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Dalai Lama & Tibetans' Stake in China

Prakash Bom - 3/25/2008

Is Tibet geographically part of South Asia? If not then when socio-political and economic crises occur in Tibet troubles should not pour down on to the nations of the South Asia. Nevertheless, historically that is not true since 500 BCE after Siddhartha Gautama established his philosophy of Buddhism. In my view Buddhism is not the religion of faith or belief or superstition. On the contrary, it is a philosophy of religion, which can initiate a revolutionary process in an individual for his or her perceptional independence over the collective consciousness that he or she has been succumbed to as a member of certain tribe, race, group or nation.

Individual humans mislay their independence or individual freedom once they become incapable of reasoning or rational thinking. This had has been happening to humanity from Neolithic time to this modern time that individual humans have not stopped giving in themselves as members of a tribe or a group or a herd of humanity to religion of faith, superstitions and ideologies. Such a self-pride and ignorance of humanity over his or her self-identity for Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was the only sorrow that is devoid of its corresponding reality in human existence, which upholds in space and time. What happened to the reasoning of Siddhartha Gautama, which helped individuals to be capable of thinking themselves for their individual freedom or liberation or Nirvana has long been lost in Buddhism(s) that immerged from the religion of faith, superstitions and dogma.

Dalai Lama as a true scholar Buddhist has been caught up with the collective consciousness of average Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhism, which practically sustains on faith, superstition, and dogma in large. Average Tibetans are not capable of rational or scientific thinking for their individual independence in the first place as per the premise of Siddharthian Buddhism. If they did they would not have been engaged in violent protests in Tibet, in South Asian countries and around the world. They would have followed the guideline of peaceful protest that Dalai Lama had since long ago sponsored it as non-violent agitation.

Politically, it is devastating for Tibetans, who escaped earlier Maoist communist invasion in Tibet and later Cultural Revolution that failed in entire Republic China. Had the modern China with the promise of economic opportunities invaded Tibet at this time, perhaps millions of Tibetans could not have left Tibet as much as they did during Maoist communist invasion. Dalai Lama had recently made clear that Tibetans non-violent agitation is for the greater autonomy of Tibetans, but not for the independence of Tibet. Such political assurance of Dalai Lama suggests clearly that it is good for Tibet and Tibetans to be the integral part of China, the world's immerging economic power.

The demand for the greater autonomy of Tibet for all ethnic Tibetans must be inclusive in entire Tibet because Tibet is also a region of multi-ethnicity – within the homogeneity of Tibetans there are many other ethnic groups. Therefore, neither the Tibetans nor the world community should be narrowly conceptualized if Dalai Lama's rehabilitation stands for the greater autonomy for Tibetans, but not the independence of Tibet. This must be clear to Chinese authorities that the demand for the greater autonomy for Tibetans means for all people of ethnicity of Tibet, not only for the Tibetans who follow Dalai Lama both in Tibet and in the Tibetan refugee camps around the world.

The injustice that Tibetans in Tibet have faced is their displacement that Chinese government has implemented with the resettlements of Han Chinese in Tibet. Tibetans find themselves as second class citizens of Tibet under the People's Republic China. Ethnic cleansing is on the horizon. Suppressions by the armed force will not last long.

As much as food, shelter and clothing are required for the survival that much the individual independence or freedom is indispensable for humanity. No tyrant state can completely crush the individual freedom of humanity into the dust more than the authorities of organized religions of faith, superstition and dogma. In a broader sense it is humanities' perceptive right for survival. It is with that natural right humanity has evolved to this modern time. Therefore, Chinese authorities cannot just politically declare Tibet an autonomous region of the People's Republic China, but they have to process rule of autonomous Tibet in which Tibetan people have right to participate such as people of Hong Kong. Sooner or later China will have to address this issue if Tibet is an autonomous region of the People's Republic China.

In regard to the violence in Tibet with the recent protest Dalai Lama has threatened Tibetans that he would resign as leader of Tibet's government-in-exile if the violent Tibetan agitations continue around the world. This means Dalai Lama as true Siddharthian Buddhist never ever has had advocated the violent Tibetan agitations inside Tibet or around the world. The Chinese authorities must not doubt Dalai Lama though he is taking moral responsible for all violent agitations that took place in Tibet and around the world. Similarly, Tibetans have to abide with the non-violent agitation no matter how irksome it is for the achievements. Nevertheless, it is the only way out of for generations to follow the movements. When time ripen then change is inevitable.

There are traditional issues within the Tibetan Buddhist culture that indulge caste system based on the religious hierarchy and people of ethnicity. On the contrary, it was Siddhartha Gautama (perhaps the first human on the face of the earth), who denounced caste system entirely as inhumanly practice and eliminated its place in his philosophy. The failure of average Tibetans in understanding Dalai Lama lies in some of the aspects of their tradition itself that sticks with the superstitions and dogma. Obviously, a Tibet with the rule of Tibetan Buddhist monastery will be regressive to the modern time and to the democracy. Therefore, Dalai Lama's proposal for the greater autonomy of Tibet is most viable and achievable.

What South Asian nations and international community can do else for Tibet except for supporting Tibet as an autonomous region of China in novelty that Tibetans in Tibet can be the integral part of their autonomy with their active participations as the members of the communist party of the People's Republic China. The protest has demonstrated to the international community that Tibetans in Tibet are not happy with the current state of affairs of autonomous Tibet under the direct rule of the Chinese authorities who favored Han Chinese resettlements in Tibet. This is clear that Tibetans want their participations in the rule of the autonomous Tibet of China. They simply do not want to be ruled by the Chinese officials appointed from its nation's capital. They desire their own Tibetan officials in their autonomous region. Chinese authorities must realize the fact that such demand under the provision of the autonomous region of the People's Republic China is legitimate.

Dalia Lama will be more than happy if officials with Tibetan origins are appointed by the communist party of China to govern their autonomous region. Dalia Lama is not an ambitious politician but a transcended Tibetan Buddhist who have even declared that he is the last Dalia Lama. His greatest concern in his life is for the happiness of the people of Tibet in exile or in his homeland. He is morally more responsible for Tibetans' well being than politically for the independent Tibet. At this point, even China declares Tibet independent nation Dalia Lama will not rule Tibet but he would let qualified Tibetan political leaders rule Tibet under the modern democratic system of government. He knows Tibetan Buddhist Monastery rule violates basic principles of democracy.