‘Need of the hour calls for focused attention of Tibetan intelligence’
Friday, 6 April 2007, 10:22 a.m.
His Eminence Penor Rinpoche presenting Mandala offerings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Namdroling Monastery on 8 Jan. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was in Bylakuppe (South India) to give the Hayagriva Initiation (tamding yangsang kawang) at Sera Jey Monastery on 9 & 10 Jan. On 11 Jan. he gave teachings on Atisha’s Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment (jangchup lamdon) at Sera Mey Monastery and on 12th Jan. he conferred a longevity empowerment (Tsewang Tsedup). Photo by Tenzin Dasel/phayul |
Following are excerpts from His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings at the Sera Monastery in Karnataka Dec last.
When I last visited Sera monastery, I witnessed first hand some thousands of monks debating on the great treatises of Tibetan Buddhism at the winter dharma assembly (‘jang dgun chos tsogs). I was happy to find a sound tradition (of monastic education), which would sustain and promote Buddhism through the means of discourses and realization (bshad sgrub).
In order to sustain Buddhism a great many scholars of the Land of Snows introduced many extremely profound traditions (of monastic education). I feel those traditions could be employed to retain, nourish and promote (‘zin skyong spel gsum) Buddhism even in our present setting.
I always tell my Indian friends that some 360 million of the world population of around six and half billion are probably Buddhists. However, if any people could claim possession of the whole corpus of exoteric and esoteric teachings of the Buddha, sustained through an unbroken chain of transmissions from the Great Nalanda University, it is only the Tibetans and Mongolians. Buddhism in Mongolia, unfortunately, suffered heavily for decades to a point of crisis–albeit today it is experiencing a renaissance there.
This is why I tell my Indian friends that out of the 360 million Buddhists in the world, the sustenance of the lineages (teaching) based on Nalanda University hinges upon the people of the Land of Snows. However, the circle of people who can grasp and practice the whole corpus of the Buddha’s teachings is limited even in the Land of Snows, which today is in a state of crisis.
The brunt of the responsibility therefore is on the ecumenical (ris med) religious centers and their subsidiary colleges in exile. The first generation of Tibetan exiles is coming to an end. Even in my own case, I was 25 when I first came into exile, now I am 70 plus.
Lately, both the habitat and inhabitants of the Land of Snows are suffering calamities that are beyond our imagination. Since the direct rail line between the eastern Tibetan region of Amdo and the capital city of Tibet, Lhasa, became operational, every day some 5,000 to 6,000 Chinese are said to be arriving in Lhasa. Out of these, except for 2,000 to 3,000 who return to their home in China every day, the rest of them settle in Tibet indefinitely.
Take the case of Lhasa city itself. Tibetans used to constitute only one third of the city’s population of about 300,000, while two-thirds were Chinese. However, after the extensive construction works carried out in the last two to three years, the city’s population is projected to grow to 700,000. It is common knowledge that the projected increase will be in the city’s Chinese population, not in the Tibetan–that is serious.
At these times, when everything that constitutes the Land of Snows is threatened by a looming catastrophe, the need of the hour calls for a focused attention of Tibetan intelligence (rig pa ‘grims). Tibetans generally have high dosages of love of the country, pride in the nationality and faith in the Buddha dharma–irrespective of whether they are from the Utsang, Kham or Amdo region of Tibet.
Recently, I met some former Tibetan cadres from Tibet. I told one of the elderly cadres in jest, “Being a senior member of the Party, you must have no faith in religion.” The former cadre replied, “I have been a member of the Communist Party for over 40 years. I do not however recall a day when I felt like my pride in the nationality and my faith in Buddhism had withered, not even for a moment.” He then went on saying how he had never doubted his unequivocal faith in me.
The Tibetans in Tibet are thus rock-solid as far as their pride in their nationality and their aspirations or religious commitment are concerned. Likewise, some 150,000 Tibetans live in the freedom of exile. Their size may be tiny, but from an overall perspective, they are very focused on the cause of Tibetan nationality and the Buddha dharma.
Even though I am a septuagenarian myself, I have resolved to continue doing everything I can [for this cause] as long as I live. And thus, I also pray for a long life. At this critical juncture, Tibetans in and outside Tibet must also keep on their concentrated efforts in furtherance of the Tibetan nationality and the Buddha dharma.