My very dear Bill: Things hardly ever are as they appear to be under the eyes of the ones who are not from that culture. As a kind of paralelismo: I'd like to share some thoughts based in myself experience in a different land as Spain. Many years ago Spain was said to be an undeveloped country in which the catholic church was its only religion. We were all very fed up and wanted to have a country like the rest of Europe based in freedom, etc. We wanted to be part of the European Union and exchange our culture and goods with the rest of Europe. We didn't wanted to be so different. We were not realicing at the time that we were a poor country but a country full of joy and appreciation for the things that really matters in life. A Country with a fantastic human warm, altruism and so much necesary human qualities that keept people united as only one family. Then, one day and slowly we achieved all that we wanted to achieve but in the process of all that we lost our unity as only one family, our joy for life, and our altruism becomes a widower. The Country become richer, had all the technology of all advanced countries but lost its simplicity and all that that really matters in life. It lost also its natural wisdom and exported all the ignorance plus suffering from foreign countries. And as a result of the identity of the country was getting lost. Mayka
--- On Mon, 13/9/10, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: RE: [Zen] Other traditions To: [email protected] Date: Monday, 13 September, 2010, 3:59 Mayka, It’s quite an involved situation. Too much for me to elaborate on here. I will just say that I have a real concern on whether the traditional social and cultural structure of Tibet is worth saving. It involves supporting a privileged religious class at the expense of the lay people. The lay people are kept uneducated and are taxed heavily - treated almost like slaves or at least serfs. Woman are kept like domestic animals. Young boys who are given to the religious class to use as orderlies are sometimes sexually abused and almost always physically abused. That's enough about that. >From a Buddhist point-of-view, the Dalai Lama is adding or prolonging his >fellow countrymen's suffering by encouraging them in their fight for >independence. I think (my opinion only) he would serve them better as a >Buddhist leader to help them severe their attachments to their superstitions, >nationhood, language and cultural identity. It is these attachments that are >the root of their suffering. Again, there are just my opinions and the reason I don't have much respect for the Dalai Lama. ...Bill! From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Maria Lopez Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2010 8:08 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [Zen] Other traditions Bill: Can you elaborate where do you find The Dalai Lama hipocresy?. I'm not very into their political issues with China. As a person I quite like The Dalai Lama. And this like of him has nothing to do with him being the Dalai Lama. And as for his dharma I wouldn't know much except that his talking is pleasant thought doesn't say much of new that anyone else knows already. But I like him and I don't think that he's an hipocrite but someone who is in a tricky situation. And because of that he tries his best to explore the ways of peace. Perhaps through that he might appear as he was an hipocrite but he's not. He's a man who dreams in a world where everyone is happy and all living beings are safe . I know, he's genuinely like this. But of course he's a human being too. He's not from a western culture and because of that it might be difficult to understand him. But he's genuine within his own culture. Mayka --- On Sat, 11/9/10, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: RE: [Zen] Other traditions To: [email protected] Date: Saturday, 11 September, 2010, 3:49 Jody, The only Tibetan I've heard much from is the current Dalai Lama, and I find his hypocrisy disappointing. ...Bill! From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jody W. Ianuzzi Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2010 4:15 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [Zen] Other traditions The impression I get is that the Buddhism practiced by the people and the Llamas is different. The people practice a more superstitious daily practice and the Llamas are more intellectual. When asked if he believed in reincarnation, the Dala Lama replied that he shared the same spiritual beliefs as the previous Dalai Lamas. I find the honesty and humor of the Tibetans refreshing. JODY __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5441 (20100910) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5441 (20100910) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5445 (20100912) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5445 (20100912) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com
