tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1012277645322483593.post3574017823614871617..comments2024-03-28T14:11:24.265-07:00Comments on dhamma musings: Lhasa, Sacred No LongerShravasti Dhammikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246408068143301108noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1012277645322483593.post-60498777378753663232016-08-26T02:13:32.961-07:002016-08-26T02:13:32.961-07:00There is a book written by buriat Gombojab Tsybiko...There is a book written by buriat Gombojab Tsybikow (sorry, I don't know how to write it correctly in Latin letters). It describes his piligrimage to Tibet, which took place in 1899 - 1902. <br />As far as I know this book wasn't translated into English and even Russian version is quite hard to find. <br />But even Gombojab, devoted Buddhist of Tibetan tradition, describes Tibet as dirty and grim place. (Mind you, the Russian Empire, part of which was Buryatia, was not very clean and nice at the time.) He writes about beggars, who sit near the golden temples, poor people, who are nearly dying of hunger and diseases while lamas live in luxury. <br />There were slaves at the temples. There were awful corporal punishments. There vere bribery and complicated plots to choose one or another "Tulku" from the family that whas decided fitting by high monks.<br />If honestly, I am happy for those Tibetan peasants, who now are able to go to school, to learn another languages, to go abroad to work and study. Who have hospitals and electricity.<br />Sure it would be better to gave this all to them without destroying ancient history cites and places of worship. Without killing people, without any invasion at all.<br />But I really don't think that without the invasion this would be possible. Tibetan rulers were okay with slavery and powerty, with illiteracy of most of the population, etc.<br />It was twentieth century! And Tibet was still theocratic and had slaves. And no proper contacts with outer world, not counting Heinrich Harrer, who get there by chance and was allowed to stay.<br />I really don't think that Dalai Lama would someday out of the blue decide "Hey, let's not take all power and wealth to ourselves, let's care about other people. You know, like this bodhicitta, we're always talking about". <br />In your book "Broken Buddha" you wrote about bad influence all that pampering has on monks. Yes, it's true, so true.<br />But WHAT influence had all this "You're incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, You're the sacred ruler, you're higher than anyone" on person?..<br />Even now there are Tibetan medicines that contain monks' feces. Because they are sacred, surely. They can heal people.<br /><br />I'm sorry about this angry comment. But I couldn't NOT write it. <br />Also, sorry about my poor English - I'm russian, i't not my native language. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10133015596868587209noreply@blogger.com