In this era of heightened violence and a glorification of retaliatory measures against terrorists as has occurred with the killing of Osama Bin Laden Buddhists here in Syracuse have been more in need of spiritual guidance from the Dalai Lama than ever before. Buddhism traditionally teaches nonviolence and so issues dealing with violence constantly provoke anxieties here.
The Buddhist Channel has reported on a stress for dialogue by the Dalai Lama, http://bit.ly/jIo5yz. His Holiness the
Dalai Lama has commented that in reference to the recent killing of Osama Bin Laden he feels this was understandable, but that it also saddened him because of his lifelong commitment to nonviolence. Buddhists here in Syracuse appear to share these feelings about this incident.
The Dalai Lama has said he feels that violence easily gets out of control and can cause resentments which can lead to new enemies. The Dalai Lama has commented “You can easily eliminate one individual, but consequences look like more, more, more complicated.” The Dalai Lama has also said he was terribly saddened by all of the deaths on 9/11, however, because he’s always been against capital punishment he was also deeply saddened by the hangings of Saddam Hussein during the Iraq War and of Nazi war criminals after the second World War.
The Dalai Lama has gone on to say “Dialogue is the only way. When you use violence, even though your goal is justified ... unexpected sort of consequences often happen. So right from the beginning, I thought it was very sad thing.” And in response to a recent question from an 11-year-old aspiring journalist about what he could say to the younger generation about kindness in today’s society, the Dalai Lama said young people should strive to make the 21st century one of dialogue and reconciliation. He went on to say that despite some “marvelous achievements,” the 20th century was one of bloodshed. “So therefore the 21st century should be, logically, no more bloodshed."
Mandel News Service: http://www.mandelnews.com
