Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the Twenty-Third Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day, 10 March 1982
Today on the 23rd anniversary of 10th March, and at a time when the
truth of our cause is becoming ever clearer, I send, alongwithmy
appreciation, greetings to the Tibetan people, in and outside Tibet.
In any society, the distinction, between truth and falsehood, benefit
and harm, is ultimately revealed by time and history. Similarly, the
actual history of these last twenty-three years has done a big summing
up of whatever was the truth and whatever was false in the issue of
Tibet. Without resorting to untruth and lies, without fabricating
non-existing accomplishments or belittling past achievements and
erasing their traces, it is important to apply the reasonable method of
“seeking truth from facts” in analysing and learning lessons derived
from a calm and objective study of the roots of right and wrong as they
have been revealed and are being revealed by actual history.
At this moment, questions of the old and the new social system,
religion, differing ideologies and systems spring to the mind of many
Tibetans, in and outside Tibet. As I have mentioned many times before,
on this question the Tibetans will have to keep pace with the
progressive changes that are occurring in the twentieth century world
and move towards democratic revolution. The old social system will
never be resurrected. The teachings of the Buddha, as contained in the
Tripitikas (the three baskets) and three Higher Trainings, are
beneficial to society since they are based on sound reason and actual
experience. These we must preserve and promote. However, the livelihood
of lamas and monks and the admiration of the monastic establishment
must be of necessity to change with the changing times. Like the fact
that all the waters and rivers of different lands and climes have their
ultimate meeting point in the ocean, so too the differing viewpoints on
society, the variety of economic theories and the means to their
attainment, must benefit, and they do certainly benefit, mankind
itself. There is no point in indulging in dissension-creating
discussions on differing ideologies. The fact that no positive result
has accrued from attempting to convert all men of different
temperaments and likings into one common ideology and mode of behaviour
can clearly be seen from the contemporary history of both the East and
West. If a few, without caring the least for the basic welfare of
people and the larger interest of mankind, continue to give order, beat
and kill, and yet label this atrocious behaviour as “revolutionary”,
they are only fooling themselves. This behaviour is both shortsighted
and parrot like. A recent issue of Red Flag journal has criticised a
few persons who, far from serving the people and looking after their
welfare, literally sit on peoples heads and do whatever comes to their
mind. Persons who adopt such behaviour are not needed in any society
and they certainly do not belong to the ranks of those thinking human
beings who work for the benefit of themselves as well as that of others.
In the last two or three years the situation in Tibet has undergone
some slight change. Because of this a number of people, comparing this
to past suffering, feel content with the present liberalisation and
hope that a good result will come about soon. On the other, a number of
other people feel that the present liberalisation policy is a new
attempt to fool the Tibetans and that in the end the Tibetan people
will not be given equal rights to freedom. The Tibetans should neither
suffer such inflated hopes nor ingrained suspicion. They should not be
impatient and hold hasty views. The issue of Tibet is the issue of
people whose history goes back thousands of years and whose religious
and cultural heritage is rich. It is also an issue which is deeply
linked with the changes in the international political scene.
Consequently, the issue of Tibet should inevitably undergo a proper,
satisfactory and decisive change since the present situation will never
remain as it is. As such all Tibetans must continue to struggle
broadmindedly, peaceably and truthfully, for both the short and long
term happiness, interests and rights of our people. This struggle must
continue right to the end.
The Dalai Lama
March 10, 1982