Dalai Lama endorses just wars but not in case of Tibet

Yahoo News ^ | Nov. 4, 2005 | AFP

[FairOpinion]

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) - Waging war for the cause of freedom can be justified but not in the case of Tibet's dream of autonomy from China, the Dalai Lama told an audience at Stanford University.

During the first of a two-day visit to the university in the state of California, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader Tenzin Gyatso touched on topics ranging from television viewing to abortion, cloning and the idea of just wars.

The allied victory in World War II "saved Western civilization," and conflicts fought in Korea and Vietnam were honorable from a moral standpoint, the 14th Dalai Lama said in answer to questions.

But he ruled out armed struggle for Tibet's grievances with the Chinese government.

"In the case of Tibet versus China, violence is almost like suicide," the Dalai Lama said. "If violence, then bloodshed. Bloodshed means more casualties among the Chinese and, again, more hatred."

"We must follow nonviolent principle so that later we can live happily."

Fighting a war of independence with China would also take a vast arsenal that Tibet lacks, he added.

Tibet's cause enjoys growing support among the Chinese people, but not the government, the Dalai Lama said.

"There are some among us who say our neighbor only understands the language of violence," the Dalai Lama said. "It is easy to say 'jihad,' but actual implementation is very complicated, very hard, and too risky."

The Dalai Lama, 70, has lived in India since he fled from Chinese troops in 1959, basing his government-in-exile in the hill-top northern Indian town of Dharamsala.

The Dalai Lama said Tibet wants to keep its culture, language and spiritual customs autonomous from China but would benefit from close economic ties.

Asked about the US-led invasion of Iraq, he said it would take a few years before it becomes clear whether the US military action was the right course of action.

If handled improperly, the situation in Iraq could go from "today, one (Osama) bin Laden, next few years 10 bin Ladens, then 100 bin Ladens," the Dalai Lama said.

The spiritual leader made his comments during an afternoon session entitled "the heart of nonviolence." Earlier in the day, he led a packed auditorium filled with 7,000 people in a meditation session.

While fielding questions, the Dalai Lama said that there were no clear right or wrong answers to controversial topics such as euthanasia, abortion or genetic cloning.

The issues should be looked at "holistically," with situations evaluated case by case, the Dalai Lama said.

The Dalai Lama joked at times. A question about whether to cut television from people's lives prompted him to quip that "society would be more boring."

At one point he smiled, touched his balding, shaved head and remarked: "Less hair, more shine, more wisdom."

He closed the afternoon talk by saying that China was undergoing a transition toward a more open culture and that he has reason to be hopeful for future relations between Beijing and Tibet.

The Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent struggle for Tibet, has been pushing for greater autonomy for the Himalayan region, as the head of an unrecognized government and de facto diplomat.

Scheduled to visit Washington DC next week, the Dalai Lama was expected to appeal to US President George W. Bush to lobby China on Tibet's behalf.

The International Campaign for Tibet, a group promoting civil rights for the people of Tibet, said the Dalai Lama was coming to Washington at a "key moment," citing the current Sino-Tibetan dialogue on the territory's future status.

The first-ever talks between the Dalai Lama's envoys and Beijing officials outside Chinese soil were held in the Swiss capital Bern in July.

[FairOpinion]

"Waging war for the cause of freedom can be justified but not in the case of Tibet's dream of autonomy from China, the Dalai Lama told an audience at Stanford University.

The allied victory in World War II "saved Western civilization," and conflicts fought in Korea and Vietnam were honorable from a moral standpoint, the 14th Dalai Lama said in answer to questions."

Also note he refused to condemn the Iraq war, unlike many other Christian leaders, who couldn't wait to jump on the anti-US, leftist bandwagon, condemning it loudly:

"Asked about the US-led invasion of Iraq, he said it would take a few years before it becomes clear whether the US military action was the right course of action."

[The Worthless Miracle]

"Asked about the US-led invasion of Iraq, he said it would take a few years before it becomes clear whether the US military action was the right course of action"

BUT Bush was mocked when he said that history would be the judge...

[bnelson44]

He calls Vietnam a just war

interesting....

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

conflicts fought in Korea and Vietnam were honorable from a moral standpoint

Interesting.

[ClearCase_guy]

Sounds like one of his criteria for a Just War is that you have to have some hope of winning. Makes sense.

[the invisib1e hand]

The Dalai Lama joked at times. A question about whether to cut television from people's lives prompted him to quip that "society would be more boring."

But seriously, folks... I just flew in from Bangkok, and are my arms tired!...Did you hear the one about the monk and the exotic dancer?...

Interesting read, actually. At least he was thoughtful about his political correctness; it didn't seem like typical leftist talking point delivery.

[FairOpinion]

I think that he undestands communists and leftists, because of China, so he doesn't swallow the leftist propaganda, as unfortunately many other religious leaders do.

[denydenydeny]

If he had unambiguously condemned the Iraq war, I suspect that that little detail wouldn't be in paragraph 12 of the story.

[bnelson44]

Also true with the Catholic Church's view on a just war.

[FairOpinion]

You mean like this one?

Board of Church and Society calls for withdrawal from Iraq

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society passed a resolution calling on the United States to withdraw its troops from the country. "As people of faith, we raise our voice in protest against the tragedy of the unjust war in Iraq," the resolution stated. "We urge the United States government to develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of its troops. The U.S. invasion has set in motion a sequence of events which may plunge Iraq into civil war."

[FairOpinion]

I thought a lot of leaders of the Catholic Church condemned the Iraq war, including Pope John Paul II.

[bnelson44]

They did. The Pope didn't, at least not publically. But the Just War Doctrine in the Catholic Church is not decided by clerics. It is the responsibility of the civic leaders to engage in such actions or not. They make the decision and they are responsible to God for their decisions.

More info:
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a5.htm#2307

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

His Lama-ness apparently does not include the WOT in his list of "just wars":

Dalai Lama Criticizes U.S. War
DHARAMSALA, India (AP) -- The Dalai Lama criticized the U.S.-led war on terrorism on Thursday and said the use of retaliatory force would only lead to more suffering.

``Terrorism cannot be overcome by the use of force because it does not address the complex underlying problems,'' he said in a statement. ``In fact, the use of force may not only fail to solve the problems, it may exacerbate them and frequently leave destruction and suffering in its wake.''

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/741584/posts

[bnelson44]

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society doesn't represent the Methodist Church. These nuts also came out against the Boy Scouts of America's policy on not allowing avowed homosexual Scoutmasters.

[bnelson44]

But the Liberation of Iraq does address underlying issues. Interesting....

[FairOpinion]

Well, here is another one, where he supports the war against terror. Perhaps the other quote was not in full context?

Dalai Lama backs fight against terrorism

http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/newsdetails.php?newsid=695

NEW DELHI, Nov 2: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today supported the fight against terrorism but cautioned against branding the entire Muslim community as militant.

"I take appropriate action when I see malaria-carrying mosquitoes because they are not very friendly," the Dalai Lama said while answering a question about terrorism, Gandhiism and Islamic fundamentalism after a talk on ‘achieving peace in our times’ here.

But he said he did not believe that "a few mischievous Muslims" represented the entire Muslim community.

[FairOpinion]

Here is another good quote from the article in my post above: "I really do not know. I wish Gandhi was here. Terrorism is a different problem, an invisible one," the Tibetan leader said. "It’s foolish to say compasssion when you see (charging) mad dogs," the Dalai Lama said as he deplored Saturday’s deadly bomb blasts in Delhi, in which 59 people were killed and more than 200 wounded.

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

My take on the Esteemed Lama-lity is that, like Clinton, he shades his statements to varying degrees depending on the audience he is speaking to.

[FairOpinion]

My guess is that as a "man of peace" he has to advocate and does advocate peace, but doesn't advocate surrender.

I kind of liked his mosquito and mad dog analogies.

[smith288]

Asked about the US-led invasion of Iraq, he said it would take a few years before it becomes clear whether the US military action was the right course of action.

Thousands of hippy leftists just ripped off their "Free Tibet" stickers in protest of his astute patience regarding Iraq.