Righteousness and the Dalai Lama

Holier Than Thou

You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic. ~ Robert A. Heinlein

Dear Reader;

In recent days a video clip has gone viral which purportedly shows the Dalai Lama inappropriately kissing a child and asking him if he wants to “suck his tongue”. I will not include the video here as I don’t want to give it further exposure or energy. Suffice it to say that the video is everywhere, being shared and discussed with rage and indignation on social media and by news outlets of all stripes. Instead I suggest watching the following video, a detailed analysis of the situation offered by a scholarly Tibetan with knowledge of his own people. Please click on the photo below to watch.

YES: The Dalai Lama was being playful and affectionate! A Tibetan's Perspective.

In a nutshell, the viral clip was taken from a global, live broadcast filmed more than a month ago. Why is an edited version of the video surfacing now? On March 23, his Holiness named and enthroned the tenth incarnation of Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche as the spiritual leader of Mongolia, one of the highest Buddhist leaders. The ceremony in Dharmsala was attended by over 600 Mongolians and over 5000 monks and nuns.

This ceremony represented an anathema to the Chinese Communist Party, as it would seem that all of the CCP’s efforts to eliminate Buddhism have not been able to stop such a celebration, visible worldwide to all, including Tibetans themselves.

Thus, suddenly a widely disseminated, doctored and mis-translated video clip has gone viral, attempting to besmirch not only the Dalai Lama, but Buddhism itself, in the most extraordinary and truly absurd way. Whatever our opinion of Buddhism might be, and it is indeed a faith which holds many ancient and puzzling traditions, the idea that a man who has devoted his life to kindness, diplomacy and public service would publicly abuse a child, on camera and in front of his mother, is patently ridiculous.

It is not that corrupt spiritual leaders do not exist; of course they do. They are sadly manifold. But if we have any intuitive sense of the nature of a human being, we need only look into the smiling eyes of this man and trust our own hearts. His authenticity is radiant and undeniable.

This attempt by the CCP is of course unsurprising, as surely the world has borne witness to what the Chinese have been willing to do to Tibetans, in a jealous, brutal and obsessive compulsion to destroy what they do not understand. It is time to recognize how astonishingly widespread is the intentional and destructive influence of the CCP, worldwide and certainly in Canada, my homeland.

What was shocking to me was the immediate readiness of the world to accept the video clip at face value, without so much as a pause to consider.

“Teddy said it was a hat, So I put it on. Now dad is saying, "where the heck's the toilet plunger gone?”
~ Shel Silverstein

We could muse about the lack of discernment or intelligence which might be behind such a response. The mob can be very convincing in its fervour. But I believe there is a more important message to be found here. The average citizen would rather be righteous than right.

In a moment, the human psyche seems ready to abandon trust, respect and awareness, so compelling is the impulse to judge, to feel holier than the most holy. The fact that we may have very limited understanding of the customs of a foreign culture means nothing. It’s our way or the highway.

Buddhism is rich with ancient traditions. Anyone with a knowledge of its depths will find both beauty and flaws. The Dalai Lama is a profound figurehead, and he is simply a man. But we have come to a time in human spiritual evolution wherein the mass consciousness has chosen to revel in polarities of black and white. Good guys and bad guys. Cops and robbers. Us and them, me and you.

A curious facet of this young soul immersion in a dualistic view is that there is something comforting to be found here. A delicious rage. An addictive righteousness. A reflex which touches upon the most base human impulse which loves to hate, as if the best way to feel better about ourselves is to find something wrong in someone else. To validate our own insecurities by making others the problem. To let our stubborn, inner bully run the show.

All judgement is rooted in unconscious judgement of the self.

Like the toddler who insists they have not eaten the chocolate, even though it is clearly smeared on her face, we protest. We are willing to completely overlook the obvious, in order to feel righteous, so compelling is the need to be on the ‘right’ side of things.

And the blessing within the challenge? The light peeking from behind the clouds? Our rage must fizzle. Our blindness must lead us to a fall. And when all the rage we can muster is greeted only by the Dalai Lama’s humble, defence-less apology, we will be confronted by our own quick willingness to betray others, and therefore, ourselves.

The time has come
to cease thinking with the brain
and instead infuse
your Presence with expansive sight
To stop breathing
with the lungs
and instead inhale
the force of a destructive and creative fire
To walk upon the soil
and at the same time
transcend the doing of it
all the while discovering beauty
in every particle
of your sleep-walking
day-dreaming world

As you expand
slowly, slowly exploding the DNA
as you breathe in
this fiery light
you may believe
that now you have drunk the tea
taken the pill
but this 
dear children
this is your return to knowing
the remembering
of the coming
of the end of the night

This is exactly how
the key is handed back to you
placed firmly in your hands
for you can never cease
human confusions
without first naming the stories
the stage and the players
and then bow
in absolute gratitude
as you rise up
as you re-materialize
into your entirety
and leave those stories
behind

This is the melding
of a transporting state
wherein we envision
ourselves into alchemy
with the material voice
of our human drama
We the wordsmiths
We the players
We the audience
the critics on opening night
forever and forever
at play
caught between suffering and joy
hide and seek
with the light of utter
absolution and forgiveness
allowing ourselves to be found
allowing ourselves to be found
and the game is thus done
the dissolving forces
of negative illumination
collapsing inward
until we cannot be lost
confused
or distracted again
no matter how great the storm
no matter how deep
the crashing of this giant wave

~ excerpt To the See

It is the dark which illuminates the light, and if there is one, central teaching within Buddhism it might be to elevate kindness and compassion to the highest value within our hearts.

May this dark moment remind us to return to kindness, along with a willingness to be honest with ourselves, and remain steadfast in the face of unconscious lies.

May Truth and Love shine on.

much love,
Adi

PS.. Please do leave a comment. I love my posts to become conversations!