In Defence of the Dalai Lama
September 17, 2013
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a lightning rod for misconceptionRyan rebuts the article regarding the Dalai Lama's connection to the CIA and his expensive watch.
Ryan writes: My original motivation for collecting much of this information years ago was a) my interest in the CIA's original proprietary airline Civil Air Transport in the early 50's, b) My interest as practicing Buddhist in Tibet, c) My membership in the International Association of Buddhist Studies. I also get fed up with reading mindless, self-contradictory criticisms of him by otherwise well-informed sources like Webster Tarpley, Der Spiegel (Germany) and many others.
(latest - Webster Tarpley on the Dalai Lama)
by Ryan
(henrymakow.com)
Regularly articles and even books are published whose only purpose is to paint His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a negative light. While it is impossible to address all these accusations, I present a few facts and observations which readers should consider before making up their minds.
Most people don't actually know much about the Dalai Lama. In spite of this, everyone has preconceived ideas about him. The media, with its tendency to oversimplify, and to personify everything Tibetan, Buddhist, or spiritual into the person of the Dalai Lama sets him up as a lightning rod for our misconceptions.
The media also consistently fails to mention that there are other lineage heads of Tibetan Buddhism who are also addressed to as "His Holiness" and haven't bothered to mention that the Dalai Lama relinquished his position as the head of the Tibetan Government in Exile in 2011.
When we project our media-inspired, overly idealistic expectations onto the Dalai Lama, we lash out when we finally realize that our expectations don't correspond to reality, instead of questioning our original expectations.
Some, even Buddhists criticize the Tibetan form of Buddhism as being of questionable origin, however the basis of Tibetan Buddhism is the same rules of conduct (Vinaya), and doctrine (Sutras) as in Thervada (Southern) Buddhism, as well as the altruistic ideal of Mahayana (Northern) Buddhism.
THE SWASTIKA & CIA DISTRACTIONS
The colorful trappings, the occasional gruesome depictions of demons and deities replete with, yes, the occasional age-old swastikas, all of which originate from medieval India, are often used to defame a religious tradition which few know anything about. The tradition was not invented in Tibet but rather was brought from India after the 8th century by the enlightened Indian masters Padmasambhava, Atisha and by the Tibetan disciples of Naropa, Virupa and other accomplished masters where it has been preserved, almost unchanged for about a millennium.
Starting in the late 19th century romantically-inspired Europeans, Theosophists and even some Nazis set out on the search for the legendary paradise Shambhala. Not finding it anywhere they imputed it must be in mysterious, forbidden Tibet, which in spite its forbidding climate and a society reminiscent of the European middle ages was anything but paradise. That somehow a young boy, Tenzing Gyatso born in 1935, who was later inaugurated as the 14th Dalai Lama, could be held responsible for the conditions into which he was born or for our biased perceptions of an age-old symbol, the swastika, which was hijacked by the Nazis defies all logic. Additionally, that Tenzing Gyatso was recognized at the age of two as the 14th Dalai Lama, cannot be reconciled with accusations that he is power hungry.
As a young boy the Dalai Lama had virtually no contact with foreigners or knowledge of the world outside of Tibet. From his friendship with Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian Mountaineer, the Dalai Lama gained a rudimentary knowledge of foreign affairs. Due to HarrerÃs short membership in the NS and SS just before his departure to the Himalayas some like to paint Harrer as a fanatical Nazi, forgetting that his memberships predated the war and that during the entirety of WWII he spent in an Indian internment camp or in Tibet, thus precluding his knowledge of, or participation in any Nazi atrocities.The Dalai Lama was never involved with the CIA. However the CIA's covert Operation St. Circus was conceived to manipulate events in Tibet. In an attempt to try to win China back from the Communists, representatives of every ethnic group opposed to Communist China were supported including Yunnan autonomy, South Korea, the Kuomintang in Burma and Taiwan, the Muslim warlords Ma Bufang, and Ma Hongkui in western China, anti-communists in Indonesia, and South Vietnam. This being the case it is not surprising that support also flowed from the Americans to the Tibetan Government in Exile. But what did the Americans get back for their support? Basically, almost nothing.
Early on the CIA realized that the Dalai Lama, shunning violence in all forms, did not lend himself to their manipulation. Consequently, they turned to the Dalai LamaÃs younger brother Gyalo Thondup who recruited a number of exile Tibetans who were trained on Saipan and in Colorado. Dubbed Operation St. Barnum the Tibetans were airdropped at night into Tibet. Most were killed, captured or betrayed to the Chinese by their own people.
Perhaps the only tangible result of Operation St. Barnum was that one Tibetan radio operator by chance joined the Dalai LamaÃs escape party and was able to send messages to the Americans thus making President Eisenhower the best informed person as to the Dalai Lama's whereabouts.
After the Dalai Lama's escape from Tibet in 1959, the CIA acted as agent to monetarily support the Tibetan Government in Exile with $180,000 per year until 1967. Some like to paint this money as payment directly into the pocket of the Dalai Lama however it was transferred directly to ìthe Charitable Trust of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which in turn was used for investments, donations, and relief work1.
RELIGIOUS LEADER: THE SHUGDEN CONTROVERSY
As the de facto leader of the Gelug Order of Tibetan Buddhism the Dalai Lama takes his role quite seriously. Some criticize his opposition to the Shugden movement as religious oppression. However, isn't it the duty of a religious leader to lead and guide members of his order according to his best conviction?
At the core of the Shugden controversy are many intertwined issues which originate in the 17th century. The first issue revolves around the question as to whether Shugden is just a vengeful mundane deity or a Buddhist deity protecting the purity of the Gelug tradition. Another issue is that those who hold Shugden as a protector harbor intolerant, restrictive, traditionalist views which are at odds with a moderate, progressive Dalai Lama, with the practice of non-Gelug practices within their order and finally they have a long history of religious suppression of other Buddhist orders. Considering that the Tibetan people are now displaced from or oppressed within their own country, a doctrine which pits Tibetans against Tibetans can only lead to additional tragedy. See: Dreyfus 2 below
HAMBURGER AND GOLD WATCHThe Buddha, Jesus Chris and Mohammed all ate meat. According to the Buddhist Vinaya, a set of rules for Buddhist monastics, if a monk is offered meat it is not an infraction of the rules to eat it. Somehow however we have been brainwashed by the Illuminati-inspired New Age Movement to believe that vegetarianism is prerequisite to a spiritual life.
According to the Buddhist eight precepts monks should abstain from wearing jewelry. Watches, however due to their utility are exempt from this rule, and for someone with as many appointments to keep as the Dalai Lama a dependable watch is essential. As far as the number and high quality of the watches which he has been given and uses, just imagine how many watches he would be given if he started to wear a cheap plastic Swatch. See 3:
When on lecture tours the Dalai Lama is regularly offered donations from the proceeds. He suggests a list of worthy organization and leaves it to the donors as to which groups they care to support. Additionally, on his lecture tours he regularly makes statements that westerners should not change their religion in favor of Buddhism.
In conclusion His Holiness the Dalai Lama is there for all. For all those who feel they need an object for their aggression and frustration he becomes a lightning rod. Conversely he is also there for those who prefer to use him as a focal point for their inspiration, devotion and veneration.
It is your choice.
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1 The CIA's secret war in Tibet by Kenneth Conboy and James Morrison, University Press of Kansas, 2002
2 The Shuk-Den Affair: Origins of a Controversy, Dreyfus, G., Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 1998, 21,2 p. 227-270
3 Divine Provenance: The Dalai Lama and his Mysterious Patek Philippe
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Reply from Sandeep Parwaga - author of Dalai Lama - A CIA Agent
I actually really liked the latest article and the viewpoint of it, but felt I needed to respond.
Firstly, I think that the idea of spiritual leaders is a good idea, but we have to remain realistic at the same time of what is going on. I was a bit baffled by people making the argument that the Dalai Lama advocated gun ownership and other virtuous policies. I would like to point out that there are a lot of wolfs in sheep's clothing who sucker the flock into deception by making reasonable and favorable arguments. There are countless examples of this in history.
Secondly, Ryan stated that the Dalai Lama didn't receive the money personally which is not correct because that 180.000 Dollars was direct payment for him and not for any of his activities. I can't vouch for the usage of this money though, but receiving money directly sounds more like bribery to me, just like politicians receive lobby bribes for personal gain while advancing the lobby's goals and not the country he/she serves.
Thirdly, the CIA is a globalist organization which only works in the interest of advancing its own goals, which doesn't mean that the goals always pan out as planned. The Dalai Lama might just be an unconscious dupe, I can accept that argument even though he was very much aware that the CIA was using him to meddle in Chinese/Tibetan affairs. What his intentions were then and are today can be debated.
I would argue that the reason the operation failed was because China literally rolled over Tibet and destroyed any uprisings when they 'invaded' Tibet with the PLA (People's Liberation Army). Webster Tarpley makes the argument that the uprisings failed because of lack of support which to me makes sense to, but I am not sure whether that is true. Times have changed since the 1950s and so have the tactics of subversion. If a country used the army to quell foreign supported overthrows today they would receive heavy international pressure because those mobs would be labeled as 'freedom fighters' in the West. Nowadays they try to eliminate it from happening, like banning social media.
The globalists use social media extensively which is probably part of the reason why Iran, for example, banned it and China censors it. It is a tool of 21st century subversion. What I wanted to point out specifically in my article is that the CIA operates on a platform of promoting 'democracy' using foundations as a cover which is not known by many people. The Dalai Lama received 'honors' from such foundations which I think only further underlines my case. China to this day accuses the Dalai Lama of being a Western agent. Tibet is still a hot-bed region for China and remains a risk of destabilization against it especially since the Dalai Lama is still supported politically at least by the West and receives media-attention which is a bit suspicious if one knows what a tool media has become. Historically speaking I think Ryan is well-versed on the topic, but maybe his opinion is biased on the fact that he is affiliated with the organizations he mentions?
When I contributed my article I could only make my case with limited space, that's why it is essential that people spend the time reading the footnoted links in my article.
Dan M said (September 24, 2013):
Alan Watt (www.cuttingthroughthematrix.com) mentioned the Dalai Lama is head of a foundation to unite Buddhism and Islam. Theodor Illion ("Darkness Over Tibet documented the endemic monastic evils in 1930s Tibet. David Hatcher Childress mentions the 13th Dalai was sequestered in Peru. The Pachen Lama is the spiritual leader of the largest (Yellow Hat) sect; there are red & Black Hat sects, plus indigenous Bon practitioners, but the Dalai Lama was traditionally the political leader from the Potala in Lhasa. General Stillwell, George Marshall and Bertrand Russell are chiefly responsible for the China (and hence Tibet) debacle: Marshall demanded China only have two political parties, China was to be divided like Korea, defective guns and ammo were given the Kuomintang and hyperinflation fostered, while the Communists were given gold.
MacArthur's plan to bomb the Yalu bridges was to have been the signal for probably a successful rising against Communism because peasants fought against communists once they had to live under such tyranny. Tibet, like Hungary, was abandoned. The NWO plays both sides: CIA and Gladio vs. City of London funding of Marxists and the Reese Commission's mandate through foundations to Sovietize America (as reported by Norman Dodd).
The activities of Tibetan monks in the US include fuzzy-feely promotions of global warming and New Age Oneness that I've seen shrink disgusted audiences down to the diehards; locally, they refused to answer my question on chemtrails influencing the weather! The biggest problem with this Tibet-worship is that ignorance of cultural traits, strengths and weaknesses results that hidden agendas are extremely hidden because Westerners lack the cultural behavioral clues to determine which Tibetans are truthful.
In the sacred literature of vajrayana, Tibetans such as Marpa and Milarepa have been appropriately respected for centuries, but at present, IMHO, Mongolian lamaism is far superior in general practice to Tibetan lamaism. For a good idea of Tibetan values, read about Gesar of Ling because legends and epics portray a culture's sequins and dirty laundry with unabashed honesty.