Dalai Lama must balance politics, spiritual role - that is not easy!

New Delhi and Beijing - Thrust inescapably into the eye of the international storm currently raging over Tibet, the Dalai Lama enjoys unique status as both the spiritual and political leader of Tibetans worldwide. That status, however, also poses him unique challenges.

As the symbol of Tibetan aspirations for greater freedom from Chinese rule, the Nobel Peace Prize winner is buffeted from one side by Chinese officials vilifying him and from the other by young Tibetan exiles urging him to be more strident.

Beyond all that, he must, as a Buddhist monk, match his words and actions in the worldly political arena with the nonviolent philosophy at the heart of his spiritual practice.

"He is the first to acknowledge that, so far, there have been no tangible results from his policy of patience," says Pico Iyer, author of "The Open Road," published this week, who has talked at length with the Dalai Lama over many years.

"Twenty years of patience have just seen more and more terrible things," he adds.
The Dalai Lama's "temporal role is entirely guided and lit up by his philosophy," says Mr. Iyer, and the results have led some observers to question if his Buddhist vision of the world is always in line with the demands of mundane politics.

"Historically," says Mr. Baker, "Tibetans have been bad at being politicians and much better at being monks. It is one of their great misfortunes that their advances in the study of consciousness and spirituality have not been balanced on the secular and political side."

For now, however, the Dalai Lama "is the only unifying force" capable of delivering any kind of agreement with Beijing, says Baker. "If he disappears," he says, "all the pent-up frustrations will arise in ways that no one will have the moral authority to control any longer."

And from the look of the protests at the Olympics' solemn ceremony, it was the protesters who turned the joyful bow to the Olympics' roots into a political statement about China's crackdown in Tibet and other rights issues. They are member of Students for a Free Tibet who protested in Ancient Olympia and Paris-based group "Reporters Without Borders". What is a fat joke is that most of these so-called abused protesters are "ang mo" so what the fxxk are they protesting about? Are they from Tibet...did their father/mother/children live in Tibet and now suffering there?

There are many more of these type of rubbishs : See below

"The very idea that they will be able to parade the torch through Tibet after the crackdown is obscene given what's going on in Tibet," said Anne Holmes, acting director of the London-based Free Tibet campaign. ( Idiot - if there is no violent protest in the first place then should there be a crackdown - another chicken and egg issue here )

The first torchbearer in the relay was Greece's Alexandros Nikolaidis. After the torch left the stadium, a Tibetan woman covered in red paint or dye lay in the road approaching the village of Olympia while other protesters chanted "Free Tibet" and "Shame on China." Japanese runner Haturi Yuuki came within a few feet of the protester, then stopped and ran in place while plainclothes police removed her. They also dragged off a man accompanying her who was waving a Tibetan flag. Police said the woman and the three members of Reporters Without Borders were being detained. One of the men arrested was Robert Menard, the group's general secretary. The three Frenchmen were charged with the misdemeanor count of offending national symbols. They were released pending trial in late May, and said they hoped to return to France on Tuesday. ( So what is the real agenda here? In France...they also have lots of problem with their Muslim brothers and the Africans who are treated like 2nd class citizens. So go and make right your own problem before disturbing the peace at other's countries ).

In Nepal, police in the capital of Katmandu broke up at least two separate protests by Tibetan refugees and monks and arrested as many as 475 protesters, officials said. Chanting "China, stop killings in Tibet. U.N., we want justice," protesters were marching to U.N. headquarters in Katmandu when police stopped them about 300 feet away and snatched their banners. ( So sad, guessed the Nepalese have no choice but to send these people back to Tibet then they will know not to creat troubles for others ).

The Tibetan activists have already said they plan to demonstrate elsewhere on the route. ( Just how many are actually Tibetan? There are always people who eat too full...too free for their own good...so easy to be brain-washed to do crazy things ).

I am a layman Buddhist and I do agreed that monks/nuns should be praying hard in the temples for World Peace and not out in the streets creating troubles and misery for people. Just not right....what is happening to "RELIGION"? Such a shame!!!