Just to say - that some of these comments show an understandable mis-apprehension of the role of the Dalia Lama in Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama isn't like a Pope, I think some people think he is in charge of the "church" of Tibetan Buddhism. But it isn't like that at all.
He isn't even in charge in that way of the particular order of Tibetan Buddhism that he belongs to himself. It is a much more diverse, almost anarchic structure, than that, Buddhism.
The Buddha himself, when he died (according to the Buddhist sutras) specifically asked his students not to take on anyone else to replace him as a "head of Buddhism" and his last words have been translated as something like
"Do not say we have no master now. The doctrine I have preached will be your master when I have disappeared. Listen, I beg you: ALL CREATIONS ARE IMPERMANENT; work diligently for your liberation." - see LIFE OF BUDDHA
"Therefore, O Ananda, be ye lamps unto yourselves. Rely on yourselves, and do not rely on external help. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Seek salvation alone in the truth. Look not for assistance to any one besides yourselves."
The Buddha's Farewell
You have to understand what he says in this context. He can't lay down the rule for other Buddhists because it just doesn't work like that.
So when he says it's not his place to say what they can do he is just expressing what his role is in Buddhist culture.
He can give more detailed one to one guidance to his own personal students, the ones who choose to go to him for help, as can any other Buddhist teacher who has students. If one of those monks were to go to him for one to one personal guidance, who knows what he might say. But he can't give personal guidance in a public interview like this and it is totally inappropriate for a Buddhist teacher to talk in that sort of way about monks (or any other Buddhist practitioners) who are not his students.
The Communist rulers are far more autocratic than Buddhist teachers, and probably find this hard to understand.
He can talk about Buddhist teachings and doctrine. He can help other Buddhists to understand the teachings better for instance. I didn't know that it was possible for suicide to be positive and non violent in Buddhism, that is a complete surprise. But presumably it can be if you motivation is non violent and positive when you do it. That would be really hard to do, don't see myself how you could commit suicide in a non aggressive non violent way motivated only by compassion for others.
He is giving advice there too, saying that anyone who does commit suicide needs to be sure that they are motivated only by compassion for others and that they are doing it in a totally non violent way, not even as violence towards themselves. That would discourage most people because it is really hard to do that. Given that he is saying the truth about Buddhist teachings, don't see how he can do more than that in his position.
The other thing to bear in mind is that the dharma isn't something he can make up and change to tailor to the situation - again that's very different from the Pope who can make decrees and change the doctrine.
There isn't even a fixed doctrine in quite the same way as in Christianity. About the only thing like that is the vinaya - the monks rules, and the various disciplines, which are things you undertake voluntarily. The monks rules, and the various vows you can take as a lay person, are fixed, were set out by the Buddha, and no-one else can change those, and a lot of significance is attached to the unbroken chain of transmission of them back to the historical Buddha.
The rest are no more than guidelines to help you see various truths for yourself.
The Dalai Lama can't change Buddhist teachings, and he can't change the vinaya. He can only speak about possible ways of applying the Buddhist teachings in your life.
So as a Buddhist myself that is the main surprise in this talk, that he says that, which I hadn't heard before.
I hope this helps you understand it better. He is in a tough position - obviously finds it very sad - and Westerners want him to influence these monks in a way that is simply impossible for a Buddhist teacher in his position to do, obviously under the impression that he is some kind of a Pope figure, which he isn't.
Here are a couple of links to videos of him talking about it:
Video: The Dalai Lama addresses Tibet’s self-immolation phenomenon on “Today”
Acts of self-immolation are in-principle non-violent: Dalai Lama
He isn't even in charge in that way of the particular order of Tibetan Buddhism that he belongs to himself. It is a much more diverse, almost anarchic structure, than that, Buddhism.
The Buddha himself, when he died (according to the Buddhist sutras) specifically asked his students not to take on anyone else to replace him as a "head of Buddhism" and his last words have been translated as something like
"Do not say we have no master now. The doctrine I have preached will be your master when I have disappeared. Listen, I beg you: ALL CREATIONS ARE IMPERMANENT; work diligently for your liberation." - see LIFE OF BUDDHA
"Therefore, O Ananda, be ye lamps unto yourselves. Rely on yourselves, and do not rely on external help. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Seek salvation alone in the truth. Look not for assistance to any one besides yourselves."
The Buddha's Farewell
You have to understand what he says in this context. He can't lay down the rule for other Buddhists because it just doesn't work like that.
So when he says it's not his place to say what they can do he is just expressing what his role is in Buddhist culture.
He can give more detailed one to one guidance to his own personal students, the ones who choose to go to him for help, as can any other Buddhist teacher who has students. If one of those monks were to go to him for one to one personal guidance, who knows what he might say. But he can't give personal guidance in a public interview like this and it is totally inappropriate for a Buddhist teacher to talk in that sort of way about monks (or any other Buddhist practitioners) who are not his students.
The Communist rulers are far more autocratic than Buddhist teachers, and probably find this hard to understand.
He can talk about Buddhist teachings and doctrine. He can help other Buddhists to understand the teachings better for instance. I didn't know that it was possible for suicide to be positive and non violent in Buddhism, that is a complete surprise. But presumably it can be if you motivation is non violent and positive when you do it. That would be really hard to do, don't see myself how you could commit suicide in a non aggressive non violent way motivated only by compassion for others.
He is giving advice there too, saying that anyone who does commit suicide needs to be sure that they are motivated only by compassion for others and that they are doing it in a totally non violent way, not even as violence towards themselves. That would discourage most people because it is really hard to do that. Given that he is saying the truth about Buddhist teachings, don't see how he can do more than that in his position.
The other thing to bear in mind is that the dharma isn't something he can make up and change to tailor to the situation - again that's very different from the Pope who can make decrees and change the doctrine.
There isn't even a fixed doctrine in quite the same way as in Christianity. About the only thing like that is the vinaya - the monks rules, and the various disciplines, which are things you undertake voluntarily. The monks rules, and the various vows you can take as a lay person, are fixed, were set out by the Buddha, and no-one else can change those, and a lot of significance is attached to the unbroken chain of transmission of them back to the historical Buddha.
The rest are no more than guidelines to help you see various truths for yourself.
The Dalai Lama can't change Buddhist teachings, and he can't change the vinaya. He can only speak about possible ways of applying the Buddhist teachings in your life.
So as a Buddhist myself that is the main surprise in this talk, that he says that, which I hadn't heard before.
I hope this helps you understand it better. He is in a tough position - obviously finds it very sad - and Westerners want him to influence these monks in a way that is simply impossible for a Buddhist teacher in his position to do, obviously under the impression that he is some kind of a Pope figure, which he isn't.
Here are a couple of links to videos of him talking about it:
Video: The Dalai Lama addresses Tibet’s self-immolation phenomenon on “Today”
Acts of self-immolation are in-principle non-violent: Dalai Lama
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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