Slog News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« All The Shouting in the World,... | Bird Brains »

Monday, April 14, 2008

Dalai Lama to Journalists: “My Hope is That You’re Also Part of Humanity”

posted by on April 14 at 11:10 AM

I don’t know if all of his press conferences are like this, but the early-morning media availability that the Dalai Lama held in Seattle on Sunday (I was there, randomly, as the invisible hand of AFP) turned out to be quite a remarkable deviation from every other presser I’ve attended. The Dalai Lama opened with this:

Good morning, everybody. I have nothing to say.

He then spent about five minutes talking to the assembled journalists about the ways in which we might live more successful, happy lives—also unusual, but rather apropos given the state of our industry.

“Anger, hatred, jealousy, brings inner sense of insecurity,” the Dalai Lama was saying.

I was thinking: Have you ever worked in a newsroom?

“Compassion open our heart…”

I thought: Good luck with this crowd.

He continued with his version of Journalistic Humanity 101:

In modern time, particularly in modern country, media people are very, very important. Now, in democratic country, people are the real democracy. Leadership very important—but ultimately people are the most important. Everything depend on the people.

Therefore, fuller knowledge of every event by the public is very essential. So media people have very, very important role to inform the people. For that reason, usually I make a habit of telling media people: You should have long nose, something like elephant nose, and smell everywhere—front, and side, and also behind. That’s I think very important.

For writing you should be objective and unbiased but then tell me, make clear, what’s going on—good thing or bad thing? I think that’s very important. So that the public knows: What’s going on? What’s the reality? Then the public can judge. I think that’s very important.

So my request and my hope is that you’re also part of humanity, the promotion of human values, and the promotion of harmony. I think, in these things, you also have responsibility. So, keep in your mind, that’s all.

I was stuck on his hope that media types might—just might!—also be part of humanity. I guess even the Dalai Lama wonders whether we have it in us to be human. Nice to know he’s still holding out hope, though.

“Now,” he said, “questions.”

RSS icon Comments

1

At any point did he say, "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate, and Hate leads to suffering."

?

Posted by bma | April 14, 2008 11:18 AM
2

Media types? Part of humanity? Only if you get them drunk.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty | April 14, 2008 11:19 AM
3

Does he also believe that the children are the future?

Posted by Chris B | April 14, 2008 11:24 AM
4

bma - is fear EVER justified? Perhaps if someone was walking around your bed at night with a raging chainsaw, you'd be...a little afraid and fearful, which would lead to running, not the dark side. the running would lead to optimism and hope...that you wouldn't get chain sawed, which would lead to life, which would be good. love and light. so, therefore, "fear" as a solitary notion being "all bad" is total horseshit.

Now, more interesting is the notion of "unwarranted fear". thats an interesting conversation. Most fears are...unwarranted. but some are. thats why we have things like radar and insurance and traffic lights. otherwise, we'd have a lot more warranted scenarios of fear.

"oh yeah, did he by any chance mention that love is good?"


Posted by raymond | April 14, 2008 11:27 AM
5

@4: Missed that reference by a mile, eh? :)

Posted by bma | April 14, 2008 11:36 AM
6

humans? no way, one only needs to read the journalist and the murderer to understand the predatory manipulative mind of the journalist.

Posted by SeMe | April 14, 2008 11:40 AM
7

how to I get to be a Lama and tour the world Rock Star style? I mean he's the spiritual leader of a country he's not allowed in, but still manages to pack arenas and stoke out millions of people daily!

Posted by bobcat | April 14, 2008 11:43 AM
8

@1 Ah, the Dalai Lama is Yoda. Clearly I see now.

Posted by PopTart | April 14, 2008 11:47 AM
9

@1 - yes, yes, now I see...yeeees. I did miss that one by a mile. Not fear you were speaking of, but...something else veeeery profound and deep, deep enough for the slog. Thank you. my buddha friend.

Posted by raymond | April 14, 2008 11:53 AM
10

Does all of humanity keep a bottle of Wild Turkey in the lower desk drawer?

Posted by Joe M | April 14, 2008 12:14 PM
11

yoda is a pale reflection of the enlightened buddhist leader.

Posted by max solomon | April 14, 2008 12:28 PM
12

In the words of Carl Spackler, "Big hitter, the Lama."

Posted by tomcat98109 | April 14, 2008 12:30 PM
13

@10:

Not so much anymore.

For example, instead of Wild Turkey, my lower desk drawer now only contains a jar of Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter.

Posted by COMTE | April 14, 2008 12:41 PM
14

Why exactly would someone who supports the NRA and keeps company with the perpetrators of the killing 600k-1m innocent Iraqis be in a position to comment about humanity?

Posted by left coast | April 14, 2008 12:55 PM
15

@ 14 - do you get to drop yourself off at the dumb shit park on the way home, or do you have to take you home?

Posted by raymond | April 14, 2008 1:08 PM
16

Good one dickwad, I'm guessing you're the other Raymond that everyone avoids.

Posted by left coast | April 14, 2008 1:22 PM
17

America....are you bitter?

Posted by squeezing my brain | April 14, 2008 1:40 PM
18

Sounds to me like he has about the same take on journalists as the rest of us -- right down there with politicians and personal injury lawyers.

Posted by David Wright | April 14, 2008 2:28 PM
19

Question for Mr Lama: If China freed Tibet today would you expect that Tibetians would hold open and free elections to determine their own destiny based on democratic ideals?

Posted by Andrew | April 14, 2008 2:34 PM
20

Answer the fucking question, LEFT COAST!

I'm sorry - I'm very much kidding. Left Coast, I have compassion for both you and me. I didn't know the Dalai Lama supported the NRA nor did I know he commiserated with evil empires such as us. what does that say for you? or are you paying taxes in Canada and just cherry picking comments in america?

Posted by raymond | April 14, 2008 2:49 PM
21

@1 - Yoda is a mish-mash of every Eastern philosophy that George Lucas has ever heard of. For chrissakes, his name is one letter away from being Yoga. That's some real hippy shit right there.

"Mickey Rooney, maybe? OVER THIS INTERVIEW IS!"

Posted by Mahtli69 | April 14, 2008 3:31 PM
22

I guess that was a little cryptic Raymond. I was referring to 5280 @2 sock puppeting a human being.

I hold the Dalai Lama in high regard. I do think that Tibetans can be trusted with democracy. Steven Hadley is one of the dumbest men alive, and it's a joke to claim the Olympics are just about sports. There is no excuse for dipshit cowboy to be sitting at the opening ceremonies wondering if they'll be Chinese food after.

Posted by left coast | April 14, 2008 3:46 PM
23

do you think the microphone that the Dalai Lama spoke into was made in China?

Posted by bobcat | April 14, 2008 4:20 PM

Comments Closed

In order to combat spam, we are no longer accepting comments on this post (or any post more than 14 days old).