[Buddha-l] Contemporary Tibet

[Mike Austin]

In message <012701c5736f$f181b1e0$2930cece at charlie>, jkirk 
<jkirk at spro.net> writes

>But the predicament for HHDL might personally be a bit
>different than it is for Norbu, but it's also paradoxically the same --a
>conflict of cultural ideas and identities. The Dalai Lama as grand
>leader/ruler (even) of the Tibetans in exile must not appear when speaking
>with co-religionists (or anticipating their presence in some audience) on
>certain occasions to appear to be too radical or eccentric about religion,
>as his credibility as their leader would suffer. He must maintain as much
>Tibetan cultural identity as possible. In secular appearances before
>non-Tibetan audiences, he can appear to be much more modern (which I suspect
>he actually is).  It's a problem of public role and cultural identification.

More fundamentally, I tend to see this as a 'problem' of compassion. A 
Bodhisattva would seek to be of help to all beings and would thus need 
to appear in whatever way is of benefit.

-- 
Metta
Mike Austin