Dalai Lama, The Hero Of The Century

(A feedback On The View Of John Walsh “Is Dalai Lama a Bad Guy?”)

"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe."

- His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama

The malady of man is not the milieu of the worldly ailment but an ideological battle of pragmatist versus idealist where authenticity has no meaning. If the man is born wise as a gift of God he must be sagacious in thought and plausible in action, yet he is always an antagonist in manner.

It is the weakness of mankind if we keep mum on malady creating an atmosphere of unreasonableness, because cynical approach sometime is not up to the snuff.  For this reason I can no longer mute spectators to see a man of impeccable character like His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama put under a veil of fallacious description.

 

His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama

I like people who love to walk through a dark tunnel as a cat in lion disguise but it is not a cup of tea of mine after all. I appreciate writer like John Walsh whose perceptive cynical expression regarding His Holiness could change nothing but made him conceivably reflect a deeper spiritual malaise where the conscience of truth has lost.  For such an implausible view, there is a need to understand the fact that a wide gap of disparity between shallow perception and deeper reality has been built.

If His holiness is a sneaky diplomatic strategist to many in the west then the whole world must be a casino of foolish gamblers except China and many Chinese in the west or if the view of writer like John Walsh on “Is Dalai Lama a bad guy?” is perspicacious judgment then it must be wrong to believe in extra ordinary character of His Holiness recommended by many westerners like George W Bush and Nelson Mandela “A Man of Peace and a Jewell in the Crown Of Century” yet the name of man worthy of emulation who has received countless awards and honorary doctorate in recognition of his tireless endeavour for the world peace and understanding, universal responsibility, compassion and humanitarian, sadly has been bluffed as a sneaky diplomatic strategist. If the writer is honest and rationalist he must have the courage to say….. “To the real sneaky strategist to the west” rather than rolling in the gory mud.

He picked up his own belongings and called for “That’s Mine” deservedly but never snatched criminally.

For an agnostic nothing is to be wondered that he may not find reasons in others’ credo yet the lamp will be a lamp that communicates the profound truth and does not need another lamp to lit the light nevertheless it may or may not impress a sceptical but there is no doubt about it….. HH the14th Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of the13th Dalai Lama, the only incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion.

Born in 1935 he grew up as a happy child, pulling his father’s moustache, sitting in a hen coop and making clucking noises. Lhamo Dhondup was an unknown child to the world except few neighbours and his relatives but he had the fate to be the man of the hour rather than a zero in hero’s disguise.

When Lhamo Dhondup was barely three years old, a search party of Tibetan government was sent out to many places in Tibet to find the new incarnation of  the13^th Dalai Lama but their destination on lap of Lhamo Thondup’s fate was far beyond their imagination and went everywhere in Tibet.

Tenzin Gyatso, HH the 14th Dalai Lama was discovered amidst a number of signs and codes. Firstly, one of these concerned was the embalmed body of the 13th Dalai Lama who died in 1933, during its period of sitting in state; the head was discovered to have turned from facing south to northeast.

Secondly, in a vision of the Regent at Potala Palace saw three Tibetan alphabets, Ah, Ka and Ma floating in a turquoise lake which later assured that Ah referred to Amdo (northeastern province of Tibet) and Ka to Kumbum ( Kumbum Monastery at Taktser).

Thirdly, a small house with blue tiled roof near a hill with a monastery on top appeared in the same vision. At the same time, a giant star – shape fungus began to bloom on a pillar in the eastern side of the hall in the Potala palace where the 13th Dalai Lama’ embalmed body was kept.

Thus one may not believe in signs and codes of spiritual language but must be kept mute when things ring true. Nevertheless, rather than revealing the very purpose of search group, Kewtsag Rinpoche, the head of group pretended to be a servant and others to be merchants asked only a shelter to stay a night in the house with peculiar guttering and gnarled branches of juniper on the roof where the various signs had pointed.

But the innocent child astonished everyone presented there by calling out Sera Lama, (Sera is the monastery of Kewtsang Rinpoche). Incredible! How can a three year old child call out the name of an unknown guest who came from thousand miles away? But more awesome than this, the search party brought a number of things belonging to the 13th Dalai Lama with several toys nothing related to him. But in every case, the infant correctly identified those belongings of the 13th Dalai Lama saying…That’s mine, its mine. This more or less convinced the search party that they had found the new and right incarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama. Thus it was an unnecessary description of spectators, vilifying the name of an uncontroversial Lama, politically and temporarily recognized leader. It’s nothing sagacious reflection but a trespass over innocent people that we neither desire to bear nor a loss we can tolerate.

A bona fide Buddha or Nuggets of Buddhism on Twitter?

The world most famous monk who has become the most celebrated man in robes. A man of impeccable character and virtues he is, with the cocky confidence and world- class wit of both. HH the Dalai Lama’s divine contribution does not confine merely to the handful land of snows but like the radiation of radioactive elements. It penetrates through all borders and barriers of the blue planet over. “You are the people who are really shaping a new century, sympathy on the street but not merely for the Tibetans” said a BBC reporter.

An unquestionable reincarnation of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion to whom the world has confirmed as an iconic figure whose status as a bona fide Buddha. As one who heals minds and hearts he is a healer and its worth to say that metaphorically the Dalai Lama is a messiah of peace and compassion as close to God as a man can possibly get “He is the real thing, no one else comes close” says Hollywood star Richard Gere.

One may worship him as the living Buddha yet he never sought the limelight but always he says “I am a simple monk with no exceptional power to impart but thinks about the things and speaks”. A man of intellect the Dalai Lama has authored more than 72 books but the bestselling book of his 1990 autobiography “Freedom in Exile” is an example which ends with his prayer “For as long as space endures, and for as long as living beings remain, until then may I, too abide to dispel the misery of the world”.

Thus seeing the logic and all, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has received standing ovation for his vision of the world peace and humanitarian epoch, manifesting in his life and words, a message that speaks of the great questions about life and its meaning. Devoid of prejudices and worldly pleasure, his sojourns and teachings have put the cream of Buddhism a universal bandwagon of religion where it has succeeded in deciphering the central ideas of Buddhism from his simple words to the people in a way that speaks of their spiritual needs and life’s longing. “The Tibetan Buddhist leader brings a same tradition that carries the same message, a message of love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance” said Pope Benedict in United Nations address.

In a nutshell, logically speaking he is not a torchbearer of Buddhism rather an endless light of Buddha himself, love and compassion that bears itself for the sake of mankind and comforts of sentient beings through thick and thin of life. Therefore nothing is to be impressed for such cynical expression …He must be the only “simple monk” who sends daily bromides to a million followers on Twitter. (John Walsh’s description) such expression, a croak that cheers none

The Feather in the Cap of Peace or a Wolf in the Robes of Monk?

In the words of Chinese leaders, he is a wolf wrapped in a monk’s robe, but to the perspicacious judgments of the rest of the world, the Dalai Lama is the most celebrated man in robes widely admired as an epitome of peace for his nonviolent credo on Tibetan struggle against the Chinese brutal occupation of Tibet. More or less for his eminent role that can be possibly solve the endless conflicts.

Despite the fact that HH the Dalai Lama has showed an impeachable path that is admirable for the resolution of ceaseless conflicts between two pits. What the Noble Peace Prize winner since Mahatma Gandhi whom he believes is his role model with American civil rights advocate Martin Luther King Jr, is walking in a tightrope that many a time we can see. Now the time is ripe for the world to be justified on the ground of truthfulness rather on the ostensible sneak.

If His Holiness is a separatist, as saying goes “the song of martyrs’ spirit, a cry of innocent souls” why millions of innocent people across the Tibet sacrificed their lives since 1940s and 1950s when the Dalai Lama was barely anybody but merely a young monk at Potala Palace? Or if the Dalai Lama is a wolf wrapped in the robes of monk (Chinese official description) why does Chinese government never dare to hold a dialogue with a wolf? Why Chinese officials’ response was tepid on his representatives sent many a times? Fair question. The answers are clear that Chinese leaders have not yet learn the strength of the Dalai Lama.

Firstly, Tibet had been historically an independent country till the Chinese Communist Party usurped starting from 1949 and claiming Tibet as an inalienable part of China that can no longer hold the breath under the water.

Secondly, despite the fact that Dalai Lama compromised the history and upheld the principles of Middle Way approach "high-level autonomy" or "real autonomy" in Tibet and other Tibetan-inhabited areas within the framework of the Chinese Constitution or the genuine autonomy for all the Tibetans living in the three traditional provinces of Tibet within the framework of the People's Republic of China. An approach that can peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet and to bring about stability and co-existence between the Tibetan and the Chinese people based on equality and mutual co-operation.

But Chinese government never dared to hold a constructive dialogue lest of the next question, but needless is the unnecessary tensions for Chinese leaders. Despite the fact that Dalai Lama is a “True Global Citizen” he had the dream of the day when Tibet issue is solved once, he wish to leave all the protocols and politics behind and disappear in the hills on a religious retreat.

Thirdly, though the Dalai Lama has become the real feather in the cap of peace as the world can see Chinese officials have buffeted him vilifying his name as a wolf in monk’s robe charging him “masterminding” for the very fate and future of Tibet as an impulse of clique. But the fact is clear that spate after spate of Tibetan peaceful movements insides Tibet, facing the storm of bullets and the tempest of Lathi charge were swayed by an overmastering impulse within them because Tibetans enjoy no freedom on their own land and an influx of Han and Muslim Hui, Chinese migrants have diluted our culture, language and religion since there is no sign that Chinese government is ready to lose its grip.

Fourthly, Chinese leaders feel the Dalai Lama symbolizes the entire independence movement, and when he is gone, it will go away. This is a sign of weakness of Chinese leaders that the conscience has lost rather a contempt is there. It must be remembered that the one-time boy king, HH the Dalai Lama can only turn the entire movement of Tibetan struggle to a possible solution since perhaps to all the Tibetans everywhere in the world, he is an impeccable leader. Once the Dalai Lama is gone (Chinese leaders’ hope) it’s a big question of peace or to run afoul for a ceaseless conflict, it’s an insurmountable issue!

Thus if there is any weakness with the Dalai Lama, it is the weakness of all for failing to say “NO”  to those who injure his honor in the name of Charity or a sneak who seeks to receive Chinese embracement, Rupert Murdoch or John Walsh, whosoever. Therefore as a call of innocent soul, I would conclude my lines with a humble message that can be the voice of many innocent souls “If you are not eager enough to read the real mind of the Dalai Lama, you are not worthy enough to write a slanted word” for the voices of cicadas shrieking from their unseen places are sometime not up to snuff.

NOTE: The views expressed above are my personal views and not to be construed as an expression of any other. If there is any feedback whether good or bad or any controversy regarding this article, please feel free to click on zathinley@gmail.com to contact me.

Za Thinley TSAM, Chennai