That's... unexpected?

Ok, I am totally ignorant of the facts here. Isn't Bhuddism a rare religion in China? What does the Dalai Lama think he is going to accomplish?

Sabyen91: Ok, I am totally ignorant of the facts here. Isn't Bhuddism a rare religion in China? What does the Dalai Lama think he is going to accomplish?

Some estimates say that China is up to 80% Buddhist.

well, sabyen was right about the first thing...

so, if the lama wasn't behind this uprising, why would he negotiate with the chinese? (there are ostensible reasons; he is their leader-in-exile)

so, how many of these uprisings are we going to have in the 21st century? we won't even be able to count. i think some town in minnesota is trying to join up with canadia...

Sabyen91: Ok, I am totally ignorant of the facts here.

Correct.

I for one am looking foward to the death of nationalism.

Round one.
Fight!

Highroller48: Sabyen91: Ok, I am totally ignorant of the facts here.

Correct.

Well, educate me instead of being a cock, eh?

Suicidal Writer: Sabyen91: Ok, I am totally ignorant of the facts here. Isn't Bhuddism a rare religion in China? What does the Dalai Lama think he is going to accomplish?

Some estimates say that China is up to 80% Buddhist.

Hmm, but what about those in power? It is supposedly an atheist state, but what about reality. How much Buddhist sympathy at the highest levels?

Sabyen91The Dali Llama is the spiritual leader of Tiban Buddhism. He is, in essence, Tibet.

shawn82: Sabyen91
Ok, I am totally ignorant of the facts here. Isn't Bhuddism a rare religion in China? What does the Dalai Lama think he is going to accomplish?

I hope you were just waiting to use the graphic. I am happy that I gave you reason to show your brilliant humor.

tibetan.

Maybe if Tibetans would stop destroying things and burning cars the Chinese would take them a tad bit more seriously.

Sabyen91

I was :)

shawn82: Sabyen91The Dali Llama is the spiritual leader of Tiban Buddhism. He is, in essence, Tibet.

Ahh, I see, they don't even have a provisional government. I see why he would be important to any negotiation.

7of7: Maybe if Tibetans would stop destroying things and burning cars the Chinese would take them a tad bit more seriously.

Shawn, you could have waited for this guy.

Isn't he a puppet of the Chinese? Always saying that Tibet should not be independent.
I heard something like that on NPR. Don't facepalm me Bro!

7of7 Maybe if Tibetans would stop destroying things and burning cars the Chinese would take them a tad bit more seriously.


Plenty more where that come from.

shawn82: 7of7 Maybe if Tibetans would stop destroying things and burning cars the Chinese would take them a tad bit more seriously.


Plenty more where that come from.

Heh, well played.

I think that's a bit risky, since the Dalai Lama has been living in exile mainly so the Chinese government, to wit, Hu Jintao, won't throw him in prison...I mean, so they won't offer to send him to a reeducation camp to learn the error of his non-socialist ways.

Kind of like the Pope offering to fly personally to Tehran to speak directly with the Grand Ayatollah back in the middle ages.

shawn82: 7of7 Maybe if Tibetans would stop destroying things and burning cars the Chinese would take them a tad bit more seriously.


Plenty more where that come from.

Plenty more hotlinked images?

7of7

A whole Internet full. :)

Gyrfalcon: Kind of like the Pope offering to fly personally to Tehran to speak directly with the Grand Ayatollah back in the middle ages.

or like John Paul 2 promising to lie down in front of the first Russian tank to enter Poland. Or, more apt, Gandhi negotiating in an English consulate. If China harmed the DL now, Tibet would simply be ungovernable, leaving China 2 options: freedom or nukes. This is the DL's big chance. Heck, even if they jail the DL, he can be like Gandhi and starve himself. The moment he dies in captivity, Tibet will riot.

However, we can also assume that the DL is offering himself like this so that Tibetans don't feel they must sacrifice themselves. His altruism and sympathy for suffering genuinely motivate him. As he puts it, that's his job. He's a monk.

This is Tibet's big chance!

Sabyen91:
Hmm, but what about those in power? It is supposedly an atheist state, but what about reality. How much Buddhist sympathy at the highest levels?



Buddhism is an atheist/agnostic religion (there is no deity), but there are a lot of customs in some areas which involves ancestor worship, reincarnations, etc, but in Buddhism there is no deity. At the highest levels, I would say there is a lot of sociopathy and simple greed. The Communist Party is officially atheist and persecutes Christians and other theists, and I doubt devout Buddhist ascend into the party. I know of no high ranking officials that are devout. I don't speak Chinese, nor do I live in China, so there may be more nuance to the issue that I am aware of.

shawn82: I for one am looking forward to the death of nationalism.

Seconded. But I think that the DL is something other than a nationalist.

shawn82: Sabyen91The Dali Llama is the spiritual leader of Tiban Buddhism. He is, in essence, Tibet.

These two comments of yours could be used to make a bold argument about the folly and vice of the Dalai Lama!

Suicidal Writer: Sabyen91:
Hmm, but what about those in power? It is supposedly an atheist state, but what about reality. How much Buddhist sympathy at the highest levels?



Buddhism is an atheist/agnostic religion (there is no deity), but there are a lot of customs in some areas which involves ancestor worship, reincarnations, etc, but in Buddhism there is no deity. At the highest levels, I would say there is a lot of sociopathy and simple greed. The Communist Party is officially atheist and persecutes Christians and other theists, and I doubt devout Buddhist ascend into the party. I know of no high ranking officials that are devout. I don't speak Chinese, nor do I live in China, so there may be more nuance to the issue that I am aware of.

Thanks SW. I know that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion but I have no clue what the Chinese gov't think about Buddhists. I think they have a problem with anybody that doesn't worship China.

hyperspacemonkey: shawn82: I for one am looking forward to the death of nationalism.

Seconded. But I think that the DL is something other than a nationalist.

shawn82: Sabyen91The Dali Llama is the spiritual leader of Tiban Buddhism. He is, in essence, Tibet.

These two comments of yours could be used to make a bold argument about the folly and vice of the Dalai Lama!

Folly and vice? He provides a voice for them. Perhaps that is folly as he will probably be killed but vice? That is a bit over the top.

shawn82: I for one am looking foward to the death of nationalism.

How long do you plan on living?

the dalai lama has obviously failed - as well as his stupid pacifism stance. i can say that with a straight face because a bunch of monks just went postal in tibet. MONKS. POSTAL. they got fed up with china's shiat and just lost it. you know something went horribly wrong when monks take up arms.

Sabyen91: Thanks SW. I know that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion but I have no clue what the Chinese gov't think about Buddhists. I think they have a problem with anybody that doesn't worship China.

Buddhism is a religion. It is concerned primarily with samsara and the soul. This claim that it is not a religion is an interesting Western device. I have always been perplexed by it. It seems to me that infers something about the necessity of gods in order for there to be a religion. I've read the Dhammapada* in translation, as well as other Buddhist scriptures. They are scriptures, alright.

*The Dhammapada worked wonders for my dating life. It helped me to deal with mind games and emotional conflicts.

Relatively Obscure
How long do you plan on living?

Forever.

Despite their noramlly calm demeanor, the Buddhists are not a people to be farked with.

that is, unless, of course that said monks are of the SHAOLIN variety.

uptonogood: the dalai lama has obviously failed - as well as his stupid pacifism stance. i can say that with a straight face because a bunch of monks just went postal in tibet. MONKS. POSTAL. they got fed up with china's shiat and just lost it. you know something went horribly wrong when monks take up arms.

Stupid pacifist stance. Yeah, you are worth responding to. I am thinking of the test-giver's speech in Billy Madison when it comes to you. "Everyone in this room is now stupider..." or something like that. Tibet ain't got a shot against China.

shawn82: Forever.

That's good; that helps a lot. I'm still betting against you, though.

hyperspacemonkey: Sabyen91: Thanks SW. I know that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion but I have no clue what the Chinese gov't think about Buddhists. I think they have a problem with anybody that doesn't worship China.

Buddhism is a religion. It is concerned primarily with samsara and the soul. This claim that it is not a religion is an interesting Western device. I have always been perplexed by it. It seems to me that infers something about the necessity of gods in order for there to be a religion. I've read the Dhammapada* in translation, as well as other Buddhist scriptures. They are scriptures, alright.

*The Dhammapada worked wonders for my dating life. It helped me to deal with mind games and emotional conflicts.

I mean it is more of a philosophy because it is more concerned with inner being than extra-terrestrial.

Sabyen91: uptonogood: the dalai lama has obviously failed - as well as his stupid pacifism stance. i can say that with a straight face because a bunch of monks just went postal in tibet. MONKS. POSTAL. they got fed up with china's shiat and just lost it. you know something went horribly wrong when monks take up arms.

Stupid pacifist stance. Yeah, you are worth responding to. I am thinking of the test-giver's speech in Billy Madison when it comes to you. "Everyone in this room is now stupider..." or something like that. Tibet ain't got a shot against China.

Pacifism is a nice theory and all but in practical usage, it's pretty useless lest massive numbers of people are active participants - but against a government that doesn't seem to give to shiats about public perception, it's pretty useless. What does China care about outside perception as long as its own people are kept relatively ignorant of happenings around the world involving China proper?

Stupid pacifist stance. Yeah, you are worth responding to. I am thinking of the test-giver's speech in Billy Madison when it comes to you. "Everyone in this room is now stupider..." or something like that. Tibet ain't got a shot against China.

You have to remember, you're talking about passive resistance against a government that has successfully erased the memory of the Tienanmen "Tank Man" from the collective consciousness of their people... and those few who DO remember or see the iconic picture of that famous passive resister see it as a sign of the Chinese Military's benevolence and restraint in not running him over.

Shiat's farked up over there, dude; you don't really get an idea of how messed up things are until you actually go, and the first thing you get told by a Chinese official once you land is, "If you even think about talking politics with our citizens, deportation is the lightest sentence you'll receive."

Suicidal Writer:
Buddhism is an atheist/agnostic religion (there is no deity), but there are a lot of customs in some areas which involves ancestor worship, reincarnations, etc, but in Buddhism there is no deity...

Not quite, not really. Buddhism is an impersonal religion with heavy emphasis on philosophy. It was created in response to runaway Hindu traditions where they performed sacrifices and such without regard for the true meanings of those ceremonies. Siddharta Gautama saw how people were perverting the meaning of said ceremonies and formed Buddhism to help change their path. Somewhere along the way some elements of Buddhism merged with some Chinese/Tibetan/Japanese traditions to form the current incarnations.

These days, thankfully, Hinduism isn't quite as infatuated with ceremonies no one realizes the significance of. Still got a ways to go, but better than it was.

The ultimate goal in Buddhism is to merge with the "All" or enter "Nirvana" (there are countless ways of saying this, think of it as God without personification, just a big shining cloud) which is transcendental bliss. They do have a God-analogue, it's just not set in stone.

uptonogood:
Pacifism is a nice theory and all but in practical usage, it's pretty useless lest massive numbers of people are active participants - but against a government that doesn't seem to give to shiats about public perception, it's pretty useless. What does China care about outside perception as long as its own people are kept relatively ignorant of happenings around the world involving China proper?

China is *very* acutely conscious of public perception. They're trying hard to legitimize themselves as a superpower and a world leader. They know that to rule effectively they have to build influence and the only way to build influence is to openly associate yourself with other people with influence. Who would want to be seen associating with a human-rights criminal?

China aims to succeed, and they're not stupid in accomplishing their aims. Worst that can happen is complete news black-out and a giant propaganda effort to convince the world community Tibetan separatists have renounced the path of non-violent protests and are conducting WMD attacks against Chinese citizens. Again, this is highly unlikely because the Chinese want to be seen as being in control and open for business.

Realistically, I expect nothing to come of this latest drive to Tibetan independence. Perhaps some saber-rattling by India if there are some other issues to be worked out, but other than that, nothing.

Re: Tibetans burning things that aren't themselves.

Not good. I don't care who oppressed them. Should Hawaiians burn cars and kill Americans to show that they want independence? (if your answer is yes, please offer yourself up first)

Not quite, not really. Buddhism is an impersonal religion with heavy emphasis on philosophy.

Buddhism is a philosophy in search of a religion and Christianity is a religion is search of a philosophy.

China is a vicious group of imperialist thugs who've imposed a media blackout in Tibet just before sending masses of troops in again. Latest word is they have fired on a group of protestors. China claims 13 dead. Others in Tibet say over a hundred.

Apparently, the Olympic torch is supposed to wind it's way through Tibet before the start of the Beijing Olympics.

Quatchi sez ..."good luck with that"./snark>

Also... Boycott them ChiCom bastards!!

China has the same right to be in Tibet that Hitler had to be in Paris or America has to be in Iraq or Israel has to be in Palestine etc etc ad nauseum ad infinitum.

"A one L Lame is a priest
A two LL Llama is a beast
And I will bet my silk pajamas
You won't find any three LLL Lllamas!"

~Ogden Nash

/Who let the doggerel out?

oh Chinese nationalism is back baby!

read the comments on this vid :Tibet WAS,IS,and ALWAYS WILL BE a part of China (new window)



its the cultural revolution 2: electric bugaboo!

7of7: Maybe if Tibetans the PRC would stop destroying things Tibetan culture and burning cars people the Chinese Tibetans would take them a tad bit more seriously.

If you are using Youtube comments to press any kind of point, there really is no hope for you.

shawn82: If you are using Youtube comments to press any kind of point, there really is no hope for you.

yea i just got owned.

/shiat.
//all I care about is the dali lama not missing his 4/20 event in Ann Arbor.

My wife's whole family are Tibetan Buddhist. They're batshiat crazy. It's like a fricken cult of personality.