Lama Yo Mama!
Posted on April 14, 2008
by: Big Jar
This weekend, His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke in Seattle, and I was lucky enough to have Megan drag me along. I use the verb ‘drag’ because I was not initially inspired to attend this appearance when I first heard about it. Like any healthy skeptic, I regard most authority figures with extreme suspicion, especially when they derive their authority from a religious source. But, at the end I felt very differently about this particular devil. He had a lot of really thoughtful things to say, and I appreciated the opportunity to hear them.
The line outside the stadium snaked all the way around the block, which offered great opportunities for people watching. The evangelicals were out in full force with megaphones, signs, and t-shirts, warning all the attendees that Buddhism leads directly to eternal damnation.
There was one guy that had a sign that read:
Repent!
Feminists
Atheists
Sports Nuts
Homosexuals
The sports nuts part really threw me through a loop. If anyone can provide a Biblical explanation for that, I would be really interested to hear it. My best guess was that sports games don’t observe the Sabbath?
Anyway, these guys had some great shirts. One guy had a shirt that read “Ignoring Jesus leads to HELL” and the word ‘hell’ was on fire.
Of course, this whole event is taking place in the context of the Olympics and the Tibetan protests. There were also Chinese folks outside the stadium handing out some anti-Tibetan literature. I always feel like it’s important to hear from both sides of a conflict before determining an opinion, so I was really glad they were there. Their pamphlets claimed that the American mainstream media was not accurately covering the Tibetan protests and that the Tibetan supporters were responsible for most of the violence. They denied Tibetan claims that Chinese operatives had infiltrated the protests and committed the assaults/burglaries/murders while masquerading as Tibetan monks.
Is this true? It’s certainly possible-I wouldn’t be shocked if either side were right. But, I think responsibility for destructive behavior in this instance is kind of irrelevant to the question of whether Tibet deserves its freedom. I think they do deserve to be an independent nation, and the pro-China camp is arguing from a pretty indefensible position, so it seems like they’re resorting to misleading arguments that don’t actually address the real issue. For example, the pamphlet claimed that Tibetan representatives want control over all Chinese land containing ethnic Tibetans, which would be ¼ of China, and that’s why the Chinese government refuses to negotiate with them. To be sure, that’s an unreasonable demand on the part of the Tibetan leadership, but this is an illogical argument. China could still engage in negotiations without relinquishing those lands. They could very easily say, “There’s no way in hell you’re getting that, but we’re still willing to let you take control over all land within the Tibetan border.” How often do you get everything you want every time you enter into a negotiation? Isn’t that the whole idea-to reach a compromise?
There was a lot of unnecessary fanfare surrounding the event. Many speakers came and went and said very little of value. People talked much longer than they needed to, and I definitely witnessed His Holiness closing his eyes for extended periods. Maybe he was just astral projecting his spirit consciousness into a different plane of existence?
When it was finally his turn to speak, he took roughly twenty minutes to share some very simple and profound ideas. Though he was donning his holy garb, I did not really think of him as a religious figure. He sounded more like a philosopher-he connected his thoughts with a very clear logical consistency, and he refrained from bringing up anything about reincarnation or Bodhisattvas or any of the less tangible elements of his ethos. I really appreciated that.
The Dalai Lama began by saying “If you are expected to reach some sort of epiphany or experience some lift changing event, you should leave. I am not capable of doing that.” He refrained from making any specific accusations. He did not reference the Chinese government or the Bush administration by name. He talked about nuclear disarmament and mentioned that war is an outdated method of discourse. He made some jokes at his own expense and readily admitted that he didn’t have answers for some questions. He spoke a lot about the importance of women as world leaders, which was an interesting deviation from the standard Buddhist take on women. Obviously each sect of Buddhism views women differently, but many monks aren’t allowed to speak to women at all, and I believe that most Buddhists view women as an impediment to enlightenment. I recognize this as a gross generalization, but I have to admit that I’m not a Buddhist expert. Regardless, can you imagine the Pope making a similar declaration? Not in this lifetime!
The Dalai Lama made two especially compelling philosophical arguments, which again were very simple but made a lot of sense. He said some people believe that human beings are too selfish to act altruistically, but altruism is an inherently selfish impulse. What he meant was that when you help people, you are ultimately doing it to satisfy your own conscience and need to act in a positive way. It’s an interesting idea.
He also noted that the world’s leaders are neither the cause nor the solution to its problems. The people (theoretically) are responsible for choosing their leaders, so the individuals chosen to lead people will always reflect their mindset. Once the people’s mindset changes, so will their leaders.
When he was done speaking, children assembled in a circle and started reading pre-planned statements about how they were going to enact change in the world. I really wish I had brought along some whiskey for that part. We took off before they started singing “Heal the World”.
I’m really glad that I got to see the Dalai Lama speak, although I’m a little annoyed about the structure of his appearance. The power of his words laid in their simplicity and directness, and I felt like some of that was lost with the unnecessary complements of the event. Even so, he’s an incredibly humble man who is wiser than most of us. I was really impressed with his logical approach, his self deprecating humor, and his sincere desire to enact positive change.
Megan teased me about experiencing a religious epiphany. Of course it wasn’t, since religion ceased to be relevant once we entered the stadium and left the pleas of the evangelicals outside. In fact, that’s probably why they were protesting in the first place. This idea is somewhat strange, since the Dalai Lama is one of the world’s most recognized religious leaders. But, I think something is lost in the translation of the word ‘religion’ from his culture into ours. Buddhism is not a religion in the way that Catholicism or Islam is a religion. Sure, there are some kooky metaphysical components of their belief system, but it seems like the lifestyle is more important than wholeheartedly embracing the mythological aspects. It’s almost like what western religion aspires to do, but usually fails to accomplish in the end.
Hey, maybe Buddha and Jesus are the same person, who happens to be a 10,000 year old caveman and your father? I’ll leave you with that tantalizing thought.
Comments
6 Responses to “Lama Yo Mama!”
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Good stuff Brendan. I wish I could have been there.
Also, I want to second what you said about altruism being a basically selfish impulse. As someone who works for a charity, I’ve seen how people give money to organizations simply to make themselves feel better so they can sleep at night. You can almost hear people say, “Yes I lead a decadent life, but I gave some money to some charity, so it all evens out, right?”
Anyway, good article.
-Rob
You wonder how Sports Nuts could fall into a catagory of a belief system…all a sports nut will do is watch ESPN and engulf themselves in everythign sports related. This goes beyond a simple hobby and it can become a way of life. That is at least what i would take the context of what you saw to mean.
One thing you hit on the head was the end of the what you wrote: Buddhism is not a religion. It is a philosophy. Religions are a belief system where you are believing in a higher power. God, Allah, Yaweh…(Christianity, Islamic, Jewish). Philosophies are ways of life-most western philosophies fall into this category. Buddhism is the one that gets the most attention but Buddhism is a way of life based on a path. You think certain ways and practice certain things to reach Nirvana, but you are not worshiping anyone. Yes there is Buddha but you do not worship Buddha while you are practicing Buddhism.
That is my thought based upon many readings and what i know about the difference in religion and philosophy.
Also you should give “The Art of Happiness” a read by the Lama himself. It is a good book-not based on preachy messages but just a good read about ways of looking at things differently.
Gosh i feel like i had more to say, but another time.
Rob H. - Interesting point. It’s a tough situation because nonprofits need that money and without it they wouldn’t be able to do what they do, but I hear what you’re saying. I’m considerably less forgiving in the context of arts nonprofits (museums, opera, symphony, etc.)
I mean, don’t get me wrong, the arts are super important, but they generally have a priveleged constituency and they aren’t exactly saving lives or putting food and education in the minds of poor children. I think you can give to the arts and be proud of that, but it’s pretty fucked to be an arts donor and think that you’re being a ‘good’ person in a socialist sense. Unless, of course, you’re donating a Lenin statue.
Rob M. - Thanks for the book recommendation. The Seattle Library has a copy, and I’ve added it to my list. I’m excited to check it out!
The Arts should get money before any group that means to proselytize to people. That includes religions that promote a wheel… WeeeeeeEEEEEE!!!
BTW… The Vikings need an Offensive Guard in the draft… Hopefully one drops to us… Favre isn’t retiring FYI, and Celtics all the way!!!
Hmmm…you posted this comment at the same time as PestleBottomFan. That sure is suspicious.
First off, it’s Pestlebottom… don’t forget it “bud”… Second off, I declare you “suspicious”… Third off, just because the BJFC (Big Jar Fan Club) hasn’t gotten off the ground as quickly as you wanted doesn’t mean my fan club should come under your vicious, malicious, and vile spew… Good day sir…