Buddhists here in Syracuse have joined Buddhists across the world in their prayers that the Dalai Lama will meet with success in his efforts to realize a peaceful resolution to tensions between China and the Tibetan people. Adam McDowell has written for the Leader-Post, http://www.leaderpost.com, in Canada "Chinese, Tibetans need 'a few days' of honest talks, Dalai Lama says".
During his recent weekend visit to Toronto the Dalai Lama reiterated his call for peace between Tibet and China. And he said he is "still a Marxist" who views Chinese people of the majority Han ethnicity as "brothers and sisters" of the Tibetans. Speaking with reporters at a Toronto hotel Saturday, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader said that despite political differences between them, the Han Chinese and Tibetan people could repair the relationship with "a few days" of honest negotiation, and a Chinese willingness to allow the Tibetan culture to flourish. He also commented in regard to the two-millennium relationship between the Tibetans and Chinese, "Sometimes it is very negative, sometimes it is happy relations — but mostly happy relations."
In response to the Chinese government's position that it wants a "harmonious society" the Dalai Lama said "I absolutely support that. Good. But in order to create a harmonious society, trust is the key factor." The Dalai Lama went on to reveal that, as a young man, before the 1959 Tibetan uprising that hurt the relations between the two peoples and sent 80,000 Tibetans into exile in India and elsewhere, he once applied for membership in the Chinese Communist Party. The Dalai Lama, also known as Tenzin Gyatso and who was awarded honorary Canadian citizenship in 2006 also commented "Now still, as far a socio-economic theory is concerned, I am a Marxist, but not a Leninist. And of course Stalinist is too much."
The Dalai Lama has gone on to say that power and a lack of self-discipline had "spoiled" the Chinese leadership. He has scolded them for their behaviour toward their own people. "I always tell my friends, 1.3 billion people have the right to know the reality and also have the ability to judge what's right and what's wrong. There is no basis for censorship. It is immoral." he has also said.
Buddhists here in Syracuse and elsewhere have hopes the Dalai Lama's continued well articulated concerns about the Tibet, China issue which have been so well received internationally will help Beijing realize a humanitarian approach towards the Tibetan people is always in China's best interests in dealing with the international community.
Mandel News Service: http://www.mandelnews.com
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