East West - The Asian American Lifestyle Magazine

By Katrina Kernodle-Walsh 

East West reporter Katrina Kernodle-Walsh sat in on the Dalai Lama’s recent talk hosted by the Asia Society, the Brookings Institution, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. to cut through the hubbub about his U.S. visit and bring you his honest messages on life, war, Tibet, global warming and President Bush.

When most parents look at their two-year-old child they have big hopes and dreams. Lhamo Dhondrub’s parents probably felt similarly.  If the name doesn’t sound too familiar that’s because he was recognized at the age of two as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama and renamed Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Gyatso –– Tibetan for Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom.

On Thursday morning in downtown Washington, D.C., one day after the 72-year old monk received the Congressional Gold Medal a few blocks down the road, Andrea Koppel simply referred to him as “Your Holiness” at the standing-room-only Park Hyatt hotel ballroom where Washington’s politicians, political wannabes and the press corps packed in to hear what the exiled 14th Dalai Lama had to say to Richard Armitage, Strobe Talbott and Richard Holbrooke.

There were no microphones set up for the audience to ask questions, there was no pressing of the flesh, there was a standing ovation as the Dalai Lama entered the room and as he exited and in between he said some pretty cool and inspiring things.

Being the Dalai Lama must be a strange and peculiar thing. On the one hand, every word he speaks is eagerly awaited, on the other hand, he noted that his life can be “like a prisoner surrounded by guards.” 

In response to the first question posed by former Deputy Secretary of State Armitage regarding whether or not the Dalai Lama believes the Chinese Congress may mollify requests someday for Tibetan autonomy in light of recent conciliatory dialogue with Taiwan, the exiled monk paused before offering his first words before the baited breath of hundreds, “I don’t know.”  In a town so often filled with long-winded and meandering answers, the honesty and brevity bordered on astonishing.

The Dalai Lama did have a bit more to say on the subject in a follow-up question by former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke that might require t-shirt silk screeners to add a few caveats to their “Free Tibet” tees. The Dalai Lama called Tibet “materially very backward and landlocked” adding that it would be economically crippled without China.

“Genuine autonomy” for a place with its own “language, spirit and culture” is far preferable in the opinion of the Dalai Lama, his resounding message for decades. His visit to the U.S. has been marked by hostile reaction from Beijing including warnings from China Daily that the award “will certainly cast a shadow over the relations” between the U.S. and China.

Over and beyond dialogue about the specifics of Tibet’s relationship with China or the crisis in Rangoon or his exile in India since 1959, the Dalai Lama did what he does best, he spoke in clear and simple terms about giant, overwhelming topics—emphasizing, above all, peace.

On the topic of global warming, he observed that crises of the environment are “invisible month by month” whereas in warfare “governments or a few individuals” can exact change in days or weeks.

Showing his humorous side, he said, “in the early morning many people take a bath everyday…for decades I only take [a] shower to preserve water,” plunging the crowd into laughter only to get serious and soulful just moments later, noting that the American lifestyle is one of consumption and that the gap between the rich and the poor is not only morally wrong but also economically impractical.

Emphasizing action and not just thought, the Dalai Lama observed that “it is not good to say ‘how poor, what a pity’ and then pray to God…not effective.”  He stressed his opinion that people need to foster a sense of self-confidence in others noting that lack of confidence “leads to frustration, frustration leads to anger and anger turns to violence.”

“There is not much use to fight –– your religion, my religion…” said the Nobel Peace Prize award winner, adding “we are 6 billion people, one planet.”

“Individual life is very, very precious,” he stated before the rapt audience, “but that precious human life…too many.” A succinct way of addressing warfare, overpopulation, consumption and manmade environmental challenges.

As it relates to the U.S. and President Bush, the Dalai Lama observed that for many years the U.S. had the image as a “champion of freedom, democracy and liberty.” He pointed out that decades ago in Asia that view began to shift following various U.S. political and military actions and that today even in Europe many people have expressed to him dislike for U.S. policy and the American president, “I tell them ‘I love him,’” he said about Bush noting that “some of his policies, I have reservations,” but, “as a person, very nice person.”

The exiled Buddhist leader told the crowd to “keep your ancestors’ principles of democracy, freedom and rule of law [for] in the long run these principles are very important. The United States is the most powerful democratic country, India is the most populated democratic country…these two together are very important.”

In closing remarks, the Dalai Lama pointed to the cameras in the back of the room where dozens upon dozens of the press gathered and said that the media has the role to educate and change society without “preaching” and that education is a key to provoke positive change. “India, the Indian constitution is not a rejection of religion…it respects all beliefs, all equal…this interpretation, this inclusive secular way of education is very, very important.”  With that, he was done.