Dalai Lama

I've sat on writing this because I was waiting for the article that explains it all in the proper context, and that article came out yesterday, about recent information and a video about the 83 year old Dalai Lama.

When the video came out, I couldn't watch it. "Suck my tongue" doesn't have good optics for people outside Tibet, but it turns out there is a cultural background that makes it part of playful dialogue for the elderly with children:

(source)

There's an excellent article in Tricycle by Joshua Brallier Shelton, a PhD student at Northwestern in Buddhist studies and masculinity. His studies include "uncovering the ways that male power becomes entangled in practitioners’ sincere religious aspirations, cultivating environments in which men eroticize and abuse that power in perverse and nauseating ways." He speaks Tibetan and is a practitioner himself.

He talks about his own discomfort, but also the importance of hearing Tibetan voices. The family were joyous at meeting the Dalai Lama and the video comes out 2 months later. Whether or not it was brought out by forces sympathetic to China, who are deeply against the Dalai Lama, that would be interesting to find out. 

There is a problem with sexual misconduct, and power structures, but Shelton concludes this incident isn't one of them, after elegantly laying out the various aspects of this incident. I'm going to take his word for it, and the words of Tibetans.

You can feel the need of people that this is innocent, and you can feel the tension of people who want to take the Dalai Lama down a peg, expose him, depower him. I've always seen him as a global spokesman but also on the leader of one of five main sects of Buddhism from Tibet. For people who regard him as the manifestation of Avalokita, he's a projection of their own power onto him, and he reflects their power back to them. He has devoted his entire life for working for Buddhism, Tibet, with lots of support to be sure, but also many years of intense practice. I know people who resent his popularity and influence, insist he's not all that. China, a collection of individuals, whose government invaded Tibet in 1959, and wouldn't be unhappy if the Dalai Lama took a hit on this one. Autocratic countries like China use information to undermine many things in open societies, like democracy and spiritual traditions, knowing that there will be some blowback such that the Dalai Lama issues an apology, when most Tibetans don't think he even needs to apologize. There's a freaky frame to this whole situation, and unpacking that is interesting. Hearing Tibetan voices is interesting. My heart goes out to them. There are several Tibetans who live in my neighborhood, and I'm going to have to ask them about this, it's an excuse to strike up another conversation.

Links in Shelton article:

Tibetan women say ‘no’ to violence as part of 16-day activism against gender disparity (Phayul).

Buddhist scholars receive grant to document sexual abuse in American Buddhism (Lion's Roar).

Tiben voice of Tenzin Pema (Facebook).

After 60 years in India, why are Tibetans leaving? (Al Jazeera)

Dr. Lobsang Sangay (Facebook) Video of someone who worked with the Dalai Lama for 10 years.

Do you agree with this quote from the Dalai Lama?

 "...all religions are in general agreement. They all teach love, compassion, forgiveness, nonharm, contentment, self-discipline and generosity." From Approaching The Buddhist Path by The Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron.

I don't really agree with that. I think a lot of so-called Christians don't believe in nonharm, and have practiced the opposite. Prime examples are the Crusades, to voting for Trump who did nothing to stop the spread of Covid that has killed 600K so far. People quibble about what percentage of those deaths are responsible for the inaction of a leader, but to me his holding the Bible up represents the death cult aspect.

I think there are many pagan religions that are willing to do harm. 

Before monotheism you prayed to a god in hopes that they would favor you, give you more power, and hurt your enemies. Whoever have the more powerful god won the war. Mostly though you hoped to not get trampled in the doings of the gods, like an ant. 

I think love was a later addition to the Bible. 

I'm not sure if the sectarian elements, the proselytizing elements are about contentment.

I wish all religions thought that way. I wish there were not so many counter examples. 

You could say that priests raping the young isn't a religious act, it's a worldly act, and doesn't touch spirituality, but they do use the word religion, and not spirituality, so I think religion has to bear the weight of actions done by it's representatives. That the church shielded, avoided justice, has meant it is now dealing with financial crushing, and the loss of real estate and influence.

The sexual scandals in Buddhism has crushed it's authority in America, and makes it seem like a sex cult. 

To say "True Religion" is to add an ad hoc wiggle. Either religion is what the people do in the name of it, or I don't even know what it is. It's not what you say, it's what you do. Are people imperfect and sinners? That's a version of Christianity. OK, so we're all sinners. Do the Christian sinners behave any better than others of other religions or atheists or non-religious people? Not sure how you would measure that. Do religions bind communities, provide support--quite often. There are many good aspects to religion, I'm not saying they're all horrible. I'm just not sure I agree with that quote.

Embracing the devil, or Mara in Buddhism, is about owning your shadow, not pretending that the dark side is isn't present. Padmasambhava pinned the local demons down, to get Buddhism into Tibet. You look at them in the full light of day, accept them, and work with them to act in your own best interest, in the interest of your community.

Now I am not giving the full quote. Here is the full quote, it makes more sense:

There are two aspects to each religion: one is transformation of the mind or heart, and the other is the philosophy that supports that transformation. I believe that in terms of transforming human beings’ minds and hearts, all religions are in general agreement. They all teach love, compassion, forgiveness, nonharm, contentment, self-­discipline, and generosity. No matter the religion, a person who practices it sincerely will develop these qualities. In every religion, we see many examples of ethical and warm-­hearted people who benefit others.The difference among religions occurs mainly in the area of philosophy.