Please take a moment and listen to these statements from my longtime friends and colleagues Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, and Daniel Goleman about the His Holiness the Dalai Lama situation.
A Note from Joseph Goldstein:
“In this fast-moving world of the internet and global media, it is important to understand the full story of events before rushing to judgments and conclusions.
From having known the Dalai Lama over many years and from watching the full version of the video showing the interaction of the Dalai Lama and a young Indian boy asking for a blessing, it felt clear to me that this exchange was a loving, playful, and benevolent interaction. The Dalai Lama has spent his entire life manifesting compassion and lovingkindness for all, and this exchange seemed no exception.
The distress felt by so many is understandable; there have been so many disclosures of abuse in religious communities, by Buddhists as well as by others, and this was a child at the center of it. It is unfortunate that a cut and edited version was spread without regard for what actually happened, as attested to by the boy’s mother and those who were present. The Dalai Lama’s commitment to world peace and understanding has been and continues to be a great blessing for the world.
Of course, I’m simply sharing my perspective, and I would encourage anyone who is interested to watch the entire video and come to their own conclusions.”
– Joseph Goldstein
A Note from Tara Brach:
“The DL is a remarkable leader who has dedicated his life to spreading a global message of kindness and compassion. Recent news coverage has focused on a video clip taken out of context, and it is a deliberate attempt to sow seeds of mistrust. While this has caused much distress, the truth is much different than what has been presented. I hope you will take some moments to watch this video for a more informed understanding.”
– Tara Brach
A Note from Daniel Goleman:
“A cunning edit of an innocent interaction the Dalai Lama had with a young boy made it seem the Lama was a predator – and in this day and age too many people are ready to leap to such conclusions. That’s the ‘seeming’ here.
But a full look at their entire encounter reveals that the Dalai Lama was giving the young boy heartfelt advice on how to lead a good life. Indeed, the boy and his parents felt the boy received a blessing from the lama, and apologized for the bad press the edited video brought.
Turns out the edited version was intentionally malign. One possibility: that video was part of an ongoing propaganda effort by the Chinese Communists, who for decades have tried to discredit the Dalai Lama.
And apparently there is a cross-cultural misunderstanding here, too. Much was made of the Dalai Lama sticking out his tongue at the boy, a ‘seeming’ unseemly gesture. What that interpretation does not understand is that in Tibetan culture showing one’s tongue is a gesture of respect – and a grandparent might do the same playfully with a grandchild, after giving the child gifts, as though to say, ‘That’s not enough? So do you want to eat my tongue?”
I’m shocked by the whole affair. I’ve known the Dalai Lama for years, and wrote a book about his vision for the world – A Force for Good – which encourages putting lovingkindness into action. In all the years I’ve known him I’ve never seen him do anything like that ‘seeming’ video portrayed.
The ‘real’ here: the Dalai Lama for decades has been a spokesperson for the value of compassion, for the harmony of religions, and for social justice. And he exemplifies the utmost in personal integrity.”
– Daniel Goleman
A Note from Jack:
“And for what it’s worth, here is a video I made to help in offering a better understanding of the His Holiness the Dalai Lama situation. I hope you will listen and from there come to your own conclusions.”
– Jack Kornfield
