Protesting Tibetans not men of religion, says Gyaltsen Norbu

[Ensapa]

It is nice to see that China's Panchen Lama is starting to take steps to administer Tibet. And his statement is an interesting one because it echoes the Buddha's advice, and the advice of so many high masters of the various Buddhist traditions, while CTA glorifies and promotes self immolation and taking back Tibet, even if it would mean a lot of suffering for China and the people within as there will be a lot of chaos and anarchy. Hmm.....

Protesting Tibetans not men of religion, says Gyaltsen Norbu
Phayul[Wednesday, July 25, 2012 21:07]
DHARAMSHALA, July 25: Gyaincain (Tib. Gyaltsen) Norbu, the China appointed 11th Panchen Lama, on a visit to Tibet made pointed remarks against Tibetans who do not “protect” social stability, declaring them “unfit to be called man of religion.”

According to China’s official mouthpiece Xinhua, Norbu, who is on a rare visit to Lhasa, the restive capital of Tibet, met with senior party cadres and government officials.

"If a person does not protect social stability, he is not fit to be called a man of religion," Xinhua quoted him as saying.

His remarks come at a time when 45 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in a resilient act of protest against Chinese rule, demanding the return of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and freedom in Tibet.

A majority of the self-immolators have been nuns, monks or former monks.

The elected head of the Tibetan people, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay has called the self-immolations “political action” and blamed China’s failed policies in Tibet - founded on “political oppression, social marginalisation, cultural assimilation and environmental destruction” - as root causes of the protests.

“To understand these acts, it is crucial to know that within China, there is no room for freedom of speech and conventional forms of protest. A participant in a simple demonstration runs a high risk of arrest, torture and even death,” Dr Sangay wrote for the Washington Post this month.

“Were the Chinese government to offer to resolve the issue of Tibet peacefully through dialogue, the self-immolations would end immediately.”

Norbu, 22, commonly referred to as the “Fake” Panchen by Tibetans, was handpicked by the Chinese government over Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a six-year old boy recognised by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the Xth Panchen Lama in 1995. Despite repeated international pressure, Beijing has refrained from disclosing the well being and whereabouts of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his parents for the last 17 years.

Norbu currently serves as the vice president of the Buddhist Association of China and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

Last year, following widespread resentment from local Tibetans, he had to cancel a long-planned trip to Labrang monastery in Sangchu county in eastern Tibet.

Threats of pay-cuts and extermination from jobs had failed to deter local Tibetan officials from complying with a Chinese government decree to prepare a grand reception for Norbu.

[vajratruth]

It is nice to see that China's Panchen Lama is starting to take steps to administer Tibet. And his statement is an interesting one because it echoes the Buddha's advice, and the advice of so many high masters of the various Buddhist traditions, while CTA glorifies and promotes self immolation and taking back Tibet, even if it would mean a lot of suffering for China and the people within as there will be a lot of chaos and anarchy. Hmm.....

The elected head of the Tibetan people, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay has called the self-immolations “political action” and blamed China’s failed policies in Tibet - founded on “political oppression, social marginalisation, cultural assimilation and environmental destruction” - as root causes of the protests.

“To understand these acts, it is crucial to know that within China, there is no room for freedom of speech and conventional forms of protest. A participant in a simple demonstration runs a high risk of arrest, torture and even death,” Dr Sangay wrote for the Washington Post this month.

“Were the Chinese government to offer to resolve the issue of Tibet peacefully through dialogue, the self-immolations would end immediately.”

That's right Ensapa. At the very least it is good to see a senior monk discouraging self immolations by [mainly] Tibetan monks and nuns which have so far worked against the Tibetan cause. While the CTA has never openly encouraged self immolations, they have very much lionized these self sacrifices and not hesitate to make political hay out of these disturbing and meaningless acts. It is clear that the CTA plays the self immolations to the max to draw international support for their cause.

One thing that does strike me as insincere is how the CTA seems to have taken the position that the onus of finding a solution falls squarely on Chinese shoulders instead of recognizing that the Tibetans in exile too have an important role to play in the quest for a peaceful solution. Instead the CTA is never shy of making provocative statements against the Chinese Government.

While I do not support China's act of aggression towards Tibet in 1959, the reality is that it is time to move on and if truly the objective of the CTA is to find a solution, then they have a very strange way of going about it. There is also a lot of inaccurate statements made by the CTA to give the impression that China rules the Tibetans tyrannically. There is no oppression of Tibetans merely because they are Tibetans. Instead, Tibetans under the Chinese rule have received quite a bit of subsidies and preferential treatment and indeed a number of monasteries have flourished under Chinese rule showing that there is no repression of religion per se as the CTA have claimed over and over again.

What the Chinese do crackdown on are refusals by Tibetans to participate in certain programmes aimed at social assimilations. Let's not forget that China's government of Tibet has not exactly been received timidly, with uprisings and incursions from the 1960's right up to the serious unrest in 2008. China treats the Tibetans like any State would, which wishes to curb uprisings and unrests against its government.

I agree with the stance taken by the Panchen Lama. Monks should focus on the  study and spread of the Dharma instead of availing themselves as political instruments in a fight that in the broader view has nothing to do with Buddhism. I have yet to see the CTA care enough for Tibetan life to come out strongly against self immolations and accept the simple logic that these self immolations do very little to bring parties back to the table for peaceful dialogue. CTA must take initiatives to show China that they are sincere and so far, other than paying lip service the Kalon Tripa has done nothing constructive.

[Ensapa]

That's right Ensapa. At the very least it is good to see a senior monk discouraging self immolations by [mainly] Tibetan monks and nuns which have so far worked against the Tibetan cause. While the CTA has never openly encouraged self immolations, they have very much lionized these self sacrifices and not hesitate to make political hay out of these disturbing and meaningless acts. It is clear that the CTA plays the self immolations to the max to draw international support for their cause.
Their actions are just endorsing the self immolations that has been happening. Doing prayers? why would you make a statement like that about self immolation? Thats not a neutral statement, thats a statement that borders very closely to supporting it. The Dalai Lama did not say that but the Kalon Tripa did.
One thing that does strike me as insincere is how the CTA seems to have taken the position that the onus of finding a solution falls squarely on Chinese shoulders instead of recognizing that the Tibetans in exile too have an important role to play in the quest for a peaceful solution. Instead the CTA is never shy of making provocative statements against the Chinese Government.
It's pretty obvious that CTA is behind the self immolations and that they are it to gain attention of the media. But then again, there is only a limit before people actually get bored of the news and they move on. The only website that reports the self immolations on a consistent basis is phayul and nowhere else.
While I do not support China's act of aggression towards Tibet in 1959, the reality is that it is time to move on and if truly the objective of the CTA is to find a solution, then they have a very strange way of going about it. There is also a lot of inaccurate statements made by the CTA to give the impression that China rules the Tibetans tyrannically. There is no oppression of Tibetans merely because they are Tibetans. Instead, Tibetans under the Chinese rule have received quite a bit of subsidies and preferential treatment and indeed a number of monasteries have flourished under Chinese rule showing that there is no repression of religion per se as the CTA have claimed over and over again.
At this point, it is pretty obvious that the CTA is working for their own gain and their own status without any regard for the lives of the Tibetans, nor do they care about the instability they may bring to China. they just want what they want...is that Buddhist behavior?

What the Chinese do crackdown on are refusals by Tibetans to participate in certain programmes aimed at social assimilations. Let's not forget that China's government of Tibet has not exactly been received timidly, with uprisings and incursions from the 1960's right up to the serious unrest in 2008. China treats the Tibetans like any State would, which wishes to curb uprisings and unrests against its government.

I agree with the stance taken by the Panchen Lama. Monks should focus on the  study and spread of the Dharma instead of availing themselves as political instruments in a fight that in the broader view has nothing to do with Buddhism. I have yet to see the CTA care enough for Tibetan life to come out strongly against self immolations and accept the simple logic that these self immolations do very little to bring parties back to the table for peaceful dialogue. CTA must take initiatives to show China that they are sincere and so far, other than paying lip service the Kalon Tripa has done nothing constructive.
Monks should actually do what Monks do: study, teach, learn, practice and inspire instead of burning themselves and giving Buddhism a very bad name because everyone knows that suicide is bad no matter what is the justification behind it.

common logic will obviously be more effective than propaganda and subversion in Tibet. It is only a matter of time before people start realising that the self immolations are a product of propaganda and develop deep hatred against the CTA for using then like sheep. The Panchen Lama seems to be quite capable in leading already by now and soon, perhaps, he will stand up, lead and give solace to the people in Tibet.