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Peace, Love and Kindness
Nobel Peace Prize Winner, popularizer of Buddhism and head of the Tibetan Government in Exile. The Dalai Lama's life is a unique convergence of religion, politics and an admirable stand on peace in the face of aggression. This lens focuses on his life, his politics and his Buddhism.
Life in Tibet by the Dalai Lama
Because the Chinese became such a powerful threat to Tibet, the Tenzin took responsibility of the government of his country at the early age of 15. When the Chinese actually invaded the country, the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India in 1959.
Books about Tenzin Gyatzo, The Dalai Lama
Kundun: A Biography of the Family of the Dalai Lama
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A Simple Monk: Writings on His Holiness the Dalai Lama
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Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of The Dalai Lama
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The Olympic Games and Protests in Tibet
The Dalai Lama in the middle
There have been protests in Tibet and around the world as this year (2008) is both an anniversary for protests that China repressed violently in 1987, 1988 - as well as the year of the Olympic games in China. The Dalai Lama claims (March 29th 2008) that these riots were started by Chinese dressed as Tibetan Buddhist monks. (source)These protests have been suppressed and my sources in Tibet say that the atmosphere in Lhasa is violent. CNN reports that several convoys of armed forces are moving in for a further crackdown (3-21-08). Chinese citizens are advised to stay inside, because they might be attacked by Tibetans. The Chinese government has closed Tibet from tourists and journalists.
The Dalai Lama was so upset by all this he threatens to lay down his post (announced that he might do that on march 18th '08). He also started talking to Tibetans who feel his stance about Tibet is too peaceful. The Dalai Lama is stuck between extremist Tibetans who don't want to stay peaceful in their struggle for independence and the Chinese government who blames 'the clique around the Dalai Lama' for the whole trouble.
The Dalai Lama himself has consistently argued not for independence, but for more autonomy. Some of the Tibetans, whether in exile or in Tibet, feel that is just ignorant and weak. Just the same, he talked to such radicals on March 19th 2008.
Whether or not the Chinese started these riots themselves, it is clear that not all Tibetan people (whether in Tibet, India or abroad) support the Dalai Lama in his attempts to keep things pieceful despite continuing human rights violations.
The Dalai Lama does not want people to boycot the Olympic Games, but merely wants the current problems in Tibet to be investigated and implies possible cultural genocide.
Compared to other troubles around the world, the Tibetan one seem mild. A mere hundred casualties by the largest estimates doesn't compare to civil war in say Darfur, Palestine or Iraq.
(Source: the Dutch newspaper NRC)
If you agree with the position of the Dalai Lama, sign this petition which calls for an end to violence in Tibet
Tibetan Politics and the Dalai Lama
An advocate for democracy!
Life in India & peace efforts
The Dalai Lama on peace in Tibet
The Dalai Lama has since been most famous for his efforts towards peace in Tibet. He has made it clear he would settle for self-government, in place of total independence. Given the amount of Chinese immigrants in Tibet, this is obviously the more realistic viewpoint. On the other hand - China has not been willing to deal honestly with the representatives of the Tibetan people, so peace is going to be hard to achieve.
Dalai Lama video's
Finding the next Dalai Lama
Chinese religious intolerance
A political complication has come up in 2007 where the Chinese government insists that any Tibetan Lama that is recognized as a reincarnation of a previous one, will have to be approved by the Chinese government. Since the Dalai Lama doesn't recognize the rights of the Chinese government to control his reincarnation, he has announced that he will not be reborn in Tibet while it's under Chinese domination.
The most famous example of the religious control of the Chinese government over reincarnating lama's is in the Panchen Lama - the most powerful lama in Tibetan Buddhism, after the Dalai Lama. The Chinese government has recognized one boy as the Panchen Lama, while the Dalai Lama recognizes another - a boy whose whereabouts aren't known.
Films about Tibet & (Tibetan) Buddhism
Little Buddha
About a little boy from the USA that gets picked as the incarnation of a Tibetan Lama.
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Dalai Lama & Tibet links
Please add your favorite link about the Dalai Lama, Tibet or Tibetan Buddhism.
Articles by the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
Articles and quotes from the Dalai Lama on Tibetan more...2 points
The Office of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
The official website of The Office of His Holiness more...0 points
Tibetan Government in Exile - tibet.com
The website of the Tibetan Government in Exile. Co more...0 points
Tibet Online
Activist site supporting Tibet and Tibetans in exi more...0 points
Tibetan Buddhism
The Dalai Lama as the face of Buddhism for the West
Based on his fame as a fighter for peace, he has also become the face of Buddhism abroad. Many people, when thinking of Buddhism, will think of the Dalai Lama first. This has made Buddhism one of the most popular religions in the world. With it's lack of dogmatism and peaceful stand on all kinds of subjects - it's the ideal religious choice for many westerners disappointed in Christianity.
The books written by the Dalai Lama have mostly (though not exclusively) been focused on right living. The basic aspects of the Buddhist path have been stressed, because those aspects are the ones more people can understand and are eager to learn.
This does not mean the Dalai Lama is a Buddhist light weight. With full training in the Gelugpa School he is fully capable of explaining the more abstruse aspects of (Tibetan) Buddhist philosophy and thought.
Dalai Lama films
Kundun
After the book: a film about the life of the Dalai Lama and his family.
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The Sacred Sites of the Dalai Lamas: A Pilgrimage to The Oracle Lake
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Seven Years in Tibet
Two German mountain climbers find their way to Tibet and stay there for seven years. One of them ends up tutoring the Dalai Lama as a small boy.
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Voting for or against reincarnation!
Dalai Lama gives his followers a choice: should he reincarnate?
If his followers say that he should reincarnate, he is considering appointing his successor while he is still alive. This is surprising - as it puts into question the whole process of reincarnation.
The politics of this move are obvious though: The Chinese government has made it clear that they claim the right to approve or disapprove any incarnation of a Tibetan Buddhist lama. The Dalai Lama clearly doesn't want them to control who becomes the next leader of the Tibetan people.
From: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2955350.ece
The Dalai Lama also made it clear that his next incarnation could be a woman.
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/07/wlama107.xml
Books by the Dalai Lama
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
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How to Practice : The Way to a Meaningful Life
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The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality
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An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life
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Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist Perspective
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Dalai Lama Quotes, or are they?
- Wisdom from the heart
- These are great quotes, but I don't think the Dalai Lama would have said: Sleep is the best meditation.
- The Dalai Lama's Recommendations for You
- I especially love the last one: Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon. The Dalai Lama is not only supposed to be a virgin, being raised a monk - does any of you think he can cook?
The Dalai Lama on homosexuality
That said, it's clear that within the Buddhist monasteries, sex isn't allowed - that includes gay sex. As a monk, the Dalai Lama himself is supposed to be celibate - and there hasn't been a hint that he isn't.
That's not because there is anything wrong with sexuality or homosexuality. It's because the goal of Buddhism is to transcend desire and sorrow in order to become truly awake or enlightened and reach Nirvana.
More on Buddhism and relationships
Support the Dalai Lama and Free Tibet products
The Dalai Lama and Science
Meditation and neurology
The Dalai Lama, who had watched a brain operation during a visit to an American medical school over a decade earlier, asked the surgeons a startling question: Can the mind shape brain matter?
Over the years, he said, neuroscientists had explained to him that mental experiences reflect chemical and electrical changes in the brain. When electrical impulses zip through our visual cortex, for instance, we see; when neurochemicals course through the limbic system we feel.
But something had always bothered him about this explanation, the Dalai Lama said. Could it work the other way around? That is, in addition to the brain giving rise to thoughts and hopes and beliefs and emotions that add up to this thing we call the mind, maybe the mind also acts back on the brain to cause physical changes in the very matter that created it. If so, then pure thought would change the brain's activity, its circuits or even its structure. Source
By now it's pretty well established that everything we do, especially learning efforts, changes the brain itself. The brain is capable of learning and changing far into adult life. The effects of meditation on the brain are also startling, though not yet proved beyond a shadow of the scientists doubts.
This type of evidence also makes it harder to believe that consciousness is a mere byproduct of the brain, as some neurologists claim. If consciousness impacts the brain-wiring, the logical conclusion is that it is in fact in some ways independent of the brain.
More on the existence of the soul and my lens on 'We Do have a Soul
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What do you think of this Dalai Lama Lens?
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Squidster
This excellent portrait is an important addition to the Squidoo.Asia collection. Thank you so much for submitting it. Posted April 30, 2008 |
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Serenity_Prayer_Gifts
Good info! Thanks! Posted April 28, 2008 |
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Greekgeek
I'm so grateful you stopped by my lens which had utterly nothing to do with spirituality -- I saw the "om" and pattered my way here. It is a tribute to this man's character that so many people around the world with almost no understanding of Buddhism -- people from cultures that are traditionally belittling or suspicious on non-western religions -- look upon him with such reverence, and pay attention (at least a little) when he speaks out on Tibet, China, and various political and social matters (not that he speaks of social matters overmuch, since as you note with the gay issue, he's a monk in a tradition devoted towards transcendence of this world's physical and everyday preoccupations). Posted April 24, 2008 |
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Silver_Lotus
Excellent! Tibet, Nepal & South Asia Posted March 25, 2008 |
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NewRiver
Thanks for joining Links Plexo Group! Posted January 21, 2008 |
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