Dalai Lama urges Buddhists to halt violence against Muslims

[DonViejo]

Source: Agence France-Presse

By Agence France-Presse
Sunday, July 6, 2014 12:14 EDT

The Dalai Lama Sunday reiterated his plea to Buddhists in Myanmar and Sri Lanka to halt violence against Muslims, in a speech to tens of thousands of devotees to mark his 79th birthday.

In front of the massive crowd that included Hollywood film star Richard Gere in northern India, the Dalai Lama said the violence in both Buddhist-majority countries targeting religious minority Muslims was unacceptable.

“I urge the Buddhists in these countries to imagine an image of Buddha before they commit such a crime,” Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader said on the outskirts of Leh, high in the Himalayas.

“Buddha preaches love and compassion. If the Buddha is there, he will protect the Muslims whom the Buddhists are attacking,” the leader, who fled Tibet for India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, said.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/06/dalai-lama-urges-buddhists-to-halt-violence-against-muslims/

[urbuddha]

1. I hope they are listening to His Holiness

and do as he asks.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

3. I doubt they care what he has to say.

Theravada Buddhists aren't really fond of the Dalai Lama. It would be like the Pope telling Southern Baptists how to behave.

[TM99]

4. You are wrong on this.

Your knowledge is actually lacking on this topic.

Warring lay Buddhists are not listening to anyone on this issue of sectarian violence whether it is H.H. the Dalai Lama or Thich Nhat Hanh or Ajahn Buddhadasa (a Thai Theravadan whom H.H. the Dalai Lama was invited to give a Dharma talk to).

There is no modern animosity between the different historic 'vehicles' of Buddhism. H.H. the Dalai Lama is not the Pope or even like a Pope. The different schools of Buddhism are NOT like Christian denominations.

Yes, look at all of that 'lack of fondness' for H.H. the Dalai Lama.

We, the monks, were curious. We knew nothing of Tibetan Buddhism, took little or no interest in the concepts of Mahayana and Hinayana. We certainly wondered whether Tibetan monks observed any kind of Vinaya (disciplinary rules) comparable to the Theravada Vinaya. In his benign and kindly fashion, the Dalai Lama avoided any historical differences and asked us the question “Who is the Dalai Lama?” We were all ears.

He went on: “Is the Dalai Lama the robes? No. Is the Dalai Lama the voice? No. Is the Dalai Lama the face? No. Is the Dalai Lama the form? No. Is the Dalai Lama the name? No.” Where is the Dalai Lama? There is no such thing, no such being, as the Dalai Lama.”

At the end of his talk, all of us monks bowed down spontaneously to the Dalai Lama. It was a touching moment. His teachings dispelled any historical differences and went right to the heart of the Dharma.

Ajahn Buddhadasa, the master on the teaching of the emptiness of I and my, quietly smiled.

http://christophertitmuss.org/blog/when-the-dalai-lama-visited-ajahn-buddhadasa

I'll end my reply with H.H. the Dalai Lama's closing address at the Global Buddhist Congregation of 2011:

http://www.dalailama.com/messages/buddhism/buddhist-congregation-2011-address

Many are listening, and all it takes is one person to get through to those lay Buddhists and errant monks who are perpetrating this violence to get them to stop.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

7. I didn't say the positions are alike.

If you ask most Theravada Buddhists they'll say he is a great monk, nothing more. And if you don't think sectarianism exists in Buddhism you're sadly mistaken. The Dalai Lama isn't venerated in most countries like he is in the West. That being said there all parallels between Christianity and Buddhism (and Islam for that matter) in terms of the mixing of racial and ethnic dynamics and tensions with religion. Along with parallels of tracing lineage and authenticity of different practices of what is essentially the same religion.

[TM99]

8. Saying he is a great monk in reply

and saying they are not fond of him sounds a bit contradictory, don't you think?

Veneration is an odd term. My experience is that he is respected by many in a variety of countries.

Of course, sectarianism exists, and yet not to the degree you implied with the Catholic/Baptist analogy.

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. I can't speak for all Buddhists but I know the Zen Buddhists

really respect and revere the Dalai Lama. He is regarded as a Bodhisattva. (an enlightened one)

I am always amazed when I hear him speak at his knowledge of all of the Buddhist schools. But then he has spent his entire life studying all this stuff.

[truebrit71]

6. The concept of a violent Buddhist makes my head hurt...

...in the same way fundamental chrisitianist's that advocate violence do...

Have you READ the works that are supposed to be the foundation of your beliefs?

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. I think it's mostly young monks.

They are like young people everywhere. Kind of fast on the draw.