[Buddha-l] Re: Re: The Dalai Lama on Self-Loathing (Stuart Lachs)

[jkirk]

Hi Mitchell,

Thanks for posting this.
Joanna 
=================


Hello all,
Here is a reply from a friend of mine to whom I sent the posting that
discussed the DL's remarks and the book The Timely Rain. 
I hope this indirect posting is in accord with guidelines for this group. 
Mitchell [reply follows]:
 
The Dalai Lama actually states that Tibetans do not have "low self esteem."
He is talking about self esteem in the American sense, and he says that
Tibetans actually have the opposite problem - excessive pride and arrogance.
So, he actually puts down the Tibetans in the process of saying they have no
low self esteem.  I have heard him talk about this many times.
 
I have to say that this class-oriented criticism of Tibet strikes me as
Marxist-apologist writing.
 The Chinese are big on putting out this type of propaganda and exaggerating
the admitted errors in pre-Chinese invasion Tibetan society.  There were
definitely problems, but I do not think it was as bleak as they try to
portray.  The truth is that Tibetans were so religious that they probably
considered it a blessing to pay anything to the monasteries - merit, etc.
was the result in their minds.  Westerners cannot understand their mind set
and how it revolved around religion so applying western contexts of thinking
about economics, usury, etc. to them is absurd in my opinion. 
 
Do Thais feel oppressed because each town has a beautiful Buddhist temple
built with local funds? 
Is it our place to judge that? Do Burmese feel oppressed because thousands
of pagodas dot the landscape paid for by patrons for centuries? 
 
How can a Tibetan nomad or "serf" who would prostrate full-length from Mt.
Kailash to Lhasa (thousands of miles) find it a problem to also devote all
their labor to the maintenance of a monastery?  Just an example.  This is
the type of mind of the Tibetan prior to invasion (and even now).  They
would be happy to give almost anything to the monastery, HH Dalai Lama, etc.
Their concern is not this life.
 
There is no comment in the post about how the reincarnate system elevated
the poorest to the highest positions, the monasteries provided free
education, etc. 
 
It was a class - based society that was ruled by religion - that is for sure
- but I am quite certain that the average Tibetan was better off under that
system than the colonial system imposed by the Chinese. 
 
The main thing is it is a mistake to apply Western thinking to Tibetans who
lived this life not for this life, but for future lives, for merit and good
karma in supporting monasteries and Buddhism in any way possible, and whose
whole life and life energy was usually devoted to religion.  In fact, at one
point I believe that 20% of the population of Tibet was either a monk or a
nun.  Doing so merely points out the negative mindset and misunderstanding
of those who criticize a culture they do not understand and that cannot be
judged by modern criteria for fairness, etc.
 
HH Dalai Lama (the current one) was also in the process of overhauling
abuses in the monasteries at the time of the invasion by the Chinese, etc.
 
Anyone who has watched the current Dalai Lama also knows that rarely has a
human being devoted so much time - everyday all day - to helping other
people and keeping up an unbelievably exhausting schedule of teaching,
philanthropic work, appearances all over the world, etc. in the interest of
helping other people and to the exclusion of his own self benefit even to
the point of sacrificing his health.  Sure, his needs are met, but there is
no extravagance.  I recall him touring India between teachings even a few
years ago in a non-airconditioned Indian - made car - for example. 
 
(Mitchell, you are welcome to post this in response to the other guy in your
discussion if you wish).

==========
In memoriam Robert Solomon:
http://www.geocities.com/jinavamsa/books/TheInnerPalace/TIP_RCS.html
For information on psychotherapy with links of interest:
http://www.geocities.com/jinavamsa/mentalhealth.html
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/jinavamsa


       
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