Dalai Lama~Controversy?

With the world looking towards the Chinese 2008 Olympics; the dramas surrounding the Chinese stance toward Tibet in human rights issues has become a hot topic. The Dalai Lama has become a rock-star like image in the world media. I, as one of many, have loved the nonviolent, compassionate Buddhist teachings the Dalai Lama has spread throughout the world. And I, as one of many, have supported the “Free Tibet” campaign.

So, here I am ready to write about the things and ideas I have and know about the Dalai Lama. I started by looking for a YouTube video of him talking about why he thinks it is so important and good there are so many religions in the world. It was a great video! Low and behold! I came across a crack in my unblemished mind mirror concerning the Tibetan situation.

After watching video after video of the so called “real story of Tibet” like the one below




and the different stories about the CIA supporting the Dalai Lama in a divide-and-conquer scenario in China I had to sit back and contemplate what I think now. Are we to think the stories Hollywood touted through movies like “Seven days in Tibet” starring Brad Pit as a true picture of Tibet? Of courses not! (I do love the film though) Will I believe everything the Chinese say? Nope! If you haven’t heard or learned of these things, as I saw nothing in the American media abut this, just check it out on the net. I must have been living in a shell not to know of this side of things. They say there are two sides to every story, isn’t that the truth!

I had no idea that the conditions in Tibet were as they were, where the monasteries were the strongholds of feudal exploitation. The people lived like serfs in the “Dark Ages” or like African slaves and sharecroppers of the U.S. South. They were taxed for everything, practically starving, and brutally tortured. I must admit that I saw Tibet as some holy, compassionate Shangri-La. I guess I wanted to believe that somewhere in the world there was such a place, like some New Age fantasy. Darn!

After saying all that I still believe in what the Dalai Lama has to say about compassion. You may ask why this is! Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama was raised within the monastery walls and at a early age of 15 escaped into India. Now after visiting 46 or more countries for the past 4 to 5 decades in his plea for freedom of culture for Tibet, I am sure, he has seen much of the world. He would be quite a different lama if he had stayed within those walls. He is quite a Lama now! A “simple Buddhist monk” calling for ‘inner disarmament’.

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