 Dearest Friends @ CAS,
We are not surprised that the local channels concentrated - for a few nights running - solely on protests against the Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan: China's spokesman / the Taiwanese placard wielding retirees.
We wonder why the other critical parties are so conspicuously missing !!
Fair. We have heard from respectable people opposing His Holiness's visit. However, is something missing ??
What do people who applauded His Holiness's visit have to say ?? Are they unable to find even 1 out of the 17,000 students who attended His Holiness's teaching in the Kashiong coliseum to say a few words ?? What does the Dalai Lama Himself have to say about His own visit ??
What conclusion do they expect us to draw from this ??
They have done this before.
The intended effect is obvious except to the most naive or foolish: to misinform and pinch the standing and influence of His Holiness.
The hidden reasons for this remain cloaked and we have no wish to venture to suggest other than the usual economics, smack-into-cowering tactics and the such.
No way will bb @ CAS allow this arguably greatest of Buddhist Master ( from point of view of the scale and depth of holy activities and with reference to the 100th Ganden Trisur, Drupwang Rinpoche and Dudjom Rinpoche amongst others ) be smeared with the dirty grime of dark agendas and misguided, fatal calculations.
We are ready to go it alone - to be fair and just - to protect the integrity of His Holiness, the Teacher of so many of our very own precious Teachers - even if our fellow Dharma friends, themselves, under the compassionate care of His Holiness, look the other way or hush-hush dedicate Tara Pujas in the safety of their bedrooms.
And, we are definitely far from being the blind, screaming fans of the Dalai Lama. We do expect ourselves to speak out strong and loud against the Dalai Lama should anything he does contradict with the Buddha's teachings.
Parallel, here, we are exhorted to present to you the missing angles.
Heaven forbids desecration of the truth and a simple Buddhist monk, a holy man. Guru Rinpoche forbids.
We will rather be struck dead many times over than to allow our holy Teacher to be so misrepresented.
Thank you so many of you: Andy / Fanny / VO / WTNN.
"OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG !!"
bb @ CAS, a Chinese and a student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet
____________
 His Holiness with 17,000 Buddhists in the
Kaoshiung Arena, Taiwan. ( September 1 - 2009 )
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Love can save Taiwan: Tibetan, Taiwan Catholic leaders
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September 3, 2009 - The China Post news staff and agencies
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama and
Taiwan's Catholic leader called for the cultivation of charity, honesty,
spirituality and ethics in a dialogue between the two, yesterday.
The conversation with Cardinal Paul K.S. Shan in Kaohsiung drew an audience
of more than 1,000 people, including Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu and Taiwan
High Speed Rail Corp. Chairwoman Nita Ing.
Stressing that trust is an indispensable element in society, the Dalai Lama
urged people to use their wisdom to resolve differences and avoid using
harsh words to create rivalry.
Shan pointed out that in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot, a lot of people
donated anonymously, showing the spirit of love in the Taiwanese people. As
long as there is love, Taiwan will be a better, warmer and brighter place,
he said.
According to the Tibetan leader, the purpose of religion is to discover the
good of humanity and allow followers to understand universal values through
various doctrines.
Agreeing with the Dalai Lama, Shan said birth, aging, disease and death are
the normal occurrences in life, and the cultivation of spirituality will
help people better control their emotions and sensual pleasures and relieve
their suffering through "the power of love."
Both spiritual leaders pointed out that the goal of religious dialogue is
not to convert the other but to understand each other. The Dalai Lama said
he believes all religions should teach mutual tolerance, respect and
cooperation with each other in order to promote world peace.
When Shan described the lung adenocarcinoma he was diagnosed with three
years ago, which the doctor said will kill him in six months, as a messenger
of good news, reminding him to cherish every day of his life and to devote
himself to helping others, the Dalai Lama praised Shan as a true
practitioner of Buddhist teachings.
Shan called for the government to focus more on preventive measures instead
of remedies as a proper response to the increasing numbers of natural
disasters brought by climate change.
He lamented the fact that when many countries around the world are working
to promote their development, they have neglected ethics and morality and
have even been opposed to religious beliefs.
He said materials and science should not be the sole focus of national
development, because there is also a need for ethics, morality and religious
beliefs among people.
The Dalai Lama pointed out that many people lack spiritual values and pay
attention only to making money, mainly because modern doctrines and school
systems are not paying enough attention to moral discipline. Happiness
cannot be purchased from supermarkets, he said.
After the two-hour dialogue, the Dalai Lama gave Cardinal Shan a khata, a
traditional ceremonial scarf used in Tibet that symbolizes purity, goodwill,
auspiciousness and compassion. Then the two hugged, moving the audience to a
prolonged standing ovation.
____________ His Holiness's teachings in Taiwan ( 2009 ):
____________
 His Holiness blesses the victims
 His Holiness touring the disaster area
His Holiness the Dalai Lama moves thousands: ____________
Pro-Justice; Not Anti-China
By Amy Yee - Far Eastern Economic Review ( May 2009 )
.... It isn't his well-known calls for peace, nonviolence and compassion. Rather, it's his constant reminder that "We are not against Chinese people. We still have faith in Chinese people."... that message has become his mantra as he travels the world and almost desperately tries to meet Chinese people.... Official talks with Beijing broke down last autumn so the Dalai Lama's outreach to Chinese people is the only way to advance the Tibet issue in China.... But i fear that his outreach to Chinese won't work because reason is too easily obliterated by the flames of nationalism. Too many Chinese people confuse protests against the policies of the Chinese government with being anti-Chinese. ....
I am Chinese though born and brought up in the US ... even though i wear the face of the "enemy", I have always been treated warmly by Tibetans during the considerable time i have spent in Dharamsala, home to the Dalai Lama and about 12,000 Tibetans....
However, it is unclear whether the charm offensive is working. Chinese who support Tibet are suppressed in China and branded as traitors on Chinese blogs. When the Olympic torch passed through Canberra last year there were about 10,000 Chinese and some 1,500 pro-Tibet demonstrators. When the Dalai Lama met with some Chinese in New York who were protesting his visit last year, he said five of the seven wouldn't listen to him. Fortunately it was a large table or they might have slapped him, he admitted at a press conference. Even overseas Chinese in the US, Australia and Europe where there is media and access to information, waved signs that read "Dalai is a Liar!!". I'm not sure what they accuse the Dalai Lama of lying about. He openly advocates autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule, not separation as China insists....
I know firsthand the effects of Chinese nationalism that can cloud reasoned
judgement. Last summer my brother and I were at my parent's house in Boston
when the
Olympic torch relay came up. My brother was angry and disgusted by the
pro-Tibet protestors. ... i knew why my brother was so angry. We are Chinese.
I believe my borther was mistaking protests aginst the policies of the
Chinese govenrment with some slight against him as a Chinese person...
perhaps his newfound sense of Chinese nationalism was battling with the
education - based on reason, fact and analysis - that we both received.... It is easy to confuse protest against Chinese
policies in Tibet with being anti-Chinese. But wanting a better way forward
in Tibet is not anti-Chinese people or even anti-China.
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