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Dalai Lama visits Tokyo

17 Comments

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama greets the audience before giving a speech in Tokyo on Monday. The Dalai Lama is in Japan for a 12-day visit.

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I just got a little disilusioned with the Dalai Lama when I saw the different pricing structures to attend one of his "speeches" (not in Tokyo). I know he must have costs etc while jetting around the world, but still. If he is a special one then surely people would fly to see him rather than the other way around. Has it become a business? How much did Jesus or Allah charge for an audience?

I'm all for the words of wisdom but can't help thinking that if I truely and personaly had the answers I'd be giving them away for free at the local park. And I used to so respect this guy. Just some doubt creeping in.

-9 ( +5 / -14 )

How much did Jesus or Allah charge for an audience?

I don't know, but I think you meant 'Muhammad'.

I'm all for the words of wisdom but can't help thinking that if I truely and personaly had the answers I'd be giving them away for free at the local park.

Why do that when you could get money you could then use to help poor people? I think you might be able to let go of some of that doubt.

Dalai Lama Gives to Charity the $750,000 Offered to Him

http://mandala.fpmt.org/archives/older/mandala-issues-for-1996/november/dalai-lama-gives-to-charity-the-a750000-offered-to-him/

Dalai Lama gives £1.1m Templeton Prize money to charity

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18057519

In addition, he has supported the following charities, among others.

Augie's Quest Australia Tibet Council BODHI Cinema For Peace Everyone Matters International Campaign for Tibet

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation PeacePlayers International Prince's Rainforests Project Robert F Kennedy Memorial Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

8 ( +8 / -0 )

SimondB, there are costs to pay for expenses, e.g. rent, security, etc Also, there would be inequality if someone who sits way at the back and needs a binocular to see the stage had to pay the same cost as ones who had front row seats. Common sense here.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Hey guys, give SimondB a break. Some doubt in life is normal.

As for the Dalai Lama, I honestly don't what kind of person he really is, but his teachings seem to make a lot of sense.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

SimondB@ Doubt is good, it gives your an indication that there are gaps which can be filled by finding out the answers to. I share your same feeling, I dug a little deeper and found that there are sponsoring groups which pays for the Dalai Lama's visit and they are charging for admissions or have a say at least. Cause I've seen some events in Australia, he charges AUD$10 for admission while some others are more expensive.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The pope make deplacement everywhere in the christian world. He does not make people pay, but they are suppose to make charity who end up a lot more by person than 10$....

Now, going so often to Japan when you have to reach a common ground with China might not be as wise as it seems.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This is a man who believes himself to be a reincarnation of all previous Dalai Lamas. How seriously and how much advice would you take from a man who claimed to be a reincarnation of Napoleon Bonaparte?

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

@Jimizo

I reckon if you seriously, seriously questioned him, he' d deny the whole lot. He's a very educated man and nobody's fool.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just go and see him for yourself and find out.

This Dalai Lama is essentially a very fun loving, self deprecating guy who doesn't seem to take life half as seriously as some of his rather earnest looking devotees.

He is a man, like us all, but one who carries an essentially positive message. I'm not a Buddhist, but I like the cut of this bloke's jib. He's good value.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

@Luca I've seen him asked on live television and he confirmed his belief in this. I saw nothing in his reply that was joking or half-serious. He ( they? ) also plans to reincarnate himself in India rather than Tibet. I'd prefer Bali or Crete myself. The mind boggles.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Jimizo

I don't doubt you for a minute; if you saw him say it, I'm sure you're right. But he's definitely referred to the instiution of the Dalai Lama as a "creation" for the benefit of others, and suggested that he should be the last "incarnation."

Still, a nice chap either way....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I've been there. It was good but too few time to ask questions so only 3 or 4 people could ask questions (incl. the movie-worthy disgruntled yeller). So I could not ask the most important question known to man to his holiness.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Luca I've heard nothing from the Dalai Lama which couldn't have been said by anyone with a sliver of morality and common sense along with the usual religious denouncements of certain sexual behaviour. The weight of his authority and supposed profundity comes from the perception of him as divinely ordained. To allow others to continue to believe this while not believing it himself would be unforgivably dishonest rather than honestly deluded. Moral people would come clean.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

It would be naive to go into details as the militant atheists here soon would jump on it with spiteful ridicule.

Btw what struck me vividly was when the Dalai Lama mentioned that Secularity means indeed not ignorance toward religions but tolerance toward all religions. Most atheists who decorate themselves with the tag Secular obviously misunderstand that detail.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

CGB Yes, I ridicule religion but I believe everyone should be free to believe what they want and I'd never persecute anyone for their beliefs. I'm okay with having my ideas ridiculed and I'll defend them against anyone. If you want an example of intolerance towards other faiths, a little research into Tibet under the Lamas will give you a fine example. He was a just a young man when leader of this intolerant, brutal, woman-hating theocracy and it would be wrong to blame him for its extraordinary backwardness before the Chinese arrived and continued brutalizing these people. We can only hope that one day Tibet will be free of the historical scourges of serfdom, theocracy and dictatorship.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

SimonB Also I am sure that some proceeds go to support the Tibetan government in exile. Since they don't have a tax base since they are in exile, this is one of the few ways to support the exile government in India.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Dalai Lama is under so much public scrutiny that it would be obvious if he was just another money grubbing cult leader. He seems to have done a fair amount of good. I'm waiting for the diatribe from China though. I doubt that they can leave well enough alone.

intolerant, brutal, woman-hating theocracy...

I would have to agree that when religion gets in the way of human rights then something has gone wrong. Killing in the name of...nope, separation of church and state is the only way to go.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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