Posted on 04/11/2008 5:32:34 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SEATTLE (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, said on Friday he did not support a boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games.
Asked on NBC "Nightly News" whether he wanted the world to boycott the Olympics this summer, the Dalai Lama replied, "No."
Asked if he wanted the United States and other world leaders to boycott the opening ceremony in support of Tibet, he replied, "That's up to them."
"It is very important to make clear, not only just the Tibet case. But in China proper, the report of human right is poor. And their freedom, also very poor," the Dalai Lama said.
Asked what his message to China was, he said: "My main point is: We are not against you. And I'm not seeking separation."'
China blames the Dalai Lama for orchestrating monk-led protests in Tibet last month that later turned violent as part of a campaign for independence.
The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, denies involvement.
The European Parliament has urged European Union leaders to boycott the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympic Games unless China starts talks with the Dalai Lama over the situation in Tibet.
In Washington, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution urging China to open dialogue with the Dalai Lama, end a crackdown on nonviolent Tibetan protesters and halt repression in the region.
Demonstrations against China's suppression of Tibetan protests have followed the progress of the Olympic flame in Europe, the United States and Latin America, prompting a nationalist backlash from China's authorities and media.
The Dalai Lama is in Seattle for a five-day Seeds of Compassion conference.
It is very important to make clear, not only just the Tibet case. But in China proper, the report of human right is poor. And their freedom, also very poor,” the Dalai Lama said.
Asked what his message to China was, he said: “My main point is: We are not against you. And I’m not seeking separation.”’
The Dalai Lama, exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, speaks during a panel discussion on the Scientific basis for compassion at the University of Washington's Hec Edmundson Pavilion on the first day of the 5-day Seeds of Compassion gathering in Seattle, Washington, April 11, 2008. (Marcus Donner/Reuters)
The Lama has a PR department that’s got to be the envy of any Western politician by now.
He also doesn’t support Tibetan independence. If you asked me, the Dalai Lama was co-opted long ago.
"Immediately afterwards, the Dalai Lama -- utilizing the infamous 'Five Finger Palm of Death' technique he picked up after repeated watchings of Kill Bill II -- attacked and killed Tom Brokaw." ;)
Its obvious Dalai Lama is Right Wing Republican.
ROFL! That would be a beautiful sight.
No, he is just in the unusual position of also being a spiritual leader to a religion whose has as one of its most important tenants, "do no harm".. I have a close Buddhist friend who is going through a conflict because one can do 'no harm' by avoiding conflict, but that often results in more harm being done (continued oppression.)
The Dalai Lama was run out of Tibet by the Chinese many years ago with nothing to his name but a few dresses. At the time, we couldn’t do much about it, even though Communist China was a much weaker state. We can’t do anything about it now, either.
We have important issues to work out with China such as the preservation of Taiwan, the containment of North Korea, etc. Tibet is so far down on the list of things to worry about that it is not even a very small pimple on the a$$ of progress— or maybe not even a blister on the toe of progress. The Dalai Lama is like Jesse and Al, one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four for the money. He ain’t gonna go! (unfortunately).
Non-violence and seeking satori is good, but sometimes you need to unholster your .357 mag and shoot a hole in your enemy’s head.
Imagine if the chicoms held a party and nobody came. You hate to see the Olympics become political but it’s unavoidable in this case, the chicoms have crapped in their nest on this one.
The Dalai Lama is the Asian version of Al Gore.
The Dalai Lama is the Gandhi for the Neo-Hippie Birkenstock crowd today. It is indeed interesting that his confession of Marxism and his stoiicism regarding China and Tibet are linked but the Left still paints him as an idol because he is of the Eastern thang and has a lot of significance. Supposedly he is also bizzare in that, like Gandhi, he actually is against Gun Control(I read a quote by him that said that guns have their place in society) and I think has used them before.
I like the Dalai Lama but he isn’t one of my heroes, and I don’t proclaim him as one of my idols(I would rather be with somebody who actually did something like Gandhi or MLK Jr.)
As a response to another poster, there is a form of Buddhism which isn’t all about Non-Violence called Zen Buddhism. Supposedly the great Chinese warriors of the past used Zen Buddhism in order to prepare for battle and also Jack Kerouac who was no hippie also was a Zen Buddhist. I actually met one in a religions class and she complained about how the hippies and the flower children have perverted and corrupted Buddhism to fit their own message.
> The Dalai Lama is the Gandhi for the Neo-Hippie Birkenstock crowd today.
Perhaps he needs to be deposed and replaced with a Shaolin monk.
Indeed, bad science is worse than a bad deed or tragedy, but enrobed in pseudo-good deeds, it is the worst of its kind.
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