Non-violence can't tackle terror: Dalai

Bump. I may need to refer to this article from time to time.

He sounds too westernized. The closed mind is just the flip side of the same coin that is the open mind. It just has different rules, but it is still the mind, nonetheless.

An open minded man can be persuaded with logic and reason, but a closed minded man can be persuaded with superstition and uncertainty.

You would tell an open minded man not to cross a minefield, because it had bombs concealed beneath it that can injure or kill him. And even if he did not know what a bomb is, he might accept the idea that such a thing might exist.

But a closed minded man you would tell not to cross a minefield, for within dwells an invisible monster that will reach up from the ground with a great noise and injure or kill him. It is magical and powerful, and his faith in whatever will not protect him.

Whether his mind is open or closed does not matter. What then matters is if he is wise or foolish. But how does this relate to terrorism? In much the same way.

The Dalai Lama cannot appeal to terrorists in the same way that he would appeal to a diplomat at a cocktail party. So instead he must use the superstition and fear of the terrorists against them, for the same ends.

As a silly example, what would terrorists think if he announced that through reincarnation, terrorists who harm innocents will be denied their Muslim heaven, but instead live lives as unhappy pigs? It is not unsound in Buddhist theology, and confronts their superstitious beliefs head on.

But not so silly, for it has been observed that fanatics of all stripes are often so precisely because they doubt their own faith. As such, they can easily become deeply afraid that some other beliefs might be “right”, which means that they are in jeopardy. They fear that other beliefs are stronger than their own.

So for the Dalai Lama to announce that his faith has power over the terrorist’s destiny would strike home. But this is just one example.

He could create Buddhist amulets, chants, and charms that interfere with what the terrorists seek to do. He could use “Buddhist magic” to make the sun hot, water wet, and make the terrorists hemorrhoids throb. The proof could be seen by the terrorists themselves, that the sun was indeed hot, etc.

Not to appeal to the terrorists sense of logical and reason, but to influence their behavior nonetheless.

And likewise he should not fear those terrorists who are educated, because “science does not dispel the fear of the gods.” While such men may be educated, it does not mean that they are wise.

I decided to see how other media sources are reporting the Dalai Lama's trip to India.

Via Yahoo News, I came across this article in a different Indian news site (New Kerela). It seems more devoted to entertainment and news regarding the Tamil minority. This article says completely the opposite of what the Times of India states the Dalai Lama saying.

I suspect the Dalai Lama said both things during the talk; namely, you can not deal with terrorism with non-violence and also saying that we should engage in dialogue and non-violence with the terrorists. This is what I don't like about the Dalai Lama. It's very easy to catch him speaking out of two sides of his mouth so everyone goes home happy and reporters get to report whatever they want to report him saying.

At least they quoted him about President Bush.

I should note there is nothing in the American media that I could find quoting the Dalai Lama and his affection for President Bush.

-------------- #### -------------------

Dalai Lama advocates dialogue to end terrorism

New Delhi, Jan.18 : Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Saturday urged a path of non-violence and dialogue to confront terrorism.

"We must show non-violent ways to deal with these conflicts so that is dialogue. I think the text books should include the education of morals without touching religion, education of non-violence and peace and the concept of compromise," the Dalai Lama told a gathering here.

The Tibetan spiritual leader's comments come at a time when tensions have been simmering in India and Pakistan over last November's terror attacks in western Mumbai, blamed on Pakistan-based terror outfits.

The Buddhist leader said he loved the outgoing US president George Bush though he did not agree with some of his policies.

"I love him (US president George Bush) but some of his policies...one time I told him I love you but some of your policies ...I expressed that way so he knows I am opposed to some of his policies," the Dalai Lama said.

The Dalai Lama earlier in the day inaugurated a forum named 'Global Congress on World's religions after September 11 - An Asian Perspective' in New Delhi.

-------------- #### -------------------

And of course, the "Indian Muslim" slant on the Dalai Lama's talk offers no surprises:

-------------- #### -------------------

Associating Islam with terrorism wrong: Dalai Lama

Submitted by Mudassir Rizwan on Sun, 01/18/2009 - 11:24.

Indian Muslim

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: The perception created by media that Islam is associated with violence and terrorism is totally wrong, said Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama at world religions congress that began at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi on January 17.

In his keynote address at the three-day global congress on World’s Religions after September 11: An Asian Perspective, Dalai Lama said that people irrespective of their faiths are doing irreligious things as soon as they are out of their places of worship. They try to show themselves as sincere followers of their religion when they are in temple, church, mosque or synagogue, he said.

The three-day congress has been organized by the Centre for the Study of Comparative Religions and Civilisations, Jamia Millia Islmia and the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University, Canada.

Earlier welcoming the guests JMI VC Prof. Mushirul Hasan said Jamia has been committed to harmony of faith and civilization and nationalism and it is evident from the presence of Study of Comparative Religions and Civilisations and Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution at its campus.

“We have gathered here at this Congress in the shadow of two sad happenings in recent months – the outrage and killings of innocents in Mumbai on 26/11 and unprovoked murder of innocent Palestinians in Gaza,” he said adding that the two cannot be overlooked.

In our own country we have seen practitioners of hate who were hell bent to undermine the secular foundations of the society in the 1990s which led to demolition of Babri Masjid, the VC said.

Over 150 Delegates from 14 countries are expected to take part in the global congress. They will be exploring the interface between Religions and other disciplines such as Religion and Civilizational Dialogue, Religion, Conflict and Peace, Religion, Science and Technology, Religion and Human Rights, Religion, Art and Morality.

Is there an Asian Way of Resolving Religious Conflict? and Can Interfaith Dialogue Make a Difference? are two important topics to be discussed during the congress.

-------------- #### -------------------

The head of the Tibetan government-in-exile left the audience stunned when he said "I love President George W Bush.

*snort!*

I've admired the Dalai Lama for a long time. He is a man of peace, but also smart and practical. This is an example of that practicality. Buddhism is called "The Middle Way" for a reason -- it is not meant to be philosophy of extremes.

I just wish I could have seen their faces when he said he loved President Bush!

Very good essay Jeff Head.

Thanks for posting. Interesting article and thread.

May God bless this man for speaking truth.

Actually, it’s not really a surprise.

In one of the Dalai Lama’s books, he recounts how one of Tibet’s fatal errors was not to be prepared for the Chinese invasion. And when the CIA did drop arms behind Tibetan lines, it was too little, too late.

Dalai Bama meet Dalai Lama.

They have nothing in common. Zer0!

That is a real fanciful story you have made up there. Can you give one example of the Dalai Lama doing any of that?

I think they’re closer to the Indian Ocean.

Certainly not. But then again I didn’t say he did. I said that he *should* do something like that.

His argument was that non-violence doesn’t work against the closed minded. My argument was that it can, but the approach must be different.

The truth is that tyranny is weakness, be it the tyranny of a dictator, or of an invader, or of a terrorist. The most important thing is to never submit to tyranny, because a tyrant is dependent on the cooperation of his victims. If they refuse to cooperate, in many different ways, his efforts become exhausting.

People can choose many ways to not cooperate, however. Non-violence, as was practiced by Gandhi, was one. Diplomacy and reason, as practiced by the Dalai Lama, is another. And what I suggested, playing on the superstitions and the fears of the terrorists, is yet another. And there are many more. But what they all have in common is a refusal to be tyrannized.

Even in the murderous brutality of the old Soviet Union under Stalin, there was a way for the average Russian to not-cooperate with the terror of the state. Sloth and inefficiency. The realization that they could kill anyone at any time, for any or no reason, cannot make people productive or cooperative. Instead the get drunk and slack off.

But it boils down to the same thing. Terrorists are weaklings who think they are strong because they are violent. And just because you cannot argue them into stopping their violence, doesn’t mean it is the only way to stop them from being violent. And it isn’t even the only non-violent way to stop them from being violent.

I can’t disagree with your analysis of the weakness of terrorism. Or the superstitious nature of the closed mind. But the Dalai Lama will never trivialize the Buddhist religion by using it as a tool to manipulate temporal outcomes. If he were tempted by such folly I think he would have used it against the Chinese by now.

I think they’re closer to the Indian Ocean.

Hey Dalai, Him-a-lay-a bad one on me!

Would it “trivialize the Buddhist religion by using it as a tool to manipulate temporal outcomes” any more than teaching?

I called terrorists tyrants with a very specific energetic meaning, because tyrants must expend enormous amounts of energy to be tyrants. Any refusal or resistance of any kind, that they cannot overcome with their limited resources, will quickly exhaust them. The form this resistance takes matters far less than it being resistant.

So the Dalai Lama’s error is thinking that because one limited technique of non-violence has failed, that there is no other except to meet force with force. It is a personal error, as Buddhism understands this concept. He would not think this as a younger Tulkus.

By focusing on the temporal, instead of the energetic, one is hypnotized by the illusion that there is anything but energy. But our illusions are the means by which we eventually understand this fact.

The terrorists, as I said, doubt their own faith in many cases, so by forcing them to look ever deeper into their illusions, it helps them to more quickly dispel them. The realization cannot be forced, but it can be assisted. How it is done is just technique.

There are many contrivances in Buddhism that were created solely to teach. There is no great reverence applied to them other than being good training aids. So why not extend them to non-Buddhists?

Terrorists are obviously having a hard time with their lives, perhaps all they need is a nudge to mosey on. Perhaps they will need some warrior to nudge them into their next life as well, but that is not the job of a lama.

Would it “trivialize the Buddhist religion by using it as a tool to manipulate temporal outcomes” any more than teaching?

Yes, it sure would. Without a doubt.

So the Dalai Lama’s error is thinking that because one limited technique of non-violence has failed, that there is no other except to meet force with force.

He didn't recommend meeting force with force. In fact his advice was quite different than that.

It is a personal error, as Buddhism understands this concept. He would not think this as a younger Tulkus.

Hogwash on both counts. Being a Tulku means very little. It means one is a reincarnated lama. It has nothing to do with having done any study or practice. It is an honorary title and no study or practice is necessary to receive it.

By focusing on the temporal, instead of the energetic, one is hypnotized by the illusion that there is anything but energy. But our illusions are the means by which we eventually understand this fact.

Which is exactly why no Buddhist should use lies or deceit to manipulate someone for a temporal outcome. The cause and effect of doing that would be to strengthen the bonds of delusion. That would not just be bad karma that would be horrific karma.

How it is done is just technique.

Whatever. I guarantee you that no Buddhist worth his cushion, much less the Dalai Lama, would make up phoney baloney rituals, talismans or even false statements attributed to Buddhist teaching to accomplish a goal. That would be antithetical to the view.

Perhaps they will need some warrior to nudge them into their next life as well, but that is not the job of a lama.

You've obviously never met my lama. LOL

“You’ve obviously never met my lama. LOL”

Yes, that is a strong possibility. He has served you well.

Oh look, an apple. Bye.

A unicorn and his road apple are soon parted.