anadiomene

I have to say am having a hard time dealing with the brutal force we see the Chinese dealing with Tibet on TV.  Their outrageous propaganda – trying (well I guess succeeding) to convince their own population that this violence and uprising is a Dali Lama lead conspiracy.  I understand that the average Chinese has no idea what is really going on – but the government does and is fully responsible.  As are we the world who sits back without intervention and lets it all happen.  I can’t begin to believe how all the Tibet’s outside of Tibet must feel, the frustration and not being able to help, but only to be able to watch such brute force and insensitivity.   I just don’t understand why the Chinese just don’t get the fact, Tibet wasn’t, isn’t and shouldn’t be a part of China – they have taken over the country and are slowly bringing it to ruin – so it is a tyrannical domination and genocide, a genocide of a county, its culture, religion and way of life. This must be pretty easy to do, if it is a country of Buddhist’s who practice non-violence.
What is worse is that the world watches helplessly, all believing in the Dali Lama, but knowing that China is a big player so no one wants to mess with that.  Especially, now that so many corporations have their factories there for the cheap labor.  And then we need to ask why China is so interested in Tibet in the first place.  Nobody even a country does anything for nothing, they certainly aren’t there trying to help the Tibetan’s.  Although I did read today that the Chinese believe that Tibet should be grateful for being helped by China into the 21^st century – However I believe they would prefer peace and their old way of life.
Now if China (which is bound not to want to lose face), is not able to be so generous to give Tibet back to the Tibetan’s, maybe the Dali Lama should look towards striking a business deal with a larger country for a cut of its natural resources.  I mean other countries go into countries for Oil, maybe for something in return they would help. Sad as it is, it seems to be what this world is made up of.  Rather than see the spirituality, peace and wisdom that has been brought to us by the Dali Lama, which the whole west looks up to and admires – business is business – and they aren’t going to do something for nothing.  I although I sincerely hope I am wrong.
As for me, as far as going to Tibet and getting beat up or run over is going to be difficult, I am going to support the country by boycotting the Olympics, I won’t be watching, talking or reading about it.  I hope from the bottom of my heart that athletes the world over are affected and start to talk about what is happening and boycotting the games – only these kinds of actions will or could have an impact.  But participating in the games or watching them, you are only giving this kind of behavior an OK.  And I would think in the year 2007, that people do have a voice, the right to say this is just anything but OK…..

If you live in the Netherlands support tibet by attending free Tibet concert in Amsterdam:  http://www.ticketfortibet.com/nl/

  23rd Sept. 2007 (first published) 

The film was although painful somewhat of a reflection of what can still happen today. We as a society tell ourselves what happened in Germany could never happen now, but what about Serbia, Congo, Rwanda, even in Tibet or other locations throughout Africa that I don’t even know about. We only really know what the media tells us, why didn’t they tell us the real extent of what was going on in Rwanda? Why aren’t any journalists on the ground in Africa interviewing people to get the real perspective, why the hell is everyone so focused on Iraq. From here they bombard us daily with the Westernized version of the story – what they would like us to believe. What kind of news do we have if they can’t even tell us what is really going on in the world, where is journalism heading, where is our own need to know?

And what really got me other than the current media’s biased view towards real world events, was the confusion of the people in Rwanda. They were convinced as any of us human beings would be; that when the rest of the world found out what was going on there would be rescue attempts of a UN intervention. But the UN only went in to retrieve their own people, anyone white could leave. Where does that leave anyone else but dead…. If they had oil would it have been different, if it was a European country or a wealthier country or a whiter country… What are our worldly values today? Really tell me…. Does being a human being or a living creature not count for anything anymore – especially when compared to thin slices of green paper… Anyway through conscious awareness of what is going on, and more compassionate value system we could very easily turn things around. All we need is the will and desire to do so. It starts with each of us.

 This movie is the biography of the Dali Lama. While I know the story well I had not as yet experienced it and saw it from this point of view. The responsibility he has and must live with – and what Tibet as a country went through. What I still find so hard to believe is that it continues under plain view today. What really leaves me gob smacked is I remember learning that Tibet was part of China – while I see and know today that it wasn’t/ isn’t shouldn’t be so – maybe once under some ancient rule – but then do we give Australia back to the Aborigines, America to her natives and make Holland once again be part of France… It pains me to see now that it is open to foreigners – but what do see other there now than the theater that China puts on. I can’t begin to understand the pain of the Dali Lama who would like nothing other to go back, but knows that he can’t. What it would mean to have his country back, while all the while knowing that in the Chinese culture – to lose face – is bigger than any bigheartedness might be possible. I did think though in flutter of optimism would it not be the grandest gesture of the Olympic games in the name international generosity and peace to give Tibet back to the Tibetans. This could be the biggest statement of a possible tomorrow a moving on and above the past to embrace a new state of being - I dream… But just imagine a tomorrow a world where such gestures happened and were made possible by acceptance through an open-mind and heart, this is the kind of world that all of us would want to live and be a part of. It would be much preferred than a place from where we are able override a peaceful nation of Buddhists to claim the most shallow of victories. I think it touches me more than anything is the humbleness of the Tibetans and their peaceful protesting. After watching the film though a haze of tears I wondered why this might have happened, I believe some things happen for a reason – no matter how hard it might be to understand. I think one thing of worth, is that it brought the peace and spirituality of Buddhism to the world. It gave the rest of the world a Dali Lama, his holiness, his warmth and depth of spirit that otherwise we would have never have the chance to experience. But we have this now forever and we need to let the selfishness of what we the west wants go, isn’t it time to let him go or to help him build the road home to Lhasa??

http://www.freetibet.org/