Masses moved by Dalai Lama’s message of compassion
By Barry Duggan
Friday April 15 2011
Mickey Harte said he was profoundly moved during a gathering with the Dalai Lama yesterday. Our picture by Steve Humphreys shows the Tyrone boss, who is still mourning the loss of his daughter Michaela, with his son-in-law John McAreavey. They made a 700km round trip to see the Tibetan spiritual leader, pictured
FROM well before 7am yesterday they began descending on the University of Limerick.
When it was announced earlier this year that the 14th Dalai Lama would be speaking in Limerick, all 3,100 precious passes to secure entry for yesterday’s event were snapped up.
The spiritual leader of Tibet was not due at the university arena until after 10am, but enthusiasm and smiles abounded in the hours beforehand as all eagerly awaited his arrival and wisdom.
Tyrone football manager Mickey Harte and his son-in-law John McAreavey had made the 700km round trip to be there and were among the first to be seated. Guiding them to their seats was world-renowned sports physical therapist Ger Hartmann.
Those around them remembered Michaela Harte — Mickey’s daughter and John’s wife — who was murdered while on honeymoon in Mauritius in January. The two men warmly embraced all who greeted them.
Just a few seats away was Mary Geoghegan, whose son, Shane, was murdered in Limerick in 2008. She sat patiently alongside her other son, Anthony.
Renewal
Southill parish priest Fr Pat Hogan was also in attendance along with the Moyross-based monks — the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal — and the former Bishop of Limerick, Dr Donal Murray.
And Limerick being Limerick, there were plenty of rugby players, too, including former Munster and Irish stars Gerry ‘Ginger’ McLoughlin and Keith Wood.
It was Richard Moore of ‘Children in Crossfire’ who had, through his long association with the university, made yesterday possible.
In the front row, a seat was reserved for Charles Inness — the British soldier who shot and blinded a 10-year-old Richard in Derry in 1972.
Possibly for the first time since the sports arena opened, silence fell over the spectators as a variety of religious chants, recitations and melodies were performed.
At 10.15am, a frisson of excitement rippled through the crowd and all eyes were cast toward the windows as the sound of the approaching helicopter grew louder.
The Dalai Lama landed in the university’s main sport’s field and UL president Don Barry was the first to greet him. In return, the 76-year-old placed a ‘kata’ — a white silk scarf — around his neck. Mr Barry later explained that the kata symbolises happiness, forgiveness and love — themes of the day.
Crossing the running track on the way to the arena, the Dalai Lama paused briefly to avoid stepping on an earthworm. In Buddhism, animal life is regarded as being on the same level as human life.
Tibet’s spiritual leader has been greeted with standing ovations since his arrival in Ireland, but the best was saved for the last day of his visit as he made his entrance.
Adults smiled and clapped, while children waved and jumped up and down as he walked slowly on to the stage.
His close friend Richard Moore spoke briefly, but sparked the most memorable image of the day when he welcomed Charles Innes, the former British soldier who shot and blinded him in Derry almost 40 years ago. Mr Moore had later sought him out and the two became friends.
In a powerful embrace, the Dalai Lama, Mr Moore and Mr Innes clasped their hands together to the delight of all.
To another standing ovation, the Dalai Lama encouraged all “not to give up hope”.
“We must recognise each other as human beings, yes different faces, different colours and different nationalities . . . but funda-mentally we are all the same.”
He advised that the ultimate source of peace of mind was inner peace and warned that wealth and status do not bring happiness.
Pupils from Maria King Presentation Primary School, Galvone National School and St Mary’s Boy School will never forget his visit as they sang a specially composed song entitled ‘Forgiveness is a Gift’. In appreciation, the Dalai Lama shook hands and spoke with the young singers to yet more applause.
With hands clasped and a final bow to all, the Dalai Lama was whisked to Shannon Airport by garda escort for a flight abroad.
Afterwards, all spoke of how touched and inspired they were by his words.
Mickey Harte — a man who has endured the deaths of his daughter and two brothers over the past few months — said the thoughts of the Dalai Lama were relevant to all.
“I think it showed the power of compassion can be of benefit to all of us. He is a world-renowned holy man and it is good to be in the company of such people,” he said.
“Nobody could come out of here and not feel enrichened from the experience because, in many ways, the message is simple but often we miss the most simple of messages.
“The message that he talked about was smile, be compassionate, reach out to others, respect every individual, respect all religions, be the best that you can be as a person and work on yourself and things around you get better.
“If 3,100 of us go away and do something a little bit better than we did yesterday, then it has been a very worthwhile task by the Dalai Lama.
“I have got a realisation of what it takes to have inner peace — take a look at yourself and not at things outside.”
China sends its Tibetan specialist to drum up trade opportunities
John Garnaut
April 4, 2011
Jia Qinglin … will meet Julia Gillard. Photo: Reuters
CHINA’S fourth-ranked leader, Jia Qinglin, will arrive in Perth tonight in the midst of the Communist Party’s toughest crackdown on civil society in more than a decade.
Mr Jia will work his way across Australia in a six-day trip, including having meetings with the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Kevin Rudd, to deepen ties and consolidate the booming trade relationship at a time when the Communist Party is going to new and more forceful lengths to protect its rule.
Last night there was still no official information about the artist and activist Ai Weiwei, who – with nine of his colleagues – was detained on Sunday.
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Mr Jia will be introduced to Ms Gillard as chairman of a parliamentary-style organisation, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, but his real power derives from overseeing the Communist Party’s ”united front” operations.
The United Front Department began as an institution for temporarily uniting communist with nationalist forces against a bigger enemy, Japan, before and during World War II.
Its functions evolved into other fields, including academia, private enterprise, religion and ethnic affairs, but its underlying modus operandi has remained. For half a century the department’s foremost concern has been Tibet, where it privileges some leaders while identifying and ostracising those loyal to the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama’s special envoy, Lodi Gyari, who has been directly negotiating with the department for 27 years, said: ”In past decades they have done more work in trying to destabilise, trying to create division among us, than to do what is constructive.
”I have not once, but many times, particularly in the last few rounds of negotiations, strongly protested their behaviour, said they do a disservice to the name they have – ‘united front’,” he told the Herald.
Mr Gyari is particularly concerned with United Front efforts to split Tibetan communities outside China’s borders, including in Australia.
”It is a well-known fact that any time they find an individual or certain organisation that has some reason to be disgruntled with the mainstream Tibetan community or leadership they lose no opportunity in immediately reaching out and supporting them, financing them,” he said.
Liu Bin, a scholar at the China Tibetology Research Centre, which is registered under the United Front Department, has recently argued that subversive activities should be deepened.
”Make contact with organisations and senior individuals who may be biased against us and yet who have contradictions with the Dalai clique … and strive to put them to our use,” Mr Liu wrote in a journal published by the centre. Mr Liu’s article has alarmed Tibet watchers because it clearly goes beyond attracting overseas ethnic Tibetans with ”carrots” such as business opportunities and visas to visit family.
”With regard to those Tibetan compatriots who are loyal followers of the Dalai and who stubbornly support Dalai’s splittist standpoint, we must promptly track them and be appraised of their actions, and at the appropriate time, resolutely attack them.”
Mr Jia’s United Front activities are just one concern that human rights groups will urge Ms Gillard to raise in her trip to China.
She is due to make her first visit as prime minister after Anzac Day ceremonies on April 25. Ms Gillard has been to China only once before, more than a decade ago.
In the past six weeks more than 30 lawyers, writers and activists have been detained in China, including several charged with offences related to subversion, while another dozen have simply vanished and remain unaccounted for.
”There were some nasty crackdowns in the ’90s,” said Nicholas Bequelin, at Human Rights Watch. ”But what’s distinctive this time is the wide recourse to extra-judicial methods.”
On Sunday as many as 70 people were detained at a new gay nightclub in Shanghai.
Mr Jia’s visit to Australia is routine, as China sends one of the nine members of the Politburo Standing Committee to Australia each year.
The Australian Government has released no details of the visit, although a spokeswoman for Mr Rudd said he and Mr Jia would meet in Brisbane on Saturday.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Mr Jia was visiting from April 5 to 11 as a guest of the Australian government.
The artist Ai Weiwei is best known outside China for having helped design the Bird’s Nest stadium for the Olympic Games last year.
A Monk in Tibet Launches Book on 2008 Peaceful Protests
Tuesday, 29 March 2011, 2:07 p.m.
Lhaden
DHARAMSHALA: Lhaden, a Tibetan monk has launched a book on 2008 Tibetan people’s peaceful protests against the misrule of the Chinese government this month in Tibet. The book was launched at the third anniversary of the protest, and on the occasion of the ongoing 16th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Lhaden noted in his foreword of the book that he has released the book during the sixteenth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to appeal the council to listen to the voiceless and oppressed people. He wrote poetically, “while mortgaging my life, I offer this book as a voice of the oppressed and as an appeal” for the council to take action in Tibet.
His book is titled ‘Tse Sog Gi Trun Pe Ke-cha’ in Tibetan, meaning ‘Words Uttered With Life At Risk’. He has meticulously written the book for over three years on his observations and arguments regarding causes and consequences of the mass uprising by Tibetans in 2008.
The 255 pages book with five chapters also covers commentaries on Kyegudo earthquake, leaders in Tibet and religion, etc. The first chapter of the book exclusively covers 2008 mass uprising with a timeline of protest events, causes, scope, clampdown, analysis by Chinese scholars, police brutality and government propaganda against His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Lhaden was born in 1980 at Dida Village, Pema County, Golog in Amdo province of Tibet. When he was eleven years old, he was admitted to his local monastery and four years later joined Serthar Buddhist Institute. At the age of 28, he studied at Drepung and Sera Monasteries in Lhasa. Lhaden takes a keen interest in writing and has been doing active writing since he was 22 and won many accolades. Since 2008, he has been visiting various places in Tibet to experience and record observations for his book ‘Tse Sog Gi Trun Pe Ke-cha’.
Since 2008, about 70 Tibetan writers, bloggers and cultural figures have been harassed, beaten, detained and arrested over the content of their work by the Chinese authorities in Tibet, reports the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy on 24 March 2011. In the 16th session of UNHRC, Mr. Jampa Monlam, Assistant Director of the centre, also said that there is no improvement of human rights in Tibet.
The book (in Tibetan language, PDF 2.3 MB) is available for downloadhere
English transcript of remarks made by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his retirement from political responsibilitiesduring a public teaching in Dharamsala on 19 March 2011
[Monday, 21 March 2011, 3:46 p.m.]
After coming into exile, I have made sincere efforts to establish a democratic system of governance in the last more than 30 years. The Tibetans in exile say “our democracy is a gift from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” Ten years ago, the system of electing Kalon Tripa through democratic elections was introduced rather than nomination of the candidate by the Dalai Lama, which was not correct. Since the direct election of Kalon Tripa, the system of the institution of Gaden Phodrang of the Dalai Lama as both the spiritual and temporal authority has ended. Since then I described myself as in semi-retired position.
Since then ten years have passed and the day will come for us when we have to follow a meaningful democratic system. The rule by kings and religious figures is outdated. We have to follow the trend of the free world which is that of democracy. For example in India, besides its huge population and diverse languages, religions and culture, but on the whole it remains very stable. This is because of democracy, the rule of law, free expression and media. To the contrary, China under the authoritarian rule is always facing problems. It was mentioned in a recent Chinese government’s document that it is allocating more budget to maintain internal stability than national defense. This shows that they have more enemies inside rather than outside, which is a matter of shame.
The government of the People’s Republic (of China) is meant to work for the people’s welfare. So fulfilling the people’s aspirations must come through democratic elections. If the leaders are selected through elections, it would be a matter of real pride. But to hold power at the barrel of the gun rather than through elections is immoral and outdated as well. So the system of one-man rule is not good. Therefore, it is not at all good if the Dalai Lama keeps on holding ultimate power. The Dalai Lama as the spiritual and temporal authority of Tibet did not begin during the period of the first four Dalai Lamas. It started during the time of the fifth Dalai Lama under different circumstances and the influence of the Mongol chieftain Gushri Khan. The system has brought many benefits since then. But now as we are in the 21st century, sooner or later the time for change is imminent. But if the change comes under the pressure of another person then it will be a disgrace to the former Dalai Lamas. Since the fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, the Dalai Lamas have assumed both spiritual and temporal rule over Tibet. As I am the fourteenth in line of that institution, it is most appropriate if I on own initiative, happily and with pride, end the dual authority of the Dalai Lama. Nobody except me can make this decision and I have made the final decision. The leadership democratically elected by the Tibetan people should take over the complete political responsibilities of Tibet. Some kind of a vestige of the dual system will remain if I am vested with the political authority in the Charter. This should change and now seems to be the time to do it.
I can talk a little about the great deal of accomplishments that I have made for the Tibetan cause, as the Tibetan people both in and outside Tibet put faith and trust in me and there are also many people around the world who consider the Dalai Lama as someone they recognise, trust and love. So now is the right time to end the dual system of governance established during the fifth Dalai Lama and retain the kind of unanimity and recognition gained by the first four Dalai Lamas in the spiritual domain. Particularly, the third Dalai Lama received the honorific title of an ecumenical master with yellow hat. So like them I will continue to take spiritual responsibilities for the remaining part of my life.
Personally, I have been working for the promotion of moral values and religious harmony in the world. These are proving quite beneficial. Moreover, I receive many invitations from different schools and universities around the world. They are not asking me to come to preach on Buddhism as such, but to teach how to promote inner happiness and Buddhist science to which many people take interest and love to listen. So when the present Dalai Lama is in such a position, it would be a matter of great pride if the 400-year-old rule of Dalai Lama as both the spiritual and temporal authority gracefully comes to an end. No one else except me can decide to end something started by the fifth Dalai Lama and my decision is final.
Recently, I received telephone calls from Tibetans inside Tibet saying they are extremely worried and feel abandoned as I am retiring. There is absolutely no need to worry. After taking retirement, I will continue to lead Tibet in spiritual affairs like the first four Dalai Lamas. Like the second Dalai Lama Gedun Gyatso, who founded the Gaden Phodrang institution and led Tibet spiritually with unanimous mandate, I will also retain that kind of spiritual leadership for the rest of my life. Perhaps if I bring no disgrace on the people and make good efforts in the future, I will continue to lead spiritually.
If such a Dalai Lama with an unanimous mandate to lead spiritual affairs abdicates the political authority, it will help sustain our exile administration and make it more progressive and robust. Similarly, the international community, who support the Tibetan cause, will commend the Dalai Lama’s sincerity for the complete democratization of the Tibetan polity. It will raise our prestige in the world. On the hand other, it will fully expose the falsehood and lies of the Chinese government that there is no Tibet problem except the issue of the Dalai Lama’s personal rights. The Tibetan people inside Tibet should not feel discouraged because I have made this remarkable decision by taking in consideration the benefit of the Tibetan people in the long run. The Tibetan administration in exile will be more stable and progressive. Contrary to the system of the Chinese Communist’s authoritarian rule in Tibet, our small community in exile has been able to establish a complete modern democratic system.
In the long run this decision will make our exile administration stronger and efficient. Where else, if we compare our community in exile with the authoritarian communist regime in China, we have actually become a modernized society. This is our glorious achievement. Tibetans inside Tibet should be proud of this achievement. You all should understand and realise that I am not discouraged and I have not given up on the cause of Tibet.
I am a native of the land of snows. All the six million Tibetans from the land of snows carry the common responsibility of the Tibetan cause. As for me, I am also one Tibetan from the Amdo region of Tibet, so until my death I have the responsibility of the Tibetan cause.
While I am still healthy and present amidst you all, you should take full responsibility of the Tibetan affairs. And if some problem arises that necessitates my help, then of course, I am still here. I have not given up and neither am I disheartened. The democratic system that we have followed till now can take full responsibility and after considering the many requirements and reasons, I am asking the democratic system to take full responsibility. All of you present here and all of the Tibetans in Tibet should not get disheartened. There is no reason to worry.
Just yesterday, I met a Chinese scholar who told me that he was conducting a research on the Tibetan electoral process and had also come here five years ago. He told me that this time around, Tibetans were very actively participating and fully utilizing their democratic rights. He praised the advancements that the Tibetan democratic system had made. So these developments represent our growing political awareness and the strides that we have taken in our democratic process. And so the decision to devolve my power is also a part of advancing democratization process.
Those of you from Tibet when you return and if there are people to whom you can confide then tell this to them. This may also be broadcast on the radio as well. I have made this decision to retire after giving thorough thought over it for years and years and for the ultimate benefit of Tibet. There is no reason at all for you to be disheartened.
On the other hand, Ganden Phodrang is not being shut down. Ganden Phodrang is the institution of the Dalai Lamas and as long as I live, I will need a small institution. So, this Ganden Phodrang will still remain. What is happening is that Ganden Phodrang is relinquishing its political responsibilities.
And then, regarding the future reincarnations, of course there is no hurry as of now. But after 20 or 30 years when I am near my end, then depending mainly on the wishes of the Tibetan people and also the people of the Himalayan regions and other Buddhists who are connected to the Dalai Lamas, if they so wish then the 15th, 16th and 17th Dalai Lamas and so forth, will come. So Ganden Phodrang will still remain intact. Political changes are bound to come but such a move will lend stability. Ganden Phodrang reverting back to its role and responsibility as being the spiritual head as during the times of the second, third and fourth Dalai Lamas have great significance and reason.
In the long run, if you think about it, then this change and decision I am making has great benefits for the Tibetans. In my letter to the Tibetan Parliament, I suggested that the title of Ganden Phodrang Shung will have to be changed. Ganden Phodrang will remain but it will not take any political responsibilities as we are now a democratic establishment.
The Tibetan word ‘shung’ may not necessarily translate in English as government. We don’t use the English word ‘government’ as such to describe our exile administration. At one instance during a press conference in Delhi, Rinpoche was also there, a journalist addressed Samdhong Rinpoche as the Prime Minister of the exile government. So, I instantly clarified that we don’t use these titles like Tibetan ‘Prime Minister’ or the Tibetan ‘Government-in-exile’. We call our administration the Central Tibetan Administration. Of course there are Tibetans in exile and we need an organization to look after them. This is the direct responsibility of the administration. Generally, the few of us in exile, being Tibetans, have the responsibility to articulate the aspirations of the Tibetans inside Tibet and to tell the world of the real situation inside Tibet. We have never called our administration the Tibetan exile government. Calling the administration the Ganden Phodrang Shung is another case in matter. So, the precise title is the Central Tibetan Administration whose leaders are all democratically elected.
To be true, this provides the leaders of the Tibetan autonomous areas in Tibet a reason to think. Those of us in exile, though remaining as refugees in alien countries, have carried out a genuine electoral process. If those leaders are really capable and confident, then let the Tibetans inside Tibet democratically elect their own leaders. Whatever the case maybe in the rest of China, if we could emulate the exile system in Tibet itself then it would be very good.
So, the many political changes that I have made are based on sound reasons and of immediate and ultimate benefit for all of us. In fact, these changes will make our administration more stable and excel its development. So, there is no reason to get disheartened.
