dalai lama = ?

If I'm not mistaken, the Dalai Lama is currently visiting the US trying to gain support for his 'non-violent' struggle against the Chinese rule in Tibet.

But what are we to make of this historical character? Is he truly the holy 14th reincarnation of Buddha? Or is he just an opportunistic ex-dictator sucking up to anyone who might be able to help him? And if he has such good intentions with Tibet, why did he oppress his people when he was still in command?

I've been reading about the guy the last few days, and I don't know what to make him. Although I respect his efforts in pacifism, I resent everything else he stands for...

Some links would be nice.

ah, find your own links!
:-)

To start with I have these...

short biography:1

2You can skip the part above the firts italic line.

3visits to other countries

It seems to me the Dalai Lama (now and in his past lifes) treaded his people like crap. It wasn't untill after his position was threatend by the communists that he radically changed his views on human rights and non-violence in an effort to gain support from the west...

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dalai lama is also regarded as an incarnation of chen
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dalai lama is the cudgel and bell used by the 14th dalai lama and thought by some of the faithful to have acquired some of his
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Lüt said:

dalai lama is not a rock star

LIES!

What else does he represent?

m0l0t0v said:

If I'm not mistaken, the Dalai Lama is currently visiting the US trying to gain support for his 'non-violent' struggle against the Chinese rule in Tibet.

But what are we to make of this historical character? Is he truly the holy 14th reincarnation of Buddha? Or is he just an opportunistic ex-dictator sucking up to anyone who might be able to help him? And if he has such good intentions with Tibet, why did he oppress his people when he was still in command?

I've been reading about the guy the last few days, and I don't know what to make him. Although I respect his efforts in pacifism, I resent everything else he stands for...

Your facts are from 1942, just look at what the rest of the world was doing around that time.

fraggle said:

What else does he represent?

Llamas probably :-P

[edit]I can't believe this totally non-serious comment caused a bunch of totally serious responds - where the Hell is your sense of humour these days? Eaten by a giant fishie?[/edit]

sargebaldy said:

LIES!

The Dalai Lama is not a rock star, he is oxygen

dsm said:

Llamas probably :-P

What I mean is, although in a sense he is an "ex dictator", he certainly wasnt some brutal tyrant like you could claim of other dictators: infact, he's a monk. He's fighting for freedom for his country which is currently occupied by a foreign power.

btw, he is not the reincarnation "of Buddha", but of a Buddha. "Buddha" on its own usually refers to the Historial Buddha (Siddartha Gautama).

I think his Lamasery in Tibet was silenced.

Lüt said:

dalai lama is scheduled to participate in an interfaith religious service at abravanel hall and to speak on buddhist spiritual principles at the huntsman

Cool, I didn't know he was stopping in Salt Lake.

dsm said:

Llamas probably :-P

...

I dunno. To me, the Dalai Lama is one of the few people in this world that I consider 'heroic'. I've never heard of any kind of opression under his rule before...dunno where that comes from. But anyway, Tibet was one of the most nonviolent nations in history before it was captured by China (BTW, the UN never actualy recognised the takover, or so I learned in school). Also, Buddhism is probably the only religion that I have any respect for.

Also, another interesting tidbit of Hymalayan interest right now is what is going on in Bhutan. For years the place was isolated from the rest of the world. I dont think it was even discovered by the outside world until sometime in the 20th century. Anyway, they recently got sattelite TV to the country and since then, crime has skyrocketed. Before, crime was almost nonexistant. Murder pretty much NEVER happened and other crimes were rare occuranced. But ever since they got satellite TV into the country, there have been murders, theft, assult, and suicides happeneing ata large rate. It's like Western culture killed the nation. :(

fraggle said:

What I mean is, although in a sense he is an "ex dictator", he certainly wasnt some brutal tyrant like you could claim of other dictators: infact, he's a monk. He's fighting for freedom for his country which is currently occupied by a foreign power.

Unfortunately, people automatically assume a dictator to be evil simply because he/she has absolute power. But it's not always the case.

Lüt said:

Bunch of stuff

He's also anti-homosexual.

He's not to peaceful is he. :-/P

insertwackynamehere said:

He's also anti-homosexual.

He's not to peaceful is he. :-/P

there is actually such a thing as a peaceful homophobe.

dsm said:

Llamas probably :-P

so you are saying he is pro-llama, better not catch him playing quake! i wonder if he is pro-spitting, llamas spit and they spit alot

the_Danarchist said:

...

I dunno. To me, the Dalai Lama is one of the few people in this world that I consider 'heroic'. I've never heard of any kind of opression under his rule before...dunno where that comes from. But anyway, Tibet was one of the most nonviolent nations in history before it was captured by China (BTW, the UN never actualy recognised the takover, or so I learned in school). Also, Buddhism is probably the only religion that I have any respect for.

Also, another interesting tidbit of Hymalayan interest right now is what is going on in Bhutan. For years the place was isolated from the rest of the world. I dont think it was even discovered by the outside world until sometime in the 20th century. Anyway, they recently got sattelite TV to the country and since then, crime has skyrocketed. Before, crime was almost nonexistant. Murder pretty much NEVER happened and other crimes were rare occuranced. But ever since they got satellite TV into the country, there have been murders, theft, assult, and suicides happeneing ata large rate. It's like Western culture killed the nation. :(

give a hungry pack of dogs meat and they will fight for it. chances are it skyrocket because of something that seems to be an issue for humans. i bet in their past they where violent and just like the rest of the world. then a few did something, weather peacful or violently, and then history was forgotten. if u forget history u are doomed. so when a outside culture come in the elements that remained hiden come out while everyone is distracted by the outsider

om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum
om mani padme hum

lament said:

om mani padme hum

You fail it! Now go make Uncle coffee!!!

fodders:
Your facts are from 1942, just look at what the rest of the world was doing around that time.

That's like saying the British oppression in India or Franco's regime in Spain were excusable since there were worse things going on in the world at the time...

Anyway it's more like 1959 and not 1942 :-P

Danarchist:
For years the place was isolated from the rest of the world.

Because it was isolated for centuries the rulers could do what ever they wanted. Foreigners were kept out and racemix was restricted.
Tibet was still living in a feudal theocracy untill the Chinese came. Technological, social and humanitarian development was non-existent since that would only disrupt the 'pefect' spiritual life. The people were made to believe that human suffering was good and the only way to transcend. 'The shittier your life is now the better your next life will be.' Of course the Dalai Lama himself did not have to suffer! He (in this life and his previous ones) lived like a king, free to eat, drink and do whatever he pleased, while his followers were suffering and starving.

I'm not saying the Tibetans are being treated well now, but it is hard to imagine their situation is worse than 50 years ago...

m0l0t0v said:

That's like saying the British oppression in India or Franco's regime in Spain were excusable since there were worse things going on in the world at the time...

Anyway it's more like 1959 and not 1942 :-P

Well in your link to "The Dalai Lama, A portrait of lost Tibet", it states

...There are included here over a hundred photographs of the country from the years 1942 - 1943...The trip lasted from September of 1942 to the early summer of 1943.

sargebaldy said:

there is actually such a thing as a peaceful homophobe.

Yeah, just like there's such a thing as a liberal conservative...

Python_Junkie said:

Yeah, just like there's such a thing as a liberal conservative...

dislike and/or fear of homosexuals != violence. this seems fairly obvious.

EDIT: 500th goddamn post.

pregnant with worms said:

dislike and/or fear of homosexuals != violence. this seems fairly obvious.

Yeah. I love gay people AND I'm violent. So where does that put me?

Lüt said:

Lots of stuff

Dalai lama is not a camper
Dalai lama is not your ride in South America
Dalai lama is not a washed up Country singer
and...most importantly...
Dalai lama is not your mother

Anyone else here ever see Seven Years in Tibet? That was a pretty good movie.

m0l0t0v said:

Is he truly the holy 14th reincarnation of Buddha?

It's all about what you believe