said, I was troubled by the very gooey childish adulation manifested by a subgroup of the Western audience. They were, to my minds eye, using the DL as a charismatic focus. To me this violates the Mahayana vow which counsels us to beware of using intoxicants.
Getting tripped out on anyone, even the DL is to me, no differently then getting shit faced on heroin or crack cocaine.
By contrast, I noticed that the Tibetans though respectful, tended to feel quite free to walk in and out during the lecture.
Two, we need to keep sternly in mind, that the Dalai Lama has been given virtually a blank checque by the Western media.
Unlike the Roman Pontiff (and I am a collapsed Catholic–told the church to remove me from their roster when I left, and I sent registered letters to both the Bishop and Chancellor of the diocese where I resided)..
The Roman Pontiff has a media presence right on his doorstep. Liberal anti dictatorial Catholic publications challenge him. The National Catholic Reporter, The Tablet, they and many other liberal and dissident Roman Catholic publications challenge the repressive and authoritarian behavior of the pontiff. Articulate and effective groups of lay persons are fighting the church to get fiscal reparation for victims of molestation by church personnel. Others are fighting hard and publicly for the ordination of women and freedom of access to all medical methods of family planning.
And, by now, there is a thorough history of abuses of power during the past 2,000 years of the Latin Church. The Inquisition. The witch massacres. Nazi and Catholic collusion. The list goes on and on and on.
But the Dalai Lama does not have an equivalent level of challenge and accountablity on his doorstep.
We do not really know what goes on behind closed doors at Dharamsala.
And do get and read an old edition of Harrers book. It gives a photo of the roof of the 13th Dalai Lama’s tomb and states that over a ton of gold was used for its decorations.
All that gold went onto the roof. It must have been mostly extracted from the farmers and was wealth that never went back into circulation, let alone for clinics or hospices.
And Harrer mentions how, during his stay in Lhasa, he was often asked by the rich nobles to write letters for them to merchants in Europe. They wanted to buy gems and furs. They were not asking for doctors or nurses or to set up a clinic to assist the poor and homeless in Lhasa.
If the DL and his pals came back to take power, theyd be like returning White Russian nobility using guns and bombs to recapture their fiefdoms.
The DL would probably be marginalized to the sidelines wailing, ‘People be nice’ while they’d ignore him and retake their estates back.
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