I am worried about Tibet, and concerned that China will retaliate to the recent outbreak of violent protests by the Tibetan people. Tibet is a peaceful country, and has remained so miraculously, despite all of the crimes committed by the Chinese. Their culture has been repressed and controlled beyond belief. Tibetans want desperately to practice their religion, yet they are not even allowed a picture of the Dalai Lama. This is insane.
When I visited in 2000, upon landing in Lhasa, my luggage was completely torn apart by Chinese officials. I had several books with me – these were the days before Kindle – and the guards took nearly an hour with them, tearing Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes and James Baldwin to pieces – searching through every page to make sure I didn’t have any Dalai Lama photos stuffed in there. We were not even allowed to say his name. Sometimes you could subtly mention “H.H,” the Dalai Lama’s DL nickname, but mostly, you had to be careful with what you said and who you said it to.
I don’t understand why the Dalai Lama is such a danger to the Chinese. His philosophy and peaceful, non-violent teachings have won him a Nobel Peace Prize and earned him an esteemed position among all the great world leaders. His books are translated into every language. He is a huge presence within the spiritual lives of millions, people who pay small fortunes just to be in the same room with him, who do nothing without consulting “The Art of Happiness” – yet those who need him most, the people of Tibet, the people who worship him as a living deity, are forced to live without him. If China wants to be respected as a true first world nation, they must be accountable for their actions. They should not be allowed to hide their dirty laundry behind the Olympics or anything else.
Aloha Margaret…The Dalai Lama was here last February. My aunt was on his volunteer committee and she had to have a FBI backround clearance before she could be present. We now have a shrine just for him in Paia and we love him and always welcome him back. I hope the best for China and all of the people….
We are still laughing our asses off from your last show. Mine is disappearing…j/k…all 16 of us loved your show in Maui. It was my first time seeing you live and I was so on the floor laughing. Thank you for being real and please come back soon!! Stay awhile, lay around, vacation here after your tour. Our dog Daddy welcomes you with open jaws for a snack. We will e-mail you a photo of him soon. You will laugh.
We hope you have a fantastic rest of your tour and we”ll c-ya after you’re done.
MAHALO!
da Maui crew
Dalai Lama is obviously sincere with his people he says he represents. He is trying to embarrass China before the Olympics, which is quite a pathetic way of going about things, having his own people beaten up by Indian police and Chinese authorities.
Dalai lama stays in five star hotels, occupies full floors of hotels, where does he get all the money from. I am sure Richard Gear can’t be bank rolling him year after year. If the Dalai Lama is so rich, why doesn’t he donate some money to his people to improve their lot.
Hey Ajaz-
You are a chinese troll. Go make some toxic dogfood and eat it.
pollution affects the eyes. the eyes affect sight. sight affects awareness. awareness affects pollution. pollution affects the eyes. have you breathed the air in los angeles lately?? it also affects the eyes.
all i have to say is that the Dalai lama is the cutest old man i’ve ever seen. whenever i see him on tv…on a book…anything…i just want him to be my friend…and i would then hug him all the time.
Exactly what Amber said. Every time I hear, see, read the Dalai Lama, I just get so joyful and want to hug him and keep him for my very own! He makes me happy.
Anyone who is afraid of the Dalai Lama is scared of losing government or religious control. Who would be scared of an open minded, happy, loving, peaceful man such as him? Anyone whose ideals represent quite the opposite.
He is a bit of a homophob and he’s not actually the leader of the worlds Buddhists. But it is terrible what’s happening to the people of Tibet, conquest of any culture is sin.
nancyG
I am no China lover, but a group of people trying to embarrass China in this manner are neither helping the Tibetans nor the Chinese masses. It is openess towards China by the West that has allowed over 600 million Chinese to attain middle class and a life of comfort and relative personal freedoms. Do we not want the rest of Chinese and all Tibetans to also attain economic and political freedom?
Seeing monks beaten up by Indian & Chinese police does not make me think that bleeding hearts like you are helping them any.
Margaret
I may disagree with your views, but I respect your viewpoint and that is why I have linked your blog to mine in the hope that more readers can find alternative viewpoints.
Margaret, I am so glad you mentioned the issue of Tibet and China. Some people are paying attention to Darfur in relations to the Olympics, but really it is Tibet that is most directly hurt.
Blaming the Dalai Lama because Indian and Chinese police are beating Tibetans, is like blaming a woman because she made her husband beat her, again. I’m sure the Chinese fear the Dalai Lama because he is so powerful, especially among his own people. Taking him out of the picture is like removing hope from their lives. They will remain conquered.
Red Mojo
If Dalai Lama is so powerful then why doesn’t he go back to Tibet and help his people? Dalai Lama is sure nice to talk to but he has aboned his people while he is enjoying the luxury of five star hotels around the world, living like a king. I have seen it myself him taking over the entire floor of a a Manhattan Hotel.
So don’t be so naive and ask him where does he get his money from. I am not pro Chinese but I am against hypocrisy.
It would be nice if China would just get out of Tibet once and for all. That country has suffered enough through the nearly fifty years of occupation from China. What’s is that the US turned it’s back on Tibet and let’s China get away with it. I say let’s all boycott the Olympics! How could anyone watch it knowing that the host is brutally putting that country down.
Ajaz, What is this obsession of yours with hotel visits? How can that be your biggest concern? Are you aware that China violently occupied Tibet, killing and beating people who literally would not hurt a fly? Does it seem to you like the Dalai Lama is free to do as he pleases there? They aren’t allowed a picture of him or to say his name, and you are wondering why he doesn’t just waltz in and help everyone. What are you on?
Red Mojo
Budhism teaches simplicity and humbleness. Dalai Lama, a spiritual leader of Budhists has a lifestyle totally the opposite of that. He does not practise what he preaches.
. . . isn’t that what most humans do when confronted with fore-thinking/visionary folks who threaten their way of life? ban them, kill them, attempt to erase any trace of their existence. i’ve been reading a lot of derrick jensen ( http://derrickjensen.org/) (you probably know all about his books, tho 🙂 i’m pretty new to your blog (love your shows – seen them all on dvd, tv, etc.). glad to have found your writing, thoughts again . . . 🙂
Margaret – Thank you so much for posting this blog. It’s so refreshing to hear from someone who has actually set foot in Tibet and knows from experience what happens there. Just thought I’d try to add some clarification for a certain commenter:
Before China came into Tibet, the Dalai Lama was THE political head of tibet. To be the Dalai Lama meant you were both a politician, and the leader/most enlightened being of Tibetan Buddhism. Irony being that he’d both be a monk and without a doubt the richest of all Tibetans. This was not a position that he chose, but rather one that what you’d call “religious leaders” bestowed upon him. He was nothing but the son of a poor farmer at that point prior to them “discovering” him. It was when he was still a young and inexperienced leader that China became interested in Tibet. When it became clear that General Mao and the Chinese interest was not in preserving Tibetan culture, the Lama (not having an “army” of his own) reached out to America and other countries asking for help. The bottom line was that America (nor any of the other western countries he contacted) had nothing to gain by “going to war” with China. With Tibet having little protection, the Chinese took total control of Tibet and its people, and the Lama had to seek refuge in India (along with other Tibetans). All of his wealth and possessions were gone at this point! It wasn’t until he won the nobel prize and the award money came in that he had any type of “wealth” what so ever, but he turned around and donated it all to charity. At that point in his life he was living off the equivalent of $10 a day. Now, I’m sure he does have money coming in from books, etc, but he has always spoken out against personal wealth and for charity. Sure he stays in hotels (ever think that possibly whoever is sponsoring an event that he’s speaking at might be picking up the bill???), but ultimately he lives a very modest life. I really don’t see how anyone could interpret his lifestyle as being anything grand. Maybe you’ve been looking at Google or Yahoo China, where EVERY LINK to a pro Lama site is not even listed?!? That’s right people, censorship at it’s best! But, enough about blaming someone, or who’s hurting who… bottom line is that the Dalai Lama has always had the interest of both the Tibetans and Chinese at heart…he has always spoken out against violence and people wishing ill upon the Chinese. He doesn’t blame them for what Mao did to him many years ago. We shouldn’t either. We should hope for peace for all of the parties involved, and hope that one day Tibetans will be free again.
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” – Mahatma Gandhi (one of the Lama’s personal heroes)
Ajaz needs to read some history books instead of basing his views on Chinese fortune cookies.
If the Dalai Lama attempted to return to Tibet, he would be assassinated on the spot. He does his people more good by traveling the world and making people in other countries aware of their sad plight under Chinese rule.
Can you say o-p-p-r-e-s-s-e-d, Ajaz? I knew you could.
heart in san francisco
you fail to get my point. remember tianamin square, people died for what? and now you want tibetans to die. isn’t it better that china is persuaded peacefully to allow tibetans their freedom rather than some stupid people igniting tibetans to more harm. i am a pragmatist not an idealist.
NancyG, your remark (“toxic dog food”) is creepy and racist. Why has no one else here called her on it? Ditto to heart in san fancisco (“..instead of basing his views on Chinese fortune cookies”). If you have some prejudice against Chinese people, please deal with that yourself. Don’t use the Tibet issue to give voice to it.
right on ms-whosit
Ajaz, with apologies to Margaret,
Where in my comment did I say that I wanted Tibetan people to die, and where in your diatribe against the Dalai Lama did you say that you didn’t?
I’m not sure what Tiananmen Square has to do with it, but I equate that shameful incident with the Kent State shootings in my own country. Does that make me prejudiced against Americans, Ms-whosit?
Ajaz (again,) I would absolutely agree that peacefully persuading China to let Tibet be would be preferable, but in 49 years that has not happened. All attempts to bring this about have failed and brought retribution on the Tibetans, who continue to live as prisoners in their own land. Understandably they are a bit perturbed by now.
Ms-whosit,
I have no prejudice against the Chinese, but I take a dim view of the way they overran Tibet in 1959 and have continued to oppress the Tibetan people.
If there is a way to separate China from the Tibet issue, I would very much like to hear it.
I’m SO glad you posted this because, as a gay American living and working in China for six years, I have been affected by this whole situation and believe it has been blown up by every side of the media. It’s like a volleyball match, in my opinion. The Chinese media/government is quite desperately trying to quell the problem but all I hear from outside sources is completely the opposite.
Recently I brought up the Tibet riots and the Dalai Lama with co-workers and much to my surprise, one of the girls said, in English, “Oh, yes, he’s a bad man.” It has really opened my eyes to some views about the big picture.
But why is it that we don’t hear so much about the condition from Tibetans who actually live there??? I don’t give a shit about Nancy Pelosi’s intentions, although I’m impressed with her rise to power.
Anyway, I think it’s wonderful that some peeps on the Net can express their feelings about such a sensitive issue and still be untouched by the Chinese censorship-machine!
You are my ultimate hero, Margaret! Keep bringing it!!!!!
except ajaz you all need to go to china and learn more about china and what’s really been going on .
and my question to you all and that include margaret. do you even know what was it like before china took control of tibet.
and to nancy G
i think you are a complete racist! and this is why americans keeps getting killed in the world because ppl like you just bringing too many negative image for americans. and i hope you take back what you said!
This was great to see! I came here because I’m queer and recently moved to SF, and I found out a friend’s roommate does some work with you around queer mag publishing….anyway, I saw your picture in Tibet and wanted to see if you’d written anything else about Tibet. It’s nice to know a famous Asian person supports it 🙂
On another note, the ignorance in the comments is similar, but not quite as bad, as what’s on youtube postings 😉 People always use the same two arguments — Tibet was uncivilized/in serfdom (a similar argument used by other colonialists to take over/enslave African nations, and many other countries/peoples, and the Dalai Lama is a hypocrite/rich. What is he supposed to do? Look like a homeless monk to please judgmental people? He is a world leader, so yes, he has a home and has nice shoes and nice food. He does not have a private plane or items many world leaders have — he has what he needs to lead a peaceful, comfortable life, so he can do what he does rather well — speak for world peace, compassion, fight ignorance and intolerance.
And as for the homophobe comment — the trickiness of his position is that he is seen as a god by some, and by others, still treated like he has to give his word/opinion on everything, as if he is a god. His commentary on ‘homosexuality’ is simple — he supports compassion, tolerance and love for all living beings. He does not get into specifics because he does not get engaged in debates that go into great detail. He’s a big picture kind of talker, you can tell from everything else he talks about. He talks about psychology, about physics…he only knows bits and pieces about each, but he tries to relate and be open where he can. On the specific question of Buddhism, he has stated that he encourages Buddhists to re-examine old teachings and assumptions, and see whether things should be changed.
That kind of commentary is what befits a democratic leader, rather than a despot, who might say something like — as the king of Buddhism, I proclaim THIS. He doesn’t want people doing or thinking things because he says so — that type of awareness has no meaning. He encourages self-reflection and enlightenment. That means a process for each person, and a religion and culture itself.
Queer rights, Tibet rights!! Happiness for everyone 🙂