April 22, 2008
Dalai Lama to meet with State Dept. official on Tibetan issues
By Niraj Warikoo • Free Press Staff Writer • April 21, 2008
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The Dalai Lama is meeting today in Michigan with the U.S. State Department official in charge of Tibetan issues.
He is expected to talk with Paula J. Dobriansky, State Department undersecretary for democracy and global affairs, about the situation in China, where the government has cracked down on Tibetan protests in recent weeks and killed demonstrators.
The Dalai Lama said at a press conference Friday in Ann Arbor that the Chinese government is committing cultural genocide against Tibetan culture. He said he had recently tried to make contact with China about a dialogue but got a negative response. The Dalai Lama spoke to thousands this weekend at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.
He and Dobriansky will appear for media photos at a University of Michigan auditorium before their meeting, said a university spokesman.
In an op-ed in today's Washington Post, Dobriansky wrote that "underlying these tragic events is China's long-standing repression of religious, cultural and other freedoms for the Tibetan people."
She also wrote that:
"When I meet with the Dalai Lama today, I fully expect him to reaffirm his strong commitment to engaging Chinese officials in dialogue."
Contact NIRAJ WARIKOO at warikoo@freepress.com.
Posted by google at 01:50 AM | Comments (0)
April 21, 2008
Dalai Lama: 'Nothing positive' has come from talks with China
Gregg Krupa / The Detroit News
ANN ARBOR -- The Dalai Lama said Friday that he has made contact with the Chinese government since violence broke out in Tibet last month.
"But nothing positive has come from it," he said.
Speaking at a press conference here at the start of a three-day visit, the Dalai Lama said that he had appealed to China's president, Hu Jintao, and had established "private channels."
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The exiled Tibetan leader appeared to hold out little hope that his decades-long struggle for an autonomous Tibet was any closer to reality.
He also reiterated his complete support for the Olympics, which are to take place in Beijing in August.
"Right from the beginning, I fully support the Olympics. A country of four billion people should be very proud and we must respect their dedication."
The Dalai Lama said that "despite a very sad situation inside Tibet, the Olympics should continue.
"I have seen the disturbances when the torch travels the world. I feel very sorry, but I fully understand the frustration," he said.
The Dalai Lama is in Michigan to talk about compassion and the environment. He will give a special address at the University of Michigan on Sunday on sustainability. The environmental issue that addresses preserving the resources of the planet.
Much of his time will likely be spent discussing the tenets and principles of Tibetan Buddhism, but at the press conference Friday, he was questioned more about his role as the head of the Tibetan government in exile.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959, nine years after the communist Chinese government invaded Tibet. In India, he has set up a government in exile.
For centuries, all of the Dalai Lamas have been both head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. The Dalai Lama is the 14th and the first to travel internationally.
The Dalai Lama's appearances in Ann Arbor are accompanied by heavy security. Forty members of the international press corps traveled with him amid tight security that included a bomb-sniffing dog.
Chinese students say they plan to demonstrate during the weekend. But they say their issues are not necessarily with the Dalai Lama.
"It will be a peaceful demonstration because of the violence that happened in Tibet on March 14," said Youjian Chi, 23, a biology student at Michigan from China's Fujan Province. "We think it has been distorted by a lot of the media. And we just want to make our voice heard. We want peace for Tibet.
"Some people are saying they want to boycott the Beijing Olympics," Youjian said. "We just want to say, 'Keep the politics out of the Beijing Olympics'."
Youjian said several hundred Chinese students are expected to demonstrate outside of Crisler Arena on Sunday, including students from several campuses around Michigan.
"We will not protest the Dalai Lama, but it depends what he says," Youjian said. "If it is compassion and sustainability, that is a good thing. We won't protest that. And the Dalai Lama also says Tibet is part of China, and the Chinese are brothers and sisters. We agreed with that too.
"But a lot of his followers have committed a lot of violence, and that is what we protest."
You can reach Gregg Krupa at (313) 222-2359 or gkrupa@detnews.com.
Posted by google at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)
Dalai Lama draws admirers, protesters to Crisler
Spiritual leader will speak twice more Sunday
By Andy Kroll, Daily Staff Reporter on 4/15/08
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 1 Posted on April 19.
Crisler Arena's usual Maize and Blue-themed interior was transformed into a sea of burgundy and gold as the Dalai Lama gave his first of four lectures in Ann Arbor this morning.
Souvenir shops on the arena's concourses usually offering basketballs and replica jerseys instead sold Buddhist prayer flags and brightly colored "Victory" and "Good Luck" banners.
In his first lecture with the theme of "Engaging Wisdom and Compassion," the Buddhist spiritual leader said that while different religious views and beliefs are better suited to certain kinds of people, it's important to respect all traditions and practices.
"We cannot say among these different traditions, 'This is best,'" the Dalai Lama said during this morning's lecture, which drew a crowd of about 8,000. "We have to judge according (to) individual case(s)."
Although the Dalai Lama said it was "more suitable" and "safer" for individuals to stick to their own religious traditions, he said that shouldn't preclude them from learning about other religions.
"Efforts to promote genuine harmony on the basis of mutual understanding, mutual respect among the different traditions is very, very essential," he said.
The Dalai Lama, who is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and Tibet's 14th Dalai Lama, cited his own efforts to learn more about Islam, Christianity and Judaism, which he said came through "personal contact" with people who practiced those religions.
"My attitude (is) genuine admiration, respect and appreciation for those traditions," he said.
The Dalai Lama delivered his opening remarks in English, but then slipped into his native Tibetan when he began the lecture. The speech focused on Buddhism's Four Noble Truths, one of the religion's most fundamental set of teachings about the nature of human suffering.
This weekend's lectures, which include the University's annual Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability, mark the Dalai Lama's first visit to Ann Arbor since 1994.
The set-up inside Crisler Arena resembled that of a music concert with a large stage on the floor, where the Dalai Lama sat along with about 30 fellow Buddhist monks.
Large posters depicting Gelek Rimpoche, the founder of Jewel Heart, a local Tibetan Buddhist cultural and educational organization that sponsored the Dalai Lama's visit, hung next to banners commemorating past Michigan All-American basketball players.
Although the purpose of the Dalai Lama's visit to Ann Arbor was to share his teachings on faith and compassion, the exiled Tibetan leader's involvement in the international controversy with China and its alleged suppression of political and religious freedom in Tibet was not felt this morning.
Many in attendance wore T-shirts bearing the message "Free Tibet" in the red and blue colors of Tibet's flag.
Outside of Crisler arena, about 15 pro-Chinese demonstrators carried signs questioning current human rights practices in Tibet and accusing the mainstream media of overly critical, anti-China coverage of recent riots in Tibet's capital, Lhasa. Many of the demonstrators wore T-shirts that read "Support Beijing 2008."
Rackham student Youjian Chi, who was among the demonstrators, said he believed the mainstream media wasn't presenting balanced coverage of the conflict from both the Tibetan and Chinese perspective.
"There is no absolute right and wrong," Chi said. "We should get all the news no matter (whether it is) negative or positive, all of the opinions."
Chi said it's up to the public to decide whether to support Tibet or China, but he said that right now that's almost impossible to do.
"It's fine if you give us all of the information - the positive and negative perspectives on China," he said. "But right now they're only giving the negative perspective on China."
Posted by google at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2008
In his own words: Quotes from the Dalai Lama in Ann Arbor
Posted by News Staff | The Ann Arbor News April 19, 2008 19:38PM
Categories: Breaking News, State
Related: Complete coverage of Saturday's appearances
What he said:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The ultimate awakening mind is the wisdom that directly realizes emptiness."
- The Dalai Lama
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"It's much better to keep one's own tradition."
- The Dalai Lama, on the need to focus on your own faith but respect the faith of others.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Self-grasping (or self-focus) gives rise to suffering. It is the root of all afflictions."
- The Dalai Lama, as translated Saturday by Thupten Jinpa.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"At the root of all our suffering lies a form of ignorance, a form of unknowing."
- The Dalai Lama, as translated Saturday by Thupten Jinpa
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If we go word by word, I need homework. ... So I'm lazy."
- The Dalai Lama, chuckling while explaining how does not know the texts verbatim.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by google at 11:57 PM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2008
Pictures about the rally
http://www.xitek.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=520281
Posted by google at 11:11 PM | Comments (0)
Outside Dalai Lama appearance, people protest
Posted by Amanda Hamon | The Ann Arbor News April 19, 2008 10:18AM
Categories: Breaking News
As the Dalai Lama began speaking in Crisler Arena this morning on the subject of "Engaging Wisdom and Compassion," a group of about 150 to 200 protesters formed outside.
They congregated in the area between Michigan Stadium and Crisler Arena and lined Stadium Boulevard. Many had signs with messages like, "Support the Olympics," "Don't Politicize the Olympics," and "Learn the Truth About Tibet."
In remarks yesterday, the Dalai Lama said he understands the sentiments of those protesting the upcoming Beijing Olympics.
University of Michigan graduate student Xiao Ran, one of the protesters, said that although the Dalai Lama says he wants freedom for Tibet, he lives a life of luxury while common people are enslaved.
"We don't want to allow for the violent separatist in our country," Ran said. "What they don't understand is what the Dalai Lama stands for."
Emily Xue, who is from Beijing and lives in Ann Arbor, called the Dalai Lama a "bad guy because he oppresses slaves."
"I hope they can go to Tibet to see for themselves," Xue said. "Don't listen to the lies."
The Dalai Lama said yesterday that protesters are trying to draw attention to China's human rights record, but said he's sorry to see some of the protests have turned violent.
The Dalai Lama's comments follow a month of sporadic unrest in the Tibetan-inhabited areas of western China. That unrest has triggered an outpouring of anti-China sentiment, centering on the Olympic torch. China had hoped the international relay would be a symbol of harmony in advance of the Beijing Games this summer. Instead it's become a lightning rod for protests.
The Dalai Lama said he supports the China Olympics and has reached out to the Chinese government. But he said there's been no positive response.
China has accused him of fomenting rebellion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/04/outside_dalai_lama_appearance.html
Posted by google at 01:33 PM | Comments (0)
Dalai Lama leads 1st of 4 weekend talks in Crisler Arena
Posted by Jeff Karoub | The Associated Press April 19, 2008 12:14PM
Categories: Top Photos
Leisa Thompson | The Ann Arbor News
The Dalai Lama appeared on the stage at Crisler Arena for the first of four talks this weekend.
The Dalai Lama on Saturday encouraged people gathered for the first of four weekend talks at the University of Michigan to preserve their own religious traditions while respecting others with differing beliefs.
"As you know, I always believed since all different traditions have the same potential to bring inner peace, inner value ... it is important to keep one's own tradition," he told about 8,000 people at a two-hour morning teaching session at Crisler Arena on "Engaging Wisdom and Compassion."
"In my case, I learn more about Islam, about Christianity, Judaism, ... through personal contact," the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said. "My attitude (is) a genuine admiration and respect and appreciation for those traditions."
A hush fell over those at the basketball arena as the Dalai Lama walked on the main floor stage. The audience, as well as monks and others sitting cross-legged on the stage floor, rose as he emerged.
Sharon Drews, a 42-year-old lawyer, drove with her mother on Friday night from Elkhart, Ind. to attend the morning teaching session. Drews, who is Catholic, said afterward that she appreciated the Dalai Lama's message.
"The most valuable thing for me was that he said there are so many (religious) traditions leading to the same self-improvement, but we need to allow people to follow the tradition that's most effective for them," Drews said.
The Dalai Lama, who fled to India after a failed uprising in 1959 in Tibet, arrived in the U.S. last week, a day after demonstrators disrupted the Olympic torch run in San Francisco in a protest of China's treatment of his people.
Outside the arena where Dalai Lama spoke, about 100 pro-Chinese demonstrators rallied. They waved Chinese and U.S. flags, and held posters showing support for the upcoming summer Olympics in Beijing.
"When the riots started (in China), our concern was how to tell the truth to the American people," said Jinhui Chen, a 34-year-old University of Michigan graduate student. He added: "We have a peaceful protest. We don't want to incite riots."
Protests have sprung up throughout Tibetan areas of western China after demonstrations in Lhasa turned violent on March 14. While the Dalai Lama has been in the U.S. there have been more reports of unrest among Tibetans.
In Ann Arbor, rallies were planned throughout the weekend to coincide with the Dalai Lama's visit.
Additional teaching sessions at the arena were planned for Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, and the Dalai Lama is scheduled to deliver a lecture on sustainability on Sunday afternoon sponsored the university's School of Natural Resources and Environment.
The three teaching sessions are sponsored by Jewel Heart Tibetan Buddhist learning center, The Tibet Fund and the Garrison Institute.
Jewel Heart founder Gelek Rimpoche said earlier this week that the Dalai Lama last fall accepted an invitation extended by Buddhist center after his last visit to Ann Arbor in 1994. Once that was in place, Jewel Heart worked with the university in arranging his Sunday speech on sustainability.
The Dalai Lama is scheduled to talk with Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky on Monday in Michigan and speak at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., on Tuesday.
Associated Press Writer Natasha Robinson in Ann Arbor contributed to this report
http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/04/dalai_lama_leads_1st_of_4_week.html
Posted by google at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2008
Rimpoche's Statement about Chinese Demonstrators
Rimpoche's Statement about Demonstrators:
I am aware that a group of Chinese Students have applied for permission from the
University to stage a demonstration during this weekend's teaching at Crisler Arena.
We support all non-violent expression of free speech and expect anyone attending
the teaching to respect that right of expression without confrontation. We do not
anticipate these demonstrations to interfere with any of our programs.
His Holiness' Statement about the Olympics
The hosting of the Olympic games this year is a matter of great pride to the 1.2
billion Chinese people. I have from the very beginning supported the holding of
these Games in Beijing. My position on this remains unchanged. I feel the Tibetans
should not cause any hindrance to the Games. It is the legitimate right of every
Tibetan to struggle for their freedoms and rights. On the other hand, it will be
futile and not helpful to anyone if we do something that will create hatred in the
minds of the Chinese people. On the contrary, we need to foster trust and respect
in our hearts in order to create a harmonious society, as this cannot be built on
the basis of force and intimidation
Posted by google at 07:48 PM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2008
I am interviewed!
Ann Arbor area Tibetans, Chinese students prepare for Dalai Lama's appearance at the University of Michigan
Posted by anash April 17, 2008 09:14AM
Alan Warren | The Ann Arbor NewsXu Li, left, Qingyun Shen, center, and Wei Huang, all Chinese graduate students at the University of Michigan, look at posters put together to promote a peaceful protest to keep politics off of the Olympics during the Dalai Lama's visit to Ann Arbor this weekend.
Any visit of the Dalai Lama to Ann Arbor would have special meaning for the small group of native Tibetans who live in this area, but the Buddhist leader's appearance this weekend is particularly significant, they say.
It comes at a time when conflict between Tibet and its ruling power China is gaining worldwide attention, fueled by the focus on the 2008 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Beijing.
"The Olympics have given a jump-start to the problems in Tibet, and that's been positive," said Pema Dorje of Ann Arbor, a doctor at the University of Michigan and native Tibetan.
Dorje fled Tibet with his parents to neighboring India in 1958. After studying in England, he moved to Ann Arbor in 1990 and is now director of the Division of Vascular Anesthesia in the U-M Department of Anesthesiology. He returned to Tibet in 1996, where he was reunited with a sister he hadn't seen in 38 years.
Dorje said he is hopeful about a peaceful resolution to the current political situation in Tibet, but he is not sure what it will take to end what he described as oppression.
ELIYAHU GURFINKEL | THE ANN ARBOR NEWSDr. Pema Dorje is a Tibetan who lives in Ann Arbor with his family.
"(The Chinese communists) just have no knowledge of letting democratic principals prevail," he said. "There's no freedom of religion, and that's affecting people in a big way."
That view will be countered in Ann Arbor this weekend by local Chinese students, who plan to hold a peaceful demonstration at Crisler Arena to call attention to the Chinese view of the Tibet turmoil. Organizers expect hundreds of students to hand out informational material during the Dalai Lama's appearances.
Their main objective, said U-M Ph.D student Wei Huang, is to remind Americans that there are two sides to the conflict in Tibet, and that the Chinese side is seldom heard here.
"You see the news on TV, and they'll have debate about issues, and both sides will appear," he said. "But for the issues related to China, like the Tibetan issue, you won't see any Chinese there."
Gelek Rimpoche, a native Tibetan who is founder of Jewel Heart, an Ann Arbor Tibetan Buddhist center, said the crux of the political conflict in Tibet focuses on the Chinese holding all positions of leadership, which he said is a form of racism. The top leaders in government departments are always Chinese, he said.
"(The Dalai Lama) is very concerned this thing will get out of hand," Rimpoche says of the clash between Chinese authorities and Tibetan citizens.
LEISA THOMPSON | THE ANN ARBOR NEWSJewel Heart founder and spiritual director Gehlek Rimpoche gives a talk at the new Jewel Heart Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center in Pittsfield Township on Tuesday
Tibetans are not a violent people, he said, "but if you chase a dog enough into a corner, every so often the dog has to bite."
Huang said he and the other Chinese students believe that most of the violence in Tibet is caused by the Tibetans in exile, not the Chinese. Huang said cultural differences are sometimes the cause of what is perceived to be human rights violations. He said the reason Tibetans have lower stature in Tibet is attributed to their devout religious beliefs, whereas the Chinese tend to be less religious and more interested in commerce.
Youjian Chi, 23, a U-M graduate student, said the protestors - who are expected to come from universities throughout Michigan - want a more peaceful Tibet.
"It's our responsibility as Chinese students to tell them the facts," said Chi, who has a collection of photographs and news articles full of mistakes made by CNN, showing what he says is bias toward Tibetans and against the Chinese. "We just want our voice heard on the campus."
Graduate student Jinhui Chen said he wants politics kept out of the Olympics.
"We need to improve understanding between the Chinese and American people," he said. "Misunderstanding always causes trouble."
The Dalai Lama almost certainly will address the uprisings in Tibet during his three lectures on engaging wisdom and compassion, said Rimpoche.
He said he welcomes the non-violent protests by the Chinese students because freedom of speech belongs to everyone. He said he does not expect the demonstrations will interfere with the programs.
Reporter Jo Collins Mathis can be reached at 734-994-6849 or jmathis@annarbornews.com.
The number of local Tibetans living in Ann Arbor can be counted on one hand ... or maybe two, if you count Dorje's three children, Rimpoche joked. The local Tibetans see each other occasionally, usually as they celebrate the New Year together, he said.
The political aspects of the Dalai Lama's visit are clearly secondary for some who will attend.
Dawa Dorje Lama, a waiter at Shalimar restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor, has lived in the city two years. He saw the Dalai Lama in India a few years ago and has tickets to hear him both Saturday and Sunday at Crisler.
Asked why he's eager for the Dalai Lama's arrival, he answered simply: "I am Buddhist."
Categories: Top Photos
Comments
halflight says...
Someone needs to ask the Chinese graduate students whether they would be able to organize hundreds of students to protest a speaker in China without permission from the Public Security Bureau. There's the crux of the matter, and the irony can't be lost on them. The Chinese government is only less repressive with the Han than it is with the Tibetans; overall, there's a lack of civil liberties and ways for the common people to express their political opinions. Resentment builds social pressure until the result is violence. Every Chinese citizen needs greater civil liberties, not just the Tibetans.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 11:55AM
mivoice says...
Have you ever been in China? You better go there first before post comment!
Posted on 04/17/08 at 3:37PM
wonwon says...
protest a speaker in US needs a permission from the Public Security Bureau too.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 3:49PM
wonwon says...
Protest in US needs a permission from Public Security Bureau too.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 3:51PM
yandreams says...
http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM/faq/tibet.html
This is a link for people who are not quite familiar with Tibet issue and are eager to know more.
I think it is informational and objective.
I am apolitical. I think what Dr. Pema Dorje said about religion freedom in China is bias. It is true that there was no freedom of religion 20 or 30 years ago in China, but it has definitely changed a lot now. What does religion freedom mean? No matter what it means in your definition, it shouldn't mean that you are empowered to build an independent country.
My parents have over 40 years of combined experience working in Tibet.
They have seen the changes with their own eyes. Tibetans' current living conditions are much better than 50 years ago and who can say that it is irrelevant with Chinese government's favorit policy towards Tibet? Chinese government is sure not perfect. But it kept sending lots of engineers in all areas , doctors, and teachers to help Tibetans. Please note, these well educated people are helpers, not invaders. For people who work in Tibet(both Han Chinese and Tibetans), they generally get paid much more than other people who hold the same level, same type of jobs but in other provinces of China. There are numerous policies which were set up specifically to benefit Tibetan. With all that said, I am proud of Chinese government for what it has done for Tibetans. All I have written here are truth, and only truth. They are from my parents' and my own experience.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 3:55PM
yandreams says...
French senator tells you the truth about Tibet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLTm0xrG-v4
Posted on 04/17/08 at 4:56PM
linhuazhi says...
"Peace", "Non-Violence", "Dialogue", these are beautiful words, right?
But, wait, before read on, let's think about it, what's the meaning of "non-violence"?
Now, let's check with the definition of "Non-violence" defined by Dalai Lama, let's see if it is the same as yours.
[Link: http://www.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/100/article_6734.asp]
On April 2nd, 2008,in an interview with Radio France International's Chinese language program, Dawa Tsering, an Additional Secretary in the Department of Information and International Relations of Dalai's Tibetan Government-in-Exile, answered a question about why the Dalai Lama has not condemned the violent actions of rioters during the unrest. Speaking in Chinese, Dawa Tsering stated that:
"
First of all, I must make it clear that the Tibetan (rioters) has been non-violent throughout (the incident). From Tibetans' perspective, violence means harming life. From the video recordings you can see that the Tibetans rioters were beating Han Chinese, but only beating took place. After the beating the Han Chinese were free to flee. Therefore [there were] only beating, no life was harmed. Those who were killed were all results of accidents. From recordings shown by the Chinese Communist government, we can clearly see that when Tibetan [rioters] were beating on their doors, the Han Chinese all went into hiding upstairs. When the Tibetan [rioters] set fire to the buildings, the Han Chinese remained in hiding instead of escaping, the result is that these Han Chinese were all accidentally burnt to death. Those who set and spread the fire, on the other hand, had no idea whatsoever that there were Han Chinese hiding upstairs. Therefore not only were Han Chinese burnt to death, some Tibetans were burnt to death too. Therefore all these incidents were accidents, not murder.
"
Now, think again. Is it the same "non-violence" in your mind when you heard the beautiful word from Dalai Lama?
Non-Violence, Beautiful, right?
Posted on 04/17/08 at 6:54PM
noignorant says...
yandreams claim to be apolitical but seems to propogate maost international movement and suggest people to get information about tibet from this link. You dont have to go far to get true information about tibet; just google it, now dont say that google is biased too. Actually google helped blocked lot of informations about tibet in china. Religious freedom is religious freedom, it is as simple as that. Religious freedom is definitely not to gain independence of a country. It is basic right to believe, talk and pray ones religion freely. Even reincarnation of high lamas has to be appointed by communist party leaders, just keeping dalai lama picture lands you in jail, where is Penchen lama disappeared since age 6, where is tulku deleck rinpoche and you still say there is religious freedom.
Any country would have improved at least so much for 50 years. China in the name of favoring tibet helped massive migration of population into tibet with every kind of insentives, example for 18 months of work thery 3 months of vacation to go back to china, apart higher pay and housing help, high altitude allowance etc. Naturally locals dont get those. By late early as much as 10 million chinese migrated into the tibet of estimated 6 millions people out of which 1.2 million tibetans died as a direct result of occupation since 1949/50. Where are your doctors? govt budget outlya is only 10% for the rural and 90% for the urban areas where chinese settlers are concentrated. Educational discrimination; just to give an example out of 2450 primary schools only about 450 govt funded. All the developements with infrastructure actually benefited mainly to chinese settlers. Chinese govt always thinks, acts and forces their version as only truth. Why dont you open tibet and let people see and decide themselves but again they will say biased.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 7:44PM
keyword1 says...
Gelek Rimpoche's comment about no tibetans in TAR government is wrong. Actually more than 40% of the leaders are Tibetans.
see here if you can read chinese:
http://www.xizang.gov.cn/getCommonContent.do?contentId=353408
or you can google to find information in english.
Among them, there is the governor of TAR, six lieutenant governors out of a total of 13 lieutenant governors,
There are also tibetans in all levels of government of TAR.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 8:53PM
peace4peace says...
"peace", "non violence" and "dialogue" are indeed beautiful not only in words but deeds. I am sure these people wouldnt have resorted to such desparate acts if dalai lama was in tibet and had control over them. If you dont learn non violence, peace and dialogue from dalai lama, atleast learn from this country, including freedom of speech which you are exercising in this country
Posted on 04/17/08 at 9:02PM
keyword1 says...
noignorant,
Freedom is not unlimited. espically combined with a theocracy government led by Dalai lama.
Dorje Shugden, one god of tibetan buddhism, who actually guided Dalai's flee to india in 1959, now is banned by Dalai Lama.
His followers recently filed a court case in India and accuse Dalai for their right of religious freedom. They will also protest again Dalai lama all around the world according to their claim.
A video shot by swiss is here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=n5sOm-uQH9Y
We will see if Dalai lama is willing to give them their religious freedom.
By the way, Dorje Shugden can be worshipped in Tibet, China.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 9:07PM
keyword1 says...
noignorant, I believe you have never been to Tibet. did you?
94% of population in TAR is tibetan, only 6% are han and islamic enthnic people. your number is completely wrong. go to look at BBC's " a year in tibet", you will hear a normal tibetan civilian told you how much their medical bill is reimbursed. Now I heard its even better cause they only need to pay 2-5 dollars a year to get medical insurance. How much we have to pay in USA? Tibetan peasants never pay tax while han peasants used to pay pretty heavy tax.
I suggest you go to tibet by yourself if you are really interested in helpping Tibetans.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 9:16PM
keyword1 says...
peace4peace,
Are you suggesting a theocracy in tibet led by Dalai lama. and you think it was Shrigari-La when Dalai lama was in power before 1959?
You are completely wrong. It was a serfdom system back to then. 5% of the population are nobels and slave masters who own all the lands and resources, including monateries, and Dalai Lama himself. The rest of 95% tibetans are serfs (almost slaves). they are born to be serfs hereditarily. if they leave their lands without lord's permission, lord will send people to capture them, and punish them later including but not limited to eye gouging, hand/feet chopping.
Do you think all the tibetans living in TAR, who's fathers and grandfathers were slaves under Dalai lama want Dalai to return?
Some more information, Dalai lama is only the religious leader for one out of eight buddhism sects in Tibet -- yellow hat. I don't think all other people worship other sects want him back to lead the tibet government again if some people in his sect do.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 9:25PM
mivoice says...
noignorant, listen to keyword 1, go to tibet to help tibetans, not just posting here.
Posted on 04/17/08 at 9:50PM
Footer
Posted by google at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)
U-M hosts local site for national China Town Hall forum
U-M hosts local site for national China Town Hall forum
DATE: 7-9 p.m. April 17, 2008.
EVENT: The public is invited to attend and participate in a China Town Hall, a forum for exploring the political and economic scope of China today. Organized by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, this is a national day of programming involving 40 cities throughout the United States.
Each participating city will carry a live webcast from Washington D.C. aired at a designated local venue. In Ann Arbor, the webcast will be hosted at the University of Michigan Alumni Center.
The program will open with the live webcast featuring Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute who will discuss how China figures as an issue in the 2008 presidential and congressional elections. Moderator Stephen Orlins, National Committee president, will moderate this 45-minute portion of the program, comprised of a 15-minute talk and 30 minutes for Ornstein to respond to questions e-mailed in from audience members throughout the country.
Questions at Alumni Center can be submitted through a central question kiosk at the center.
Following this national portion of the program, the Alumni Center will have on-site specialists from U-M faculty—professor Kenneth Lieberthal, former Asia Director on President Clinton's National Security Council, with professors Mary Gallagher and Nicholas Howson—present a panel discussion followed by Q&A.
This is the culminating event for the U-M College China Theme Year.
PLACE: U-M Alumni Center, 200 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor.
SPONSORS: The U-M Center for Chinese Studies and the U-M Alumni Association.
Contact: Carol Stepanchuk
Phone: (734) 936-3961
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April 16, 2008
Just who exactly IS the Dalai Lama?
by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
published April 2008
In 1578, a Tibetan monk was escorted into the presence of fearsome Mongol khan. The monk did not speak Mongolian and the khan did not speak Tibetan. The monk’s name was Sonam Gyatso, which means “Ocean of Merit” in Tibetan. Perhaps thinking that Gyatso (“ocean”) was a family name, the khan addressed him with the Mongolian word for “ocean,” dalai. He called him “Dalai Lama.” This is the origin of title by which the most famous Buddhist monk in the world is known, the Buddhist monk who will visit Ann Arbor this month.
It is difficult to understand the person of the Dalai Lama without knowing something of the institution of the Dalai Lama. He is the fourteenth in a line of incarnations that stretches back to the fifteenth century. Tibetan Buddhism is unique among the Buddhisms of Asia in its belief that highly evolved spiritual masters return in lifetime after lifetime to teach the truth. This is not the standard form of reincarnation, which all Buddhists accept, where all beings are powerlessly reborn in the realms of existence as a result of their past karma. The so-called “incarnate lamas” of Tibet choose the circumstances of their rebirth, and Tibetans believe that such beings can be identified as children by their former disciples. The Dalai Lamas are the most famous line of such incarnations, but they are far from the only ones; there were several thousand incarnate lamas in old Tibet.
Sonam Gyatso, who met the Mongol khan, was the third in his line of incarnation, and his two predecessors came to be posthumously regarded as the first and second Dalai Lamas. After his death, the fourth Dalai Lama was discovered in the khan’s family. Perhaps the most famous of the Dalai Lamas (apart from the current one), was the fifth, who, with the support of Mongol troops, assumed the Tibetan throne in 1642. He was the first of the Dalai Lamas to also hold secular power; it was the “Great Fifth,” as the Tibetans call him, who built the massive Potala palace in Lhasa. The sixth Dalai Lama was less interested in the life of the Buddhist monk than his predecessors; he is the author of the most famous love poetry in Tibetan. Several of the Dalai Lamas of the nineteenth century died young, perhaps as a result of palace intrigue. The thirteenth Dalai Lama confronted colonialism in the form of both British and Chinese armies, freeing Tibet from Chinese suzerainty in 1913 and striving, with mixed success, to introduce a range of reforms into Tibet, including a modern military.
Which brings us to the fourteenth, and current, Dalai Lama. After the death of the thirteenth Dalai Lama in 1933, the Tibetan government sent groups of monks throughout Tibet in search of his successor. One team eventually arrived in the far northeast corner of the Tibetan cultural domain and knocked at a farmhouse door. The team was led by a prominent monk, disguised as a servant. Around his neck, he wore a rosary that had belonged to the thirteenth Dalai Lama. A woman opened the door, holding a toddler. The child grabbed the rosary and said, “That’s mine.” After performing the traditional tests and divinations, it was concluded that the child was in fact the new Dalai Lama. He was taken on horseback and palanquin across Tibet to Lhasa, a journey of three months. He was enthroned as the fourteenth Dalai Lama on February 22, 1940. Foreign dignitaries, present at the ceremony, marveled at the composure of the four-year-old.
His religious education began immediately, tutored by the leading scholars of the day. That education continued unhindered until 1950, when troops of the Peoples Liberation Army invaded eastern Tibet, determined to “return Tibet to the Chinese motherland.” They marched into Lhasa the following year. The Dalai Lama traveled to Beijing in 1954, where he met with Chairman Mao, who famously confided, “Religion is poison.” Upon the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet, relations between the Tibetan people and the Chinese army of occupation became increasingly tense, culminating in an uprising in March 1959. During the confusion in the capital, the Dalai Lama was able to escape from Lhasa to cross the Himalayas, on foot and on horseback, the Chinese troops who pursued him deterred by Tibetan guerrillas. The Dalai Lama and his party crossed the border into India on March 31, 1959, where he was granted asylum by Prime Minister Nehru. He has not returned to Tibet in the half century since then. Over those fifty years, the Dalai Lama has devoted himself to the cause of independence (he now calls instead for autonomy) for Tibet and the preservation of Tibetan culture in exile; several hundred thousand Tibetans have followed him over the mountains in the intervening decades.
In 1979, he made his first trip to the United States. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Especially since 1989, the Dalai Lama, once a figure shrouded in mystery (the “Grand Lama” or “High Lama” of so many Victorian travelogues and novels) has become something of a celebrity, and certainly the world’s most famous Buddhist. Buddhism has no pope or central church; the Dalai Lama’s authority is formally recognized only in Tibetan Buddhism, although he is today widely respected across the Buddhist world. That respect derives in part from his office, but it derives in larger part from his person. Despite the grandeur of his life in Lhasa, in exile he has always worn the robes of a common Buddhist monk. And despite the adulation he evokes, he (unlike so many other gurus, East and West) has maintained high ethical standards, untainted by scandal. He has traveled the world, making the case for Tibet in capitals around the globe. At the same time, he has fulfilled his traditional role as a Buddhist teacher. When he teaches in Tibetan, he reveals his skills as a consummate scholar of Buddhist thought and practice. When he teaches in English, he offers a simpler message, emphasizing the central role that compassion plays in all religions, and in civil society, urging his listeners to act for others, regardless of their religious affiliation, or lack of same. He discourages people from converting to Buddhism.
In July, the Dalai Lama will turn seventy-three; only the first Dalai Lama lived longer. The Chinese government awaits his death, hoping to consolidate their power in the long interregnum between the passing of the fourteenth and the time when the fifteenth reaches his majority. As he grows older, questions about the future abound. Where will he be reborn? If he is born in exile, as he has promised to do, will the Chinese discover their own candidate, resulting in dueling Dalai Lamas? And as he grows older, the Tibetan community in India (where the largest number of exiles live) has implored him to travel less. He himself has expressed the wish to spend more time in meditation retreat.
The Tibetans do not refer to him as the Dalai Lama. Among his epithets, perhaps the most common is Yishin Norbu, the “Wish Granting Jewel.” In Buddhism, a jewel is defined as something difficult to find and, if found, of great value.
Donald Lopez is Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan.
http://www.ecurrent.com/view_article.php?id=1600
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April 07, 2008
Dalai Lama Forum by Indian students
Time : Wednesday 7pm
Location: the east hall atrium
Speaker: Professor Donald Lopez
==================================================
As members of the Indian American Student Association's Political Awareness Core, ours goals are to increase awareness on campus about political, social, and economic issues. We are organizing an event on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 about the recent protests in Tibet against the Chinese government and the role of the Dalai Lama in this conflict. This event will increase awareness and spur discussion on both sides of this issue. We hope to have Donald Lopez, an esteemed Asian Studies professor specializing in Tibetan politics, speak at our event and answer questions from the audience. We also anticipate this event to be a forum for discussion in which audience members can voice their views.
We are expecting a large audience, and would greatly appreciate your help. We feel our dialogue would be enhanced by the presence of diverse campus organizations, such as yours. We hope you will participate by contributing speakers, helping with logistics, or just being active members of the audience! Please contact Zainub Naqvi (znaqvi@umich.edu) or Arjun Venkat (arjunv@umich.edu) with any questions or to get involved.
We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
IASA Political Awareness Core 2008
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March 31, 2008
His Holiness The Dalai Lama - Ann Arbor, Michigan 2008
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
December 3, 2007, Ann Arbor, Michigan — On Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20, 2008, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will visit Ann Arbor where over the course of three sequential sessions in two days he will teach on “Engaging Wisdom and Compassion” at the Crisler Arena of the University of Michigan.
The two-day educational program co-sponsored by Jewel Heart, a Tibetan Buddhist Center headquarted in Ann Arbor, The Tibet Fund, and the Garrison Institute will be held in conjunction with a public talk, the Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability, addressing environmental issues and presented on April 20th by the University of Michigan at the Crisler Arena in celebration of Earth Day.
The Dalai Lama is recognized worldwide for his message of compassion and tolerance, his promotion of human rights and inter-religious understanding, his focus on peace through non-violent conflict resolution and his advocacy for the environment. Winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, the Dalai Lama was the recent recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal.
Engaging Wisdom and Compassion
His Holiness the Dalai Lama brings us the ancient Indian and Tibetan teachings on wisdom and compassion to inspire and guide our lives.
The teaching will be based on Nagarjuna's Commentary on Ultimate Compassion and Je Tsong Khapa's In Praise of Dependent Origination.
http://www.dalailamaannarbor.com/index2.html
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March 29, 2008
The limits of idealism
The limits of idealism
By Ashlea Surles on 3/28/08
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Five hundred kids were lined up at 9 a.m. and the 8,000 free tickets to see the Dalai Lama were gone within three hours. I'm not exactly surprised by the popularity of the event - after all, he is the world's most famous monk - but I'm curious to know what exactly it was that motivated thousands of college students to crawl out of bed on a freezing morning to get tickets to hear an old man speak.
Was it the mere prospect of being in the presence of greatness? Were students anxious to check off "see the Dalai Lama live and in person" from their life to-do list, or waxing obedient and fronting for their parents? Or were young intellectuals simply compelled by the promise of words of epic wisdom and unparalleled inspiration? After all, this is the Dalai Lama we're talking about.
He's probably the strongest voice for peace in our time, the most prominent proponent of harmony and the most legitimate hippie to date. He's a Nobel laureate, an honorary Canadian citizen and recipient of America's prestigious Congressional Gold Medal. Now, he's advocating a movement towards "post-identity thinking." As he proposed in a TIME magazine interview, we should "look past divisions of nation, race and religion and try to address our shared problems at the source," rather than taking them out on one another.
The magazine called this a "new global vision" and described it as "one of the brightest hopes for our new world order." But I don't quite understand why. Hasn't the bulk of society been striving to achieve this apparently "revolutionary" ideal of ethnic, religious and racial equality for quite some time now? All things considered, history suggests that this goal of utopian coexistence is more than a tad too ambitious for humanity to handle. I can't help but write off the Dalai Lama's suspiciously peaceful idea as nothing less than a fantastically far-fetched daydream - let's be serious, this is the 21st century, we don't really do that whole peace thing anymore.
In many respects, our troposphere is just as heavy with hatred as ever. A declining global economy, stacked on top of heightened immigration and intensifying globalization, has pitted natives of all countries against immigrants of all heritages. And rising inflation in many nations seems to be levering the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor even further open. In many cases, prejudice is being crystallized, if not created, everywhere everyday. And his 68-year reign - which has earned him the status of the most seasoned leader on the planet - has ensured that the current Dalai Lama has not missed any of this.
So, considering all he has seen, how can the Dalai Lama still fervently expend his energy and Tibet's resources, advocating what seems by all accounts to be nothing more substantial than a happy daydream? It could be his religiosity (after all, he is the world's foremost Buddhist monk) that ties him to this outlandish ideal. But he actually claims to value the scientific over the spiritual; he aptly advises people "not to get needlessly distracted by religion," and has taken heat for endorsing secular ethics more so than any of his predecessor. So, essentially, the Dalai Lama appears to be a level-headed and world-renowned advocate of a mentality that I, for some reason, consider to be about as realistic as magic wands.
And so, ironically, that makes me, the fresh-faced (but apparently not so much) representative of youthful optimism, absolutely skeptical about the value of the Dalai Lama's "new" campaign. But isn't youth supposed to be synonymous with optimism? Upon consideration, I wonder if I am a product of a generation that has entirely skipped the rose-colored glasses phase of young adult life and made my way through college to promptly settle right into the mindset of a weary, late-life cynic? It seems so, by all accounts. I don't know if that's because the world we live in has been much less idyllic than it was for our parents, but I am a 21-year old with the cynicism of Diogenes. I cannot even fathom a world of post-identity, non-prejudice, all-embracing, completely equitable proportions.
And I don't believe that I am alone in my unlit tunnel. When the Dalai Lama takes the podium in a few weeks and turns his wide-eyed gaze out into the sold-out audience, perhaps he will be looking out into a sea of my counterparts - young people seeking a reason, or a way, to be inspired about the prospect of a better world.
Ashlea Surles can be reached at ajsurles@umich.edu.
http://media.www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2008/03/28/Columns/The-Limits.Of.Idealism-3289504.shtml
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With Tibet in turmoil, Dalai Lama visit to 'U' still planned
With Tibet in turmoil, Dalai Lama visit to 'U' still planned
China has accused Tibet's spiritual leader of inciting unrest, he has called for end to violence
By Jillian Berman, Daily Staff Reporter on 3/26/08
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 1 With tension mounting in China, the Dalai Lama's scheduled visit to the University next month has taken on new significance.
The Dalai Lama is slated to deliver a lecture called "Engaging Wisdom and Compassion" at Crisler Arena April 19 and 20.
The Chinese government has accused Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama and spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, of inciting the recent wave of anti-Chinese violence in Tibet.
As host of the 2008 Olympic games, China is in the international spotlight and coming under fire from the United States, Britain and other countries for using force against the Tibetan protestors. The Chinese government, which has controlled the region of Tibet since 1951, claims that 19 protesters have been killed as a result of the protests, but aides close to the Dalai Lama say the toll is closer to 130.
Gyatso, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and promoter of nonviolence, told media sources yesterday that he might resign his post if "things get out of control."
In light of recent Tibetan protests calling for independence from China, his upcoming speech would likely garner more international attention. But some fear that it might not happen at all.
Prof. Mary Gallagher, the interim director of the Center for Chinese Studies, said the conflict might force the Dalai Lama to cancel the event and tend to more pressing issues.
"There's a lot of things that are happening that make it more important that the Dalai Lama is somewhere else," she said.
But Gelek Rimpoche, the founder and spiritual leader of Jewel Heart, the organization bringing the Dalai Lama to Ann Arbor, said he believes the Dalai Lama will honor his speaking engagement and come to the University.
According to the Tibetan government's website, he is also scheduled to speak in Seattle, Wash. in early April.
Rimpoche said he expects the Dalai Lama to discuss the current situation in Tibet when he comes to the University to speak.
"It will be on everyone's mind, and it's on his mind too, so he will talk about it," he said.
Rimpoche said the Dalai Lama would likely reiterate his demands for the Chinese government to give Tibetans greater autonomy, like freedom of religion.
Gallagher said the Dalai Lama's speech at the University would be an ideal forum for him to express his views on the situation in Tibet.
The Dalai Lama has provoked a reaction from the Chinese government speaking before American government officials, she said, but at the University, he can reach a wide audience without worrying about political ramifications.
The Dalai Lama has called the current situation in Tibet a cultural genocide, but Gallagher said it's possible that circumstances could "change dramatically" in the weeks before the Dalai Lama comes to campus.
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Engaging Wisdom and Compassion
Dalai Lama to deliver U-M Wege Lecture in April
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet will deliver a special Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability in April at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena.
The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet
The Nobel Peace Prize winner and Buddhist leader last visited Ann Arbor in 1994, when about 9,000 people attended a lecture at Crisler. The April 20, 2008, lecture coincides with Earth Day weekend and is free and open to the public, though tickets are required.
U-M students, faculty and staff will be able to get tickets to the Wege Lecture beginning March 4 at the Michigan Union Ticket Office. The general public can obtain tickets there starting March 5. There is a limit of two tickets per person.
Best known as an outspoken advocate for human rights and global peace, the Dalai Lama will turn his wide-ranging intellect to the topic of sustainability.
"Sustainability goes beyond protecting the environment. It includes social and economic dimensions," said Greg Keoleian, co-director of the Center for Sustainable Systems (CSS) at the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE).
"A billion people don't have access to clean water, and almost 2 billion don't have access to electricity," Keoleian said. "Encouraging individuals to take personal responsibility to address global sustainability challenges is central to the Dalai Lama's message."
The Wege Lecture is sponsored by the Office of the President and CSS. Each year, the center invites an internationally recognized leader to deliver the lecture. Recent speakers include Al Gore and William Clay Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor Co.
"The University is eager to welcome the Dalai Lama to campus for a return visit," said U-M President Mary Sue Coleman. "He is an extraordinary leader whose unwavering support of human rights and the environment makes him an exceptional choice to address the campus community as the Wege lecturer."
SNRE Dean Rosina Bierbaum said: "For decades, the Dalai Lama has spoken about how 'the world is smaller and more interdependent,' and how we need to 'cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. The increasing urgency of confronting climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty and famine make his message extraordinarily timely."
Other events planned for Earth Day weekend include Dalai Lama teaching sessions sponsored by Jewel Heart, an Ann Arbor-based Tibetan Buddhist Center; The Tibet Fund; and the Garrison Institute. Fees will be charged for the teaching sessions. For more information, visit: www.DalaiLamaAnnArbor.com.
Born to a peasant family in 1935, the "Buddha of Compassion" was recognized at age 2, in accordance with Tibetan traditions, as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama.
When China invaded Tibet in 1950, the Dalai Lama, at age 15, assumed full political power as head of state and government and attempted to negotiate a peaceful solution with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders. Nine years later, after the Chinese quelled a Tibetan civilian uprising, the Dalai Lama fled to northern India, where he established the Tibetan government-in-exile.
Since that time, he has worked for the restoration of the rights and independence of the Tibetan people and for the preservation of their culture.
His commitment to the ideals of human rights, freedom, peace and tolerance, and his opposition to the use of violence in resolving conflict, has earned him numerous awards, including the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.
In October 2007, the Dalai Lama, whose birth name was Tenzin Gyatso, received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress gives to civilians. President Bush attended the ceremony and described the Dalai Lama as "a universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd for the faithful, and the keeper of the flame for his people."
The medal bears an image of the Dalai Lama on one side and a quote from the Tibetan spiritual leader on the other: "World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not the absence of violence. Peace is the manifestation of human compassion."
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