We all have feet; only great men have clay feet. The recent remarks made by the Dalai Lama on how Nehru could have changed history had he not wanted to become the first Prime Minister so much did not go over well with some people while it provided pleasure to others whose day is often made wonderful if anything negative is said against the Nehru family. In the Dalai Lama's view, India would have been better off. He was only showing up a weakness of Nehru's, nothing more. His respect for Nehru was not diminished at all. He is a man of objectivity and compassion.
I remember the Dalai Lama from a decade ago when he came to Kyoto to give a talk. He was answering a question of a young Japanese university student who was troubled as she wanted to become a better artist and human being. One-question-and-answer would follow another without any satisfactory conclusion. At last, the Dalai Lama invited her on to the stage. She got up from her seat and approached the stage, and went to where he was seated. He stood up and hugged her. Had this happened in our country he might have been accused of something or the other. The Japanese audience were close to tears. How we interpret something or the other has very much to do with the way we have been brought up. People have feet but only great men and women have clay feet. After all, great men and women are human beings no matter how impressive their achievements. Gandhi ended his life as a tantrist. In the eyes of some people he is a sex maniac. His eccentric behavior was misunderstood by people outside the world of tantra. And, the world of tantra today is a small world. Maybe his behavior has shown us his clay feet but then again can we ever forget Gandhi's search for truth? Tantra in India today is almost dead and he is labeled a sinner, by some. A long time ago in India he would have been worshipped as a great tantric master. Who is right and who is wrong? What is the criterion for fair and balanced criticism? It is a not too difficult question to answer what is right and what is wrong. It is what has been taught to us from childhood by the society in which we have been brought up. And so, Christians, Hindus, Muslim and others will have a variety of conflicting opinions on the same topic regarding what is right or wrong. And, we all know what was wrong yesterday might be right today or the contrary. For this reason some people attack each other and believe they can interfere in other peoples' lives. In ancient india meat was eaten and only after Mahavira and Gautama Buddha arrived did it appear to be an act of cruelty. So, what do we do? At the most I can say this: I don't want to eat meat but you have the right to eat what you like. I have no right to stop you or interfere in your life. That is not the way we live in a democratic society. And, this is not a dictatorship. And the same goes for alcohol or anything else. Who is great and who is not will depend on our cultural perspective or what has been taught to us. We cannot escape it. In high school our world history teacher gave me a lesson I will not forget until I die. It beautifully illustrates this problem. He told us of a Buddhist and a Christian who met on their way to the burial sites. Both were taking gifts for their diseased family relations. The Christian laughed at the Buddhist and asked him: Tell me, when is your uncle coming to eat the rice? The Buddhist thought for a moment, and replied: My uncle will come to eat the rice when your aunt comes to smell the flowers. And, that's the way it is. We can fight one another until we die or get killed or become aware of what makes us the way we are. We are free to choose one or the other.
