Monday, February 11, 2013

"Free Tibet" is not about Buddhism.

And it's not about "freedom"...and it's perhaps not even about "Tibet."

It's certainly not about China.

It is more instead about caricatures of these things.

I might post more on this in the coming few days...

But I saw Yet Another "Free Tibet" blog post today...and I was astounded at the level of ethnic ignorance I saw parading as being "informed."

I have said it before and I'll say it again: as a Buddhist and as an American, especially as an American of European descent married to someone of Asian descent, who regularly associates in day to day work with Europeans, Americans, East and South Asians, Middle Easterners, etc. ANY type of governmental polity built upon the political primacy of any ethnic, religious, or other group of  such constructs is hardly the stuff of which right livelihood can be claimed, or to put it bluntly, it's morally repugnant.

And "cultural genocide" trivializes the real thing.

I probably will say more, especially regarding human rights issues and 功夫, but geez...


8 comments:

NellaLou said...

I think I've caught the idea, and am guessing as to the origin of your complaint. I am tempted to say "I saw that too" but without knowing if we are talking about the same thing I have to temper that. [or not]

In any case, going on the presumption of catching the drift, I'm inclined to agree with you.

Further:

We need to read more stuff from white-people-who-generally-ignore-Asian-people-unless-it-can-be-commodified-and-make-us-look-important/compassionate/knowledgeable, on the topic. [Teju Cole had it right in White Savior Complex] Blogs, books, analysis, interpretations, t-shirts, bumper stickers, bobble-head Dalai Lamas. Bring it on.

I wonder when the X-Box version will be out. Gamification of All The Things is where it's at. Interactive similacrum all the way. [hence cartoon!]

Mumon K said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mumon K said...

That's the general direction of where I was going, although my reaction was somewhat more visceral. I think the most telling thing about this whole thing is the fact that amongst Asian Buddhists I know, there is no uniform position on this topic.

But what struck me most in what I was reading was dangerously ignorance of how things actually are in China, not to mention any kind of articulation of what a Buddhist response on Tibet might be, other than "Dalai Lama! Good!"

NellaLou said...

Of the Tibetan people I know in India who I have spoken with on the topic, there is also no consensus. Some folks want to follow the Dalai Lama's approach, some just want to return under any circumstances, some have radicalized and some have just given up.

It seems like the fractures between positions is tending to get wider as the years go by too.

[I had a visceral reaction too but I rewrote it]

Angulimala said...

Here is a short read:

http://donlehmanjr.com/China/china%20chapters/china%20book3/china57.htm

It will help you to know the difference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bfe6CgYbH8

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