Tibetan Buddhism goes democratic...

[Che Guava]

...in a country decidedly short on it....

Tibetans 'should pick Dalai Lama'


The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, says his people should have a role in finding his successor.

Speaking in Amritsar, northern India, he told the BBC that Tibetans would also have to decide if the institution should continue at all after his death.

The Dalai Lama's successor is usually chosen by senior Buddhist officials.

Analysts say the 72-year-old is considering breaking this centuries-old tradition in order to reduce the influence of China in the process.

Traditionally, Buddhist elders congregate after the death of the current leader and identify a young child to succeed him, after being guided by dreams and signs.

The Dalai Lama warned that when he dies, China would try to promote its own candidate.

Dalai Lama speaks out

But he stressed, in an interview with the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder, that ultimately it would be up to the people of Tibet to decide who they accepted, if anyone at all.

"The Tibetan nation is 2,000 years old. The Dalai Lama institution is relatively recent - only a few centuries old," he said.

"If I die, it will be a setback for the Tibetan people for some time. But then the struggle will continue.

"If the Tibetan people decide that the Dalai Lama institution is no longer relevant, then it will automatically cease to exist."

'Violation of tradition'

Beijing claims sovereignty over Tibet, which it has controlled since invading in 1950. However, many Tibetans remain loyal to the Dalai Lama, who fled in 1959.

And the spiritual leader reopened a war of words with Beijing by criticising the way it rules Tibet.

"Stability and genuine harmony - that is the Chinese government's top priority. But you cannot have harmony under the gun," he said.

Beijing responded by accusing the Dalai Lama of violating his own religious traditions.

"The reincarnation of the living Buddha is a unique way of succession of Tibetan Buddhism and follows relatively complete religious rituals and historical conventions," China's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Beijing has denounced the Dalai Lama's many foreign trips, including recent visits to the US, Germany and Japan.

It says he should stay out of politics and restrict himself to a religious role.

Buddhists believe the current Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of his predecessors.

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I appreciate a spiritual leader like the Dalai Lama who can break with certain traditions to allow for his faith to evolve into modern times. Of course, i have heard more than a few say that this is nothing more than a political move by someone who should be staying out of politics.

But I want to know what *you* think!

 

[druidravi]

I like how an atheist government which supresses religion is so worried about following relegious tradition.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I appreciate his desire to weaken China's influence. And of course he knows more about the history of Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama than me. Still, breaking with tradition just for immediate political gain may be a bad idea in the long run for a religion.

 

[Che Guava]

I like how an atheist government which supresses religion is so worried about following relegious tradition.

Yeah, that's a good one too Maybe in 10 years or so they'll have an official PRC Falun Gong church....

I appreciate his desire to weaken China's influence. And of course he knows more about the history of Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama than me. Still, breaking with tradition just for immediate political gain may be a bad idea in the long run for a religion.

I get the impression that tibetan buddhism has a bit more 'give' than abrhamic religions. I find it fascinating that the Dalai Lama isn't necessarily and wholly divine, just the re-incarnation of a statesman who keeps coming back to serve his nation. So even if the dalai lama dynasty were to end, it wouldn't mean the end of tibetan buddhism...

 

[Yoda Power]

So is a country with elections once every life-time a democracy?

 

[Che Guava]

So is a country with elections once every life-time a democracy?

It's not an election for a national leader (hell, tibet isn't even really a country right now), its a one-time election of a spiritual leader. Call it "Lama Idol" if you like

 

[plarq]

I do hope the exodus of Dalai Lama could intrigue the modernization of Tibet, by religion reforms and such.
However, the success of Tibet lies in the democratizations of China, which I have zero faith in it...

 

[Yoda Power]

It's not an election for a national leader (hell, tibet isn't even really a country right now), its a one-time election of a spiritual leader. Call it "Lama Idol" if you like

But the Dalai Lama is traditionally the national leader too.

I see no evidence that he wouldn't be again if the country became independent.

 

[Che Guava]

But the Dalai Lama is traditionally the national leader too.

He was, but even then he was more of a spiritual leader, not unlike the British monarchy. His ministers were the ones holding the cards.

I see no evidence that he wouldn't be again if the country became independent.

How about the fact that even the dalai lama is against full independence? Sad but true, I think the best we can hope for is greater autonomy.

 

[Yoda Power]

He was, but even then he was more of a spiritual leader, not unlike the British monarchy. His ministers were the ones holding the cards.

And were they democraticly elected?

He was still in a way a dictator, no matter how you put it, and no matter how great you think Dalai Lama is. Considering that this was more than fifty years ago, and that the world has changed then I don't even think it was that bad, back then.

But in the modern world the Dalai Lama should realize that he should allow full democracy, and not just some sort of middle way.

How about the fact that even the dalai lama is against full independence? Sad but true, I think the best we can hope for is greater autonomy.

This is news to me, but am I right to assume this is mostly because he's being realistic, and because that's the only way to ever have a dialoge with the Chinese goverment?

 

[philippe]

Well, the Vatican has been doing it for quite a time and no-one protested about a "lack" of democracy, I think The dalai Lama makes a point here, but the question is: Will China allow these elections?

and, Will Ron Paul be candidate?

 

[Masquerouge]

Call it "Lama Idol" if you like

I'd watch it!

The pope should do the same thing. Be elected by all Roman Catholics!

 

[cybrxkhan]

Old Tibet was a Theocracy, the Dalai Lama being the head of it much the way the Pope was, except that he reincarnated and each succesor, assumedly, an incarnation of the previous one.

Most of the Dalai Lamas didn't really do much, or died young before they couold do anything. It was such that the ministers and the high-level clergy that did all the administrating and government work.

But a few did do their work and ruled the country as others would. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, for example, the one before the present one, started about modernizing the country, bringing in Western concepts and technologies. But some of his attempted reforms backfired, like making lazy monks go into military service.

 

[innonimatu]

I get the impression that tibetan buddhism has a bit more 'give' than abrhamic religions. I find it fascinating that the Dalai Lama isn't necessarily and wholly divine, just the re-incarnation of a statesman who keeps coming back to serve his nation. So even if the dalai lama dynasty were to end, it wouldn't mean the end of tibetan buddhism...

Well, that's certainly a break with tradition. Before the chinese invasion the monks were quite happy with holding all the rest of Tibet's population as their slaves.

 

[philippe]

Well, that's certainly a break with tradition. Before the chinese invasion the monks were quite happy with holding all the rest of Tibet's population as their slaves.

and they were quite happily with it if I recall

 

[cybrxkhan]

^me too.

 

[warpus]

What?? Reincarnation isn't a democracy!

You can't choose, via a poll, who you're going to reincarnate as! It just happens, magically, based on karma!

Sheesh

 

[sourboy]

Casting aside religious tradition for modern representation?

What's the problem?

 

[Elrohir]

How do you vote on something like this? "I am the true reincarnation, and I will smite all of you if you don't vote for me!"

and, Will Ron Paul be candidate?

Ron Paul for Dalai Lama!

 

[Vietcong]

whear dose china get the idea that thay own tibet?? even befor 1950 thay clame thay owened tibet.. but to my understanding china had no inluince or ministers or any thing at all in tibet befor the invasion. the only thing i can think of that conected the 2 places was the lama *sp* being a spiritual advisor to the emperors befor the 1911 revolt.