ΦΙΛΟΙ ΤΟΥ ΘΙΒΕΤ

24  September 2011

Introduction

My fellow Tibetans, both in and outside Tibet, all those who follow the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and everyone who has a connection to Tibet and Tibetans: due to the foresight of our ancient kings, ministers and scholar-adepts, the complete teaching of the Buddha, comprising the scriptural and experiential teachings of the Three Vehicles and the Four Sets of Tantra and their related subjects and disciplines flourished widely in the Land of Snow. Tibet has served as a source of Buddhist and related cultural traditions for the world. In particular, it has contributed significantly to the happiness of countless beings in Asia, including those in China, Tibet and Mongolia.

In the course of upholding the Buddhist tradition in Tibet, we evolved a unique Tibetan tradition of recognizing the reincarnations of scholar-adepts that has been of immense help to both the Dharma and sentient beings, particularly to the monastic community.

Since the omniscient Gedun Gyatso was recognized and confirmed as the reincarnation of Gedun Drub in the fifteenth century and the Gaden Phodrang Labrang (the Dalai Lama’s institution) was established, successive reincarnations have been recognized. The third in the line, Sonam Gyatso, was given the title of the Dalai Lama. The Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, established the Gaden Phodrang Government in 1642, becoming the spiritual and political head of Tibet. For more than 600 years since Gedun Drub, a series of unmistaken reincarnations has been recognised in the lineage of the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lamas have functioned as both the political and spiritual leaders of Tibet for 369 years since 1642. I have now voluntarily brought this to an end, proud and satisfied that we can pursue the kind of democratic system of government flourishing elsewhere in the world. In fact, as far back as 1969, I made clear that concerned people should decide whether the Dalai Lama’s reincarnations should continue in the future. However, in the absence of clear guidelines, should the concerned public express a strong wish for the Dalai Lamas to continue, there is an obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system to fulfil their own political agenda. Therefore, while I remain physically and mentally fit, it seems important to me that we draw up clear guidelines to recognise the next Dalai Lama, so that there is no room for doubt or deception. For these guidelines to be fully comprehensible, it is essential to understand the system of Tulku recognition and the basic concepts behind it. Therefore, I shall briefly explain them below.

Past and future lives

In order to accept reincarnation or the reality of Tulkus, we need to accept the existence of past and future lives. Sentient beings come to this present life from their previous lives and take rebirth again after death. This kind of continuous rebirth is accepted by all the ancient Indian spiritual traditions and schools of philosophy, except the Charvakas, who were a materialist movement. Some modern thinkers deny past and future lives on the premise that we cannot see them. Others do not draw such clear cut conclusions on this basis. (more…)

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March 22, 2011

His Holiness on His Retirement

Filed under: Uncategorized — marina @ 10:16 am

After coming into exile, I have made sincere efforts to establish a

democratic system of governance in the last more than 30 years. The

Tibetans in exile say “our democracy is a gift from His Holiness

the Dalai Lama.” Ten years ago, the system of electing Kalon Tripa

through democratic elections was introduced rather than nomination

of the candidate by the Dalai Lama, which was not correct. Since

the direct election of Kalon Tripa, the system of the institution

of Gaden Phodrang of the Dalai Lama as both the spiritual and

temporal authority has ended. Since then I described myself as in

semi-retired position. (more…)

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March 13, 2011

THE BUDDHA AND HIS CHILDREN

Filed under: Uncategorized — marina @ 8:45 am

Times of India | Mar 13, 2011Tenzin Tsundue

Once, in the 1970s, when the Tibetan exile government in Dharamsala had only one telephone, a secretary called the Dalai Lama’s office which was two kilometers uphill on the ridge of McLeod Ganj. The secretary called the Dalai Lama’s PA, Lama Tara la. The voice on the other end said the PA was not in his office and asked if he could take a message. On enquiring who was on the line the voice said “Tenzin Gyatso”. No one of that name worked in that office. So the secretary asked “Tenzin Gyatso who?’’ It was then that the secretary’s tubelight blinked. He was talking to the Dalai Lama himself. He immediately hung up. Tibetans love making jokes about government officials. Over the years people spiced up the story by saying the secretary knelt down and offered three prostrations to the telephone.

When we meet Chinese activists and intellectuals, our debates are contradictory on almost all historical narratives. But about the origins of the Dalai Lama there are no two stories. In 1578, the grandson of Genghis Khan, Altan Khan, invited Tibet’s spiritual leader, the incarnate lama Sonam Gyatso, to Mongolia and gave him the title ‘Talé Lama’ meaning ‘Ocean of Wisdom’  – now anglicized as ‘Dalai Lama’. His two predecessors were posthumously named the First and Second ‘Talé Lamas’. The Fourth, Yonten Gyatso, was a Mongolian. And Altan Khan’s son, Gushri Khan, using his sweeping military might, helped the Great Fifth Lobsang Gyatso and installed him as the ruler over all Tibet. Since then the Dalai Lamas have been our spiritual and political leaders. (more…)

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January 19, 2011

Filed under: Uncategorized — marina @ 3:39 pm

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May 6, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — marina @ 7:08 am

DHARAMSHALA, India, 5 May 2010 (Tibet Sun)

The Dalai Lama leans on Richard Moore’s shoulder during an interactive session with students at the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamshala, India, on 5 May 2010. Richard Moore, 48, the founder of the charity ‘Children in Crossfire’, was blinded by a rubber bullet fired at point blank range into his face by a British soldier in 1972. Moore had not only forgiven the soldier who fired the rubber bullet, but he had also befriended him. The Dalai Lama called him “My hero” and said that he should be considered for a Nobel Peace Prize.Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal/India

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April 16, 2010

EARTHQUAKE IN KHAM/TIBET (chin. Qinghai)

Filed under: Uncategorized — marina @ 1:55 pm

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www.tibetanvillageproject.org

The Tibetan Village Project is a non-profit and non-political organization dedicated to alleviating poverty in Tibet through healthcare, education and other sustainable development projects that empower Tibetans to live self-sufficient lives.

Please donate to support the earthquake victims! have a look at the site

www.tibetanvillageproject.org

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