Interesting facts about the Dalai Lama. Photo report about the event

I discussed the topic of pilgrim tourism with a student of the Dalai Lama, Buddhist teacher Jampa Tinley.

What was the reason for the choice of the Buryat village, when all-Russian teachings on Buddhism began here several years ago?

In order for people to advance far in meditation, according to the Tibetan canons, it is important to find a place with special characteristics where they will conduct it. I searched for it for a long time and found that the ideal place is the village of Zarechye. In this beautiful and calm place, for example, there were no wars and repression, which is important for effective meditation. And I first give a theoretical teaching, and then people meditate, train their mind, making it strong and at the same time calm. Meditation is not something mystical, we just make our mind healthier and "tamed", which is very useful. Buddhism says that the root of our problems lies in the unhealthy state of our mind, which needs to be tamed. And if you do not do this, then whatever you do in the outside world will not diminish our problems.

- This probably also applies to the economic crisis in the country?

The problem of the Russian economy, as well as of the whole world, is that, due to the predominance of the material over the spiritual, a too unstable foundation was built. They put two on one stone, then three more on top, and so on. Stocks and other financial instruments rose sky-high. And it is clear that no matter how such an unstable structure is propped up even with metal supports, sooner or later everything will collapse - both the stock markets and the rates of world currencies. Economists I know say they mostly do "props" to delay the moment of collapse. In other words, if material development reaches a high level, but there is no development of the mind, then this can lead to disaster. Therefore, more than a thousand people from all over Russia come to the District to receive teachings, and by no means all of them are religious people. Many of them are atheists, there are also scientists. They research Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan meditation practices for how they can be applied in everyday life. And when they are convinced that it works well, and there are positive changes in their daily life, then many say - well, now we also want to become Buddhists.

Nevertheless, recently, many churches in the country have become empty and statistics began to record a decrease in interest in religions. So in April 2017, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, on the largest Orthodox holiday, about three percent of Russians came to Easter. As my Buddhist friends say, fewer people began to visit datsans in Buryatia. Has the economic crisis affected the situation?

There are several reasons. Many people go to churches with high expectations, they say, I will pray and the problem will disappear, but this alone, of course, will not solve anything, and people are gradually losing hope. The second factor is that due to the economic crisis, many people are busy with their own affairs, people do not always have enough money, and they feel that going to the temple and not bringing offerings is wrong, and as a result, this is one of the reasons that they stop altogether. visit them. Third, the cooling towards religions may be due to the fact that people who serve in temples themselves think more about the material. The fourth reason, in my opinion, is that more and more people, especially Buddhists, are gradually beginning to understand that the main thing is not some kind of external building. The main temple is located inside their hearts. When you develop your kind heart and mind, then you are visiting your inner temple. The Tibetan philosopher Milarepa was once asked why there are no oil temple lamps in the place where he meditates? He replied, "I am so busy lighting the lamps of wisdom in my soul that I have no time to light some external lamps."

In Buryatia, Buddhists pay a lot of attention to rather complex rituals. Hang the ribbon on a tree, go to a sacred place, touch the statue. If you manage to fly to India and take a picture with the XIV Dalai Lama, then this photo is actively replicated as a special sign and a great blessing. How do you feel about rituals?

Among Buryat Buddhists, this tendency is widespread due to a lack of knowledge of the Dharma (the foundations of Buddhist philosophy - ed.) The Dharma approach is that visiting all kinds of sacred places, performing numerous and complex rituals does not really change anything for a person. And the Buddha himself was also opposed to rituals. The fact is that at the time of Buddha, Hinduism was very strong, and all kinds of rituals were widespread in it, some of which later turned into Buddhism. Of course, some rituals can be helpful. For example, the same prostrations that strengthen a person in every sense. However, as far as the rituals emphasized in Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia are concerned, it looks more like prejudice. More attention needs to be paid to developing the inner mind. As for visiting India and participating in the teachings of the Dalai Lama, this is, of course, good, but if the emphasis is placed on touching His Holiness in any way, taking pictures and posting a photo on Facebook, then this indicates a lack of genuine knowledge of the Dharma. Of course, whoever asked the Dalai Lama to be photographed with him, of course, will never refuse. Many people think that this is something very important, but there is nothing special about photography, no meaning. This is a mistake not only of those who post such photos on the Internet, but also of those people who express strong admiration for the results of photography. This, in turn, makes them want to be photographed, which only distracts from the essence of the Buddhist path.

You meet at the Dalai Lama every year. Is there a chance for Buryat Buddhists to wait for his visit to Russia in the near future?

When I go to India, I do not ask for a personal audience, because the Dalai Lama is an old man, gives a lot of teachings and has little time. I know that His Holiness is happy to help the people of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva, but this is more a question for us. Some people think that if the Dalai Lama comes to Russia, it will be some kind of special benefit for him, but this is not so, our country as a whole will benefit the most from this visit. Our all-Russian religious organization Je Tsongkhapa has been seeking His Holiness's visit to Russia for many years, and not so long ago we received a letter from the Presidential Administration of Russia. We were told that Moscow knows that we have been asking for a long time to allow the visit of the Dalai Lama to Russia, and they would also like to ensure the visit of the Dalai Lama to the country, since it would be for the good. But Russia has very strong ties with China, and therefore, as we were told, "for the sake of the advantages of a small part of the Buddhist population in Russia, we cannot allow large economic losses to our country." Indeed, this is logical and we fully share this position. That is why we turn to Vladimir Putin with a request that in the future, when favorable conditions are created, the Russian authorities would help with the visit of the Dalai Lama to Russia.

Hundreds of years ago, the teachings of the Buddha came to our country from Tibet. But today the Russian border has turned out to be an insurmountable obstacle for the main Buddhist of the whole world - the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso. But in Moscow and other cities of Russia, interest in faith in the path to Enlightenment is only growing. Yulia Zhironkina, Director of the Save Tibet Foundation, told the VM correspondent about the current situation of Buddhists in the capital.

TRADITIONAL AND NEW BUDDHISTS

Yulia, tell us, how high is the interest in Buddhism in Russian society today?

It is important to understand that two groups of people are now showing interest in the Buddha's teachings. The first group is the traditional Buddhists of Russia. For more than four hundred years, Tibetan Buddhism has been the main religion, the main spiritual core of a number of regions of our country. In this we are fundamentally different, for example, from Western countries. For us, the Buddha's teaching is not a new phenomenon. It has always been present here. Kalmyks, Buryats or Tuvans have been practicing it for hundreds of years. Of course, you need to understand that relatively recently they had to take a rather long break from their regular practice. In the Soviet Union, it was simply impossible to openly profess any religion.

After the collapse of the USSR, a spiritual revival also began in the Russian Buddhist environment?

And there is. As soon as practicing Buddhism became possible again, people flocked to the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan teachers to revive traditional ties. Now the communities of Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva represent a very active and dynamically developing part of the population of both their republics and other regions in which they live.

And the second group?

The second group is the so-called new Buddhists, whose ancestors professed Christianity, other religions, or were atheists in the recent historical past. Basically, these people are concentrated in large cities of Russia - in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and others. Nowadays, traditional and new Buddhists are two active groups that are in a rather close relationship.

MENTOR ABROAD

Julia, the XIV Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso is considered the spiritual mentor of most Buddhists today. But he cannot enter the territory of Russia. How do you solve this problem?

For many years, our Foundation has been organizing the teachings of the Dalai Lama - abroad in India and Latvia. Unfortunately, we cannot invite His Holiness to Russia for many reasons beyond our control and mostly for political reasons. But we are doing everything possible so that our Kalmyks, Buryats, Tuvans and Russian followers of the Buddha's teachings have the opportunity to meet with the Dalai Lama.

Do many people from Russia come to these meetings?

Such sites outside the country turned out to be in great demand. There people get to know each other, establish contacts. If earlier traditional Buddhists and Buddhists of big cities did not always intersect with each other, today they represent one big community in which everyone feels very comfortable.

Despite the fact that the Dalai Lama cannot come to Russia, other Tibetan teachers regularly come to us. How often is this happening now?

There are quite a few Buddhist teachers and they do come here often. We ourselves invite mentors, many of whom are personally recommended by the Dalai Lama. The organization of many similar meetings and communication of Russian Buddhists with teachers belonging to the traditional Tibetan Gelug school for our country (one of the 4 traditional spiritual schools of Tibet, in the traditions of which all the Dalai Lama in history were brought up - "VM"), as well as with mentors other schools are personally supervised by the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia Tello Tulku Rinpoche, the official representative of the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries.

A CITY GOING TO ENLIGHTENMENT

There is still no Buddhist temple in Moscow, but it is known that the capital's Buddhists are quite active. How are the various Buddhist centers in the city developing now?

Moscow spiritual life in this respect is indeed very active and very diverse. Not a week passes without a visit to the capital by any of the spiritual mentors. And I'm not exaggerating. Muscovites have a very wide choice. Here you can meet a teacher of any direction, find your own path, the one that suits everyone in the best way. Previously, this was simply impossible.

In Soviet times, we could only dream of meeting these people, spiritual mentors. To communicate with them, one had to go to Tibet or India. Unfortunately for the Tibetans, forced by the Chinese occupation to leave their native land and find refuge in different parts of the world, and fortunately for their Western followers, meetings with teachers have become much more real today.

Now we can constantly communicate with them. Still, the fact that they lost their home remains very sad (in 1959, after an unsuccessful uprising of the Tibetan clergy and part of the population against the Chinese authorities, the XIV Dalai Lama was forced to leave his residence in Potala and flee to India. most of the spiritual teachers of Tibet. Now the residence of the Dalai Lama is in the Indian city of Dharamsala. Here is also the seat of the Tibetan government in exile. - "VM").

What other sources of knowledge about the Buddha's teachings are there in the arsenal of the capital's Buddhists, in addition to direct conversations with spiritual teachers?

Without a word, including a printed one, it is not easy to master many of the subtleties, and the foundations of Buddhism, therefore, another area of \u200b\u200bour Foundation's activity is publishing books. We translate into Russian the texts recommended by the Dalai Lama personally and make them available to the widest circle of readers. We meet regularly with His Holiness. Thanks to Telo Tulku Rinpoche's assistance, we have the opportunity to receive his recommendations and then implement them. The books of leading Buddhist teachers are being translated into Russian from Tibetan, from Sanskrit and from English.

Despite the large number of Buddhist centers in Moscow, it is known that they operate independently of each other. They are very fragmented. Is there any hope that the Buddhists of the capital will turn into a kind of unified force? Perhaps this kind of unity is not enough for the first Buddha temple to finally appear in the city ...

In the current situation, there is indeed a movement towards unity and cooperation between the Buddhist centers of Moscow. But this is a young, new trend. It takes some time before we see the results. Until recently, communities existed very fragmented, on their own. There was a stage of formation. People were just getting to know Buddhism and its teachers, Buddhist communities were developing their circle.

Now, when the communities have strengthened, they understand their goals and objectives, when they have built good relationships with mentors, they began to look towards each other. We work closely with many organizations, trying to help and support various centers. A little time will pass and strong friendly relations will be established between all Buddhist communities in the capital. But so far these are only the first steps towards each other. This is really one of the reasons why a Buddhist temple has not yet been built in Moscow, although there is a need for it. It is especially strong for traditional Buddhists. It's no secret that quite a few people from Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva live in our city. Perhaps not all of them are stubborn Buddhist practitioners, but a very strong faith lives in their hearts. For such people, the temple is essential. Russian people who visit Buddhist centers are probably able to find a corner for themselves to read books, do practice or listen to a lecture. But traditional Buddhists really suffer without a temple.

Photo: Pelagia Zamyatina, "Evening Moscow"

FAITH, PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE

Many experts believe that interest in Buddhism in Russia and Western countries has grown greatly in recent decades. What is the reason for this, in your opinion?

For example, for the Russians, the so-called new Buddhists, the teachings of the Buddha are primarily philosophy. For most interested people in the West, things are exactly the same. The Dalai Lama often divides Buddhism into three categories: faith, philosophy, and the science of the functioning of consciousness. This allows one to approach the Buddha's teachings with a different attitude. For a Western person, the scientific and philosophical approach is very interesting. Faith comes later.

How do spiritual leaders view this approach?

If the Dalai Lama himself speaks about this, then, I think, it is clear: this approach is quite acceptable. There is nothing wrong with that. He believes that the philosophical and scientific components of Buddhism can be useful to the widest possible public, not necessarily Buddhists. He encourages people to "experiment" with the Buddha's teachings. Apply certain Buddhist principles in everyday life and look at the results, adopting what actually works.

It turns out that Buddhism abhors dogmatism?

Buddha Shakyamuni himself told the monks that you should not take his word for it. Each of his statements must be verified by ourselves, through personal experience. This is the only way to understand the correctness of the teacher and the truth of the teaching. For example, a goldsmith checks high-grade gold by subjecting it to burning, friction and shearing. The same principle applies to teaching. And only after careful analysis, having checked the teaching, having accepted it, a person can confidently call himself a Buddhist and follow this path. Otherwise, it is better to wait with loud statements.

STRIVING FOR THE TEMPLE

Julia, what problems do Buddhists face in Moscow today?

To be honest, in recent years Buddhists have been somewhat confused by the Yarovaya package. So far, we have never encountered any real difficulties associated with this law, but some fears and uncertainties are still present. Many people still do not fully understand how Buddhist events should be conducted in today's environment. According to the current legislation, it is best to act in a specially equipped room for worship, in other words, in a temple. But he is still not on the territory of Moscow. And some tension remains. These questions are very often discussed. But for now, we practice as we did without getting into trouble. Most of the people are satisfied. But there is another problem that has not been resolved for many years.

What's the problem?

This is the absence of the Dalai Lama, the impossibility of his arrival in Moscow. If this issue could be resolved, the life of Buddhists in Moscow and in Russia as a whole would change for the better so much that we cannot even imagine it. The Dalai Lama arrived in Kalmykia in 2004. At that time, there was no Buddhist temple in the center of Elista, a place that would unite all Buddhists. There was a monastery there, but it stood on the outskirts of the city and was relatively small. And so His Holiness, upon arrival, blessed the site for the construction of a new temple. And he grew up literally a year later and became the heart of the spiritual life of the republic. I can only hope that one day the Dalai Lama will come to Moscow and in the same way touch the capital with his blessing. We are sure that then a beautiful temple will also grow here, which will contribute to the unification of all Buddhists. This is what we miss

In the east, various Buddhist schools are called sects. This word has a negative meaning in Russia. Buddhist communities are generally open to the outside world. But do they have a conflict with each other?

If we talk about us, the Foundation is open to Buddhist communities. We are ready for cooperation, contact, exchange of information and joint development. There is no opposition between us and any of the Buddhist communities. And we are all concerned with the same issues. But I would like to see more active steps, serious actions to solve them. This applies both to the problem of the absence of a temple in our capital, and to the question of the arrival of the Dalai Lama.

Bodhgaya, Bihar, India, January 25, 2018 - When His Holiness the Dalai Lama walked onto the stage of the Kalachakra Maidan exercise site in the morning, an estimated 7,000 local schoolchildren in Bihar received deafening cheers. His Holiness came at the invitation of the Project Alice Educational Foundation, founded by the Italian Valentino Giacomin.

When the words of greeting were heard, His Holiness was asked to present the latest book by Mr. Giacomin "Universal Ethics". The author himself then gave a speech, describing how he met His Holiness in Dharamsala over 30 years ago. His Holiness told him then that it would be wonderful if he could continue his work in the field of education in India. As a result, Project Alice was launched in Sarnath in 1994, which focuses on successful teaching and cultivation of peacefulness in a multicultural and multi-religious school, and later opened branches in Bodhgaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Valentino Giacomin presents his new book "Universal Ethics" to His Holiness the Dalai Lama ahead of a lecture organized at the request of the Project Alice Educational Foundation. Photo: Lobsang Tsering.

One of the important goals of the foundation was to find a way out of the current crisis in education, which is expressed in a lack of discipline, lack of attention and a general decline in student performance. One of the reasons for the crisis is that modern education sets itself mainly material goals and neglects internal values. Project Alice schools teach meditation and explore the paths to a happy life.

“We need to know our mind and go beyond our own selfishness,” said Mr. Jacomin. “It is also important to realize that there are no barriers between us and others. We focus on internal transformation that engenders discipline and altruism while also helping to improve academic performance. It is possible to revive ancient Indian knowledge and combine it with modern education, and His Holiness constantly calls for this. On behalf of our students and teachers, I would like to thank His Holiness for meeting us in this sacred place. "

"Good morning everybody! Did you sleep well today? - asked His Holiness from the stage. “I hope your heads are clear and fresh today.

It is a great honor for me to be here, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet so many young people, as well as my old friend from Italy, who is doing his best to make our educational endeavors a reality.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives a lecture on secular ethics to schoolchildren in Bihar. Photo: Lobsang Tsering.

Time does not stand still, but everything runs forward. The past is over. We are left with only memories, but the future lies open at our feet, so it is quite possible to build a better world. Young people like you are our hope. The future is in your hands and you are responsible for it.

In general, we all want to be happy, and every living being, even flowers that have no mind, wants to survive. For humans and animals, the attempt to survive is also part of the pursuit of happiness. Each of us wants to live a happy life. Because we humans have such an amazing brain, we are able to reflect on the past, learn from its mistakes and make plans for the future. We are also able to look at what is happening from a variety of angles. Therefore, it is necessary to make full use of our mental abilities, exploring what brings us troubles and suffering, and what makes us happy.

Education has a key role to play here as it develops our ability to think and analyze the causes of what is happening. Although no one wants problems, we have a great many of them, and we create many difficulties with our own hands. Modern education is inadequate and powerless to make individuals, families and communities happy. We need to think about this seriously. One of the reasons is that modern education revolves only around material goals, while people's happiness depends on their peace of mind. We must think deeply about how to integrate the teaching of intrinsic values \u200b\u200binto modern education, relying solely on secular views.

Some of the more than 7,000 schoolchildren from Bihar during a lecture by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Photo: Lobsang Tsering.

Today I consider it my duty to contribute to the revival of ancient Indian knowledge about the structure of the mind and emotions. It is important to better understand how to harness our destructive emotions through reasoning and analysis in a strictly secular approach.

The traditions of karuna and ahimsa have long flourished in your country, which manifested themselves in inter-religious harmony. At the same time, Indian secularism, which implies equal respect for all religious and spiritual traditions, should become a role model for the rest of the world.

You disciples should not blindly believe everything you are told. You must critically reflect, analyze, seek justification, and compare different points of view. Such was the spirit of Nalanda, the great university monastery that flourished in Bihar. Consider how all things depend on other factors.

As I said, the future is in your hands. You young people have the opportunity to build a better world, but you must act. I won't live to see better days, but if you try, then in 20 or 30 years our planet could become much more peaceful and secure. Education is an important factor, but as we gain knowledge, we must pay more attention to curbing our disturbing emotions. We need hygiene of emotions, like physical hygiene, which promotes good physical health. "

Students lined up to ask His Holiness the Dalai Lama a question during a lecture on secular ethics. Photo: Lobsang Tsering.

Answering the students' questions, His Holiness noted that consciousness has no beginning, and happiness and suffering in our lives arise as a result of our own karma. He confirmed that it is anger that most often destroys peace of mind, and karuna, or compassion, is its exact opposite. With regard to religious practices, His Holiness observed that it is perfectly correct for an individual to reason in terms of "one truth and one religion." However, from the point of view of society as a whole, we must take into account the existence of many faiths and different aspects of truth. He expressed his admiration for India, the only country in the world where all major religions live side by side in harmony and harmony.

The practices of one-pointed concentration and insight into the essence of things, shamatha and vipashyana, known in many Indian spiritual traditions, have helped to accumulate a wealth of knowledge about methods of transforming the mind. It became clear that suffering is a product of mental impurities such as anger and hatred. Their source is ignorance, and to resist ignorance, you need to cultivate wisdom.

His Holiness left the stage to thunderous applause from the young people. He then made a short trip to the Wat Pa Buddhagaya Vanaram temple, located behind the Mahabodhi stupa. There he was met by Phra Bhodhinandhamuni and Dr. Ratneswar Chakma. We stopped to admire the graceful performance of Thai dancers, so reminiscent of goddesses making offerings, who greeted His Holiness with their dance.

Thai dancers greet His Holiness the Dalai Lama with a performance at the opening of Wat Pa Buddhagaya Vanaram. Photo: Tenzin Choejor.

His Holiness refused an offer to ride a rickshaw and walked around the temple in the company of his hospitable hosts. On the way, he blessed the sangharaja's hut. Inside the ornate new temple, with its gilded statues of Buddhas and arhats and depictions of Buddha scenes on the walls, His Holiness sat down next to the senior monks. The verses on taking refuge and the Mangala Sutta were read, after which the dancers performed again.

Dr. Ratneswar Chakma officially greeted His Holiness as the embodiment of compassion. Phra Bhodhinandhamuni announced the intention of the Thai society "Bharat" to provide everyone with the opportunity to learn and practice meditation in the new temple.

When it came to His Holiness's turn to deliver the speech, he noticed that historically the Pali Canon arose directly from the early teachings of the Buddha, making his followers the most senior disciples. Followers of the Sanskrit canon also rely on the teachings of perfect wisdom that the Buddha bestowed during the second turn of the wheel of the Dharma.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses the opening of the Wat Pa Buddhagaya Vanaram Temple. Photo: Tenzin Choejor.

“I have a deep respect for all Dharma lineages, just as I respect both theistic and non-theistic religions, because they all benefit humanity. Today even scholars are interested in Buddhist knowledge about the structure of the mind and emotions. The legacy that we have kept safe and sound remains very relevant, because it can weaken our negative emotions, as well as their power over us.

The dialogue that I have with contemporary scholars is beneficial to both sides. Not without losses, because as a result, I stopped believing in some of the provisions of Buddhist cosmology. However, it is quite clear to me that Buddha came to our world to teach the Four Noble Truths, and not to give instructions on physics and the structure of the universe. He taught a realistic approach to suffering that we might call scientific. I would very much like to see scholar-philosophers, modern scholars and practitioners all gathered here at a round table and discuss the contents of the Tripitaka, the Three Basket of Teachings.

We must learn if we want to understand what Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are, the cessation of suffering and how to achieve it, and what the path means. Of course, the comprehension of selflessness is also necessary here.

View of the prayer hall of Wat Pa Buddhagaya Vanaram during the opening ceremony with the participation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Photo: Lobsang Tsering.

In the 70s, some of our monks went to Bangkok to study the Thai language as well as participate in various aspects of the practice. Today they are all in their old age, but we can send young monks for training and receive Thai monks in our monasteries. Tibetans can learn Thai, while Thais can learn Tibetan. Some Buddhist teachings are available only in the Pali language, while others are known only in the Sanskrit canon. It is necessary to engage in research and exchange of experience. We need to come closer and work together to represent Buddhism in the 21st century.

The very essence of Buddhism is compassion, or karuna. Since our world is in dire need of compassion, we should consider how we Buddhists can do our bit. This is not about converting others to your faith, I'm talking about finding ways to develop peace of mind in everyone, for example, by sharing methods to curb destructive emotions. It will bring real benefits to humanity. "

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with members and patrons of the Thai society "Bharat", with the support of which the Wat Pa Buddhagaya Vanaram temple was erected. Photo: Tenzin Choejor.

After words of gratitude and exchange of gifts, all guests were invited to a wonderful lunch with a rich selection of Thai and Indian dishes. After lunch, His Holiness took a photo for memory with the participants in the meeting, divided into groups, and returned to the Tibetan temple. Tomorrow he plans to bestow bhikkhus empowerment to 60 monks.

Translation: Olga Selezneva

Photo report about the event:

On January 25, 2018, in Bodhgaya, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave a public lecture to schoolchildren from Bihar and attended the inauguration of Wat Pa Buddhagaya Vanaram.

Many readers are probably wondering why the Dalai Lama has not been mentioned in this book so far. Since this book is exclusively about Lamaist initiations, it seems that the Dalai Lama, the great teacher of initiates, should occupy an important place in them. Let's consider this question now.

Although more and more people learn about Tibet in the West and a significant number of serious books have already been published about this country, nevertheless foreigners still have little idea of \u200b\u200bwho the Dalai Lama is and what his role is. The most knowledgeable authors are British officials who either met in person with the Dalai Lama or maintained diplomatic relations with his representatives. However, they portray the ruler of Tibet only as a politician (this was the only thing that interested their readers).

In addition to these authors, there are people who have not only never walked on Tibetan land, but also do not have the slightest degree of reliable information about its inhabitants and who nevertheless allow themselves to compose completely unfounded fables. Some of them portrayed the Dalai Lama as a person who speaks all the languages \u200b\u200bof the world. Others categorically asserted that he was the "pope" of Buddhists. Still others, in turn, spoke of him as a magician who is usually busy creating miracles of the most fantastic nature. And his palace in the Potala was portrayed as a kind of "holy of holies", inaccessible to the uninitiated and inhabited by supermen, hierophants, guardians of terrible mysteries.

These are all pure fantasies. The Dalai Lama is predominantly the head of the secular government, the autocratic monarch of Tibet.

In The Magic and Mystery of Tibet, I briefly described the Dalai Lama as the avatar (tulku) of Chenrezig. Here I will add some details to clear up misunderstandings about this significant person for the Lamaist world.

The Dalai Lamas are the successors of the original great lamas of the Yellow Hat School. To get acquainted with their history, we must go back to the moment of the founding of this school of Tsong-havoy, that is, to the 15th century.

The cradle of the Dalai Lamas is the Galdan Monastery, located twenty kilometers from Lhasa. It was built by Tszonghava in a very unusual place for gompa (monasteries). Usually gompas, in splendid isolation, were built on some hill; Galdan is surrounded by mountains. Two other monasteries, dating back to the same period and erected by the disciples of Tsongkhava, also neglected the peaks and are located on the plains at the foot of the mountains, but they are clearly visible to travelers, while Galdan is completely hidden in a wide funnel-shaped depression, and the traveler can drive very close. completely unaware that there is a large monastery building just a stone's throw away.

Tradition explains this oddity as follows: it is believed that Tsongkhava foresaw the coming of a time when his teachings would be attacked and expelled from Tibet, so he wanted to provide the monks, his disciples, a quiet place where they could find refuge and keep his teachings for their benefit. future generations.

Tsongkhava was the first abbot of Galdan and ended his days there. A magnificent mausoleum of solid silver and gold, adorned with precious stones and surrounded by something like a canopy, was erected in his honor in a large temple built in the center of the monastery. Numerous pilgrims - I was one of them - visit this tomb, in front of which hundreds of lamps are continuously burning.

Zonghava was a simple religious teacher. Continuing the work begun by Atisha and his disciple Domton (spelled Bromston), he did his best to reform the greatly weakened monastic discipline of the Tibetan clergy. For this reason, his disciples were called "Gelugpa" (dgelugpa), that is, "possessing virtues." They got the name "yellow hats" because Tsongkhava, in order to distinguish them from other monks who wore red hats, obliged them to wear yellow ones. However, such a simple reason did not seem satisfactory to people hungry for miracles.

It is believed that the goddess Dorje Naljorma came to Zonghave and advised him to change the color and shape of the students' hats, assuring him that if they wear yellow hats, they will undoubtedly surpass their rivals in the face of the "red hats".

Abbreviating the famous names "yellow hats" and "red hats" to the names "yellow school" and "red school", some foreigners imagine that some Lamaist monks wear red robes, while others - yellow. As I said, this is not the case. The monk's robe is a dark garnet color and is the same cut for all schools and both genders. The monks of the most significant branch of the followers of the ancient Tibetan religion - the white Bon - wear the same clothes. Only the shape of the headdress, its color and the color of the mantle (something like a Catholic Dalmatic), called dagam (zgalam), which lamas wear during services, and allow you to determine to which school the person wearing the robe belongs.

It would be a mistake to think that Tsongkhava sought to return Lamaism to the teachings of the original Buddhism, eliminating the admixture of Indo-Tantric and Bon-shamanistic origins. He was as much a ritualist as the Red Hats, and accepted most of their prejudices. The most important points of his reform concerned monastic discipline. While the "red-hats" were allowed to drink alcohol, and the vow of celibacy was required only from monks who were ordained to the clergy of Gelong and above, Tszonghava forbade marriage and the use of alcoholic beverages to all members of the monastery, without exception.

As a religious teacher revered by many of his disciples, Zonghava has never been the infallible "head of the church." Neither the nephew of Khai-dub-Je, who inherited his position, nor other lamas, who were considered the reincarnation of the latter and, therefore, the successive abbots of Galdan, were not vested with the power to impose their beliefs on believers and excommunicate those whose views did not coincide with their own. No one has ever had such a right among Buddhists.

Despite the intellectual decline among those who have fallen into superstition, the spirit of the original teaching is still alive among Buddhists and strong enough to prevent the learned clergy from abandoning the freedom of expression that Buddha so strongly bequeathed to his disciples.

The uncompromising position taken by the Buddhists on this issue can be confirmed by many passages from the Pali Canon. I will quote here from the Kalama Sutta.

Several young people told the Buddha that in their country teachers of various philosophical schools preach so many different teachings that they do not know which one to believe, and therefore they ask him for advice.

The Buddha replied: “Do not believe in any of the traditional beliefs, however highly revered by many generations and in various places. Don't believe anything just because many people talk about it. Do not believe in the sages of the past. Do not believe what you yourself imagined, convincing yourself that it is divinely inspired ... Do not believe anything solely on the basis of the authority of your teachers or priests. After research, believe what you yourself have experienced and considered reasonable, and agree with this your behavior. "

Whatever modifications the Mahayanists subsequently introduced into the Buddha's teachings, this point remained unchanged. One might even say that they emphasized the need for spiritual independence.

Several passages from the mystical initiation rituals in this book confirm the importance that the Lamaists attach to this. Hence, it is quite obvious that true “initiation” is what the mind bestows upon itself, and everything else is nothing more than a means to achieve this.

And therefore, although the abbots of Galdan, like the followers of Zongkhava, have a certain superiority among the Gelugpas, this superiority always refers only to respect for them, but they never exerted any spiritual pressure on the monks and lay people belonging to their school. The title “head of the yellow hats,” sometimes used by foreign authors and myself as a title close to the Western reader, does not really indicate an official function of any kind.

In addition, the abbots of Galdan are not specifically mentioned as mystical teachers who preserve a certain oral tradition. (dam-naked) psycho-training methods. Monopoly on dame nag and consequently the initiations associated with them seem to hold back the "red-cap" schools, which have their roots in the distant past, to the days when the religious world of Tibet was still associated with the Buddhists of India.

Several centuries before the birth of Tszonkhava, two powerful great lamas from the Karmapa and Sakyapa schools seized secular power in the country, ousting the feudal lords, who divided the country into principalities-provinces after the extinction of the last royal dynasty. In fact, the great lama of the Sakyapa school became the real king, however, by the grace of Emperor Kublai (the first Chinese emperor of the Mongol dynasty, XIII century), who, being the suzerain of Tibet, confirmed his supreme power.

Although the reform of Tsonghava increased the severity of discipline among some of the Lamaist clergy, it in no way quenched his thirst for secular power. The power acquired by the great lama of the Sakyapa school aroused the envy of the abbots of Galdan.

Lobsang Gyatso, the fifth of them in the line of succession, achieved his goal by enlisting the support of the Mongol Khan who seized Tibet. This khan destroyed the power of the “red-hats”. Many of their monasteries were wiped off the face of the earth, others were confiscated in favor of the "yellow caps", and their representatives were forcibly included in the "yellow" school. Provisional power in Tibet was transferred to Lobsang Gyatso by his Mongol patron, just as four centuries earlier it was transferred to the great Sakyapa lama by another Mongol - Khan Kubilai.

After rising to kingship, Lobsang Gyatso declared himself the avatar of the bodhisattva Chenresig, the patron saint of Tibet, and declared his teacher the avatar of the mystical Buddha Odpagmed (Amitabha).

The monastery of Galdan, hidden among the mountains in a desert area, could no longer serve as a refuge for a monk who became king, although he was obliged to maintain a religious atmosphere on the royal throne and even wear monastic attire.

In the 7th century A.D. e. the great king Srongtsan Gampo built a fortress-palace (now only ruins remain of it) on the Potala hill in Lhasa. There could be no better place for the new ruler. Tradition made this place sacred, linking it to the memory of the most famous kings of Tibet, and the unusual view of the hill, rising alone in the middle of the endless plain, made it an extremely suitable pedestal for the dwelling of a divine ruler. Lobsang Gyatso began construction of an extraordinary building, to which extensions were subsequently made. It eventually became the current Potala Palace.

We are very far from considering this a mysterious shrine that excites the imagination of some people in the West. Of course, the Potala is a monastery, the abbot of which is the Dalai Lama, but in terms of the rituals performed in it, it is no different from all other monasteries. The only difference lies in its exclusively aristocratic character. Only the sons of noble and wealthy families can become his monks. Their material costs are high. They are supposed to bear the huge costs of maintaining the monastery and its guests, thus paying for the honor of being gangway in the personal monastery of the Dalai Lama. It should be added that the merits of the candidate are also taken into account when admitting to this selected group. It is not enough to have only wealth and noble ancestors; Potala monks must be educated, and as a rule they are. Sons from wealthy families, free from all material worries, are usually raised from childhood by the best teachers, and since they have absolutely nothing else to do besides teaching, they easily acquire the kind of scholastic erudition that is so honored in Tibet.

However, we are still far from the heights of mysticism. The point is that one should not expect to find them in the Potala, and not in some other large state monastery: Sera, Galdan, Depung and their branches near Lhasa. In these great Lamaist institutions, you can find people of outstanding intelligence, erudite scientists, philosophers, skeptics or epicureans, as well as a small number of truly religious lamas, whose specific Buddhist religiosity is manifested in charity. As for the Tibetan mystics, they, like their Indian counterparts, prefer solitude and life in desert places.

For the sake of truth, we are forced to deprive the Potala and its ruling ruler of that fantastic halo that some people undeservedly create around them, but we must not rush to the other extreme; we should not conclude that the highest teaching is hidden from the Dalai Lama and his learned monks by some almost inaccessible teachers.

It seems that I have already quite clearly expressed my point of view on this issue several times. Neither Buddhism itself, nor its Lamaist form, nor among the more orthodox schools is anything esoteric. Buddha clearly and definitely spoke about this to his cousin and disciple Ananda, whom some people who are unfamiliar with the Buddhist canon consider to have received some secret teaching from the Buddha.

“I preached the doctrine without concealing anything, Ananda, without making any distinction between the esoteric and the exoteric. I am not like those teachers who have something clutched in their hands or hide something "- this is how Buddha told his cousin shortly before his death, when he asked him if there was anything else that he could teach his students. Therefore, there is no doubt that the Dalai Lama has every opportunity to receive comprehensive instructions in the exalted philosophical and mystical teachings of Lamaism. For my part, I can argue that the current Dalai Lama was deeply versed in all these teachings and could fully explain them.

Angkurs are bestowed upon the Dalai Lamas in the same way as any other adherent of Lamaism. Their great spiritual ancestor Tszonghava asked for "initiation" from several teachers not only in his youth, but also when he became famous and led a large group of students.

It should be remembered that the mere fact of receiving an angkur does not mean that the one who receives it is lower than the one who bestows it. There are times when two lamas exchange angkurs during mutual initiation or, if we remain true to the meaning of the word “angkur”, they transfer to each other the powers they possess.

Naturally, it is impossible to know what mystical Angkurs the Dalai Lama received, or whether he entered the Mystical Path at all. It is equally impossible to know which Angkurs the Dalai Lama is able to bestow himself. This is a secret that every teacher keeps to himself. It can only be argued that the Dalai Lamas never claimed to be mystic teachers or spiritual guides, and that seekers of spiritual enlightenment do not rush to the Potala at all.

The Angkurs the Dalai Lama bestows on a few privileged disciples are of a more exoteric character; most often it is Angkur Chenrezig.

Twelve Dalai Lamas preceded the present monk-king in the Potala. Most of them died at a young age, and only two of them became famous for completely different reasons.

The first of these is Lobsang Gyatso, often referred to as the "Great Fifth". It was he who gained secular power over all of Tibet and, as a ruler, earned a reputation as a capable, energetic person who did not neglect the pomp and ceremonies so beloved by the Tibetans.

The fame of his successor, the sixth Dalai Lama, is of less glorious origin, although he deserves special mention because of one legend related to our topic.

The child, who, by the will of an insidious fate, was destined to be considered the reincarnation of Lobsang Gyatso and the avatar of Chenresig, seemed to be unusually intelligent. Undoubtedly, he could have become both a brilliant king and a graceful poet if the Dalai Lamas, although they were avatars, were not forced to observe monastic discipline, which includes strict celibacy.

It was this last condition that proved disastrous for Tsanyan Gyatso.

The title of avatar (tulku) cannot be renounced; the Dalai Lama cannot renounce his title. The young man, whose ambition could not restrain the onslaught of the feelings that attracted him, neglected the censure of those around him and gave full vent to his sinful inclinations.

Tsanyang Gyatso wrote many poems that are still extremely popular in Tibet. They express the longing and anguish of the poor great lama. Here is a free translation of some of them.

How fragrant the peach above!
You can't reach it with your hand ...
O young maiden, the charm of spring,
i look at you furtively and dream.

Secretly I'm in a hurry on a date
hug your beautiful beloved ...
Alas, that turquoise that was found with difficulty,
must leave forever later.

All dreams are addressed to the beloved,
she is close, but inaccessible to me.
I dreamed - I found in the ocean
a pearl that has no price.

Chatty parrot, shut up at last!
There, in a grove by the river, the nightingale's friend sings ...
I don't care for the revenge of the gods
and the fruit that lies before me
no one will forbid to eat.

I turned to a wise lama,
praying to direct my mind to good.
But even next to him I'm like in a dream,
and thought strives not towards him, but towards her.

See the face of a mentor, even if only for a moment, -
work in vain, in my imagination
the beloved face appears uninvited
invincible strength, call and languor.

My thoughts, wandering, carry me far.
Oh, if only they ran to the Holy Doctrine in this way,
then in a brief moment of life that is allotted to me,
i would become a Buddha by rejecting earthly sorrows.

In the east, over the tops of the mountains,
the disk of the moon is blindingly bright ...
And like him, the image of my dear
relentlessly glides before your eyes.

Sleepless nights away
my mind escapes from the palace,
and days give me no relief ...
Tired heart without a beloved.

The following two lines, which provide an excellent description of the sixth Dalai Lama, are familiar to all Tibetans:

In Potala he is Rinchen Tsanyang Gyatso,
and in Cholet and Lhasa - he is a young, cheerful guy!

What did the Tibetans think about why the august Chenrezig appeared to them in the form of such a strange avatar? Faith makes you see everything in a special light; despite Tsanyang Gyatso's eccentricity, most Tibetans continued to believe in him.

But the Chinese, who continued to seize power in Tibet at the time, were less tolerant. They deposed the overly ardent Dalai Lama and eventually killed him, which caused great discontent among the Tibetans. In vain did they offer another lama of their choice to the youth, referring to the fact that Tsanyang Gyatso was not a real avatar and was appointed by mistake. The believers refused to recognize him as the new sixth Dalai Lama and were impatiently awaiting the reincarnation of the unfortunate Tsanyan Gyatso.

It is believed that on this occasion Tsanyang Gyatso left the following prediction. Like the previous verses, it is very popular in Tibet:

Oh white crane, heed my calls!
Give me your strong wings.
I won't stay in distant lands
just fly to Litang and come back.

Indeed, in the province of Litang (Eastern Tibet), a child was found who met all the conditions necessary for the recognition of the late Dalai Lama as an incarnation.

All of the above are historical facts. I dwelled on them in such detail for the reason that I wanted to acquaint you with the extraordinary personality of Tsanyan Gyatso.

Apparently, he was initiated into some methods that allow or perhaps even encourage what seems to us debauchery, which it would be in the case of any other person, but only not in the case of "initiated" into such an exceptional training, which is difficult to talk about without resorting to medical terminology.

One clearly fantastic story leads us to suspect that Tsanyang Gyatso was an adherent of these practices, along with other information, the symbolism of which is nevertheless completely clear to anyone who is familiar with this training. Here is the story.

Once, Tsanyang Gyatso was on the terrace of his palace in the Potala, surrounded by those who were outraged by his immoral behavior.

“Yes, I have a beloved,” he said in response to their reproaches, “after all, you, who denounce me, have them too, but do you really think that having a woman means the same to me as it does to you? "

Then he walked to the edge of the terrace and urinated through the balustrade. The liquid hit the foundation of the Potala, and then ascended to the upper terrace and returned to the great lama in the same way it was released. The great lama addressed those around him:

"Do the same," he said, "and if you cannot, then finally understand that my relationship with women is not the same as yours."

The story told in this way seems to be just a parody, but we can think of it as a distorted version of an event that actually happened.

A certain group of Tibetan occultists are studying this type of exercise, which is partly physical, partly psychological, involving such unusual actions as returning the seminal fluid to the body, either ready to erupt or already expelled.

Quite curious arguments are presented to explain the benefits of such exercises. Firstly, the question is not only about keeping the energy within oneself, which, as Tibetans believe, is the "seed of life" (this is naturally done by ascetics who observe strict celibacy), but about exciting this latent energy with its subsequent preservation in oneself. And secondly, it is believed that the energy of the male seed during copulation can be enriched with elements of the female energy, which it absorbs and takes with it at the moment of reverse absorption.

Some people think that in this way they can practice refined vampirism by absorbing the psychic energy of those women marked with special signs, who are considered to be embodied dakinis.

The hallmark of the Naljorp, capable of such an unusual feat, is their long hair, braided in a single braid, falling over the back. However, in modern times, many so-called Naljorpa have begun to wear this hairstyle "without the right to do so," as one "initiate" told me.

Beginners practice this exercise by drawing in fluid (water or milk) through the urethra. Much can be said about this special side of the secret science of Tibet. However, no matter how ridiculous or harmful such a practice may seem to us, it is safe to say that for those who are carried away by it, there is nothing dissolute or lustful in it, and they in no way strive for sensual pleasures.

The Indians are also familiar with the special training just mentioned. We find its description in various works on hatha yoga. Did the Tibetans borrow it through the Nepalese, with whom they have maintained constant relations for many centuries since the introduction of Buddhism into their country? It is quite possible, but, nevertheless, the origin of these exercises, as well as of the entire tantric system with which they are associated, still remains a mystery to us.

In both India and Tibet, some believe, and not without reason, that the expressions used to describe these practices are not really related to the objects they point to. Indeed, the Tibetans have a mystical language called the "Dakini language", the words of which, borrowed from ordinary spoken language, have a very special meaning for the "initiates."

And therefore, one can only guess whether those who declared the only correct allegorical interpretation of the teaching, which was originally purely materialistic, are right, or whether other adherents of the materialistic interpretation have distorted the originally pure spiritual teaching, reducing it to the level of rough material practice.

Probably, no other alternative will come to the mind of a Western person, but in the case of Eastern people this is not the case, because they do not establish that impenetrable barrier between the body and the psyche, to which centuries of our Western education impel us.

“Initiated” in search of experiences, a simple slave of excessively passionate feelings, and maybe both at the same time, the sixth Dalai Lama left a very good memory. The good people of Lhasa created an unofficial semi-mysterious cult around him. In this city, several houses are marked with secret red signs, where, according to legend, Tsanyang Gyatso met with his beautiful friends. Sometimes, as a sign of reverence for a young free-thinker who was the avatar of the mystical Lord of Boundless Compassion, ordinary people secretly touch these signs with their foreheads.

Since Tsanyang Gyatso gave me a reason to talk about such unusual things, I will tell you one story I heard related to the topic raised.

The hero of this story is the famous Vedantic philosopher Sri Shankaracharya (Shankar's teacher); to him the brahmanas owe their return to their privileged position, which was greatly compromised by the spread of the rationalistic and anti-ritualistic teachings of the Buddha.

The personality of this teacher, judging by his biographies, three-quarters of legends, was extremely outstanding. Unfortunately, caste politics obscured the acuteness of his intellect, making Shankara an adherent of destructive social theories that completely contradict the lofty pantheism he preached.

The following story is very well known in India, where it has been passed down for many centuries, and the students of the great philosopher could not understand that their teacher was being ridiculed in it. In recent years, perhaps influenced by Western ideas borrowed from English colleges, some Indian intellectuals have realized the grotesque nature of the adventure attributed to Shankara and now refuse to accept the story as true. Nevertheless, some adherents of Hindu Tantrism defend its authenticity and give it a meaning that is related to the kind of training to which Tsanyang Gyatso was probably initiated. However, it should be noted right away that only a few Tantrikas hold this opinion.

So, Shankara wandered across India in search of eminent opponents, with whom, according to the custom of those times, he could measure his strength in a philosophical duel. He challenged a teacher named Mandana, a student of the famous Batty, who preached the ritualistic teaching karma-mimansa, according to which salvation is attainable only through the performance of religious rituals, sacraments, sacrifices to the gods, etc. Shankara, on the contrary, argued that salvation is the result of the attainment of Knowledge.

They agreed on the following: the one who is defeated in an argument becomes a student of the winner and accepts his way of life. As a result, since Mandana was a layman and Shankara was an ascetic (sannyasin), then if the first wins, the second will have to take off his religious attire and marry, otherwise Mandana will have to leave his wife and home and put on an orange cotton robe. which in India is worn by all who have made the great renunciation.

The dispute took place in public. After a long defense, Mandana found that he had no more arguments, and Shankaracharya was about to declare him his disciple, when suddenly the wife of a defeated layman, a deeply educated woman named Bharati, intervened in the argument:

“The scriptures,” she told Shankaracharya, “state that husband and wife are one person. Therefore, having defeated my husband, you triumphed over only half of our being. Your victory can be considered complete only if you defeat me too. "

Shankara could not answer this because Bharati's statement was based on orthodox texts. He started another argument with her. Bharati quickly discovered that with her knowledge and ability to argue, she could not compete with the enemy, so with the dexterity characteristic of women, she saved the situation with a cunning trick.

In the sacred texts of the Hindus, sensual love is considered the same science, like many others. Bharati asked her ascetic interlocutor some questions from this special area. Shankara was confused and bewildered.

He explained to an educated and intelligent woman that from his very youth philosophy occupied all his thoughts and that, as a sannyasin, he took a vow of celibacy, therefore women and everything connected with them were completely alien to him. Nevertheless, he does not believe that his ignorance in this matter is irreparable, he considers himself quite capable of acquiring the missing knowledge. It's just a matter of time. Would the scholar Bharati agree to give him a month for self-education? And after a month, he will resume the dispute.

And then Bharati made a rash mistake. She underestimated the strength of her opponent, or perhaps felt that such a short period of time would not be enough to master the required science. So she agreed, and Shankaracharya went in search of mentors.

Around the same time, it happened that a Raja named Amaruka died. Shankara could not begin his studies in the guise of the already well-known ascetic philosopher and regarded this incident as an exceptional opportunity that could be used.

He ordered his disciples to carefully guard his body in one inaccessible place, then, using his yogic powers, Shankara's "double" left his body and entered the body of the ruler, who was already being taken to the funeral pyre. The resurrected Amaruku was brought back to the palace, to the great joy of many wound, his lawful spouse and a large number of pretty concubines.

Shankara proved to be a zealous disciple, pleasantly surprising his women, whom the late Raja somewhat neglected due to his advanced age. The ministers and members of the council also noticed that the master's mind increased significantly after his resurrection. The current ruler did not at all resemble the stupid rajah they had known for many years.

As a result, both the women in the palace and the members of the state council began to suspect that this was the spirit of some powerful siddha uses the body of the deceased Amaruka. Fearing that he would leave them and return to his own body, the ministers ordered throughout the country to search for the lifeless body, hidden in some secluded place, and, as soon as it was found, burn it.

Shankara immersed himself so deeply in his studies that he completely forgot his real personality, and he did not have the slightest thought of returning to the body of an ascetic philosopher, which was somewhere under the protection of several students.

However, after the entire day of return had passed, the disciples, finding that Shankara had not yet returned, began to worry. When they found out about the wanted list announced by the authorities, their anxiety escalated into panic. Some of them hurriedly went to the palace of Amaruka, entered and sang a philosophical hymn composed by Shankaracharya under the windows of the rajah.

This singing shook up their teacher and restored his memory. His "double" instantly left Amaruka's body and returned to his own, which had already been discovered and was lying on the site for the funeral pyre ...

Now fully competent, our philosopher returned to Bharati, surprising her with his vast knowledge, and the woman was forced to admit defeat.

Those who are inclined to see things in this story that were not at all implied in it say that the true facts are distorted here. The fact is that at some moments of his activity Shankara had to fill up the missing psychic energy by means of a practice requiring sexual relations with women. I leave the responsibility for this opinion to those who hold it.

However, no matter what happened to the great Indian philosopher, there is no doubt that Milarepa, a very chaste strict bachelor, ordered his disciple Rechungpa to cohabit for some time with the woman whom he pointed out to him. According to tradition, this couple decided to settle in a secluded mountain cave, and this detail suggests that the adepts of such practices are not libertines and strive for goals that are not at all connected with sense gratification. In fact, whatever is meant here, Buddhism, like official Tibetan Lamaism, does not recognize such a practice.

The role of the Tashi Lama is identical to that of the Dalai Lama. The only difference between the two is that the latter, as an avatar, is the secular ruler of Tibet. The practical results of this difference are quite significant. This was revealed when the predecessor of the current Tashi Lama was forced to flee Tibet, fleeing from his powerful colleague.

Since the Tashi Lamas are not officially involved in politics and live in seclusion in their domains in Tsang province, some consider them more religious than the Dalai Lamas, although in this respect the bulk of Tibetans make no distinction between them.

The Tashi Lamas are no more than the Dalai Lamas viewed as representatives of the lineage of teachers who preserve the tradition of oral teaching. Their official title is tsan panchen rimpoche. "Panchen" Is a Tibetan adaptation of a Sanskrit word "Pandita" meaning scientist, especially versed in philosophy. Thus, this title places the Tashi Lama in the category of learned philosophers rather than mystical contemplators.

Tsang Panchens are the great lamas of Tashilhunpo monastery ("Great prosperity") in Shigatse. According to the name of the monastery, foreigners began to call them tashi-lamas, although this name is not used in Tibet.

Whichever popular point of view is thought that these lamas are successive incarnations of the same individual, it is obvious that all tashi lamas are distinguished by their pleasant manners and extreme benevolence. This fact is recognized by travelers who visited them in past centuries, and the cordial welcome that the penultimate Tashi Lama gave me allows me to testify the same.

Immediately after the Dalai Lamas and Tashi Lamas is another great avatar, the incarnation of Dorje Palmo, who manifests in a female form, whose tulku is the abbess of a monastery located at Lake Yamdok in southern Tibet. This majestic personality of the Lamaist world is considered no more versed in mysticism than two famous tulkus Chenrezig and Odpagmed - the Dalai Lama and Tashi Lama.

In fact, no Tibetan expects to see these avatars of great lamas as heads of schools of thought, leading disciples on the path of wisdom, or taking mystical initiations. The emanations of these creatures, surpassing even the gods in their power, are mainly protectors. Their presence in Tibet, as the Tibetans themselves believe, ensures widespread prosperity and happiness, and the blessings begged by the inhabitants of the country from these high lamas are mainly expressed in receiving material benefits in this or in future lives.

A couple of ravens then flew in to build a nest on the roof of his house. The seriously ill father that morning woke up completely healthy, read prayers, filled the lamps that were constantly burning on the family altar with oil. He was informed of the news of the birth of his son, and he replied simply: "I would like him to become a monk" ...

Or in 1391, when another baby, Shava Kiareng, was born in the nomad camp? Suddenly, robbers flew in, and the mother, hiding the newborn behind a stone, fled to the mountains, and when she returned, she found her son under the tutelage of a huge raven, protecting the child with its blue-black wings. He will grow up, become first a monk, then a great Buddhist mentor, and then three generations later, turning back time, he is recognized as the first Dalai Lama.

Or maybe it all started even earlier, in those days when the great kings of Tibet lived - Songtsen Gampo, Trisong Detsen and Tri Ralpachen, whose labors and prayers the mountainous country of Tibet, inhabited by fearless and merciless warriors, suddenly turned its gaze to Buddhism - the philosophy of peacefulness and compassion? According to some sources, these kings-reformers are also incarnations of the Dalai Lamas, who came long before they were assigned ordinal numbers. And how many there were in total - you can't count, because Buddhism says that we have been here since beginningless times. This means that one cannot measure everything that the Buddha of Compassion, who was born in the twentieth century on the very border with China, did for Tibet.

Search party

It was discovered by a search party set off to the northeast of Tibet, guided in the choice of direction by a number of special signs. “To the northeast of Lhasa, strangely shaped clouds were noticed,” the Dalai Lama later writes in his autobiography, “and people remembered that after the death of the thirteenth Dalai Lama, his body was placed on the throne in Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. in Lhasa, it was turned south, but after a few days they noticed that his face turned to the east. In addition, a huge mushroom in the shape of a star suddenly appeared on a wooden pillar on the northeastern side of the temple where the body was located.

Traditionally, they turned for help to the sacred lake Lhamo Lhatso, a predictor lake, in whose waters one can see the future. For many days she spent a search party on its shore, until finally three Tibetan letters appeared on its surface: "A", "Ka" and "Ma", which will then be interpreted as an indication that the Dalai Lama was born in Amdo ("A"), not far from the Kumbum monastery ("Ka" and "Ma"). In confirmation of the latter, the lake showed a monastery with green and gold roofs, as well as a house with azure tiles, where a two-year-old boy was later discovered, whose favorite game was "collecting things in bales and leaving with them on a toy horse." To Lhasa. He was waiting for someone to come for him ...

Irrefutable evidence

The theme of reincarnation, past and future lives, often arouses skepticism among people with a Christian worldview, and even more so among convinced materialists. “When we were little,” my mother told me, “we agreed with our elderly aunt that after death she would give us a sign if there was something there. I remember when the hour came, we peered into the heavens for a long time, waited for at least some sign, but never got anything. So there is nothing there. "

She didn’t know then that most of the people there are in complete confusion and confusion. In the beginning, they do not know that they have died. They return again and again to their homes, turn to us, alive, and do not understand why we do not notice them. When, finally, looking into the mirror and not finding their reflection in it, they suddenly realize the full horror of their situation, they lose consciousness. (Isn't that why they hung mirrors in Russia?) The only thing that attracts them later, promising deliverance from suffering, is a new body. They agree to any, just to get out of this ethereal uncertainty, but they receive only what is prepared for them by karma - good and bad deeds committed before.

This rule applies to everyone except those whom the Tibetans call "Rinpoche" - "Precious". These amazing creatures have reached such a high spiritual level that they are able to choose for themselves where, when and by whom they are born. Their main goal is to find a body that will allow them to bring the greatest benefit to all living beings. In 1951, on the eve of the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the number of such lamas in the Land of Snows reached three thousand. Most of them died in Chinese prisons during the Cultural Revolution, some then found a new embodiment in India, where the Dalai Lama left in 1959. He is also a "Rinpoche" and is able not only to "give signs" after his death, but also to retain the memory of a past life. Recognize people, places and objects familiar to him from a previous incarnation.

Sometimes I think that the "meeting of the immortals" in the popular movie "Highlander", accompanied by thunder, lightning and a lot of special effects, in the end, is not such a fiction. Who knows what Ketsang Rinpoche, who was disguised as a beggar pilgrim and was sent in search of the new Dalai Lama (also “Precious”), was worried when a two-year-old kid from the distant village of Taktser recognized him as a “lama from the Sera Monastery” and demanded to give him the rosary that hung around his neck the thirteenth Dalai Lama. Return to him, the rightful owner. What thunder-lightning shook his heart when the boy called other members of the search party by their names, and then suddenly spoke to him in the capital's Lhasky dialect, which he had never heard in this life, for he was born in the distant province of Amdo? How did he feel when, from the many different rosary beads, drums and staffs offered to him, the child unerringly chose those that belonged to the thirteenth Dalai Lama?

The current Dalai Lama says he feels a special connection with the Great Fifth, during which time Tibet turned from scattered principalities into a single strong state. As a child, he often had vivid dreams related to the life of his fifth incarnation. He also says that although he was a lazy boy, he always knew as much about Buddhist philosophy as his spiritual teachers. “I can only explain this by memory from a past life,” he concludes.

Dalai Lama XIV - Ocean of Wisdom

In 1578, the third Dalai Lama went to Mongolia, his name was then Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso. The last part of his name, Gyatso, translated from Tibetan means "ocean". The Mongols translated it into their own language, which in Mongolian sounded like "Dalai". Since then, all subsequent and previous incarnations of the great teacher began to be called "Dalai Lamas". Later, the Chinese adopted this name from the Mongols, and the British, having learned about it from the Chinese, spread it all over the world. This is how the free translation gradually took root in the West: “Ocean of Wisdom”.

In order to understand what is going on in the hearts of ordinary people who have come into contact with this wisdom, you need to go to Dharamsala, a small town in northern India. Today it houses the headquarters of the Tibetan government in exile and the seat of the spiritual leader of Tibet. Better to arrive in February-March, when His Holiness gives teachings to Tibetans and Buddhists from around the world. In recent years, more and more pilgrims from Russia have been here.

In the wording of Western journalists and scholars, Buddhism is increasingly more of a philosophical than a religious system. (And this is despite the fact that the ceremonial-ritual component of its Tibetan form is extremely saturated). This is partly because they do not require faith from a person taking the first steps in comprehending Tibetan Buddhism. He must study, analyze, reflect, in one word - “learn,” as the current incarnation of the Dalai Lama calls it. “Tibetan Buddhism,” he says, “is based on 300 volumes of teachings brought from India and then translated into Tibetan. If faith alone were enough, then there would be no need to compile such an extensive collection of philosophical treatises. "

The Dalai Lama himself received a classical philosophical education, studying under the guidance of the best philosophers of his time, and brilliantly passed the exams for the highest academic degree "Geshe Lharamba". But, despite this, he now devotes five hours a day to philosophical studies, prayers and meditations.

“On days when I have a particularly busy schedule,” he says, “I have to read prayers and do meditations very quickly, but then when I’m finished, I don’t feel happy. If I carefully perform meditations and prayers, then they become a source of inner peace for me, lead me to a deep understanding of things, to true experiences. And then I think that the day was not in vain. "

He expects study, comprehension of Buddhist philosophy, active self-improvement from his people and followers in other countries of the world. In traditional Buddhist communities in Tibet and Taiwan, Kalmykia and Tuva, where spiritual studies are still considered the prerogative of monks, lay people sometimes pretend not to hear his calls. But he never leaves the effort. Reminds Tibetans of what a huge intellectual potential lies in their people if they were able to adopt the philosophical heritage of ancient India before Buddhism in this country was wiped out by the Muslim invasion. Reminds Kalmyks of what great Buddhist philosophers and scientists their land gave birth to, when communist ideology did not interfere with ties between Tibet and Russia. Remembers: "I myself learned from the texts compiled by some of them."

He is attracted by modern science. Every year in Dharamsala, he organizes seminars, where famous scientists come from all over the world to discuss with him the latest research in the field of, for example, the plasticity of nerve fibers. Compare what the Buddha discovered with what is being revealed to science today. If it turns out that the results of scientific experiments refute certain provisions of Buddhism, he is ready to revise and clarify - Buddha encouraged critical analysis.

He is told that the molecular structure of water changes if a kind word is pronounced nearby, prayers or soft music are heard. Water molecules take on a beautiful shape. He perks up: "I just mentioned something like this when commenting on a classic Buddhist text written six centuries ago." Buddhist theory does not classify plants as living beings capable of reincarnation, but experiments show that they are sensitive to external stimuli and grow better if pleasant words are spoken to them. But he does not allow himself to be carried away by this new idea; he immediately turns on the habit of analysis, developed over the years, honed by the philosophical debate - the main subject of monastic education: “A beautiful form, you say? Beautiful from whose point of view? "

Dalai Lama XIV - the state oracle

When it comes to Tibetan Buddhism, it is better to immediately define the concepts. After all, it often turns out that for us mysticism and sacraments, for Tibetans - is an everyday reality, as natural as telephone communication or the Internet. We should not be surprised when, when asked about the secret knowledge of Tibet, the spiritual leader suddenly says: “I know nothing about them. Look for yourself, and if you find it, be sure to notify me. " Perhaps he is joking, and perhaps he really does not understand what secret knowledge journalists are seeking from him. Everything that he knows, he is ready to tell directly and openly, because the ability to share knowledge is the highest kind of generosity, from the point of view of Buddhism.

Be that as it may, the head of Tibet lives in a very special world, whose atmosphere is sharply different from that that surrounds the heads of other states and governments. In difficult situations, dispatches are sent here to monasteries to perform protective rituals, and if necessary, they seek advice from the state oracle - a deity named Nechung, who has been protecting the Dalai Lama and his government for many centuries. Possessing the gift of foresight, Nechung, through his chosen monk-guide, is able to communicate with the Dalai Lama and his entourage, answering questions asked.

In October 1950, when news of the invasion of eighty thousand Chinese soldiers reached Lhasa, and the Chinese radio announced the beginning of the "peaceful liberation of Tibet," the monk-guide in a trance state put a white ceremonial scarf on the lap of the young Dalai Lama and entered his body Nechung proclaimed, "His time has come!" This meant giving the Dalai Lama state power two years earlier than usual. “People then split into two groups,” the Dalai Lama recalls. “One included those who pinned their hopes on my leadership in this crisis. In another, those who thought I was too young for such a responsibility. I agreed with the second group, but, unfortunately, I was not consulted. Instead, they asked the oracle. "

So, not without the help of Nechung, the sixteen-year-old Dalai Lama XIV took over the leadership of a Buddhist country, for many centuries, following the principles of non-violence and compassion. A country cut off from the world by a ring of snowy mountains, resting in its holy conviction that nothing can happen to it. “For all Tibetans, the future seemed peaceful and calm,” His Holiness would write later. Meanwhile, his predecessor, the thirteenth Dalai Lama, on the verge of his death, left Tibet with a terrible warning, whose lines to this day excite the inconceivable accuracy of formulations. “Our cultural and spiritual traditions will be completely destroyed,” he wrote, foreshadowing the offensive of the “Reds,” who at that time had already dealt with Buddhism in Mongolia. Tibet - reduced to nothing ... We will become slaves of our conquerors, we will wander helplessly like beggars ... Days and nights will drag on slowly in great suffering and horror. "

This was also confirmed by Nechung. When one day he was asked a question about China, instead of giving the direct answer expected of him, he turned to the east and began to lean forward frantically. “It was scary to look at him,” the Dalai Lama later recalled. - The ceremonial helmet on his head was so massive that he could easily break his neck. He bent down at least fifteen times, and no one was left in doubt where the threat was coming from. "

Gradually, the state of affairs in Tibet became worse and worse. Thousands of Tibetans from the remote provinces of Kham and Amdo fled to Lhasa, hoping for salvation. By March 10, 1959, when an unprecedented popular uprising against the Chinese invasion broke out, the Dalai Lama's summer palace was surrounded by crowds of refugees. “They told such horrific stories,” wrote the 14th Dalai Lama, “that I could not believe them for many years. I fully believed what I heard only in 1959, when I read the report of the International Commission of Jurists: crucifixion, ripping open the abdomen and amputation of limbs were commonplace. People were tied to horse tails, hung upside down, and thrown into the icy water with their hands and feet tied. And so that they do not shout: "Long live the Dalai Lama!" on the way to execution, their tongues were pierced with butcher hooks ... "

On March 17, 1959, the Dalai Lama again turned to the state oracle for prediction. By that time, Mao Zedong had already uttered his fatal words: "Religion is poison," and it was clear that from day to day he would begin to "use antidotes": to destroy monasteries and temples, shoot monks and lamas, and therefore destroy the culture of ancient Tibet, inextricably linked with Buddhism. Many believed, not without reason, that the danger threatened the life of the Dalai Lama himself. They asked him to go into exile, to India, in order to enlist the support of the world community. The Dalai Lama did not allow even the thought of leaving, his protector Nechung remained silent.

However, that day, to the Dalai Lama's amazement, he suddenly exclaimed, “Go away! Today!" The guide monk, still in a trance, grabbed a pen and quite clearly drew the path that His Holiness had to take from his summer palace to the last city on the Indian border. “Looking back at this event over the years,” the Dalai Lama writes in his autobiography, “I feel confident, Nechung always knew that I had to leave Lhasa on the 17th, but did not say this so that the prediction would not become known to others.”

Dalai Lama XIV in exile

The Dalai Lama was followed into exile by the elite of Tibetan Buddhism. Learned lamas, heads of philosophical schools and monasteries. Not everyone managed to survive: the transition through the Himalayas, the tropical climate, unusual food and illness - all this undermined health and took lives. Those who survived worked hard, sparing no effort. High lamas who sat on thrones in Tibet and simple boy monks worked on an equal footing. Due to the purity of their aspirations, incredible self-denial and unconditional trust in their spiritual leader, who, every time visiting them, consoled them in sorrows and urged them not to abandon their efforts, Tibetan monasteries grew up in the homeland of Buddhism, in India. Today there are over two hundred of them, among them the largest philosophical universities in Lhasa, which turned out to be among the six thousand monasteries that were completely destroyed in Tibet during the years of the Cultural Revolution. Today, as well as many centuries ago, thousands of Tibetans can receive a traditional philosophical education here, study the miraculously survived ancient texts that the first refugees managed to take with them to India through the Himalayas. Scary to think, the philosophical legacy of Tibet almost burned to ashes in the hellish fires of the Cultural Revolution.

Seeing Mao Tse-tung as a "destroyer of the Dharma," the Dalai Lama clearly understood that his main task in exile should be the salvation of Buddhism, which by that time was almost completely destroyed in Mongolia and the Buddhist regions of Russia. He was also ready to carefully analyze the mistakes and omissions that contributed to the tragedy in Tibet. One such oversight is the lack of attention to what His Holiness calls "modern education." “The Chinese often speak of Tibetans as a backward people,” he says. - And this backwardness is attributed to us not because we are insufficiently developed from a spiritual or religious point of view. No one will dispute our spiritual knowledge and sacred texts. However, we are really lagging behind in terms of modern education. "

Realizing this, he paid special attention to the formation of a new system of secular education for Tibetan society, which would introduce Tibetan children to modern science and at the same time give them the opportunity to deeply comprehend the history, religion and culture of their country. “This system may not be perfect,” the Dalai Lama says today, “but it is still our pride. Graduates of our schools continue their studies in higher educational institutions in India and other countries of the world and achieve success. " In Tibet, the Dalai Lama's schools are known. Tibetans living in communist China today are eager to send their children to study in India, even if it means separation for many years, and maybe forever, because illegal passage through the Himalayas is fraught with risk. There are a number of explanations for this seemingly strange fact. On the one hand, parents want their children to grow up free and receive an education that would provide them with a decent future. However, the main reason is different - they want their children to grow up next to the Dalai Lama ...

Simple Buddhist Monk or Omniscient Buddha?

For Tibetans, the Dalai Lama is the embodiment of the Buddha of Compassion on earth, who has guarded the Land of Snows and its people from time immemorial. “Is he really a Buddha?” Is often asked by foreigners entering the exciting world of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time. For Tibetans, the answer to this question is unequivocal. For the sake of meeting with him, they are ready to go to distant lands, enduring hardships, risking their lives.

“We have a large family, many children, and we are elderly people, and we will never have a chance to meet His Holiness,” said the parents of young Yangchen, who left for India after the Dalai Lama. "But if at least one of you sees him, it will be a great success for our entire family."

Buddhism teaches that this life is not the only one, we have already come to this world countless times in a variety of guises and forms. We were born in the bodies of animals, hungry ghosts, in the flames of hell, in countries where people have never heard of compassion, where hatred, violence and war reign. And suddenly in this life, either by a happy coincidence, or by virtue of all the good deeds we had previously committed, we found ourselves on this earth at the same time as Buddha. And we have a chance to see him with our own eyes, to receive his blessing. What does it mean in comparison with this severe cold, thirst or risk to life? We will die anyway, and the impassive wheel of death and birth will continue to turn. Who knows where they will take us next time.

When the Dalai Lama is asked how he feels in the role of a living Buddha, he invariably laughs it off: “The Tibetans call me“ Omniscient ”, but they have secrets from me. It’s a problem. ” Accustomed to a rigorous monastic education to a scrupulous and unbiased analysis of reality, his sharp mind easily finds contradiction in any verbal formulation. If the Dalai Lama is the embodiment of Buddha, then why is he appointed teachers? What is the use of long years of academic studies? “My teacher thought I was the new Dalai Lama, but he kept the whip with him,” he laughs. - When I was little, I was very afraid of him, because this whip was always with him. Sacred yellow for the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is a saint, which means that an appropriate whip is needed. "

He likes to call himself "a simple Buddhist monk" more. This phrase, repeated by him many times, wandering from book to book, discourages anyone who, imbued with the American way of life, accustom himself to the idea that the main thing is to "present yourself correctly." Where does this modesty come from? Perhaps from the Bodhisattva vow taken by every follower of Tibetan Buddhism - the vow to benefit all living beings in the Universe, until each of them attains deliverance from suffering. The desire to exalt oneself by humiliating others is a direct violation of it.

Buddhism teaches that only one more Buddha can determine whether a person is a Buddha. In other words, in order to measure the depth of the ocean, you yourself have to be unlimited. However, while affirming this, the teaching simultaneously calls on us to “judge by indirect signs”: by the scale of deeds, by the content of instructions, by the power of compassion ...

Dalai Lama XIV - national treasure

The current Dalai Lama considers compassion to be a national treasure of the Tibetan people. “This quality has been manifested in us since birth and, perhaps, to a greater extent than in other nations,” he says. "Compassion is the best we have." It is this deep compassion for every living being, not excluding those who, due to ignorance, commit acts that force us to classify them as “enemies”, that prompted His Holiness to stop his people on the threshold of bloodshed and proclaim a non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. “The Dalai Lama does not believe in war,” his film double will later say in the magnificent Hollywood film Kundun, directed by Martin Scorsese about the early years of the life of the spiritual leader of Tibet.

In 1989, the Nobel Committee honored the Dalai Lama with the Peace Prize, praising his efforts to "find a peaceful solution based on tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people." The Nobel Peace Prize will be the main one in a long list of awards and honorary titles awarded almost every year to His Holiness for his achievements in the struggle for peace and respect for human rights. Among them are the Philippine Magsei Prize; Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize (New York, USA); the Dr. Leopold Lucas Prize (Germany); and the Memorial Prize (Daniel Mitterrand Foundation, France).

Presenting His Holiness the Raoul Wallenberg Prize (Congressional Human Rights Meeting), Congressman Tom Lantos said: “The courageous struggle of His Holiness the Dalai Lama shows that he is a leading leader in the fight for human rights and world peace. His never-ending quest to end the suffering of the Tibetan people through peace negotiations and a policy of reconciliation requires tremendous courage and sacrifice. ”

The Dalai Lama invariably reminds the refugees who came for his blessing from Tibet, which today is open to the wind rose of all kinds of influences, of the importance of patience and compassion. The Chinese are implanting their attitude here, based on the communist values \u200b\u200bthat we have already half-forgotten. Western tourists bring their utilitarian-materialistic view of things. Both are destroying Tibet. The Chinese communists are forcing the monks to sign a five-point document that they have drawn up, where they are forced to abandon the Dalai Lama, to admit that Tibet has always been a part of China, and its "peaceful liberation" has brought him immeasurable benefits. Western tourists bring their confusion into the minds of the inhabitants of the Land of Snows, left without the care and instruction of a spiritual leader. People begin to think that perhaps happiness lies in material well-being, which they lack. Some of the villages are called "dark" by the Tibetans, which means that there is not a single monk left, there is no one to read prayers and give instructions.

Until a certain age, children are not told about who the Dalai Lama is, so as not to blurt out too much, and trouble happens. But as soon as they find out the truth, they begin to think about India. “When we were little, our parents were afraid to tell us about the Dalai Lama,” recalls Yanchen, who has lived in Dharamsala for several years. - But then I grew up and as soon as I found out the truth, I began to ask them to let me go to India. They were very worried about me and did not let me go. But when I turned sixteen, I left anyway ... We had a photograph of the Dalai Lama at home, which was rarely taken out, only when children were blessed. They put the photo on the child's head, blessed it, and then put it back, very deep into the box. "

Keeping a portrait of the Dalai Lama at home is still prohibited in Tibet. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, whose lectures on tolerance and compassion gather in stadiums, is here a state criminal seeking to split the Motherland. Another motherland-mother in the space of the modern world seemingly free from the communist stuffiness. Also iron, with a sword bald. Her chopped phrases make you sleepy. You don’t know how to react, once again confronting something that seemed to be long gone. “An exponent of the interests of the Tibetan people or a devoted instrument of the anti-Chinese forces of the West”, “A religious leader or the biggest obstacle to the normal order preached in Buddhism”, “A champion of peace or an inspirer of unrest” are just a few of the topics that the Chinese embassy offers to Russians in the section on Dalai Lama. The syllable is too familiar to allow myself to discuss it seriously ...

Driving along the streets of Samara, visiting Tibetan lamas in Russia suddenly recognize the great trinity of Marx, Engels and Lenin in their rather shabby portraits (they were either forgotten or too lazy to take pictures of the new mayors). "How do you know?" they ask in amazement. "How not to know," they laugh, "we are from Tibet." Contrary to everything that is known today about modern Tibet, people by inertia continue to consider it a citadel of spirituality, not subject to corruption and destruction. China is actively helping them in this, trying to sell tours with a visit to the freshly painted Norbulika, the summer palace of the ruler of Tibet, or the restored Potala, his winter palace, which is about to be reckoned among the "wonders of the world." Everything would be fine, if not for one hitch: their owner still lives in Dharamsala, separated from his people.

He calls Tibet a "dying giant", and his student, Hollywood actor Richard Gere, when asked why he discusses the Tibetan problem so often, says that if you do not act immediately, there will soon be nothing to discuss.

Over the past three years, there have been positive developments in relations between China and the Tibetan government-in-exile. The Dalai Lama's envoys have flown to China several times for bilateral consultations, which closely watched proponents of an early Tibetan issue are expected to lead to formal negotiations between the parties. The demand put forward by the Dalai Lama is "greater autonomy", because what is today called the Tibetan Autonomous Region is only a third of the territory of indigenous Tibet. The Dalai Lama cannot throw two-thirds of his people overboard. He abandoned the struggle for independence and is ready to remain within the borders of China, but not as a puppet, which the Chinese have dreamed of seeing him since the entry of troops into Tibet.

Its goal is the active spiritual resurrection of the Land of Snows. Having recreated the centuries-old system of Buddhist education in India, he and his government accumulated colossal spiritual potential in exile. If we transfer to their native soil all that has been achieved by a very modest in number, but extremely effective Tibetan community in exile and allow Tibetans to make their own decisions regarding the internal development of the region, Tibet can still be saved.

Some say that the Chinese side has deliberately adopted a wait-and-see attitude: the Dalai Lama will leave and the Tibetan issue will go with him. Others argue that the demise of the current Dalai Lama is fraught with a crisis that China has never known. There will be no one to appease the mourning people. Which one is right? "Wait for my death," the Dalai Lama laughs, "then reality will be your answer." However, he is not going to leave yet. Says: "Now is not the right time for my demise." As the Dalai Lama, he has a certain amount of power over time. His predecessor, the thirteenth Dalai Lama, deliberately shortened his life, leaving twenty years ahead of the time predicted by his horoscopes. Seeing the inevitability of the "red threat", he wanted to meet her with a young man full of strength, and not a decrepit old man. On the shoulders of the fourteenth incarnation, he shifted the entire burden of fateful decisions, but also, according to Tibetan astrology, he added to his life the twenty years he had not lived himself. The longevity of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, so necessary to solve the Tibetan problem, is the only hope for Tibetans, both in exile and in Tibet, behind the iron curtain of Chinese propaganda. They believe that, in the end, his words and prayers will be heard, and the modern saga about the battle of dark and light forces, a saga about which so little is known in Russia, will end with the victory of good.

 

It might be helpful to read:

• Private offices of ultrasound. How to open an ultrasound office. Choosing a room for work;
• Step by step instructions on how to sell a business idea to an investor;
• What business is relevant now and what is in demand;
• Reviews of entrepreneurs who ventured to start their own franchise business Promising low-cost franchises;
• Scopes of rubber crumb;
• Tailoring orders. We are urgently looking for a sewing workshop. A valuable selection - a bonus to the Master class on tailoring a bag;
• How much does it cost to open a coffee shop from scratch;
• Accurate internet speed check;