Happy No Losar! Tibet news

In solidarity with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, and Tibetans the world over, I am choosing not to celebrate Losar this year. You can read more about it here. 

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama continues to age and suffer from some illnesses, the question of his successor looms large for Tibetans, Buddhists and lovers of peace the world over. His Holiness himself has said in numerous writings that the 15th Dalai Lama may very well be found in the Tibetan diaspora community -- for example, in the 90s, a reincarnation of a high monk (called a tulku) was found to be reincarnated in a young boy in Seattle. These two articles report that the next reincarnation of His Holiness could be a female, and that installing the Karmapa Lama as regent should hold back Chinese agression while the search for, education and maturation of the new HHDL can be established.

"By naming a young and popular regent now, the Dalai Lama could assure a smooth transition to a figure who has become like a son to him, while dashing Chinese hopes of simply outwaiting the Tibetan exiles. He might also help to head off a full-blown power struggle over succession. As it is, any new leader—or joint leadership—will have to balance sectarian rivalries, win over alienated youth in Dharamsala, mollify the demands of sympathizers abroad and possibly deal with rival claimants to the title of the next Dalai Lama (each with his own powerful tutors and advisers)." 

Read the full article here.

Now the Karmapa Lama is the head of a different, I suppose rival, sect of Buddhism. In a sense, the Dalai Lama is only the head of his own sect, the Gelug-pa (Yellow hats - this is my school) and that groups happens to be the most powerful sect in Tibet. So that might bring up some sectarian fighting. As for female incarnations...

"The Dalai Lama didn't name a successor at the recent gathering of 600 exiled Tibetan leaders in Dharamsala, India, but triggered a wave of speculation by saying that he "may even choose a young girl," noting that he believes women have a greater capacity for compassion. If that happens, experts say it would be the first time a female outside the United States led a major world religion. It also would signify Tibetan Buddhism's capacity to evolve with the times.

While Tibet has never witnessed a female Dalai Lama, scholars say other high-ranking lamas, like the Demmo Lama, have occasionally been reincarnated in female form. Still, while the 14th Dalai Lama's succession ideas are revolutionary (he's also mentioned letting Tibetans democratically choose to abolish the post altogether), it's uncertain whether the tradition-bound population would accept a female leader. Seems there are glass ceilings even on the rooftop of the world."

Read the full article here.

And while we're at it, a few mistakes and misunderstandings in these articles, and in the general Western conception of Asian Buddhism:

- the present Dalai Lama does not "name" a successor, he merely points those who find the new reincarnation in the right direction through mystical statements, his position at the time of death, and so forth. It's not a question of picking or appointing or nominating.

- The high lamas of Tibet (or gurus in other schools of Buddhism) ARE NOT GODS! HHDL is NOT a deity; neither he nor his people see him that way. What these lamas are is living manifestations of buddhas -- that is, enlightened beings who chose to live in samsara to help other sentient beings escape it. There are NO capital-G Gods in Buddhism, as it is NOT a theistic religion. Especially from a standpoint of what we would call "high theology," attachments to a God or gods of any sort is dangerous attachment, bad for karma, and will keep one mired in samsara -- that is Mara pulling the wool over your eyes. In what I call 'folk' or popular Buddhism, the animist gods of the native religions (Bon in Tibet, Shinto in Japan, etc) do play a part in the daily lives of practitioners; Tibet has a particularly vivid panoply of demons, ghosts and gods in their cosmology. But understand that this does not mean HHDL is in any way a living God, or "God-King" as he's often rendered in Western media.

- The status of women is Buddhism is sticky, touchy and not easy to tease apart. Mainly, if women are even allowed to join the Sangha in various Buddhist vehicles, their ordination is more difficult and it is felt they must be re-born as men to acheive enlightenment. That is really food for another blog, but here are many questions over which to ruminate in the meantime...

Reason #8745897 to stop eating meat

"When it comes to global warming, hamburgers are the Hummers of food, scientists say. Simply switching from steak to salad could cut as much carbon as leaving the car at home a couple days a week."

So says an article I read online today. I actually hate meat consumption almost as much as Hummers, but there are few things I hate more than Hummers. Appealing to people's sense of compassion is clearly not the way to go -- because most of you are educated adults, you know where meat comes from, you know the animals are tortured and slaughtered after leading a horrid life, and you still eat meat anyways, don't you? Appealing to your pocket-book hasn't worked either, which I find shocking as Americans don't give a shit about anyone or anything unless it affects their own bottom line. Meat is so much more expensive, on so many levels, than vegetables and grains. But could this environmental 'angle' work?

Now I know some of you, especially in the UK, are saying, "But I only buy organic, free-range meat." Bravo for you (I meant that sarcastically). Sure that is better for your health, but it does almost nothing to help the devastating environmental consequences of meat consumption, although the lives of the animals before they are murdered and consumed are marginally better. And you are still eating the muscle tissue of a sentient, sapient animal with thoughts and feelings and conscience. Cruel and gross. Is that what you want to teach your children?!

Back to the article; "That's because beef is such an incredibly inefficient food to produce and cows release so much harmful methane into the atmosphere, said Nathan Pelletier of Dalhousie University in Canada. Pelletier is one of a growing number of scientists studying the environmental costs of food from field to plate. By looking at everything from how much grain a cow eats before it is ready for slaughter to the emissions released by manure, they are getting a clearer idea of the true costs of food. The livestock sector is estimated to account for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and beef is the biggest culprit. Even though beef only accounts for 30 percent of meat consumption in the developed world it's responsible for 78 percent of the emissions, Pelletier said Sunday at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science... Food is the third largest contributor to the average US household's carbon footprint after driving and utilities, and in Europe - where people drive less and have smaller homes - it has an even greater impact."

Don't you find that shocking?!?

For more information on how to eat a low carbon diet, visit www.eatlowcarbon.org.

And please, for the love of the planet - stop eating meat. Just stop it. You don't need it, it's bad for your body, your karma, your spirit, and the earth.