A day out with Carla Bruni and the Dalai Lama

Another weekend back in the Cévennes, thanks to Carla Bruni, Nicolas Sarkozy and the Dalai Lama. The Lerab Ling sanctuary, home of Europe's biggest Tibetan temple, is on the edge of the high Larzac plain, just across the hills from here. It was there that Sarko despatched his supermodel wife to meet the Dalai Lama.

We tagged along to what was one of the more exotic events of the Sarkozy reign so far -- a mixture of religious service, safron diplomacy and Woodstock-like happening. It certainly made for great pictures, with Carla joining the Tibetan spiritual leader at the head of a procession around the sumptuous hillside temple before they cut an inaugural ribbon at its door. Outside hundreds of faithful joined in communion as the monks chanted, horns sounded and cymbals clashed. Inside, arrayed before a 25-feet high golden Buddha, were a gathering of Parisian beautiful people and senior figures from Europe's thriving Buddhist movement. Among them were Juliette Binoche, the film star, and Inès de la Fressange, the former Chanel égérie

The idea was to show that the President was ready --  up to a point --  to defy stark warnings from China and show support for Tibet during the Olympic Games. You will remember that Sarkozy cancelled a plan to meet the Dalai Lama last month after the Chinese ambassador to Paris warned him that there would be "serious consequences" for France if he went ahead.  Bernard Kouchner, the Foreign Minister and Rama Yade, the Secretary for Human Rights, were also on hand yesterday to make the point that Sarko cares.

Bruni, whose new pop album is near the top of the hit parade, carried off her mission flawlessly. Elegant in her white khata scarf -- bestowed on honoured guests -- , she smiled gracefully, clasped her hands reverently and said nothing in public. Kouchner, a lifelong humanitarian campaigner, was clearly more embarrassed by the delicate exercise of minimising the ire of China.

Beijing warned Paris again on Thursday that it took a dim view of  Sarko's "operation karma". His Holiness did his own bit to raise the stakes the same day. He dropped the pretense that his French trip was purely religious and publicly denounced Chinese repression in Tibet.  After a 20-minute meeting yesterday, the normally voluble Kouchner would only tell us: "I told the Dalai Lama that he was always welcome in France." The Tibetan leader did not mince words. He told Kouchner that "a certain form of extremely brutal repression is continuing to reign in Tibet in parallel with the Olympics."  We heard that from Matthieu Ricard, the French monk who is the Dalai Lama's spokesman here, as well as his biographer.

[Lerab Ling temple, near Lodève, Hérault]

Meanwhile, the Socialist opposition continued to mock Sarko for his "pseudo-diplomacy" and wobbly policy in which he talked tough to Beijing over human rights and then backtracked under Chinese pressure.  The President will glad to see the end of the Olympics and the back of the Dalai Lama.   

Away from the politics, it was impressive to watch the "Ocean of Tranquility" in action. Under his leadership, you can see why Buddhism, with its relaxed, tolerant view of the world has so many acolytes in Europe. Six million French say they feel drawn by the religion, according to polls, though only 600,000 are practitioners. About 2,000 people turned out for yesterday's ceremonies, including many who had driven far across Europe to get there.    

The Dalai Lama's sermon, delivered cross-legged atop a high dais after 45 minutes of chanting and prayer, could not have been more different from a homily by the Pope or England's Archbishop of Canterbury.  It was improvised and chatty and punctuated by a self-mocking laugh.

The message was simple: since even billionaires could be unhappy, material comfort was not the way to a good life. "We should strive for inner peace in the concert of God.... We also have responsibility to take care of the planet. The trees and all beautiful things are part of creation ... Harmony is very very essential."  He blessed all religions and then broke off, saying: "I won't go on because our most important item today is lunch."

 

Comments

[Daniel Strohl]

"I won't go on because our most important item today is lunch."

LOL ! Her Holiness has humour.

[RMiller]

Sarkozy has been very inconsistent in his dealings with China on the Tibet issue.

Nice to see that the Dalai Lama still makes time for the French President, however.

[dot king]

Ok, so is this a political, a religious, or a "people" event? Or non-event, depending on how you look at it.
There are a whole set of things that go CLANG here and I don't mean just the Temple bells.
This man was born "God", the Chosen One from babyhood. Just how far down this road do we go? Politically speaking.
Never having met or even seen him from afar, I haven't experienced the DL's charisma (on photos it doesn't come through - not one bit), so am not under any spell and hopefully will be able to formulate a relatively muddle-free comment, though I fear this is a battle lost in advance.

If Carla Sarkozy has Buddhist leanings, all well and good, but couldn't she, like some of the other "people", then have gone incognito (apart from her squad of protectors that is)? But, like her taste for charity work, she has thus far kept her Buddhism secret.

I am cynical about all this (in case anyone reading hadn't guessed:)). If she went to this temple-opening ceremony because someone in high office of her close entourage asked her to, then she performed her rôle rather well in view of possibly not being sincere about it. In all admiration, I would not be able to take such an event seriously, so would not go, no matter whom I was married to.

Well, I mean, I just want to say "bloody hell" (I feel Charles won't allow anything stronger) about all this. It's no surprise, is it, that despite the non-materialist preaching and tenets of Buddhism, there are one helluva lot of "people" with one helluva lot of monetary input. Reminds me of Scientology or Divine Light in that respect.

Watching the regional news the other evening on Fr3, I learned that there is a Buddhist Temple in the Gers. It's installed in an unprepossessing farmhouse in the south-east of the département, but I had the impression from the neat views that it owned quite a bit of the countryside around as well.
There was footage of a man looking rather like the Dalaï Lama without glasses, same robes, saying and chanting things which had to be unintelligible to the small assembly of what? faithful? adepts? disciples? aficionados? well, whatever, all in Lotus position with their fingers and thumbs forming little circles comme il se doit.
Now, even a grouchy old cynic such as myself am well aware that the news is edited and you get what they want you to see, but the young (French) man who explained what the Lama(?) was saying did actually say that he was campaigning to raise funds (yes, FUNDS) to buy prayermats, bells and incense for the monks in Tibet.
Not to pay lawyers to defend and/or get the wrongfully imprisoned out of jail, nor anything human-rightsist, or of that nature. Prayermats, bells and incense.
My conscience was not stirred. Nor were my chequebook nor my CB (Carte Bancaire - another CB to add to the list).

Someone who is behind, or at the head of, a group or a nation with those priorities, cannot be taken seriously as a political leader IMO.
But then what do I know of oriental politics? Very little.
All this fuss about the Dalaï Lama is disturbing, again IMO, and I have scant regard for Matthieu Ricard as well.
It all rings totally false to me, all of it.
Poligious? Relitics?
How are we supposed to view this in the country of laïcité?

I can't think what to say about sending a minister and a secretary of state as "backing" to Carla's presence. I don't suppose they know quite what to say either.

[Francois D]

Matthieu Ricard is a very interesting character. He was the young companion of a Nobel Prize (François Jacob) at the Institut Pasteur, in Paris, when he decided to convert to Buddhism.

He is Jean Francois Revel'son. JFR was a journalist, philosopher, very known by his book "Ni Marx Ni Jesus" (Neither Marx nor Jesus) , .

I read Matthieu's book, a few years ago co-authored with his father: "the monk and philosopher". (Le moine et le philosophe)

Very interesting testimony between an agnostic father and a son believer.

I did not have the formal response as to whether Buddhism is a religion or a philosophy, perhaps between the two .. surely not a political party.
In any case, if it is a religion, it seems not a proselyte one.

These people have "secrets of life" that we dn't ... (or no time to discover).

Chinese communists may have reasons to be wary about a religion philosophy because they probably have not forgotten that it is a religion (another one) which helped to find the loophole in the communist bloc. A lovely contrast to Stalin's sentence: the vatican how many divisions?

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthieu_Ricard


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x56lmu_matthieu-ricard-moine-bouddhiste

Thanks CB to open so interesting discussions.

PS A quote from JF Revel which will please many readers of this blog;

"Since the time that France "radiates", I wonder how the world did not die of sunstroke".

[Lyara Atkins]

Dear Charles,

I am mystified by the quote of the Dalai Lama here: "The trees and all beautiful things are the creation of God." Buddhists famously don't believe in God the Creator. We say that everything was created by mind -- this is an essential tenet of Buddhism. I have been studying and practising Mahayana Buddhism for decades and never have I heard such a statement from a Buddhist teacher.

I sometimes think that the Dalai Lama, as a celebrity monk and savvy politician, just says what he wants his audience to hear.

It seems that he is willing to compromise religious beliefs to curry political influence. I wonder whether a similar thing is occurring in India, where he has used his political authority to ban a 400-year old mainstream Buddhist practice, one he himself practiced until he was in his forties.

Please see www.WisdomBuddhaDorjeShugden.org for information.

[mac]

so: at the opening of the largest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Europe, he says "God" created the trees, and the most important thing going on that day is lunch?

i thought he was a Buddhist monk!

[Jean]

How uplifting,God Bless the Dalai Lama,carla and all the people of the world who want to see Tibet free and refuse to be bullied by the chinese leadership ant the farcical olympic games!

[dougal]

at the opening of a Temple, this "Buddhist monk" talks politics, schmoozes supermodels, preaches biblical creationism and tells everyone that lunch is the most important item on the agenda?

right...

[Jean]

God Bless the DALAI LAMA and all those who support free TIBET and refuse to be bullied by the chinese communist party in Bejing

[Matthew]

While I agree it may make a splendid scene cavorting with the powerful and beautiful people in the rolling hills of France, it seems the Dalai Lama has forgotten those whose lives he is sworn to protect.

There is a very real spiritual apartheid going on under his regime in the Tibetan settlements in India. I know this may seem hard to believe, but there is ample evidence, with more pouring in every day.

The Dalai Lama giggles alot as he travels the world advocating religious tolerance, but he is also banning and repressing by political means a centuries old spiritual practice beloved by millions, not to mention practiced by his own root guru and other teachers. The Practice is called Dorje Shugden practice, and it has been advocated by some of the greatest spiritual geniuses who have ever lived. You can read more about it at wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org

Then he has the temerity to LIE about it (there is evidence of this as well). He is playing the western media for fools, saying one thing to the Tibetan people, and another to the people of the West, who are too giddy with ill-founded admiration to check the truth of his story. Western Media, please wake up! Investigate this shocking development. The Dalai Lama repressing religious freedom? Maybe they will give YOU his Nobel Peace Prize.

[goldenmala]

Outside the Dalai Lama's teachings in Nantes, France the Western Shugden Society were asking the Dalai Lama to lift the ban he has imposed on the Gelugpa tradition of Buddhism. For 3 days more than 500 people protested outside the Dalai Lama's teachings. The protesters were asking for the Dalai Lama to give religious freedom to Shugden practitioners. He has expelled more than 900 monks from their monasteries for engaging in this particular Buddhist practice.

Visit this site for more info:
http://www.westernshugdensociety.org

[John Gregory Flinn]

"The Lerab Ling sanctuary, home of Europe's biggest Tibetan temple."

I understand that Buddhism is France's third largest religion which if there only 600,000 practitioners may be a suprise.
I assume this would be after Christians and Muslims.

The Dalai Lama represents Tibetan Buddhism which generally preaches vegetarianism, so it might be interesting to see the lunch menu.
Other far eastern sects in Japan, Korea and China itself are not so strict.

Sarkozy (and Kouchner) appear to have had an enlightening set of experiences recently with Russia ignoring his exhortations, the Chinese issuing "stark warnings" and possibly doubting the US 'wisdom' of NATO expansion. And even Britain seems set to become third in the 'JO' table of gold medals!
Realising that such an independent and apparently inimical multi-polar world exists outside Europe must be somewhat bewildering to super-Sarko with his Euro-centric perpectives.
Perhaps he will turn his attention more to domestic matters such as Belgium....?
BTW, would the EU recognize Flanders as an independent state...??

[Rose]

Enjoyed the article. As a foreigner living outside the country and trying to understand life in France, I would say that Sarkozy is trying ....He is such a colorful character.....His every action though seems to come under so much fierce criticism and be viewed with cynicism....as we say in my country "He just can't seem to win for losing." Anyway keep up the good work Charles!

[azloon]

the DL makes spirituality sound easy to the uninitiated, and so is attractive to the 'beautiful people' who have not a scintilla of interest in rising at four in the morning for prayer and meditation. now, here's a spiritual path that even laicte people can applaud, even pretend to practice, at least as they misperceive it.

CB, is that, how shall we say, 'quite prominent' temple visable from your dacha? i wonder if locals would have been as sanguine if a mosque/minaret had gone up their midst?

[Mary Fernandez]

The Isadora Duncan look suits her!

(and they say the Dalai Lama has a wicked sense of humor ;-) )

http://www.aintnowaytogo.com/duncan.htm

[Blendi Progri]

After all the trouble and separatist issues, some good news, at last. Dalai, prayers, peace, great scenery, goodwill, good food. It can’t get any better.

The photos though don’t look good. I mean Carla doesn’t look good on them, in fact bad, so bad that her face seems deformingly unatural. Maybe her lips weren’t made for smiling. In any case she doesn’t wear the smile very well. Carla smiling, is it a signal to her people, a show of independence and trying to assert herself; who knows.
But it doesn’t work. The demure look is all she needs. Better leave the smiles to Sarkozy.

[T C]

Thank you for the article regarding the Dalai Lama in France. I am very confused about his position on China:

"..."a certain form of extremely brutal repression is continuing to reign in Tibet.."

when he is acting like a dictator in his exiled community in India. The Dalai Lama has recently thrown monks out of the monasteries because they practice a Buddhist prayer that he changed his mind about. He has instigated an identity card system where you have to take an oath swearing to give up your spritual practice of this prayer in order to stay in the monastery, shop for food, receive medical attention, any type of support. This oath and identity card system is also being applied to lay practitioners.

I am confused because he says one thing about China and is behaving even worse against his own people in India.

I wish that the press would investigate this contradiction. I wish all people to be free from opression and suffering. The Dalai Lama gets a lot of press and air time, making negative comments about China, talking about compassion, tolerance, but no one is giving any press time to his hyprocrisy. Please investigate.

Thank you for listening.

[Migrated Dreamer]

I found it strange that the Dalai Lama would say, “The trees and all beautiful things are the creation of God.” I thought the Dalai Lama was a Buddhist. Does the Dalai Lama believe in Buddha? Why doesn’t he mention Buddha in his teachings?
It’s wonderful to be tolerant of other faiths, but you wouldn’t expect the Pope to talk about his faith in Buddha, so why is the Dalai Lama talking about God in this way? People seem to like the Dalai Lama’s interfaith dialogs, but I’m not convinced that the Dalai Lama can even represent the Buddhist point of view. It seems as though he’s more interested in being popular among Westerners and being photographed with celebrities than in teaching Dharma.
Also, it’s true that "extremely brutal repression is continuing to reign in Tibet” – and not just by the Chinese. The Dalai Lama himself is oppressing his own people by persecuting those who still worship the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden, as the Dalai Lama did himself for more than 20 years. For details, see http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/

[His reference to God was in the context of remarks welcoming representatives of the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths, who were in the temple for the ceremony. He was making the point that all religions have a common purpose of striving for harmony and so on... But I am not a theologian so apologies if I am misinterpreting. CB]

[Don]

It is shameful that a leader of a major Western country would have China dictate whether or not he meets with a Nobel Prize winner! Say what you will about Bush and America, but he not only met with the Dalai Lama, but publicly honored him with the Medal of Freedom. Now, China knows it can push France around. Shameful.

[Rick]

That the French should be particularly susceptible to Buddhism’s blandishments should raise no eyebrows: after all, this geezer called ‘Ocean of Tranquillity’ ticks all the boxes under the rubric of ‘woolly thinking’. Descartes’ espousal of ‘le doute méthodique’ does not – hélas!’ – extend to his countrymen… but then many a Brit still hankers for a spot of spiritualism, doesn’t (s)he?

[Mike]

Very holy man, leader of murdering monks. Very peaceful religion prone to incredible amounts of violence. What a farce.

[Rick]

Doesn’t one favoured way of teaching ‘enlightenment’ amount to confronting the student with a riddle? Whatever the response, the student receives a thump - just like that, no reason! Perhaps, the massed ranks of the – no irony, no anachronism! - free world’s press deserve a thump – for lazy reporting… laced with a ‘soupçon’ of gullibility.

[dspak]

I am happy that the Dalai Lama is attempting to promote respect and tolerance for other religions. What I don't understand is why he does not do the same for his own people. For more than 30 years he has been persecuting his own people, in particular those who rely upon the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden. The global champion of human rights is actually in his own community betraying the very principles that he is known for. The Chinese are exploiting this hypocricy, resulting in undermining the cause of religious freedom in Tibet.

France 24 did a good documentary exposing what the Dalai Lama is doing:
http://www.france24.com/en/20080808-dalai-lama-demons-india-buddhism-dorje-shugden

I also find it interesting that France, a country which claims to be secular in all its affairs, which does not allow head scarves in its public schools, makes such a high level public embrace of the Dalai Lama. France is about the separation of religion and politics, yet the Dalai Lama is the very embodiment of the union of religion and politics. Anybody who knows anything about Tibet knows it is an absolute theocracy. I would think the French would appreciate the dangers of mixing Church and State.

[dot king]

It's heartening to see so much doubt expressed, and interesting that it comes largely from people who are at least knowledgeable and/or practising Buddhists.

For my part, I wonder whether the moon is in the seventh house, whether Jupiter is aligned with Mars, and why I should take this man any more seriously than the gurus favoured by George Harrison and John Lennon, way back when.

MARY F - in France there is a now famous televised question and answer session on "La Boîte à Questions" part of "Le Grand Journal" where Carla Bruni was asked why she had never been chosen to model wedding dresses. She replied, with a provocative little smile, that she perhaps didn't look like a virgin bride (peut-être parce que je n'ai pas l'air d'une pucelle").
I now think the real reason could be that white just doesn't suit her. It happens.

In the background of the photo of the temple, we see what might be a house, a low modern building anyway. Could it be that there are people around who have the view over this monstrosity? How on earth did they get planning permission for it $$€€?

[dot king]

"Her Holiness has humour."
Daniel

Daniel, I know you are a Sarkozist, but sanctifying Carla Bruni is going too far!! :)

BTW "His Holiness" if you mean the DL :) - as I'm sure you do . . .

[dot king]

"I would say that Sarkozy is trying ...." ROSE

Rose, I would say that there are many who'd agree with you, Sarkozy is very trying indeed :)

[christopher muir]

The Dalai Lama, in this celebrity-obsessed world, finds that he sometimes has three roles to play at once. He is a spiritual leader, a politician and a kind of entertainer. It must be a daunting task to refine this mix day after day. And he keeps on going, despite all the stress of limitless air travel. (A fine advertisement for meditation?) Still, many males would fly a long haul to meet Carla. What is sometimes overlooked are reports that all is not well within his own sphere. He isn’t immune to the shouts of protesters. Without doubt he seeks the best for humankind and Tibetans in particular, but I suspect that most state leaders keep a close eye on his hectic travel plans. They can then slot in “unavoidable” appointments before his arrivals. Indeed, China’s influence is everywhere.

[azloon]

the buddhists are coming, the buddhists are coming... or at least those supporting the gelugpa tradition (whatever in the world that is).

CB you've managed to flush out another heretofore invisible group (the russians first) from the closet with this post. well done -- this place was feeling a bit incestous before ossetia brought us to our senses.

Dot, what you don't seems to attach sufficient importance to is that the DL is revered by millions of buddhists around the globe. and that this, his power, moral and to some extent political, is the reason bush gives him attention (and medals) and sarko feels compelled to welcome him (or, because he had little spine, to send his wife to do it --who, incidentally, looked absolutely maaahvallous, didn't she?).

btw, laicite, tho well-intentioned, has hypnotized france into an atheist frame of mind, marginalized persons of faith, and assumed an enthusiastic stature that has the feel of a religion itself. maybe faith will creep back into french life thru the back door of buddhism while the french aren't paying much attention.

as for the DL/God tempest, may i remind you of the dyslexic, agnostic insomniac who lies in bed at night, tossing and turning, wondering about the existence of Dog?

[rocket]

Dot

"...why I should take this man any more seriously than the gurus favoured by George Harrison and John Lennon, way back when."

Lest we forget that His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi fell out of favor with the Beatles when he tried to get over on Ringo's wife at some peace and love pilgimage. (lol)

This whole pilgrimage to the Gers is a non event.

Where were Becks and Posh, Where were Bono and Madonna and the Bradgelina, where was Mick and Keith and John and Yoko (oops sorry!) Where the hell was Oprah and Obama? I can go on....

[azloon]

MF

re isadora duncan's demise

if this weren't so tragic (less so with time), it would be perversely amusing.

it clearly would have merited a Darwin Award had it happened today (given to those who have done most to improve the human gene pool).

her chauffeur either was drunk, asleep at the wheel, or getting tired of her antics. or all three. btw, that must have been some frigging scarf -- twenty feet long? today, we could probably watch the whole thing on youtube.

about her daughters drowning in the seine: a sort of susan smith story, perhaps? i wonder if the french version of 'child protective services' looked into this?

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE5D6173CF930A15754C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

isadora certainly would have been on the 'a' list for the DL's french 'coming out' party. a 'dueling scarves' situation with carlita?

[Dominique]

Jean says : "God Bless the DALAI LAMA"

what a wonderfull example of the spiritual mood of the western world nowadays. Let's mix everything that looks "nice and childish". I would call this the "post68 globish spirituality".

A lot of people in France like buddhism because it is supposed to be a "peacefull philosophy". "peacefull" is to be discussed, just like for any religion, but philosophy! Come on! I am sure the DL would have a strong laugh if he was told he is seen as the head of a "philosophic" movement, considering the western definition of the word "philosophy" witch is, at start, a western concept.

Westerners who love the DL for philosophical reasons are indeed very self centered (or western centered).

They only project their own hopes and fears on what they believe the DL says. Well, let's recognize that this is the very principle of any religion though.

[Mads]

'in the concert of God' Did HH Dalai Lama really say this or this a quirk of translation. We Buddhists do not believe in a God.
A khata is a traditional Tibetan token of blessing and good will and is special coming from a rinpoche but ordinary Tibetan people use it as well eg. to give to a mother after the birth of a baby.
Tibetans buddhists do not practise vegetarianism unless they choose to. Ancient Tibetans would have starved to death if they did not eat yak meat and make products from yak milk. They also had barley as a staple cereal and tea to drink.

Sorry to disappoint you Dot but I don't know any romantic, New Age practitioners. We are all very down to earth people who lead very ordinary lives but have a belief system in a human being who showed us a set of principles by which to live and try to be more compassionate and aware in our daily lives and have some resources to help us handle the suffering and difficulties we encounter in this life.

Where I live here in the Auvergne, we have a beautiful temple of which our local French community is very proud. We have just had a 'portes-ouvertes' Sunday that was absolutely packed out with interested locals.

Did you also know that there are four Tibetan Schools and the Dalai Lama is head of just one of them? (Not mine).

The Dalai Lama is the head of Tibetans in exile and as such has to fulfill the role of politician and spiritual leader and relate to people in a way that Western people will understand.

I think that before one 'shreds' a belief system one should always make sure that one has researched it well and fully understands it principles and traditions. The celebrated Tich Naht Han is a wonderful resource and puts a very accessible face to a very complex and deep process.

[Lou Lou]

It's times like these I wish Princess Diana was alive.

Sarkowzy is just a player. A man with a dishonest face. What would be wrong in tightening relations both between France and China nd France and Tibet - that way you avoid trouble and uncomfortable situations. Instead, he is one of a few that protested against the Olympics and showed disrespect. The world knows how hard the Chinese people have worked for this event. They don't deserve all that negativity.
Those that are commiting the brutality against Tibet are actually a small minority.

If Princess Diana was alive I'm sure she would have taken the more repectful approach with both sides.

All that Sarkozy can do is throw his pretty-faced model to lighten up and grab that attention of the media. What a disgusting game he plays... there's probably more to it that what we see.

Anyways, I have to say that the Beijng Olympics were absoltely amazing.
I don't know if London can live up to those standards and deliever in 2012 - [shrugs] God knows.

[DJK]

Hmmm... I'm confused - about two things here:
1. Why is the Dalai Lama teaching that God is the creator when this is not what Buddha taught? It is of course people's choice what they believe but for a prominent Buddhist 'teacher' to contradict basic Buddhism is pretty strange.

2. How can he say "a certain form of extremely brutal repression is continuing to reign in Tibet in parallel with the Olympics." when his own government is repressing religious freedom within it's own exiled communities? I'm not denying the suffering of Tibetan people but two wrong's don't make a right! Check out wwwsidombuddhadorjeshugden.com

I get the feeling the Dalai Lama is a bit of a crowd pleaser - saying what people want to hear in order to increase his standing and thereby his political power. Unfortunately, mixing religion and politics may bring a high status and fame but will inevitably bring problems.

[becky]

I am curious to understand why the Dalai Lama, an alleged icon of religious freedom, has imposed a ban on the Buddhist practice of Dorje Shugden? People should be free to choose what and how they worship.
Who is the Dalai Lama to make decisions for millions of people?

[Mary Fernandez]

AZLOON -

The Isadora Duncan does have a sort of a Jayne Mansfield gruesomness to it.

(BTW, did you know Maritsa Hargitay of Law and Order SVU is her youngest daughter and was in the car at the time of her death? All the kids were asleep in the back so they missed out on decapitation.)

[Mary Fernandez]

P.S. This blog does get on some weird tangents... :D

[Mary Fernandez]

DOT -

It's true, Carla doesn't look good in white. She looks washed out. She also has an unnatural 'posed' look as if she were still on the catwalk and the only thing anyone should be looking at.

For someone who can look glamorous, she seems to go out of her way to throw on a sack, not wear make-up or brush her hair. When the beer and cigs catch up with her, Sarko'll kick her out of le lit and move on to the next supermodel (as is his fasion).

BTW, who's the father of this?

http://www.purepeople.com/13938-PHOTOS-Rachida-Dati-enceinte-.html

[credit to http://frogsmoke.com/ ]

[Daniel Strohl]

DSPAK,

"makes such a high level public embrace of the Dalai Lama"

It is mostly the media (of course, I am NOT aiming at CHARLES :) who make such a high level public embrace of the Dalai Lama. This gives them additional and alternative copy to the Olympic games. However, within a few days, everybody in this corporation will have forgotten the DL and the plight of the Tibetans.

Other people who are very happy with the DL story are the Socialists, who found a new way to attack Sarkozy and to show their own "grandeur d'âme" ... May be they should have checked their facts, if one believes some of the above posts ...

AZLOON,

"i wonder if locals would have been as sanguine if a mosque/minaret had gone up their midst?"

I don't know, but there is a precedent. In 2001, French military instructed by the "Préfet des Alpes de Haute Provence" (S-E France) blowed up with dynamite a huge tower called MANDAROM which had been constructed several years ago by a sect (the term sect is disputed by the "sectists").

This tower had been erected within the beautiful Parc Naturel Régional du Verdon, close to the nice little town of Castellane. The local people didn't like it - nor did we, since we lived in the vicinity at the time - i.e September 2001.

Of course, a big and long judiciary dispute occured prior to the blowing up between the sect and the "association de défense du Verdon" (I don't remember the exact name). This association is (was) headed by Mr. Ferato, a retired engineer.

He and his troops managed also a few years later to torpedo the planned construction of a huge 440 kV (or 400 kV ?) electric transport line which was supposed to run over a big part of the Parc National. I took part in one or two meetings of the association - two high level Parisian professors made conferences there about the possible influence of the HV line on the health of people, cattle (mostly sheep and a few imported lamas as well :) and bees. They explained that nothing was proven - it was rather convincing, but nevertheless, I wouldn't live in a house close or under a THT line (THT = Très Haute Tension) ...

[christopher muir]

France24 have produced an interesting documentary about the Dalai Lama's problems at home with Shugden.
http://www.france24.com/fr/20080808-inde-tibetain-dalai-lama-bouddhistes-demons-shugden-scission-schisme-moines

[Francois D]

DJK: "I am curious to understand why the Dalai Lama, an alleged icon of religious freedom, has imposed a ban on the Buddhist practice of Dorje Shugden? "

Possible answer: Behind this Shugden witch-hunt lies the fear of Chinese infiltration in the ranks of the Tibetan refugees.

This happenned (happens) also with Christians...

About Mandarom:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarom

Azloon (about children deaths)

Answer: For any suspicious death, there is a police inquiry and these deaths are suspicious.

So the police would have focused primarily on the subject.

After, it seems to me that she would have been suspected (except if found not criminally responsible by psychiatrists opinion: future would have been a very long internment, but psychiatrists are increasingly reluctants for that and since the new law (2008; "Dati law"), even for these cases, presentation in a court is an obligation (without judgment but conditions of internment).

In this case, estimated responsible : "cour d'assises " ie judgement by a popular jury. Unable to answer for the end..

What is certain is that death penalty would not have been discussed because it no longer exists in "civilized" countries.

[Rick]

Is Buddhism starting to spread? To judge from the reactions to the ambush near Sarobi, a severe attack of pacifism seems to have broken out. 55% of those questioned wanted the army to beat a hasty retreat from Afghanistan.; some (bereaved) parents came close to suggesting that their soldier sons hadn’t joined the army so as to be sent somewhere dangerous (‘The government must stop sending children to their deaths in this slaughterhouse’)

Were these elite troops or not? Were they ‘well officered’? Were they adequately prepared or equipped? Were they over-confident? Were they short of combat experience? Should the insurgents have been allowed to store tons of ammunition undetected? Had France been neglectful of her allies? And vice versa? Did the troops sense a lack of public support? Did they allow themselves to be entrapped? Did they make sitting targets of themselves? Are they now blaming their allies? Are they now blaming the Taliban for drafting in foreigners? Is public ignorance widespread: about Afghanistan, its history, its strategic importance? Doesn’t France have a duty of loyalty?

Let's forget the theology. If God existed, he'd be fed up with the pig's ear we're making of running the planet. As you suggest, Charles, wasn’t the Buddhist business just a ‘day out’?

Nirvana can be described as ‘the extinction of desire and individual consciousness’ – the trouble is: there’s a lot of it going on… in Afghanistan.

[dot king]

"Sorry to disappoint you Dot but I don't know any romantic, New Age practitioners. We are all very down to earth people who lead very ordinary lives but have a belief system in a human being who showed us a set of principles by which to live" MADS

You don't disappoint me Mads, not at all - I wasn't making any point about New Age practitioners of Buddhism - or any other religion or sect.
What I wonder is why people can't think and then decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong, and how best they can live within a set of values they recognise as intrinsically right.
I can understand why a philosophy or a religion can become a "prop" or to be more generous about it, a "guide" for some, many, people, but when there is someone wealthy and influential at the head of it all, a crowd-drawer, hobnobbing with the rich and famous, then whether it be the Pope, the Dalaï Lama, some Indian Guru or Shaman, ot whoever, then my credulity is severely tested.

MARY F: I haven't listened to the news this morning, so don't know anything about Rachida Dati's pregnancy.
If she is pregnant, then I am eager to see and hear what happens next. Much as I love living in France, they are way behind in matters of equality in the workplace.
Possible scenario:
Ah, you see what happens when you put an attractive woman in a position of influence? She just goes and lets you down by getting pregnant, doesn't she?

There's bound to be somebody (if it's true) who will whisper in the president's ear "I told you so - erm, Sir".
Poor woman, whatever she does now (if it's true) will be put down to her hormones. As to who the father is (might be), I believe she's married, and I don't know of any infidelity scandal attached to her. Carla's bed remark was just catty IMO.
BTW, she has a reputation according to the media, of being a ruthless boss, but when you see her interviewed on a TV talkshow she comes across as natural and plutôt sympa with a good SOH.

[peter kinsley www.peterkinsley.com]

Mary Fernandez (24 Aug): Here's a wierd tangent: many years ago I sat alongside a Daily Mail reporter who had been covering the war in Korea and was given a job in London. He was an Australian, and the Foreign editor asked him to take phone calls booked to each monastery in Tibet where the Dalai Lama might call while being chased out by the Chinese.
Five minutes later the phone rang: The Oz picked it up.
"Hello. This is the Dily Mile in Landan, and I wanna talk to the Dalai Lllllama...
"No, I know you're not the Dily Mile. I'm the Dily Mile and I wanna speak to the Dalai Lllaaama.
"Lissen - I don't want the Dily Mile, I want...."
He put the phone down.
The Foreign editor came over and said: "We've got a picture of him, fleeing from Tibet with his entourage. It's a world exclusive. Cost a fortune, but it was sent this morning. Ask the Picture desk where it is. It's URGENT. We're splashing on it."
Looking as if he were still suffering from shell-shock and battle fatigue, the Oz reporter went to the Picture Desk and asked about a world exclusive...the Dalai Lllllaaama fleeing Tibet..."
A quick scramble through the discard box of pix, and at the bottom lay the world exclusive.
"Oh, the little feller on horseback. I spiked it four hours ago..."

[Romain]

The last "New Age" practitioner I heard of is Radovan Karadzic...

[Daisy]

This week's winners:

China: the won the most gold medals and they have the President of France and the EU on the run. They are just on winning form, eh?

Carla: It's better that she went. She has a bit more class and culture than her hubby does. She does so well when she keeps her mouth shut.

Dalai Lama: A sense of humour and the ability to render Kouchner silent.

Loser of the week:

Rachida Dati: even a possible pregnancy couldn't upstage Carla...at least on the Bremer Blog. She does get points for trying. :)

[Mads]

'What I wonder is why people can't think and then decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong, and how best they can live within a set of values they recognise as intrinsically right'. DOT

I agree with you in principle Dot, but look at the practice. China believes its set of values is intrinsically right, the Taliban believes ... the Israelis believe...the Palestinians believe ... Bush believes ... Who sets the 'intrinsically right'?

The DL only represents one TB school. There are other Mahayana schools and life-styles which are simpler and also devoted to the welfare of others. He represents Tibet and the Tibetan people. No one else has been doing this for so long in such a high profile way and keeping the human rights' abuses in the world press.

Anyway, I think Carla looks a little pasty and wan. Is she also pregnant I wonder? I would think that her years as a 'supermodel' have been a great training for her role as France's First Lady. She is calm and dignified and I would have thought that like Rachida Dati she is far too professional to let 'hormones' get in the way of doing her job. However, I think that Dot is right in the way a certain proportion of the government will seize on any lame excuse to blame these women because they can't find a more convincing well-founded reason to dislike their popularity.

[Daniel Strohl]

MADS,

"any lame excuse to blame these women because they can't find a more convincing well-founded reason to dislike their popularity".

And the opposition, as usual, will try to do even worse ...

[dot king]

"And the opposition, as usual, will try to do even worse ..." Daniel

Oh Daniel! and I thought you were snoozing!
I wonder if Patrick Devedjian won't fire the first salvo - he who expected the coveted ministry in the first place.

MADS, very seriously, I see what you're saying, very clearly and agree with you on all the points you make about Bush, the Taliban and so on. I wasn't meaning on the collective level, but on the personal one.
I'm not convinced of the DL's sincerity is what it boils down to and it would seem, from reading some of the posts here, that quite a few of your fellow Buddhists have similar doubts on certain points.
I'd find it difficult to adapt a set of principles that I should refrain from questioning.

[Terry]

I find it rather odd that France made such of show of demonstrating it's independence from the evil USA with Iraq only to cower under threats from China. This was all over a man in a robe who talks about peace alot, was it not?

If i was the lama, i'd probably prefer carla anyway.