The Dalai Lama spoke on the first day of the event on December 17, which was followed by a question and answer session the next day. …reports Asian Lite News
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama virtually addressed a two-day major event held in Colombo during which he spoke to around 600 monks from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand.
The event as part of the Maha Satipatthana Sutta celebrations for the Theravada Sangha members from the above mentioned countries.
The Dalai Lama spoke on the first day of the event on December 17, which was followed by a question and answer session the next day.
He addressed the event from his residence in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.
The organiser, Sri Lankan Tibetan Buddhist Brotherhood Society aims to raise understanding and awareness of the common Buddhist heritage of the Sri Lankan and Tibetan peoples.
Archbishop Tutu is a close friend of the Dalai Lama and has co-authored with His Holiness the book titled “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World”…reports Asian Lite News.
Tibetan Buddhist monk the Dalai Lama has sent virtually wished Archbishop Desmond Tutu on his 90th birthday by addressing the latter as the “elder spiritual brother” who lives in complete peace.
In a video message, the Nobel Peace Laureate, 86, on Thursday said, “I have deep admiration and respect for you Bishop Tutu. So I want to express my greeting to you on your 90th birthday. We religious people should follow people like Bishop Tutu who lives in complete peace.”
Archbishop Tutu is a close friend of the Dalai Lama and has co-authored with His Holiness the book titled “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World”.
"The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World" by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, two of the world’s best-known faith leaders, has been selected for the next Campus Community Book Project: https://t.co/pdkLTkD0YE 📖 pic.twitter.com/7BC6eWSUjg
Sharing his long bond with the Bishop, the Dalai Lama said: “We joke with each other about what we believe. I believe in life after life but not in a creator, Bishop Tutu believes in a creator. So sometimes he teases me that he’s ready to go to heaven, but I may go to a different place.
“Anyway, you see, we are both totally dedicated to finding peace of mind and through peace of mind we try our best to bring about peace in the world.
“So on this special day, your 90th birthday, I will offer special prayers and greetings. My elder spiritual brother please live long. We need you to set the world a good example. As far as compassion is concerned, while we are in our mother’s womb and after birth, her warm heartedness, her compassion, and her loving kindness are the key factors in our survival.”
We extend our warmest congratulations to Archbishop #DesmondTutu who celebrates his 90th birthday today. You continue to remind us that fellowship, solidarity, charity & compassion for the vulnerable are values common to us all, and we should strive to live by them each day. pic.twitter.com/0WaNLucZKu
The globetrotting monk, known for his simplicity and jovial style and prefers to participate in meetings with religious leaders, and lectures businessmen on ethics for the new millennium and the art of happiness, said the life starts that way.
“Keeping alive our experience of our mother’s loving kindness when we are young is one the key factors for our survival and our being able to live a happy life. Our life begins that way and the rest of our life we should keep a more compassionate mind with loving kindness.
HHDL sends 90th birthday greetings to Archbishop Desmond Tutu followed by a short talk on compassion in his message to the 11th Annual Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture on October 7th, 2021. https://t.co/fi4Lb6YsCvpic.twitter.com/7qadsoRZ0z
“These days some scientists say that the more peaceful our mind is, the more compassionate our mind is, the physically healthier we will be. If we simply have loving kindness here in our hearts, automatically our face will smile more.
“If we have suspicion and hatred in our hearts, even when someone smiles at us we will be able to show an artificial smile in return,” the Dalai Lama said.
“As far as compassion’s benefits are concerned, we are not talking about the next life or going to heaven, but in our day-to-day lives we really need a more compassionate mind,” the leading spiritual figure bringing Buddhist teachings to the international community concluded.
China has banned school children in Tibet from learning their mother tongue and taking part in religious activities, even during their summer vacation, citing the country’s law, which separates education from religious influences. Under international law, “patriotic education” and its crippling of Tibetan Buddhism is a blatant violation of various human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A special report by Dawa Kyab
In Tibet, the greatest casualties of Chinese governance have been religion and culture. Since its invasion of Tibet in 1949, or “liberation” in Beijing’s eyes, through the years of “Democratic Reforms” and “Cultural Revolution,” till today. China has converted a land of Buddhism and open-minded philosophy into a territory where a government and its laws control faith and dictate belief. In order to control Tibetans, Chinese authorities imposed many policies in Tibet.
One such policy is “patriotic re-education” or simply “patriotic education”. Patriotic education was launched in Tibet in 1996 as part of the national “Strike Hard” campaign against crime and corruption (basically to control Tibetans) under which “work-teams” (known in Chinese as gongzou dui and in Tibetan as ledonrukhag) consisting of both Chinese and trusted Tibetan officials visited monasteries and nunneries to force on monks and nuns the concept of ‘unity of Tibet and China’ and to identify dissidents. “Patriotic education” sessions were aimed at proving China’s insistence that Tibet has been an integral part of China from 640 A.D, when Princess Wencheng Kungchu, daughter of the Chinese emperor, married Tibet’s great warrior-King Songtsen Gampo and that it was she who brought civilization to Tibet. However, under international law, “patriotic education” and its crippling of Tibetan Buddhism is a blatant violation of various human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
China’s version of education in Chinese language contravenes international human rights law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). UN committees such as the Rights of the Child; Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and Elimination of Racial Discrimination have all expressed concern over the rights of Tibetans to education in their own language and culture in
Tibet. Meanwhile, Sophie Richardson, China Director, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said “China’s education policy is motivated by political imperatives rather than educational ones”.
China’s education policy has accelerated the demise of Tibetan-medium instruction in schools in Tibetan areas. The policy, carried out over the past decade in Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas, has increased Chinese language schooling at all levels. The policy in Tibet goes against the constitution, international standards, and expert consensus on the importance of mother-tongue instruction, and the basic aspirations of the Tibetan people.
In reality, at the heart of “patriotic education” is the attack on the Dalai Lama. For Tibetans, the Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of Lord Avalokiteshwara, the protector-deity of Tibet, a belief that makes him the leader of millions of Buddhists and places him at the center of the Tibetan way of life. However, for the last 62 years, possessing photos of the Dalai Lama or his books is a crime that can invite arrest and torture in Tibet. Life in the townships in Tibetan areas, remains tightly controlled, with possession of photos of the Dalai Lama considered a serious offense. Empty frames even stand today where the Dalai Lama’s photos once hung or they have been replaced with photos of the communist leadership. Communicating with the Tibetan exile community has also become very difficult for Tibetans inside Tibet in recent times, and people will end up in prison if the Chinese authorities catch them doing this. For China, the Dalai Lama is a political leader, albeit ‘one in religious robes, who plots to split the country’. However, worldwide he is revered for his efforts towards resolving Tibet issue by peaceful means.
Beijing argues that since monasteries and nunneries are the most influenced by the “enemy” who is in exile in India since 1959, the battle against him must necessarily begin in those very places. In turn, the Chinese authorities have looked upon Tibetan religious institutions as breeding grounds for dissent, and have retaliated with greater restrictions and control. On May 25, 1996, Chen Kuiyan, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) Party Secretary, said in public that “Monasteries are the most critical places penetrated by the Dalai Clique.
These are their conspiring and hiding places. These are also the places where most of their followers reside.” In July 2010, the Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party in Tibet, Hao Peng justified the banning of the Dalai Lama’s photos, asserting that “the Dalai Lama is not merely a religious figure, he is also a mastermind of separatist activities. No sovereign country in the world would allow the hanging of a portrait of a person like that.” Later, the Dalai Lama would also be accused of Nazi racial policies and inciting Tibetans to set themselves on fire. Such allegations resurfaced in July 2013, when Tibetans marking the 78th birthday of the Dalai Lama were reportedly fired at. It is ironical that the targeting comes even after the Dalai Lama made it clear that what he seeks for Tibet is “meaningful autonomy,” not a separate nation, as remaining within the People’s Republic of China is the “only realistic way” and is in Tibet’s “own interest.”
Ban on study of Tibetan language is also part of this campaign which has now gained momentum. China has banned school children in Tibet from taking part in religious activities, even during their summer vacation, citing the country’s law, which separates education from religious influences. TAR authorities under the regional government’s guideline have sent notices to both students and their parents, and have had students sign an agreement that they will not take part in any form of religious activity during the summer vacation. The schools reiterate the regulation every time in class meetings and parent-teacher meetings, not only before a vacation. Parents of the affected children and other local Tibetans are deeply concerned over the imposed requirements, saying that keeping young Tibetans away from their culture and language will have severe negative consequences for future generations.
Language rights have become a particular focus for Tibetans to assert national identity in recent years, with informally organized language courses in the monasteries and towns typically deemed “illegal associations” and teachers subject to detention and arrest. In an increasingly repressive political climate, the authorities now consider even local initiatives for the promotion of Tibetan language as “separatist” activities. There were formerly many private schools in Tibet where Tibetan language and culture were taught. But by the end of 2020, and without any real justification, these schools were all forced to close down, with the children required to go to government-supervised schools instead where they will be taught in Chinese. The move is being pushed in the name of promoting uniformity in the use of textbooks and instructional materials. School children are being imparted education with the purpose to shower more love and affection to the Chinese Government. In return, those students who cannot afford to pay their school fees and manage other things are given subsidy. They are also showered with different kinds of gifts on behalf of the Chinese Government in order to win over their allegiance.
Furthermore, Chinese authorities are not only promoting the use of Chinese language but also discouraging people from participating in religious activities including visit to monasteries. It has also forcibly removed young Tibetan Buddhist monks from monasteries and put them in government-run schools, saying they were under-aged for monastic education. Chinese authorities have been removing young monks from their monasteries and sending them to government-run schools so that they learn to “serve society”. Seeing enrolment in the monasteries at a young age as a loss to their communities, China is said to justify this move by saying that young monks are too young and immature, incapable of thinking for themselves yet. This act of forced closure of schools teaching Tibetan language and culture gives a clear picture of the Chinese government’s attempts to eliminate Tibet’s identity.
Forced assimilation is no solution to the governance of ethnic minority regions, nor is national security, an acceptable justification for the denial of mother-tongue education rights. Although, China’s constitution guarantees the right of ethnic minorities to learn their own language.
Traces of Pegasus were found on 37 of the 67 phones in the data that were analysed by Amnesty International’s security lab…reports Asian Lite News.
The phone numbers of a top ring of advisers around the Dalai Lama are believed to have been selected as those of ‘people of interest’ by the government clients of Israeli surveillance company NSO Group.
An analysis strongly indicates that the Indian government was selecting the potential targets, The Guardian said.
Other phone numbers apparently selected by Delhi were those of the former President of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Lobsang Sangay, the staff in the office of another Buddhist spiritual leader, the Gyalwang Karmapa, and several other activists and clerics who are part of the exiled community in India, the report said.
NSO’s Pegasus spyware allows clients to infiltrate phones and extract their calls, messages and locations. The selected Tibetans did not make their phones available to confirm whether any hacking was attempted or successful, but technical analysis of 10 other phones on the suspected Indian client list found traces of Pegasus or signs of targeting related to the spyware.
Traces of Pegasus were found on 37 of the 67 phones in the data that were analysed by Amnesty International’s security lab. Of the 48 iPhones examined that had not been reset or replaced since they appeared in the records, 33 carried traces of Pegasus or signs of attempted infection. iPhones log the information that can reveal infection by the spyware, the report said.
The data may provide a glimpse at the delicate relationship between Tibetan exiles and the Indian government, which has provided refuge for the movement since its leaders fled a Chinese crackdown in 1959, while also viewing it as leverage — and sometimes a liability — in its own relationship with Beijing, The Guardian said.
The possible scrutiny of Tibetan spiritual and government leaders points to a growing awareness in Delhi, as well as in the western capitals, of the strategic importance of Tibet as their relationships with China have grown more tense over the past five years, the report said.
It also highlights the growing urgency of the question of who will follow the current Dalai Lama, 86, a globally acclaimed figure whose death is likely to trigger a succession crisis that is already drawing in world powers. Last year the US made it a policy to impose sanctions against any government that interfered with the selection process, The Guardian said.
The report said the records suggest that Tibetan leaders were first selected in late 2017, in the period before and after former US President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama privately on a foreign tour that also included earlier stops in China.
Senior advisers to the Dalai Lama, whose numbers appear in the data, include Tempa Tsering, the spiritual leader’s long-time envoy to Delhi, and the senior aides Tenzin Taklha and Chhimey Rigzen, as well as Samdhong Rinpoche, the head of the trust that has been tasked with overseeing the selection of the Buddhist leader’s successor, The Guardian said.
The Dalai Lama, who has spent the past 18 months isolating in his compound in Dharamsala, is not known to carry a personal phone, according to two sources.
Following the launch of the Pegasus project, India’s IT minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said the project’s claims about Indian surveillance were an “attempt to malign Indian democracy and its well-established institutions”.
He told parliament: “The presence of a number on the list does not amount to snooping … there is no factual basis to suggest that use of the data somehow amounts to surveillance.”
The Guardian said India could have several motives for possible spying on Tibetan leaders but some in Dharamsala have concluded that the question of succession may be a driving force.
Naming successors to the Dalai Lama has sometimes taken years after the death of the title holder, and is usually led by the monk’s senior disciples, who interpret signs that lead them to the child next in line, the report said.
But China views the next Dalai Lama as a potential separatist leader who could weaken its authoritarian grip on Tibet. It has claimed the sole right to control the selection process, and analysts say it is already pressuring neighbours such as Nepal and Mongolia to rule out recognising any successor but its own, The Guardian said.
Beijing is also contacting influential Buddhist teachers and clerics around the world, including some based in India, inviting them to China to try to lay the groundwork for its choice and muddy support for any candidate chosen by the Dalai Lama’s followers.
The report said these entreaties to Buddhist leaders and other interference in the succession process have been viewed warily by India’s security agencies, who may have sought to closely monitor an issue with huge implications for Delhi’s own relationship with China — but where its direct influence and control is limited.
“India wants to make sure that Tibetans don’t strike a deal with the Chinese that involves the Dalai Lama going back to Tibet,” said a former staffer with the Tibetan administration, who asked not to be named, as per the report.
The report said India may also be seeking to monitor continuing informal contact between Chinese officials and Tibetan leaders. The Dalai Lama revealed two years ago that India had vetoed his plans to try to meet Xi Jinping when the Chinese president visited India in 2014.
“The Dalai Lama himself has said several times that he maintains connections to the Chinese leadership through ‘old friends’,” the former Tibetan government staffer said, adding: “India is very aware of this and they want to make sure that no deals are made without their knowing or involvement.”
The Guardian said Delhi officially backs the negotiations on the status of Tibet, but a recent Indian think-tank report suggested the country’s intelligence agencies had not always been supportive of the Dalai Lama’s “middle way”, a blueprint to resolve the dispute by recognising Chinese sovereignty over Tibet but granting the province meaningful autonomy.
Other motives for possible monitoring of Tibetan leaders may be more straightforward, including that the Dalai Lama and the community around him are a magnet for sensitive information about Tibet and regularly meet dignitaries from around the world, the report added.
“I would assume that India would pay close attention to, for example, western officials coming to Dharamsala – I think they’d want to monitor that in detail,” said Robert Barnett, former director of the Tibet studies programme at Columbia University.
“Perhaps, is the Dalai Lama asking them for asylum? I think that kind of concern would matter a lot to them.”
Dharamsala: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama message to members of the Tibetan community on the occasion of his 85th birthday from his residence in Dharamsala on July 6, 2020. (Photo: Facebook/@DalaiLama)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had reiterated the Government’s commitment to the progress of the far-flung areas near the borders of the country…reports Asian Lite News.
In line with the thrust to enhance strategic connectivity along India’s borders, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has launched a 80-feet Double Suspension (DS) Bailey Bridge (BB) on a road in Tawang.
The road is the historical route of the Dalai Lama’s passage to India.
“BRO India launched 80 Feet DS BB on Khinzemane-Zimithang road at an unprecedented pace to restore the stalled traffic movements. The road is important for Army, ITBP and civilians…,” said a tweet from the official BRO handle on Sunday.
— 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (@BROindia) July 18, 2021
“And also the road is historical route of induction of Dalai Lama in India. BRO Karmyogis did a wonderful job by constructing the bridge in a record time,” BRO added.
Earlier in April, the BRO constructed the Daporijo Bridge over Subansiri River also in Arunachal Pradesh so as to connect this strategic Line of Communication in Arunachal Pradesh.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had reiterated the Government’s commitment to the progress of the far-flung areas near the borders of the country.
Speaking on the occasion on the establishment of two Centres of Excellence established by BRO in June, Singh had praised the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for working tirelessly to increase connectivity in border areas, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Union Budget for the current fiscal 2021-22 had proposed increased funding for Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to boost infrastructure in frontier areas.
Allocation for road development projects in border areas had been raised from Rs 5,586.23 crore to Rs 6,004.08 crore for Financial Year 2021-22.
Rajnath Singh.
The budget for maintenance of border roads has gone up from Rs 750 crore to Rs 850 crore, while the capital works allocation has been revised upwards to Rs 2,500 crore from budgetary provision of Rs 2,300 crore for Financial Year 2020-21.
This increased allocation shall facilitate procurement of modern construction plants, equipment and machinery to enhance the pace of construction warranted by strategic imperatives, the government had said.
A large share of increased funding will be used for better upkeep of strategic roads in the border areas and it will also give a major boost to construction of strategically important roads, tunnels and bridges along the northern and north-eastern borders. (India News Network)
This seems to be an over reaction. China should know that the Tibetan spiritual leader shares very good equation with all political parties and leaders in India…reports Shankar Kumar.
It has never been easy to understand China. There is a huge gap between Chinese leaders’ statements and their actions. But clearly, they have huge capacity to hide the truth from coming out.
For an entity, individual or a nation, it is hard to keep secrets under carpet for long; the Chinese have, over the years, mastered the art of fudging things, sidestepping facts and launching hackneyed misinformation campaigns against those who don’t subscribe to their viewpoints.
Global Times editor Hu Xijin in an editorial on July 7 bashed India and the Prime Minister for conveying greetings to the Dalai Lama on his 86th birthday on July 6, 2021. Since it came close on the heels of India refusing to extend greetings to the Communist Party of China on its 100th foundation day on July 1, the Global Times, the English-language tabloid belonging to the People’s Daily, which is the CPC’s official organ, termed it as a display of “attitude.”
As US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also greeted the Dalai Lama on his birthday, the English-language tabloid saw it as “provocations.” The tabloid, which is known for its aggressive, biased and prejudicial views against democratic countries, described the personal salutation to the Tibetan spiritual leader as “external forces” attempt to “play the card of the Dalai Lama.”
This seems to be an over reaction. China should know that the Tibetan spiritual leader shares very good equation with all political parties and leaders in India. His personal bonding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is well known. When Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the Dalai Lama had frequently visited India’s western state.
In 2011, he had visited the state to teach leadership at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad. In January 2013, he landed at Vadodara to inaugurate the international seminar on Buddhist Heritage at the Maharaja Sayajirao University. Modi as the Gujarat Chief Minister had participated the four day event which was also attended by Buddhist monks from the US, the UK, Japan, Sri Lanka and other foreign countries.
Spoke on phone to His Holiness the @DalaiLama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. We wish him a long and healthy life.
On July 6, 2013, while extending his birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama, Modi attached a link of his photographs with the Tibetan spiritual leader and wrote: “Wishing his Holiness @DalaiLama on his birthday. Sharing some memories of our meeting at Buddhist Seminar in Vadodara.” This was the first public tweet of Modi wishing the Tibetan spiritual leader on his birthday. In 2015, Modi as the Prime Minister tweeted his thanks to the Dalai Lama for his greetings on his birthday.
Clearly, the two share bonhomie between them and this is what tweet by Prime Minister Modi of his greetings to the Dalai Lama on his birthday indicates. China thinks the Indian Prime Minister has hurt China’s sensitivity by publicly displaying his affection towards the Tibetan spiritual leader.
Beijing should avoid entering into the choppy waters of politics and shun interpreting everything in strategic terms. If it is so touchy about its national sensitivity, it is expected that it should also have the same understanding about the sensitivity of others.
More than 17 months have passed, yet China continues to occupy friction points – Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang – in Eastern Ladakh. Several rounds of talks have taken place between senior commanders of the two countries, but a stalemate continues on the issue of vacating these friction points by China.
However, this is not the lone case of Beijing overlooking India’s sensitivity.
Despite constant reminders, China is engaged in developing infrastructure in occupied areas of Jammu and Kashmir. In the name of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is an extension of Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, China has built bridges, roads, dam, power stations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. All this, it does by trampling on India’s sensitivity for its sovereignty, unity and integrity.
But when it comes to the Prime Minister tweeting birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama, China gets offended and describes Prime Minister Modi’s act of salutation to the highly revered Tibetan spiritual leader as “despicable.” This is a double standard. China needs to first correct its behaviour towards its neighbours.
Instead of sermonizing them on issues of national sensitivities, China should first do what it expects from others. It has forcefully laid claim on the entire South China Sea. It uses its military muscle to threaten Japan on the issue of Senkaku Islands, a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jimming threatens Dhaka that if it joins India, US, Japan and Australia-led quad, it will “substantially damage” bilateral relations with China.
In April 2021, Chinese ambassador to France Lu Shaye warns French lawmakers from meeting officials in Taiwan during their visit to Taipei. Earlier in October, 2020, China tells Indian media not to call Taiwan a country.
The overall impression China has created for itself is that the world should honour its sensitivities, no matter how it treats others geographical, economic and sovereign interests. (India News Network)
The resolution stated that the US must reject “seven-decade long illegal occupation of Tibet by the forces of the Chinese Communist Party”, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
A US Congressman from Pennsylvania has introduced a resolution in the US Congress, calling on US President Joe Biden to declare Tibet an independent country.
According to Phayul, the resolution stated that the US must reject “seven-decade long illegal occupation of Tibet by the forces of the Chinese Communist Party” and asserted that the US would provide relief to “long-suffering people and reinforce its reputation as a strident defender of global human rights.”
“After 70+ years of illegal occupation of Tibet by the murderous Chinese Communist Party, it’s well past time for the US to take action. That’s why I’m proud today to introduce a resolution calling on President Biden to declare Tibet an independent country,” Republican MP Scott Perry tweeted last week.
This bill recognized all three provinces in Tibet as a separate, independent country.
The 2021 Tibet bill also urged Washington to recognize the “democratically elected government of Tibet, presently named as the Central Tibetan Administration, [as] the only governing authority of Tibet.”
The bill also entailed sanctions on individuals who are responsible for or complicit in, directly or indirectly, supporting the occupation of Tibet.
Last month, the US Senate had passed a bipartisan bill to heed the call to open a consulate in Lhasa and had called for reinforcing the global engagement on policy towards the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The US Innovation and Competition Act (also known as the Endless Frontier Act), provides USD 250 billion through investment in science to compete with China, also contains several important provisions on Tibet.
Dalai Lama celebrates 86th b’day
Appreciating the Indian concept of secular values, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday said he is committed to non-violence and compassion until his death.
In a video message on his 86th birthday, the spiritual leader, who believes tough times do not last, but happiness does, appealed to his friends to keep non-violence and compassion in rest of their lives.
Saying he is just a human being, the Buddhist monk, who along with many of his supporters fled the Himalayan homeland and took refuge in India when Chinese troops moved in and took control of Lhasa in 1959, said many people showed they love him.
“And many people actually love my smile,” said the Dalai Lama with laughter, his secret weapon.
Dalai Lama
“In spite of my old age, my face is quite handsome. So many people really show me genuine friendship. Now this moment my birthday, I want to express my deep appreciation of all my friends who have really shown me love, respect and trust. I want to express my thanks.”
The Dalai Lama, or Ocean of Wisdom, is the leading spiritual figure bringing Buddhist teachings to the international community.
The monk, known for his simplicity and jovial style, prefers to participate in meetings with religious leaders, and lectures businessmen on ethics for the new millennium and the art of happiness. He chuckles throughout his talk and often slaps visitors on the back.
In the message, the Nobel Peace laureate, said: “For myself, I can assure you, that for the rest of my life I am committed to serving humanity and working to protect the climate condition.”
Having spent 60 years in exile here and the longing to see his homeland still fresh in the mind of globe-trotting Buddhist monk, he said: “Since I became refugee and now settled in India, I have taken full advantage of India’s freedom and religious harmony.
“I want to assure you that for the rest of my life, I will be fully committed to this work. And then also, I really appreciate the Indian concept of secular values, not dependent of religion, such as honesty, ‘karuna’ (compassion) and ‘ahimsa’ (non-violence).
“So, my dear friends, on my birthday, this is my gift. Please keep it in mind. I myself committed to non-violence and compassion until my death. This is my offering to my friends.
“I hope my friends will also keep non-violence and compassion for rest of your lives.”
“So firstly, this is like a report of my life,” said the Dalai Lama, who met with presidents, prime ministers and crown rulers of major nations, including US President Franklin Roosevelt, who sent the Dalai Lama the gift of a pocket-watch when he was a young boy.
“And secondly, all my human brothers, sisters should keep these two, non-violence and compassion, until your death.”
The Dalai Lama, who believes in the “middle-path” policy that demands “greater autonomy” for the people in Tibet, is viewed by the Chinese as a hostile element who is bent on splitting Tibet from China.
The monk lives in exile along with some 140,000 Tibetans, over 100,000 of them in India. Over six million Tibetans live in Tibet.
The Tibetan exile administration, known as the Central Tibetan Administration and headed by democratically elected Penpa Tsering, is based in this northern Indian hill town. (ANI/IANS)
Brooke Schedneck, writing in Asia Times said that Tibet’s Buddhists said that they will find the next reincarnation of Tenzin Gyatso but Beijing is bent on deciding the succession….reports Asian Lite News
Beijing is bent on deciding the succession of Tibet’s next Dalai Lama as the present spiritual leader of Tibet Tenzin Gyatso is turning 86 on July 6 and with his advancing age, the question of who will succeed him has become more pressing.
Brooke Schedneck, writing in Asia Times said that Tibet’s Buddhists said that they will find the next reincarnation of Tenzin Gyatso but Beijing is bent on deciding the succession.
Dalai Lama is an important figure bringing Buddhist teachings to the international community. The successor to the Dalai Lama is traditionally identified by senior monastic disciples, based on spiritual signs and visions.
In 2011, however, the Chinese Foreign Ministry declared that only the government in Beijing can appoint the next Dalai Lama, and no recognition should be given to any other candidate, reported Asia Times.
The Dalai Lama is a highly influential figure, and choosing a successor is not just a religious issue, but a political one as well, opines Schedneck.
The 14 generations of Dalai Lamas, spanning six centuries, are linked through their acts of compassion and their wish to benefit all living beings.
The current Dalai Lama was enthroned when he was about four years old and was renamed Tenzin Gyatso.
Today the selection process for the next Dalai Lama remains uncertain. In 1950 China’s communist government invaded Tibet, which it insists has always belonged to China.
The Dalai Lama fled in 1959 and set up a government in exile. The Dalai Lama is revered by Tibetan people, who have maintained their devotion over the past 70 years of Chinese rule.
In 1995 the Chinese government detained the Dalai Lama’s choice for the successor of the 10th Panchen Lama, named Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, when he was six years old.
Since then China has refused to give details of his whereabouts. Panchen Lama is the second most important tulku lineage in Tibetan Buddhism, reported Asia Times.
Mahayana Buddhists believe bodhisattvas choose to be reborn, to experience the pain and suffering of the world, to help other beings attain enlightenment.
Tibetan Buddhism has developed this idea of the bodhisattva further into identified lineages of rebirths called “tulkus.”
The Tibetan people revolted when the newly selected 11th Panchen Lama was detained. The Chinese government responded by appointing its own Panchen Lama, the son of a Chinese security officer.
The Panchen Lamas and Dalai Lamas have historically played major roles in recognizing each other’s next incarnations.
China also wants to appoint its own Dalai Lama. But it is important to Tibetan Buddhists that they are in charge of the selection process.
There are usually predictions about where and when a Dalai Lama will be reborn, but further tests and signs are required to ensure the proper child is found.
In the case of the 13th Dalai Lama, after his death, his body lay facing south. However, after a few days his head had tilted to the east and a fungus, viewed as unusual, appeared on the north-eastern side of the shrine, where his body was kept.
This was interpreted to mean that the next Dalai Lama could have been born somewhere in the north-eastern part of Tibet, reported Asia Times.
Disciples also checked Lhamo La-tso, a lake that is traditionally used to see visions of the location of the Dalai Lama’s rebirth.
The district of Dokham, which is in the northeast of Tibet, matched all of these signs. A 2-year-old boy named Lhamo Dhondup was just the right age for a reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, based on the time of his death.
When the search party consisting of the 13th Dalai Lama’s closest monastic attendants arrived at his house, they believed they recognized signs that confirmed that they had reached the right place.
The 14th Dalai Lama recounts in his memoirs about his early life that he remembered recognizing one of the monks in the search party, even though he was dressed as a servant. To prevent any manipulation of the process, members of the search party had not shown villagers who they were, reported Asia Times.
The Dalai Lama remembered as a little boy asking for the rosary beads that monk had worn around his neck. These beads were previously owned by the 13th Dalai Lama. After this meeting, the search party came back again to test the young boy with further objects of the previous Dalai Lama.
He was able to correctly choose all items, including a drum used for rituals and a walking stick.
Because of the threat from China, the 14th Dalai Lama has made a number of statements that would make it difficult for a Chinese-appointed 15th Dalai Lama to be seen as legitimate, said Schedneck.
For example, he has stated that the institution of the Dalai Lama might not be needed anymore. However, he has also said it is up to the people if they want to preserve this aspect of Tibetan Buddhism and continue the Dalai Lama lineage. The Dalai Lama has indicated that he will decide, on turning 90 in four years’ time, whether he will be reborn.
Another option the Dalai Lama has proposed is announcing his next reincarnation before he dies. In this scenario, the Dalai Lama would transfer his spiritual realization to the successor.
A third alternative Tenzin Gyatso has articulated is that if he dies outside of Tibet, and the Panchen Lama remains missing, his reincarnation would be located abroad, most likely in India. Experts believe the Chinese government’s search, however, would take place in Tibet, led by the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, said Schedneck.
The Dalai Lama is confident that no one would trust the Chinese government’s choice. The Tibetan people, as he has said, would never accept a Chinese-appointed Dalai Lama, reported Asia Times. (ANI)
