 |
Dalai Lama Aims to Split Motherland
A friend who has been studying in the United States for years recently told me that the 14th Dalai Lama has become a "world-famous person" who behaves and speaks like a "politician."
I told him I have been working hard to find signs that would show that the 14th Dalai Lama is a disciple of Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, but that I failed.
Indeed, the 14th Dalai Lama has increasingly become a politician obsessed with the goal of tearing Tibet away from the motherland and, for this purpose, opposing the central government.
Historically, the Dalai Lama was the largest feudal serf owner and ruler and religious leader in Tibet. He owned all land, mountains, rivers and animals. All government officials were at his beck and call, and he was in the position to order and even sell serfs.
Those in the West have built up the 14th Dalai Lama's image as a "banner in the Tibetans' fight against the CPC rule for freedom." Cashing in on support from the West, the 14th Dalai Lama invented the news that "1 million Tibetans have been slaughtered," that "traditional Tibetan culture and religion have been ruined," and that "Tibetans live in deep water under CPC rule."
Working hand in glove with the West, the 14th Dalai Lama shuttles all over the world, supposedly in order to spread Buddhist doctrines. However, facts show that instead, he only works hard to promote his political gain and gather money. This drives many of his followers to question why the 14th Dalai Lama does not shut himself in rooms for mediation and study, and what he is up to when he mixes political content with Buddhist doctrines. What's more, an entry ticket of up to US$100 often prevents ordinary people from attending his lectures.
All signs combine to show that the 14th Dalai Lama is just taking advantage of Tibetan Buddhism. The statue of Korje Shugden has been worshipped by Tibetan Buddhists for hundreds of years. These statues can be found in many monasteries and homes. However, a divination the 14th Dalai Lama conducted indicated that worshipping the statue would do harm to his health. As a result, he ordered everyone to stop worshipping the statues. He even ordered the removal of all the statues from monasteries and homes, triggering great dissatisfaction of many Tibetans in and out of Tibet. There were people who organized protests and accused him of practicing religious hegemony and undermining religious freedom.
In 1998, US magazines Time and Newsweek printed stories reporting the protests held during the 14th Dalai Lama's visit to the United States.
It has been of historical precedence for major living Buddhas, including the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni, to reincarnate through the drawing of lots from the golden urn. However, when the 10th Panchen Erdeni died and his soul boy had to be determined, the 14th Dalai Lama did his best to make the event political by nominating a "soul boy."
The 13th Dalai Lama and the 9th Panchen Erdeni were at odds in history as a result of the bad blood sown by imperialists. The 9th Panchen Erdeni was forced to leave Tibet and eventually died in China's hinterland. When the 10th Panchen Erdeni was enthroned according to the set Buddhist rituals and historical precedence, the 14th Dalai Lama refused to accept him and, later, did his best to attack him.
When the 10th Panchen Erdeni died, however, the 14th Dalai Lama made a U-turn by lording the late 10th Panchen Erdeni to the sky. In the meantime, he tried to interfere in the reincarnation of the late master. It was clear to the world that he was striving to submit the Panchen system to his rule.
When the soul boy of the late 10th Panchen Erdeni was determined through the method of drawing lots from the golden urn, and the 11th Panchen Erdeni was enthroned according to Buddhist rituals and historical precedence, he said internationally that the boy whom he appointed to be the 11th Panchen had become the youngest political prisoner in China, and called for efforts to locate him. In the meantime, however, he said he was ready to accept the newly enthroned 11th Panchen Erdeni according to the set Buddhist rituals and historical precedence, and confirm him as one of his disciples.
"The 14th Dalai Lama is being criticized in Tibet," said a Tibetan friend. "Historically, the central government granted the honorific title of Dalai Lama to the Dalai Lama. Therefore, of course, the central government has the power to take it back. However, the central government has not done this.
"Nonetheless, this does not mean that the 14th Dalai Lama has the right to engage in activities geared toward tearing Tibet away from the motherland in his name as a religious leader," the friend said.
The 14th Dalai Lama recently was heard to be saying that Tibet "needs high-level autonomy" or "needs to follow the system of one country, two systems" which is followed in Hong Kong and Macao.
However, the Tibetans have already been masters of their own fate for the past 40 years, throughout the 14th Dalai Lama's absence from Tibet. Some who were serfs and slaves when the 14th Dalai Lama was in power have become government officials in Tibet. This change is undeniable.
When the 14th Dalai Lama's statements regarding the enforcement of "high-level autonomy" or the "one country, two systems policy" were brought to some Tibetans, they laughed and said: "High-level autonomy means 'let me rule'."
This article was originally carried in the latest issue of China's Tibet, a bimonthly magazine.
In This Section
|