His Holiness of Tibet urges a compassionate future
Vol. 03, Issue 134, Print Issue 58, June 15, 2015 2016 election dates for Sikyong and 16th Tibetan Parliament announced
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His Holiness: Real source of happiness is warm-heartedness By Jane Cook: June 11, 2015
Mr Sonam Choephel Shosur, the chief Election Commissioner accompanied by Additional Election Commissioners, Geshe Tenpa Tashi and Mr Tenzin Choephel at the press conference in Dharamshala, India, on June 10, 2015. Photo: TPI/Jigme Gyatso By Yeshe Choesang: June 11, 2015
Dharamshala — The Tibetan Election Commission (EC) Tuesday announced the dates for the preliminary and final election of Sikyong of the 15th Kashag and members of the 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. Speaking to media representatives at headquarters of the Tibetanadministration in Dharamshala, the Chief Election Commissioner, Sonam Choephel Shosur said “The preliminary election for Sikyong and members of the 16th Tibetan Parliament is slated for 18 October 2015. The final election to be held on 20 March 2016.” The Election Commissioner is accompanied by the two Additional Election Commissioners appointed recently by the standing committee of the Tibetan parliament in lieu of the upcoming elections. P-2... Mundgod wins Gyalyum Chemo Memorial Gold Cup
Leura, Blue Mountains, NSW — Speaking on the real source of happiness and warm-heartedness, the spiritual leader of Tibet His Holiness the Dalai Lama said “where they are less well-off but full of love and generosity, a family will be full of joy.” “I’m one of 7 billion human beings. We are all the same, physically, mentally and emotionally. We all want to live a happy life and from the moment we are born that’s our right,” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama while speaking to an audience of more than 3600 at the Katoomba Public School, on 8 June 2015 where he was welcomed by Mark Greenhill, the Mayor of the Blue Mountains. His Holiness said “We also all have the potential to show affection to others because of the affection we have received in childhood.” The Nobel Peace Prize laureate said that scientific experiments have indicated that basic human nature is compassionate. When infants are shown simple images of people helping or hindering each other, it’s the help that they prefer. There is also evidence that a constant experience of fear, anger and hatred eats into our immune systems. He suggested that a more compassionate attitude brings inner strength, self-confidence and a calm mind. A healthy mind improves our physical well-being. “We all have the seed of love and compassion within us. This is a source of hope for humanity and we need to pay more attention to it. Unfortunately, humane values that are strong in us when we are young tend to fade as we grow up and become more independent. Our existing education system is oriented towards materialism and has little time for inner values. Ordinarily people have looked to religion for humane values, but 1 billion out of the 7 billion human beings alive today have no faith and don’t consider the practice of compassion to have much worth. Meanwhile, among religious people there are many who are insincere, so even religion, which should bring tolerance, harmony and inner peace, can become a source of conflict.” “The appropriate way to develop inner values may now be to develop
His Holiness the Dalai Lama answering questions from the audience during his talk at Katoomba Public School in Katoomba, NSW, Australia on June 8, 2015. Photo/Rusty Stewart
secular ethics. Some of my friends are wary of the term secular, but according to the Indian interpretation it doesn’t mean something distant from religion, but having a respect for all religious traditions and even for the views of those who have no faith.
Youth detained over allegedly sharing contents with people outside Tibet
“Where inner values are lacking, no matter how rich or powerful they are, a family will not be happy. Where they are less well-off but full of love and generosity, a family will be full of joy. The real source of happiness is warm-heartedness.” P-3... Largest exiled NGO announces a cholarship for Tibetan students
Mundgod defeats Pokhara in finals of 21st GCM football tournament. Photo: TPI By Angana Chakrabarti: June 10, 2015
Dharamshala — The 21st edition of the Gyalyum Chemo Memorial Gold Cup finale took place at the Upper TCV school today. The tournament having started in1981 by the staff of Tibetan Children’s village as a tribute to the late mother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is now one of the most anticipated events of the year. “This is one area where we can show our identity as Tibetans,” remarks Kalsang Dhondup, the chairperson of the Tibetan National Sports Association. Dhondup adds that since they’ve been barred by the FIFA to participate in the World Cup tournaments the GCG gold cup along with forging greater unity in the Tibetan community, has become the primary platform for young Tibetans to showcase their talent. The tournament this year panned over a week and consisted of 28 teams from the United States, Canada, Europe, Nepal and thirteen Indian states. The finale was contended between the teams hailing from the Karnataka district of Mundgod and Pokhara district in Punjab and witnessed a whopping crowd of an estimated 500 spectators. P-2...
TYC President Tenzing Jigme with Loten Namling, a Tibetan singer, musician artist and cartoonist. Photo: TPI By Yeshe Choesang: June 09, 2015
Pema Choedon from Dehra Dun crowned Miss Tibet 2015 Yonten Rabgyal, a 26-year-old Tibetan, who was detained by Chinese police on March 13, 2015. Photo: TPI By Yeshe Choesang: June 09, 2015
Miss Tibet 2015 Pema Choedon waves as she walks the ramp after winning the crown in McLeod Ganj, India, on 7 June 2015. photo credit: MissTibet.com/Tenzin Dalha By Yangchen Dolma: June 08, 2015
Dharamshala -- Miss Pema Choedon, 24, from Dehra Dun was crowned the 13th Miss Tibet on Sunday evening, [8 June] in a modest coronation ceremony held in the hill town of McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, Northern India. “I am very overwhelmed at the moment because I didn’t expect to win this stage. I think more young Tibetan women should come and join this pageant. It is a very precious opportunity to empower women in our society,” Pema told reporters after the crowning. “The Tibetan society should support Lobsang Wangyal, the director of Miss Tibet,” she added. Lobsang Kyizom was judged the First Runner-up while Tsering Dolma was declared the Second Runner-up. Choedon received one lakh rupees (100,000) as prize money. Lobsang and Tsering P-2... received rupees 50,000 and 25,000 rupees each.
Dharamshala — Emerging sources say Chinese authorities in Chigdril County of Golok region of Amdo Province have detained a Tibetan youth over allegedly sharing information with people outside Tibet. “The youth is identified as Yonten Rabgyal, a 26-year-old Tibetan, who was detained by Chinese police on March 13,” sources told the Tibet Post International (TPI) on Monday afternoon. “However, local Tibetans believe that the Tibetan youth was detained for sending or sharing information and images related to Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” sources added. “As of now, information regarding his condition, location of his detention and actual reason for his detention remain unknown,” the source said. “His relatives are worried and tense because they have no information about his arrest,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. This is the second time that Rabgyal have been detained. He was detained before and released on a severe fine of 5000 yuan. “Rabgyal had told a friend that the County police, asked him to come to the police station for no obvious reason, saying he had done nothing illegal.” “A few days ago, a Tibetan man was detained on suspicion
of sharing a video clip related to incidents in Tibet over the popular WeChat microblog. However, he was released after the authorities found he is illiterate and unable to read,” sources said. Chinese authorities have stepped up curbs on information flows in most parts of Tibet amid protests, in some places including self-immolations, challenging China’s rule in these areas, and images of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are considered especially sensitive. Sources said “that the recently beef up of mass monitoring and surveillance campaigns seek to prevent celebration of the 80th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with grand festivity called “Ghyatoen” in the traditional way.” “Rabgyal is a native of Chigdril County, Amdo Golok region (Ch: Jiuzhi County, Golok prefecture, Qinghai province). He could not see his mother Choekyi who passed away on May 29 this year,” sources said. The Chinese regime has imposed severe restrictions on internet and phone connections by increasing a wider crackdown on communications across Tibet in an attempt to prevent any news reaching the outside world. In Tibet today, Tibetans are being arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned and tortured for merely expressing their suffering under Chinese rule. However, authorities in Beijing still claim that “China ‘peacefully liberated’ Tibet, and that the “Tibetans are living in a Maoist socialist paradise.”
Dharamshala -- In honor of the 80th Birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibetan Youth Congress Saturday [June 6] announced a scholarship for Tibetan students living in India, Nepal and Bhutan. The youth group said “the scholarship titled “Dalai Lama Kadrin Jayden Scholarship” will be awarded to the student with the highest score in Tibetan language on the Class XII board exams every year.” A sum of Rs. 20,000 IC will be awarded to that student. “TYC hopes that this scholarship will encourage and create greater interest amongst the youth to learn, speak and write in Tibetan,” TYC said in a press release. The group said it has named this scholarship “Dalai Lama Kadrin Jayden Scholarship” in honor and to respect the legacy and achievements of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as well as celebrate his 80th Birthday. US House of Representatives could provide 3000 visas for Tibetans By Angana Chakrabarti: June 11, 2015
Dharamshala — US Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Tibetan Refugee Assistance Act (H.R.2679) on June 4, 2015 to provide 3,000 immigrant visas to qualified displaced Tibetans over a three-year period. In a press release statement Sensenbrenner and Lofgren, elucidating on the motivations behind this reinstatement, remarked, “The bill supports the well-being of the Tibetan exile community as they strive to find a peaceful solution for Tibet; helps the overburdened settlements in India and Nepal; and gives displaced Tibetans the opportunity to flourish as Tibetan-Americans.” Congressmen Sensenbrenner had traveled to Dharamsala in March 2008, as a part of the Congressional delegation led by then Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During their time in Dharamshala, the delegation attempted to explore ways to demonstrate support for the Tibetan people. On his return to the United States, Congressman Sensenbrenner along with Representative George Miller (D-CA), introduced the Tibetan Refugee Assistance Act on July 17, 2008 in the House (H.R.6536). P-3...
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TPI NEWS
June 15, 2015
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Cruel Joke: China’s totalitarian regime praises its own human rights record June 15, 2015
Dharamshala — International community shocked by the Chinese government’s praise of its own human rights performance last year in a white paper published recently, despite the regime continues to be one of the worst human rights records in the world. “The tremendous achievements China has made in its human rights endeavors fully demonstrate that it is taking the correct path of human rights development that suits its national conditions,” the State Council Information Office said in a release about the white paper. Entitled “Progress in China’s Human Rights in 2014,” it emphasizes the government’s commitment to “fundamental rights,” “universal values,” “democracy” and “civil society.” The white paper’s hypocrisy and presumptuousness would be good for a laugh if they were not matched by the severity of the government’s treatment of Tibetan and Chinese people. By using statistics in a way that renders them meaningless, the report’s authors try in vain to hide the long list of human rights violations being carried out at the direct behest of President Xi Jinping’s government. We must urge the international community to condemn this report’s mendacious self-assessment. China must stop pretending to respect human rights and must stop jailing all party and government critics with impunity. The Human Rights issue is in danger of becoming a new form of totalitarianism across the world, as there is a deep fear that such values are under threat from the economy agenda. One must think that the recent report is nothing, but another abuse of human rights by totalitarian Governments in China is all too recent. Sounds like a cruel joke, but we couldn’t make this up if we tried. Because, the authorities in Beijing praised their human rights record. But elsewhere across the world once again saw, the Chinese dictators reared their ugly heads. Are they serious or is this a delayed April fool’s? And the state controlled media happily inspired by the praise, the regime has made sure to continue to enforce and protect human rights at all levels while maintaining its minorities, economy, culture, stability, national interests, welfare of its citizens. while upholding rights in line with communist rule. It is a fact that the regime has also imposed severe restrictions on internet and phone connections by increasing a wider crackdown on communications across Tibet in an attempt to prevent any news reaching the outside world. In Tibet today, Tibetans are being arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned and tortured for merely expressing their suffering under Chinese rule. However, authorities in Beijing still claim that “China ‘peacefully liberated’ Tibet, and that the “Tibetans are living in a Maoist socialist paradise.” Human rights defenders or human rights activists around the world have asked the international community to support and protect basic human rights and values in order to fight against totalitarian regimes and oppression. In today’s world, the greatest threat to human civilization is still the barbaric totalitarian system, like the communist regime in China. Though such systems are few in number, they do great harm. Therefore, to make the good flourish in this world, the defense of universal human rights and values needs to be the priority. To eliminate the bad in the world, the removal of totalitarian
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The first half of the match saw multiple attempts by both sides but ended with neither teams scoring. The second half, in contrary, was more eventful with Pokhara conceding a penalty shot by the opposing team within the first 20 minutes. This was followed by another goal by the Mundgod team. The match concluded with the team from Mundgod emerging victorious with a score of 2-1. In an interview with the Tibet Post International, Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay, the chief guest of the day talked about the role of tournament as one propagating solidarity between Tibetans all over the world. “This tournament has brought Tibetans from all walks of life together in Dharamshala. This is a statement of Tibetan harmony,” he said.
governments needs to be the priority. We must emphasize that totalitarianism still presents the greatest obstacle in humanity’s march toward justice and civilization. However, we also must know that people can work to influence it with your universal values, such as freedom, equality, democracy, and constitutionalism. We must take immediate action to ensure that there is a massive dictatorships such as the “Chinese communist government” as examples of totalitarianism today, examining the Chinese government’s abuses in Tibet and China, its strict control of the media, forced abortion policies, and targeted punishment of human rights defenders. The fight against terrorism and totalitarianism should be a fight for freedom and democracy by promoting human rights and working together, the people in Tibet and China are gradually — overcoming the fear in their hearts and boldly demanding the rights that are due to them. The regime in China is a government without moral responsibility, legitimacy, and legality is like rain without a source. We shall not be daunted by it. We should always keep reminding ourselves that our children shall not continue to live in fear, lies, and violence. The economy agenda is in danger of becoming a new form of totalitarianism Millions of people in China and Tibet still call for the help of the international community in supporting Tibetan and Chinese people working against the abuses of the Chinese government. They ask all democratic countries, particularly the United States, India and European states to set a good example by shifting the focus from economy and trade to human rights, and from price to value, when dealing with dictators. These countries must move forward to provide assistance to the freedom-loving people in totalitarian countries, by promoting internet freedom, deterring human rights violations, linking human rights supporters together, ending religious persecution in Tibet and China, and using all resources and means to help terminate China’s evil policy and its totalitarian rule. When dealing with the Chinese regime, attaching importance to economic interests alone will keep the all free- loving countries in the world further away from fundamental ideals such as freedom, democracy, and human rights, which are the founding principles, of the United Nations and European Union. We must urge members of the UN to act upon the values on which these nations were formed and only peace and non violence can solve most problems. They must remember the universal principle for states as its democratic values that are the cornerstone of our freedoms, prosperity and liberty in the world. Except for one power nothing can bind the world peacefully in a lasting mode. Neither force, nor agreements. Neither economic, nor wars. China should know that praising themselves with the fool is out of place and cannot fool the world with its patchwork human rights.
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According to organisers, “the three contestants went through five competition rounds including Talk, Talent, Gown, Traditional Costume, and Interview.” Monika Nataraj, a globe-trotter who leads women’s empowerment, sacred dance, and yoga teacher trainings and retreats worldwide, and Shawn Shaw, also a globe-trotter who leads retreats in Europe, Central America, and the United States, judged the five rounds. At least 3000 people in the audience witnessed the show, which was the 13th Pageant since its inception in 2002. Outgoing Miss Tibet 2014 Tenzin Yangzom crowned the new Miss Tibet Pema. Two former Miss Tibets Tenzin Yangkyi 2011 and Tenzin Dolma 2007 were also present during the coronation ceremony. Tenzin Dolma entertained the audience with a ramp show. Local Tibetan and Indian artistes entertained in between the rounds. Director Lobsang Wangyal said that “they had left out the glamour parts of the event, with no fire crackers as well as no new suit for himself, to express solidarity with the Nepal earthquake victims.”
OPINION
The Tibet Post International
Media Watchdog: China dares to praise its own human rights record By Yeshe Choesang: June 09, 2015
Paris — The France-based watchdog group Reporters Without Borders said it is shocked by the Chinese government’s praise of its human rights performance last year in a white paper published yesterday and points out that the regime continues to be one of the worst in the world for persecuting journalists and bloggers and censoring the news. “The tremendous achievements China has made in its human rights endeavours fully demonstrate that it is taking the correct path of human rights development that suits its national conditions,” the State Council Information Office said in a release about the white paper. Entitled “Progress in China’s Human Rights in 2014,” it emphasizes the government’s commitment to “fundamental rights,” “universal values,” “democracy” and “civil society.” “The white paper’s hypocrisy and presumptuousness would be good for a laugh if they were not matched by the severity of the government’s treatment of journalists, bloggers and cyber-dissidents,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Asia-Pacific desk. “By using statistics in a way that renders them meaningless, the report’s authors try in vain to hide the long list of human rights violations being carried out at the direct behest of President Xi Jinping’s government. We urge the international community to condemn this report’s mendacious self-assessment. China must stop pretending to respect human rights and must stop jailing all party and government critics with impunity.” The white paper devotes just a few hundred out of a total of 14,000 words to media freedom and freedom of expression. “Freedom of speech [is] better protected,” it says, citing a series of figures that supposedly support this claim: “In 2014 China published 46.5 billion copies of newspapers, 3.2 billion copies of periodicals, and 8.4 billion copies of books, with 6.12 copies of
Protest shows Xi Jinping giving the finger in Paris, the capital of France, on Thursday 27 March 2014. Photo: RSF
books per person. By the end of 2014 the population of netizens in China was 650 million, and the Internet penetration rate was 47.9 percent.” This paragraph ends with three phrases that suggest an interest in qualitative indicators but they are no more than a series of baseless claims about an imaginary reality: “The public can air opinions, and raise criticisms and suggestions freely through the news media, and discuss problems of this country and society. The government encourages enterprises to provide various Internet services to the public in accordance with the law so as to create a good environment for the public to acquire and exchange information. A cleaner cyber space is becoming an ever important place for the public to get information and make their voices heard.” In fact, the Chinese government tightened its grip on the media in 2014. Regulations were issued banning journalists from “making unauthorized criticisms” while well-known journalists and respected human rights activists were jailed. The journalist Gao Yu, the cyber-dissident Xu
His Holiness: Real source of happiness ...
His Holiness mentioned that one of the greatest gifts human beings possess is the ability to smile. Another is the human brain. He said we need to use our intelligence to judge what is really in our short and long term interest. “Ask yourself, ‘What is the value of anger?’ There is none. Anger destroys our inner peace, destroys friendship and destroys happy families. Loving kindness on the other hand brings immense benefits, ensuring we have physical health and a happy mind. Concern for others produces trust which is the true source of friendship. And friendship is important because we are social animals. We depend on others for our survival. “A lot of problems humanity faces today are our own creation. No one is looking for trouble and yet we create problems for ourselves. We become slaves to our destructive emotions, so responsibility for finding a solution rests on our own shoulders. “Ours is a globalized world. Climate change affects us all; no one can hide from it. The global economy means we need to think of other people as members of our one global family. This is why we need to incorporate humane values based on common sense and common experience into our education systems.” His Holiness commented on scientific evidence of the positive results of simple training in cultivating a sense of love and care for others. Participants in an investigation were tested for blood pressure, stress and other factors before engaging in a training that gave them half an hour’s training in love and compassion aevery day for three weeks. At the end their blood pressure and stress levels were lower and their relationships with their companions improved. Consequently, it seems that if we want to see a better world, we each have a responsibility to contribute to making our families, communities, and nations more compassionate. His Holiness said that he doesn’t expect to see such change in his lifetime. But those who are young today, who belong to the 21st century, have an opportunity to make a difference. They will need a vision and they need to start now. Concluding his talk, His Holiness asked the crowd: “If you think of me as your friend, please think about what I’ve been talking about and ask yourself how you can contribute to making the world a better place.” In answering questions from the audience His Holiness referred to the cultural aspects of religious traditions, as opposed to their religious and philosophical aspects, that may be out of date and in need of change. He cited the example of the Buddha’s granting men and women equal opportunity to engage in spiritual development and yet monks were accorded seniority. He said he’d like to see this change, but it will require the consensus of the international Buddhist community. In the context of forgiveness he told the story of an elderly monk from Namgyal Monastery who spent 18 years in prison in Tibet after 1959. Following
Zhiyong and the Uyghur blogger Ilham Tohti joined the hundred or so journalists and information activists already jailed in China. “Confessions” became the fashion. Gao Yu and another journalist, Xiang Nanfu, were forced to deliver televised “selfcriticisms” in May 2014. One of the world’s online censorship pioneers, the Chinese government has continued to dedicate a great deal of resources to keeping the Internet under close control. The pro-democracy “Occupy Central” movement in Hong Kong and attempts to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre were both subjected to carefully orchestrated media blackouts that used censorship, content blocking and news manipulation. Independent news websites such as 64Tianwang are often the targets of cyber-attacks by hackers in the party’s service. The world’s biggest prison for news and information providers, China is ranked 176th out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. ... continued from page 2
his release in the 1980s he came to India and His Holiness had the opportunity to talk with him. When the monk remarked that he’d several times felt in great danger, His Holiness thought he meant his life was in danger. The monk clarified that he meant he’d been in danger of losing his compassion for those who imprisoned him. “This,” His Holiness said, “is the real practice. This was a case of real forgiveness.” He pointed out the importance of distinguishing the action from the agent. The action may be wrong, but the agent remains another human being. A couple of questions touched on relations between parents and children and His Holiness declared he had no answer because he had no children and no experience. However, he recalled that his own father had been warm-hearted but quite short-tempered, while his mother was so kind that her children never saw her angry. He wondered if he were to have had children, which of his parents he would have taken after. Asked if he had any regrets, he replied that as a child he’d been lazy and reluctant to study. He said he now regrets that when he could study he didn’t and the time will never return. He also recalled fighting with his older brother, leaving the scars of scratches on his face, and he regrets that he is no longer alive. When a mother asked how to deal with a husband who is regularly angry in front of their children, he quoted a Tibetan saying that you may fail nine times, but nine times you should try again. He advised her to try to cool the situation down, but if it couldn’t be done, perhaps she should consider leaving him. As for how to teach children forgiveness, His Holiness spoke of the need for a map of the
emotions. He suggested that to really learn how to deal with emotions we need a much more thorough understanding of how they work. He mentioned that ancient Indian and Buddhist psychology have a lot to teach about this and he has recommended in India the advantages of seeing how ancient and modern knowledge could work together. Regarding the challenge presented by ISIS he reported that Indian Muslim friends have told him that a genuine practitioner of Islam does not shed blood. Moreover, the word ‘jihad’ refers not to fighting with others but to combating destructive emotions within yourself. In relation to ISIS he declared we cannot remain indifferent, we have to do something, but we have to remember that its members are human beings too. He spoke of an occasion when he had been invited to meet victims of both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland. When he entered the room the atmosphere was tense and the expressions on their faces were grim. He talked to them and gradually they relaxed, their expressions softened and eventually the atmosphere in the room felt better. He remarked that many cases of religious conflict arising now are symptoms of past mistakes. Finally he was asked, “If you are born in an undesirable place can you still make progress?” In reply he told the story of the 1st Dalai Lama who was both a great scholar and a great practitioner. When he reached his 80s he expressed some sadness at growing old. His disciples responded that he shouldn’t worry because he would probably be born in a heaven or pure land. He retorted that he had no wish to go to a pure land. He wanted to be born where there were people suffering so he could help them.
“The total campaign expense for a Sikyong candidate should not exceed INR 8 Lacs and the campaign expense for a candidate for the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile should not exceed INR 3 Lacs,” the election commission said while announcing some new rules regarding campaign expenses and activities of the candidates. “All campaign activities should cease two days before the final Election Day,” the EC added. The EC urged the candidates to submit their names and details to their local election commission before announcing their candidacy. They also urged the candidates to refrain from excessive campaigning in sensitive areas such as Nepal where the local people are recovering from a severe natural tragedy. The 2016 general election will elect the Tibetan political leader (Sikyong) and 45 members of the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. Tashi Wangdu, the CEO of the Association of Tibetan Cooperatives in India, is the first person to announce his candidature for the 2016 Sikyong election. Speaking to media in Dharamshala, on Tuesday, Mr Wangdu declared his four reasons for his candidacy:
1. Under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Its an opportunity to take responsibility and serve the Tibetan people. 2. Some dedicated members of the exiled Tibetan community recently expressed that I should stand as a candidate for Sikyong election 2016. 3. To seek urgent resolution to the issue of Tibet: what Mr Wangdu says is the most important issue. 4. To be visible or seen by all the Tibetans (“SEEN”) which includes sustainability, education, economy and negotiation. The Sikyong is the administrative head of the exile Tibetan administration based at Dharamshala, India. A Sikyong cannot serve for more than two consecutive terms and the current Sikyong Lobsang Sangay can stand for one more election for the post. The 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile would be composed of 45 members– 10 each representing the three traditional provinces of Tibet, two each from the four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon religion, three representing Tibetans in North America, two representing Tibetans in Europe and one representing Tibetans in Australian and Asian regions other than India, Nepal and Bhutan.
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TPI NEWS
The Tibet Post International
Tibet News
June 15, 2015
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Tibetan home Minister meets Chief Tibet’s Info Hero concerns about Tibetan filmmaker’s living conditions Minister of Arunachal Pradesh By Yeshe Choesang: June 09, 2015
Shri Pema Khandu, presenting a book on ‘In Search of Solace’ to Home Kalon Gyari Dolma and all the delegations during their meeting. Photo: CTA/DIIR By Yangchen Dolma: June 08, 2015
Dharamshala -- Tibetan Home minister met chief minister and senior leaders of Arunachal Pradesh to apprise them about some of the pressing issues relating to Tibetan refugees living in the state, media reported. On 5 June, the Home Kalon Gyari Dolma met Chief Minister Nabam Tuki at his official
residence during which the latter endorsed ‘The Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, 2014’, according to a report by the Tibetan administration run media. The report said “senior officials present at the meeting include Mr Pema Khandu, Minister for Urban Development, Town & Planning, Housing, Municipal Affairs, Art & Culture and Tourism, Mr T.N. Thongdok, deputy speaker of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly and principle secretary home.” The Tibetan minister “made an appeal to state government and also submitted a memorandum of grievances to the chief minister regarding the implementation of the Rehabilitation Policy and other related matters,” it said. The minister also met Mr Pema Khandu and several MLAs at his official residence in Itanagar on 4 June. Dolma was accompanied by Mr Chhimey Rigzin, Additional Secretary, Tibetan Settlement Officers and delegations of Cooperative Societies from Tezu, Tenzingang and Miao Tibetan Settlements.
China detains four monks in Labrang County, Tibet on unknown charges
Dharamshala — Ven Golog Jigme, assistant of a documentary film “Leaving Fear Behind” expressed strong concerns about the health and living conditions of Dhondup Wangchen, who was released from prison a year ago after serving a six year prison sentence. “Dhondup Wangchen has been tortured and ill-treated when he was in prison and has not received any treatment for hepatitis B he suffers from. “Dhondup Wangchen’s health condition greatly concerns us,” Ven Golok Jigme told the Tibet Post International. His wife and four children live in US and his parents live in India, but he has not been permitted to travel outside of China to reunite with his family. Ven Jigme says he’s also concerned about the living condition of his colleague Wangchen who had said “feels isolated after he was released from prison.” Wangchen who was going through health problems had served a six year prison sentence after making the documentary film “Leaving Fear Behind”. Ven Jigme says “it has been exactly one year since he was release from prison.” Sources said, “Mr Wangchen has faced a year of severe restrictions, including close surveillance by Chinese authorities and monitoring his movements.” So, through international and Tibetan media, Ven Jigme said he would like to renew his “appeal to the international community to urge China to release all political prisoners in occupied Tibet and to respect the human rights
Dhondup Wangchen, a Tibetan filmmaker imprisoned by the Chinese government in 2008 on charges related to a documentary Leaving Fear Behind. Photo: TPI
of former Tibetan political prisoners.” According to sources, “there were currently at least 850 documented political prisoners in Tibet, with hundreds more believed to be missing.” His release came three weeks after his assistant ven Jigme fled into exile in India. In 2014, Ven Jigme was listed by Reporters Without Borders among their list of “100 Information Heroes” on World Press Freedom Day. He currently lives in Switzerland. Mr Wangchen has won numerous international awards for their work including the 2012 International Press Freedom Award of the
Committee to Protect Journalists, and the 2014 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent. He was released from prison in Qinghai’s provincial capital Xining, on Thursday, 5 June 2014. It is a fact that today Political prisoners in Tibet are subjected to further abuse on their release. Deprived of their political rights, their movement is severely restricted. In poor physical and mental condition, they are not allowed to return to their homes after release, but with their status making it almost impossible to get a job, they are condemned to a life of extreme poverty.
and land-grabbing are part and parcel of the economic exploitation of Tibet, and of little concern to China’s government. This is a deep source of grievance to Tibetans and increasingly a flashpoint for protest.” Resource exploitation has led to environmental concerns becoming the most common triggers for Tibetan protest in recent years. Mining is the most common trigger for demonstrations, with damming and river pollution also provoking opposition. Protests include individual acts, creative forms such as the dumping of dead fish at the offices of local authorities in 2013, and mass protests involving hundreds or thousands of people. Many protests have been met with significant violence. In Dzatoe County in August 2013, a protest was dispersed with beatings, tear gas and the firing of shots. In Dechen County in July 2014, protesters were severely beaten by police and told by the head of the mining operation that they had “every right” to kill them if they protested again.
A report by Tibet Watch highlights the spiritual connection Tibetan people have to their land. Certain mountains and lakes are believed to be the physical home of Buddhist deities and are considered sacred. Tibetans also see the remote mountains and wilderness as places for retreat and meditation. When interviewed about the connection between the people and the land, one Tibetan told Tibet Watch: “Tibetans do not learn the value of the earth through science but through our religion and the way our ancestors protected our land over thousands of years. They saved the land for the next generation to enjoy as pure land, the beauty of nature and to have a clean and peaceful environment to live in. “Therefore destruction of the land, the mining of sacred mountains and holy lakes, are more than pollution and destruction of the environment. It is a violation of our tradition, religious beliefs and the destruction of our forefathers’ legacy.”
Tibetan village water supply polluted by Chinese construction By Steve Shaw: June 11, 2015
Labrang Monastery in Amdo Labrang County, north-eastern Tibet. Photo: Media File By Yeshe Choesang: June 10, 2015
Dharamshala — In an effort to further limit the rights of Tibetan people, Chinese authorities have detained four Tibetans, from Labrang Monastery, Amdo Labrang County, northeastern Tibet, on unknown charges. “The three monks from Labrang Monastery identified as Jinpa, Kalsang, and Jamyang, were detained by Chinese police while walking around the Labrang market square at around 7:00 p.m. on May 5. Their current whereabouts and condition remain unknown,” sources told the Tibet Post International (TPI). “Three of the detained monks are natives of Bora township in Amdo Sangchu county, northeastern Tibet. The authorities did not explained the reason for their arrests,” sources said, “The two monks Kalsang and Jinpa are ritual performers of the monastery and Geshe Jinpa is an academic monk from the monastery.” “Another monk Kalsang Monlam, who is also from Labrang Monastery separately arrested on unknown charges on the same day. His whereabouts and fate also remain unknown,” the local sources added. According to the sources, “with plainclothes security personnel came to the Labrang monastery for Monlam and took him away in handcuffs at the night of the same day. Monlam is a native of Chebushi Village, Sangchu County.” “The Chinese authorities forced the monk to unlock his mobile phone and then searched his room and chained him up,” the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Since then, there has been no information about the monks’ condition or whereabouts.
Sources said family members of the monks are concerned about the sudden disappearance of the monks. Sources said that heavy security presence in Labrang and Bora areas; in particular, Labrang Monastery and Bora Monastery is teeming with armed forces and police who closely monitor and carry out surveillance on the activities of the local Tibetans and monks. The France-based watchdog group Reporters Without Borders Tuesday said it is shocked by the Chinese government’s praise of its human rights performance last year in a white paper published on Monday [June 9] and points out that the regime continues to be one of the worst in the world for persecuting journalists and bloggers and censoring the news. “ T h e w h i t e p a p e r ’s h y p o c r i s y a n d presumptuousness would be good for a laugh if they were not matched by the severity of the government’s treatment of journalists, bloggers and cyber-dissidents,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Asia-Pacific desk. It is a fact that the regime has also imposed severe restrictions on internet and phone connections by increasing a wider crackdown on communications across Tibet in an attempt to prevent any news reaching the outside world. In Tibet today, Tibetans are being arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned and tortured for merely expressing their suffering under Chinese rule. However, authorities in Beijing still claim that “China ‘peacefully liberated’ Tibet, and that the “Tibetans are living in a Maoist socialist paradise.”
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London — The sole water supply of a village in east Tibet is being polluted by a road building project and authorities have refused to take action, says a recent report by Free Tibet. The road-building project, which began in April in Rebkong county, involves digging up land at the site of Shadrang village’s only source of drinking water. Locals say the water has become so dirty with mud and rubbish that it’s not fit for humans or animals to drink. Tibetans have appealed to local authorities, stating “We don’t need alms, just clean water. We don’t need grains, just clean water.” The authorities have refused to take any action. Much of the transport and infrastructure development in Tibet is implemented without any consultation with local people and appears to be aimed at facilitating the construction of mines and the extraction of minerals. The Tibetan Plateau is rich in natural resources which China is exploiting with increasing intensity as part of its economic plan for developing Tibet. Resources in the region include fresh drinking water, rivers suitable for hydropower and large-scale mineral deposits such as gold, copper, silver, chromium and lithium, as well as fossil fuels including coal, oil and natural gas. Free Tibet campaigns manager Alistair Currie said: “Infrastructure projects in Tibet are motivated by China’s focus on resource exploitation, not the interests of Tibetans. Roads and highways facilitate the movement of equipment and workers in, and extracted resources out. In Shadrang, authorities are investing in building a road instead of addressing the fact that locals’ only source of drinking water is a stream. That makes pretty clear what China’s priorities are - not even pollution of that water supply applies the brakes to this project. “Pollution, destruction of the environment
US Largest exiled NGO ...
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama will turn 80 this July 6 and this award will be presented to the student on that day, it said, adding that the group is also offering Tenshug, a long life ceremonial offering to His Holiness on July 31 in Dharamshala. Preservation of culture, religion and language is one of the main aims of the organization, says TYC President Tenzing Jigme. Since TYC was founded in 1970, the organization has been continuously working to educate the youth about the importance of speaking, reading and writing in Tibetan. “Now more than ever we need to preserve our identity - and our language is an integral part of that identity”, says Jigme.
Children and other villagers are forced to wash clothes and clean vegetables in the polluted stream: Photo: Free Tibet
Tibetan Youth Congress describes itself as the largest Tibetan NGO in exile with over 88 chapters and 35,000 members worldwide working for the freedom for Tibetan people and independence for Tibet.
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According to the International Campaign for Tibet, the bill introduced on June 4, 2015 is substantially similar to HR 6536 which provides that “An individual is a qualified displaced Tibetan if such individual is an individual who— (A) is a native of Tibet; and (B) since before the date of the enactment of this Act, has been continuously residing in India or Nepal.” In the statement, Congressman Sensenbrenner
stressed on the need for such a legislation in the event of the recent earthquake in Nepal. “Nepal is home to a sizable Tibetan refugee population, and the disaster has devastated the Tibetan community, especially in remote areas close to the earthquake’s epicenter,” he said. “This bill is a timely expression of American support for the Tibetan people as they struggle for religious and cultural freedom,” he reasoned. Congresswoman Lofgren in addition described the bill as “a small but useful step in the right direction” necessary to aid the Tibetan people. “The devastation of the recent earthquake in Nepal, coupled with decades of persecution at the hands of the Chinese government make it all the more necessary for displaced Tibetans to be recognized by the United States for refugee assistance and afforded protection under U.S. law.”
4
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5 TPI NEWS H.H THE DALAI LAMA His Holiness of Tibet urges a compassionate future His Holiness of Tibet: On Love and Compassion The Tibet Post International
June 15, 2015
By Angana Chakrabarti: June 11, 2015
chanting “stop lying”. “Brothers and sisters, I am happy to be here once more. I’ve known many of you Australians and New Zealanders for many years so this is something of a reunion, as well as an opportunity to make new friends. We are all brothers and sisters with the same potential to achieve a happy life. But the ultimate source of happiness is not in material things but in our inner qualities. We all have Buddha nature and the potential to overcome suffering. Whether we believe in God or follow the Buddha, the teachings we observe give us self-confidence and inner strength. “Our future depends on the rest of humanity. As human beings we each have a responsibility to contribute to creating a healthy, happy humanity. Because different religious traditions all teach love, compassion and forgiveness, they all have the potential to bring about inner peace. There are philosophical differences between them, but these are just different approaches to the same goal. This is why it’s so sad when religion apparently becomes a source of violence. “I have three commitments: as a human being to encouraging human happiness, as a Buddhist monk to fostering religious harmony, and as a Tibetan. Since 2011, I have retired from any political responsibility, but I am still very concerned to protect Tibetan culture and the natural environment of Tibet.” His Holiness said that at the end of his last visit to Australia, two years ago, he had suggested that next time a tantric teaching might be relevant for the monks, nuns and other people who take a sincere interest. Prior to giving that he wanted to explain how the Dharma spread in Tibet, principally in two
phases. The first, before the time of Atisha and the translator Rinchen Zangpo involved the Nyingma tradition. The second included the Sakya, Kagyu, Gelug and Jonang traditions. The general structure of the path was the same for all of them and they all use logic and reasoning. The tantric teachings they convey, however, are teachings suited to specific disciples and consequently differ from each other. For example, the way the channels, energies and drops are explained in the Guhyasamaja and the Kalachakra tantras are different. “Today, I stress that Tibetan Buddhism is essentially the Nalanda tradition,” he declared, “because some people have referred to it as ‘lamaism’ as if lamas invented it. But the teachings of the Nyingma begin with Shantarakshita, who was one of the top scholars at Nalanda, as his writings on philosophy and logic attest, and Padmasambhava, who counted Nalanda masters like Nagarjuna among his eight gurus. The Kagyu teachings come mainly from Naropa, who was a distinguished Nalanda scholar, while those of the Sakyas derive from Virwapa, who as a Nalanda scholar was known as Dharmapala. His realization was such that the Hevajra dakinis gathered in his cell to discuss the teachings. The monastic disciplinarian heard their female voices and dismissed Dharmapala from the monastery, so he became the yogi Virwapa. Atisha, the source of the Kadampa tradition, was a master of Vikramashila University, where they followed the Nalanda tradition. Therefore, it is appropriate to say that Tibetan Buddhism consists of the Nalanda tradition, a tradition immersed in the use of logic and reason.” Referring to the need to verify the quality of both teaching and teacher, His Holiness cited Sakya Pandita who pointed out that when people do business, purchasing jewels and so forth, they are very careful to check what they are being sold. They do all kinds of tests. But when it comes to the Dharma people take for granted that the teaching they receive and the teacher who is giving it are genuine. There is a need to check those too. Je Tsongkhapa explained in his ‘Stages of the Path to Enlightenment’ that a lama, someone who will tame others, has to be tamed himself. He needs to have undertaken the three higher trainings. His Holiness remarked that followers of the Buddha today need to be 21st century Buddhists who know what Buddhism is about. “Reading and studying the classic works of Nalanda masters can help achieve this. Their approach was to refute others’ positions, assert their own and then to rebut criticism. Buddhist practice, meanwhile, is essentially about using our human intelligence to transform our emotions.”
you will be co-responsible for such atrocities. If you cannot support us, don’t treat us like toys for the sake of flattering the Chinese Communist Party. We the Tibetan people are also citizens of this world and our dignity and rights must be respected.” Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Yandong of the State Council has been part of Beijing’s delegation in Lausanne. As a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party, her presence is a strong indication of the high political importance China places on winning the games. Palmo Brunner, protestor and Vice-President of the TYAE, said, “Here in Switzerland we can express our
views freely, something that is sadly not possible for our brothers and sisters inside Tibet due to Chinese oppression. Today Liu Yandong has no other choice than to face our protest and views here in a free country. We, the young Tibetans in Switzerland, will not sit by and quietly watch China being rewarded again for its repression in Tibet!” In March, Tibet campaigners sent a report to the IOC and IOC members, outlining how the 2008 Beijing Olympics not only failed to lead to any improvement in human rights situation in China and Tibet but also emboldened China to increase its repressive crackdown.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama greeting young children who came to welcome him on his arrival in Leura, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia on June 4, 2015. Photo/Rusty Stewart By Jane Cook: June 06 , 2015
Leura, NSW, 5 June 2015 -- The spiritual leader of Tibet His Holiness the Dalai Lama Friday has urged a crowd of several thousand people to focus on inner values such as love, to help create a more compassionate global community. Nobel Peace Prize laureate captivated a crowd of 3500 people in the NSW Blue Mountains today as he focused on these values and religion for his “wisdom of forgiveness” talk. His Holiness was holding a teaching retreat, which US actor Richard Gere is attending at a Leura school, and urged Australians to show compassion to others so the next generation will see a more peaceful world. “That should be your aim, your goal,” His Holiness told the crowd at Katoomba Public School after he was welcomed to the stage by Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill and locally-based Australia fashion designer Jenny Kee. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is on a 10-day tour of Australia, with plans to take his teachings, signature smile and chuckles to Brisbane, Perth and Uluru. Touching on equality, the religious leader Lama told the crowd everyone from birth had the same right to achieve a happy life and had the seed of love and compassion. While these values are alive at a young age, over time they become dormant, he said. Anger destroyed inner peace, friendships and a happy family, the spiritual leader said. “Love and kindness brings immense benefit for physical health, happy mind ...” he said. A small group of protesters raising awareness about the plight of Shugden Buddhists occupied a street corner outside the school and could be heard
Tibetan activists to IOC: “No more Bloody Games” By Angana Chakrabarti: June 13, 2015
“No more Bloody Games” - Young Tibetan activists stage IOC protest as Beijing makes pitch for 2022 Olympics 10 June 2015, Lausanne: Activists of the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE) staged a protest at the Lausanne Palace Hotel, where representatives of the Chinese Government met with the Olympics committee to present their bid proposal for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The event, however, was disrupted by protestors carrying a banner with five bullet holes in place of the Olympic rings. The protestors while shouting slogans urging the committee to “Stop Beijing 2022”, re-enacted a scene in which a Chinese police officer beats a Tibetan protestor holding the Tibetan national flag. Among the protestors was Tibetan monk and torture victim Golog Jigme, who was detained in 2008 for his controversial film “Leaving Fear Behind”. The film documented several ordinary Tibetan’s reproach to,what they considered, hypocritical Chinese policies that were enacted in the year of the Beijing Olympics Games. This occurred despite the insistence of the IOC that the 2008 games would help improve the human right situation in Tibet and China. The protest on Wednesday saw Jigme calling on the IOC to reject China’s bid. “I stand here today as a witness of Chinese repression in Tibet. But this is not only about me. Many Tibetan human rights defenders and protestors were jailed and killed in 2008,” said Golog Jigme who has been living in Switzerland since January. Addressing the IOC President, President Thomas Bach, Jigme further remarked, “If the Olympic Games 2022 should be awarded to China again
“No more Bloody Games” - Young Tibetan activists stage IOC protest as Beijing makes pitch for 2022 Olympics. Photo: TPI
Brisbane, Queensland - Speaking on the difference between love and compassion, His Holiness the Dalai Lama Wednesday said “a basic sense of love which tends to be mixed with mixed attachment, that depends on how others respond to you. However, through thinking and training it’s possible to develop compassion that can be extended to everyone. The conference at Luna Park, held on June 10, 2015, was attended by an audience of 1700. The moderator, well-known Australian radio presenter Richard Fidler, opened the conference by questioning His Holiness about how he kept maintained a calm, peaceful mind. “I use my intelligence and common sense,” was the reply. “And while life as a refugee has had its sad moments, it’s also provided opportunities to meet other people and learn from their different experiences.” Fidler asked if he just accepted things he couldn’t change to which His Holiness quoted an 8th century Indian philosopher who said, “If you’re faced with a problem, examine it. If it can be solved there’s no need to worry about it and if it can’t be solved, worry will be of no use.” “Very realistic isn’t it?” he exclaimed. “This is good advice that I try to follow. For example, when my beloved Senior Tutor, my main teacher, passed away, I was shocked and sad, but there was nothing to be done. He was the rock I leant upon. But then I realized that what I needed to do was to work to fulfill his wishes.” When asked the difference between love and compassion he spoke of a basic sense of love that tends to be mixed with attachment, and which depends on how others respond to you. It’s limited; it can’t be extended to others. However, it’s like a seed, because on the basis of that, through thinking and training it’s possible to develop a sense of compassion that can be extended to everyone. Fidler wanted to know if anything had ever infuriated His Holiness who responded by narrating two accounts on which he was unable to suppress his anger. The first, he said, was during an interview with a New York columnist whose persistent questions about his legacy led him to lose his temper.His Holiness confided that when he met the same journalist again a year later, they both looked at each other and laughed. The second occasion, he recounted, took place while in India where he had been invited to teach a group of Indian Buddhists.The friend who had organized the meeting told him that on a previous occasion these people had found his talk difficult to understand. He asked if this time it could be easier. Again His Holiness said he lost his temper because he felt that if he were only to teach about what they already knew there wouldn’t be much point in teaching at all. Turning to Fidler he chuckled and said: “So, if you don’t mind me saying so, if you ask me foolish questions, maybe I’ll lose my temper with you!” Noting that as a young man he’d grown up in a confined situation and had later been exposed to the wider world as he began to travel, Fidler asked if anything had surprised him. He answered: “Not much, because the previous Dalai Lama had left a collection of picture books and magazines that I looked through. So I was already familiar with New York, London, Berlin and Paris from their pages. And in addition to that we’d had these two Austrians in Tibet who’d escaped from wartime internment in British India. One of them, Aufschnaiter was engaged in hydro-electric and irrigation projects for the government, the other, a younger Austrian named Heinrich Harrer came to look after various machines at my residence. He used to talk to me about Western culture and the way of life in Europe, so I wasn’t surprised when I went there. “However, there was one thing. When I first went to the USA in 1979 I made several friends and met their wives and children. The next time I came, I was surprised to find some of them had new wives and when I came again, some of them even had third wives. I was also surprised to meet people with important, prestigious jobs, who, because of stress and worry, were unhappy. It showed me that material rewards, good reputation and a high salary were no guarantee of inner peace and happiness. “On the other hand, I met a Catholic monk at Montserrat near Barcelona who had lived as a hermit in the mountains for five years living on little more than tea and bread. I asked him what he’d been practicing and he told me he’d been meditating on love. When he said that his eyes sparkled and his face glowed with joy. With almost no physical comfort he was completely happy. There are practitioners like this in India too who meditate naked high in the mountains. During the
His Holiness the Dalai Lama with fellow panelists on stage during the Happiness & It’s Causes conference in Sydney, Australia on June 10, 2015. Photo/Rusty Stewart
last Maha Khumba Mela, a great Hindu spiritual gathering that takes place once in 12 years, I’d hoped to go and meet some of them and hear about their experiences. However, due to bad weather I was unable to travel.” HIs Holiness finally commented that modern education is propagating a materialistic way of life. We should ask ourselves if it is really an adequate basis for a happy society. In British Columbia, however, guidance about the importance of warmheartedness has been introduced in all schools.” Richard Fidler then invited four additional panelists to join him and His Holiness on the stage. The first to speak, Barbara Fredrickson, explained her team’s work examining the physical effects of different kinds of happiness. She distinguished between hedonic well-being, which stems from the pleasure you get from a satisfying yet superficial experience like eating delicious food, and eudaemonic well-being, which comes from thinking that your life has a purpose and that you’re making a contribution to society. They found that hedonic well-being was associated with increased expression of genes involved in inflammation, while the way genes expressed themselves in association with eudaemonic well-being was the opposite - a much healthier response. The conclusion was that doing good, having meaning and purpose is associated with better health. His Holiness remarked that he had also heard of findings that show that constant fear, anger and hatred have the effect of eroding our immune system. He suggested that a useful area of investigation would be the distinction between sensory consciousness and mental consciousness. He pointed out that pleasant sensory experience has little effect on mental unrest, but that if we have calm minds we can cope with physical pain and discomfort. Professor Paul Gilbert, who pioneered research about compassion and was one of the first to initiate Compassion Focused Therapy, suggested that we are at our most flourishing when we experience and feel we are cared about, wanted and valued, and when we care for, help and value others. His Holiness agreed and recommended that modern education pay more attention to such understanding of the mind and emotions. Dr Sue Knight, a chief evaluator of the Primary Ethics trial in NSW schools and creator of the Primary Ethics curriculum that currently involves 29,000 children, suggested that it is through the development of well-reasoned and ethicallygrounded thinking that education fulfills its individual and social goals. The Primary Ethics program is concerned with teaching children how to think rather than what to think. His Holiness agreed with this and added that on our planet today, many problems and much suffering we face is essentially contrived by us. Wars transpire in the name of religion. He said that it’s contradictory that we all want to live a happy life and still continue to create trouble for ourselves. Falling in line with the suggestions broached by the panelists, His Holiness stressed on the need for an education mindful of secular ethics that is respectful of all religious traditions. Charlie Scudamore, a visionary educator and Vice Principal of Geelong Grammar School said that he represented every teacher who wanted to help children change their lives, and make the world a better place. In the face of an increasing drive for assessment, encouraging flourishing is what education should really be about. Quoting Marty Seligman, pioneer of positive psychology, he said “We can experience three kinds of happiness pleasure and gratification; the embodiment of strengths and virtues and meaning and purpose.” HIs Holiness concluded the session by expressing his gratitude to the panelists, “I feel really encouraged to have met and listened to you all. I’m convinced that through education it is possible to change the world for the better. I don’t expect to live to see the result in the next 20 years or so, but this is very good, wonderful, thank you.” His Holiness is set to hold a teaching on Nagarjuna’s ‘Precious Garland’ in Brisbane tomorrow, and attend multi-faith prayers in St Stephen’s Cathedral.
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TPI NEWS
Back Page Focus His Holiness the Dalai Lama: The people in Tibet are not happy June 15, 2015
The Tibet Post International
A view from the stage at the audience attending the Long-Life Offering for His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Katoomba, NSW, Australia on June 7, 2015. Photo/Rusty Stewart By Yeshe Choesang: June 08, 2015
Leura, Blue Mountains, NSW, 7 June 2015 -- “People in Tibet remain strong and the Chinese authorities cannot pretend there is no problem. The people in Tibet are not happy,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama told a crowd of audience. saying “we have to discuss how to take the Tibetan cause forward.” Over 1400 devotees, had gathered in Katoomba town, Blue Mountains, west region of Sydney to offer prayers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life. The crowd, including more than 1000 Tibetans from Australia and New Zealand, 200 Vietnamese, nearly 60 Bhutanese, 10 Mongolians and others attended the event. “Many of you have come here as refugees for a second time from India. And you’ve made this Long-Life Offering to me due to your dedication to the Tibetan cause. We’re also joined here by brothers and sisters who follow the same teacher from Vietnam, Mongolia and our neighbour Bhutan. I’d like to thank you all,” His Holiness told the gathering at the end of the traditional prayers. “The Australian Tibetan Community has produced this concise, well-written report in which you have pledged to do your best to support the Tibetan cause and keep the Tibetan spirit alive. You’ve also pledged your support to the Central Tibetan Administration, which has created opportunities to educate children and keep our culture alive with the help of the Government of India,” he said. “We appealed to the UN, but, as Pandit Nehru advised me, the USA was not prepared to go to war with China over Tibet. We concluded that eventually we would have to deal with the Chinese government. Until now the Chinese policy has been to denigrate the Tibetan people and their culture, nevertheless we remain hopeful of being able to preserve our culture and values within the People’s Republic of China.Among Chinese intellectuals, the Middle Way Approach has been well-received. We need to keep in touch with the Chinese people. “You have also pledged not to have anything to do with Dolgyal. In the nearly 400 years since it arose, Dolgyal has always been controversial. I made the mistake of propitiating it and in doing so deviated from the tradition of past Dalai Lamas. It provokes widespread sectarianism and when I realised its shortcomings I stopped the practice. Then Ganden Jangtse Monastery experienced a series of misfortunes about which they consulted Trijang Rinpoche. He told them their main protector, Palden Lhamo, was displeased. They asked me what they could do about it. My investigations revealed the displeasure to derive from their propitiating Dolgyal and recommended they give that up. “Once I had suggested restrictions on the practice of Dolgyal, those who promote it formed their own organization. Research reveals that the 5th Dalai Lama described Dolgyal as having arisen as a result of distorted prayers and as harming sentient beings and the Dharma. When I discovered this I stopped the practice, but I also felt I had a responsibility to inform others too. “People started to demonstrate against me. They call me a Muslim and display photos of me wearing a Muslim cap. They say I’m a false Dalai Lama and flaunt ugly caricatures of me. “As Buddhists we don’t take spirits as objects of refuge. We take refuge in the Three Jewels. When Machen Pomra, the local deity of Tsongkhapa’s birthplace, was summoned to Central Tibet, a shrine to him was not allowed within the monastic precincts of Ganden. Whether you propitiate
Dolgyal or not is up to you, but doing so brings more harm than good.” His Holiness went on to say that the roughly 200,000 Tibetans in exile should work for the welfare of Tibetans in Tibet who are not free to speak out. He described their spirit and courage as amazing, noting that it is clearly alive even in the children and young people in Tibet. They remain strong and the Chinese authorities cannot pretend there is no problem. The people in Tibet are not happy. He stressed the importance of standing together. He mentioned an American professor who, on the basis of Dunhuang documents, described three great Asian powers in the 7th – 9th centuries: the Chinese who were concerned with politics, the Mongols who were involved with war and the Tibetans who focussed on religion. After this, Tibet fragmented, which led to problems. This is why unity and solidarity is important now. He said: “We cannot abandon the Tibetan cause, so we have to discuss how to take it forward.” In response to a request from former Tibetan representative Tenzin P Atisha, His Holiness gave a reading transmission of a Chenresig prayer and advised his listeners to combine it with reading the ‘Three PrincipalAspects of the Path’and ‘Eight Verses for Training the Mind’. He emphasised the importance of study and advised that unless you transform the mind, you won’t attain the state of Chenresig. At the Carrington Hotel in another part of Katoomba His Holiness met about 100 Chinese intellectuals, writers and democracy activists. They greeted him warmly as he entered the room and he responded: “I’m happy to meet you. Wherever I go I think of myself as just another human being.As human beings we are all the same, so it is meaningful to think of the oneness of humanity. It naturally reduces any sense of enmity amongst us. Look at what’s happening in the Middle East where people are unfortunately killing each other in the name of religion. A lot of problems we face today are our own creation. We all want to live a happy life, and yet we make problems for ourselves. We see each other in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’. The use of force can’t resolve the conflicts that result; we have to talk to each other. “I’m also a Buddhist and have a commitment to promoting religious harmony. Despite their differing philosophical stances, the common message of all major religious traditions is love, forgiveness, tolerance and self-discipline. Therefore, we can respect them all. “Thirdly I’m a Tibetan. Tibetan culture, influenced by Buddhism, is a culture of peace and non-violence, a culture of compassion. It’s worth preserving. Similarly, Tibet’s natural environment is worth protecting. A Chinese ecologist judged that the effect of the Tibetan plateau on the global climate is equivalent to that of the North and South poles, so he called it the Third Pole. Asia’s major rivers rise in Tibet and 1 billion people depend on them, so preserving Tibet’s environment is important too. “For the last 30-40 years I have promoted friendship between Tibetans and Chinese. Athough we’ve had difficulties for the last 60 years, that shouldn’t harm our 2000 year old relationship. I appreciate the efforts of those of you who have made this meeting possible.” His Holiness invited questions from the floor. Some participants took the opportunity to wish him a happy 80th birthday and presented him a scroll extolling wisdom and courage. Asked about the oppression of Rohingya Muslims in Burma he answered that he had appealed to
Burmese Buddhists, when they were moved by anger towards these people, to remember the face of the Buddha. He said he was confident that if he were present the Buddha would protect those under attack. He also confirmed that he has spoken to Aung San Suu Kyi about this. To the suggestion that the Dalai Lama is crucial to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism he replied that the Buddha passed away 2600 years ago and yet his followers have continued to maintain his teachings. Regarding the situation in China he said there are now more than 300 million Buddhists there. He recalled meeting Xi Jinping’s father and noted that his mother is a Buddhist. At present Xi Jinping is preoccupied with rooting out corruption. He repeated a wish he has occasionally expressed since 1954 to go on pilgrimage to Wutaishan. He reported a meeting he had with Chinese intellectuals in New York two years ago at which he was told that China has now reached the lowest point morally in its 5000 year history. Many say Buddhism is the only hope. As to when things will change, His Holiness said the future is unclear. Signals are mixed. In recent times one official spoke as if a pilgrimage to Wutaishan was on the cards, only for hopes to be dashed shortly afterwards. He said the language of the recent White Paper on Tibet was tough. Asked how moral problems might be tackled, His Holiness replied that here in the 21st century each land belongs to the people who live in it, not their rulers or leaders. He repeated what he has said elsewhere that the 1.3 billion Chinese people have a right to realistic, truthful information. On the basis of that they can judge right from wrong, therefore censorship should be eliminated. He remarked that everything in China is called the People’s this and that, but asked, “Is that true?” He recalled that in 1954/55 Chinese socialists were truly dedicated to the welfare of the people. Since then however, a huge gap has grown between rich and poor, with members of the Party becoming rich. He again stressed the importance of the rule of law and raising the Chinese judicial system to international standards. “I met a Chinese student who told me how difficult it is for Chinese to express how they really feel. Don’t lose heart. Be honest and do whatever you can.” Back at the teaching venue in the afternoon His Holiness said that it was the usual custom at the beginning of a tantric teaching to make an appropriate ritual cake offering. On this occasion he suggested reciting the ‘6 Session Guru-Yoga’ together. During his preamble to explaining the Five Stages of Guhyasamaja, the translator, by a slip of the tongue, referred to a ‘Mister Nagarjuna’ instead of to ‘the Master Nagarjuna’, which made His Holiness roar with laughter. “Actually, I often refer to these 17 Masters of Nalanda as Professors,” he said, “so perhaps calling him Mr Nagarjuna is all right. Also I sometimes give images of the Buddha to friends, whether they are Buddhists or not. I tell them he was of course the Buddha, but he was also a great thinker and because he encouraged investigation, we could call him a scientist. “In fact, even Nagarjuna was an alchemist. Once, when he was responsible for the welfare of the monks at Nalanda during a time of famine, he turned iron into gold. Subsequently, the disciplinarians decided this amounted to wrong livelihood and dismissed him from the monastery. Like the story of Virwapa, they were clearly very strict.”
Essay Competition Announcement ‘Exhibition on H.H the Dalai Lama’s Body of work’ is a project that I initiated on 10th December 2012. In the past two and half years, I was able to conduct over forty-five presentations primarily in centers of learning and other places all over India. The aim of this project is to inculcate in the minds of the truth and peace-loving people, a sense of recognition and gratitude for the gift of wisdom bestowed by His Holiness on how to live a meaningful life. Moreover, it also seeks to spread words about the deeds and accomplishments of His Holiness throughout his life as a guiding light to us all.
Some of my forthcoming projects are as follow; 1) To conduct a scholar debate on His Holiness’s Thoughts & Ideas on Religion, Politics, Health, Environment, Compassion and other disciplines by a panel of experts related and intimate with His Holiness. 2) Reading comprehension contest on His Holiness’s multi-faced works in their proper disciplinary entity. 3) The ranking essays of this competition will be published in ‘Khongsa Chok-kyi khyenpa,’ which will be a journal of scholarly articles to be launched soon. Therefore, I request professional and other aspirant writers from everywhere to support me in this venture by contributing their articles on any of the following three topics.
Topics for Essay Competition; 1) Analyzing the purpose behind the Dalai Lama’s body of work and value of his ideas. 2) The Dalai Lama’s guide to an ethical way of life beyond religion. 3) The evolution and practical implementation of the Dalai Lama’s tenets of Peace & Non-violence. Essays in all kind of genre are entertained. There is no strict word limit, but try not to exceed beyond 2880 words. The deadline falls on 13th July, 2015. Submit the essays via email or post at the address mentioned below. Please make sure to leave your contact details. The essays can be written in Tibetan and English and will be judged by a penal of experts in a transparent and unbiased manner.
Awards and prizes for the top-ranking essays; • • • •
First second Third Consolation
• • • •
50 books by H.H the Dalai Lama or 25000 Rs (Either of them) 30 books by H.H the Dalai Lama or 20000 Rs (Either of them) 20 books by H.H the Dalai Lama or 15000 Rs (Either of them) 10 books by H.H the Dalai Lama to 10 winners
The winners are allowed to making his/her own decisions regarding prize books or money.
Note:
1) On any of the topics above, it is preferable to get an insight by referring books of His Holiness. 2) Try to inject not only your own ideas, but also the opinion of others in order to add analytical value to the essay. 3) Contact for further information.
Contact;
Gonpo Gyal Phone: +918679032180 Email: donnie5908@gmail.com
(Full Address)
Gonpo Gyal (M.A Student) C.H.T.S P.O Sarah, Dharamsala Distt. Kangra -176215 (H.P) INDIA
ALL THE BEST!!