The Dalai Lama on Marxism

[L.A.P.]

Q: You have often stated that you would like to achieve a synthesis between Buddhism and Marxism. What is the appeal of Marxism for you?

A: Of all the modern economic theories, the economic system of Marxism is founded on moral principles, while capitalism is concerned only with gain and profitability. Marxism is concerned with the distribution of wealth on an equal basis and the equitable utilization of the means of production. It is also concerned with the fate of the working classes--that is, the majority--as well as with the fate of those who are underprivileged and in need, and Marxism cares about the victims of minority-imposed exploitation. For those reasons the system appeals to me, and it seems fair. I just recently read an article in a paper where His Holiness the Pope also pointed out some positive aspects of Marxism.

As for the failure of the Marxist regimes, first of all I do not consider the former USSR, or China, or even Vietnam, to have been true Marxist regimes, for they were far more concerned with their narrow national interests than with the Workers' International; this is why there were conflicts, for example, between China and the USSR, or between China and Vietnam. If those three regimes had truly been based upon Marxist principles, those conflicts would never have occurred.

I think the major flaw of the Marxist regimes is that they have placed too much emphasis on the need to destroy the ruling class, on class struggle, and this causes them to encourage hatred and to neglect compassion. Although their initial aim might have been to serve the cause of the majority, when they try to implement it all their energy is deflected into destructive activities. Once the revolution is over and the ruling class is destroyed, there is nor much left to offer the people; at this point the entire country is impoverished and unfortunately it is almost as if the initial aim were to become poor. I think that this is due to the lack of human solidarity and compassion. The principal disadvantage of such a regime is the insistence placed on hatred to the detriment of compassion.

The failure of the regime in the former Soviet Union was, for me, not the failure of Marxism but the failure of totalitarianism. For this reason I still think of myself as half-Marxist, half-Buddhist.

Interesting take on Marxism, sure it may be a very revisionist view but better than having a negative view.

[Widerstand]

The third paragraph is rather garbage, and the last statement about totalitarianism is a bit unnuanced. Other than that, it's pretty spot on.

[CynicalIdealist]

More like Dalol Lol m i rite? I don't think Marxists accept CIA money.

[khad]

Interesting take on Marxism, sure it may be a very revisionist view but better than having a negative view.
And he'd still be restricted here.

http://india.indymedia.org/en/2003/09/7833.shtml


The exile Tibetan leader, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, said the Vietnam War increased suffering and was a "failure." But, he said, some wars, including the Korean War and World War II, helped "protect the rest of civilization, democracy." He said he saw a similar result in Afghanistan - "perhaps some kind of liberation."

[danyboy27]

And he'd still be restricted here.

http://india.indymedia.org/en/2003/09/7833.shtml

nobody here is even suggesting that the dallai lama is some kind of nice and kind individual or that we should support him.

i am not saying its the case here, but sometimes, even autocratic, power hungry peoples can say interesting things.

[Tablo]

Well, the current Dallai Lama isn't as bad as past ones.. interesting he would say such things in relative support of Marxism though, as he is an authoritarian dickhead.

[red cat]

Interesting take on Marxism, sure it may be a very revisionist view but better than having a negative view.

As soon as these reactionaries realize that the masses are not accepting their right-wing denunciation of the communist regimes anymore, they disguise themselves as ultra-lefts and attack revolutions from a seemingly more radical point of view. A thorough investigation of their politics and activities always reveals that they are selling the same old wine in a new bottle.

[Black Sheep]

Fuck off, Dalai Lama, you idealist piece of shit.

Go back worshiping the trees and the little humming birds and await for your reincarnation.

The people who want to fuse idealism with marxism/anarchism,to make a version of a personal favorite pet ideology make me rage.

[L.A.P.]

Regarding the situation in Tibet, I don't know what would be worse; being ruled by a theocrat that receives funding from the United States or being under occupation by China.

[Princess Luna]

A very small group of people living in extreme luxury , while the mass majority of people live in shacks without running water and electricity. wow , the Dalai Lama sure has a odd form of Marxism!

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Why is the dalai lama to blame for coming to power as a teenager in a country with a 1,000 year old political system? The monastic community wasn't perfect, but the Dalai Lama himself admitted it, and we shouldn't blame Tibet for having a backwards theocracy considering it was coming out of medieval social conditions. Nor is it particularly helpful to "class struggle"; invading feudal societies like tibet to impose your society's version of "socialism" from abroad isn't revolution, that's imperialism, especially when it is defended in terms of China's imperial borders from 200 years ago. When Mao came, the Dalai Lama actually applauded the reforms that Mao's army brought, it seems that there was more of a conflict on the ethnic boundaries of "Tibet," and to what extent the Sangha retained its rights and authority. As for taking money from the CIA, that's more than explainable by the nasty context of the cold war. He doesn't now, and considering the Chinese occupation of his homeland, I can understand why he would have done that.

He has also affirmed Chinese rule of tibet, the socialist political system, and a lack of economic or political authority for the monastic community.

Anyways, Buddhism is a religion that is very compatible with Marxism. First, its notion of argument and enlightenment is highly dialectic. Second, it assumes different social relationships (like property) are the result of a long chain of cause and effects, and not set in stone. Third, the "p

[PigmerikanMao]

Interesting how when he was in charge of Tibet, he never implemented any of these great humanitarian half-marxist half-buddhist reforms. Mayhaps our good old friend the Dalai Lama is just spewing the same old pseudo-socialist tripe to win over left leaning supporters to his own NATIONALIST cause? Hmm..

[Revolution starts with U]

Perhaps. Perhaps also he was 11.

[Die Rote Fahne]

I think he mixes up Marxism and Socialism.

Although he respects Marx and Marx's theories, the Dalai Lama speaks of marxism as more of utopian socialism.

Is it a good thing that he supports a leftist economy? That he recognizes China as a totalitarian CAPITALIST state? Yes, we should. We should all be thankful.

[PhoenixAsh]

Interesting how when he was in charge of Tibet, he never implemented any of these great humanitarian half-marxist half-buddhist reforms. Mayhaps our good old friend the Dalai Lama is just spewing the same old pseudo-socialist tripe to win over left leaning supporters to his own NATIONALIST cause? Hmm..

perhaps you need to read some books on the matter that
1). have not been dictated by China's politically dictated history
2). are not written by authors who use purely Chinese sources.




First he did implement changes and did advocate many reforms.
Second he had little worldy power over the government.
Third he was underage most of the time of his institution which was officially recognized from the age of 15 in 1950 in which China was rattling at the gates....giving him little time to implement anything.




A very small group of people living in extreme luxury , while the mass majority of people live in shacks without running water and electricity. wow , the Dalai Lama sure has a odd form of Marxism!

Yes...because you can change a 1000 year old system in a few days when you are 15.

To be more fair...the situation is mostly the same now...under so called socialism....with the added bonus of state legislated genocide.

In fact death penalty and judicial mutilation, known as Shayka law, was abolsihed in 1913 by the 13th dalai lama. The 14th dalai lama managed to expand on the system that saw this abolishment was observed.

Interestingly enough it was the Maoists who reinstituted large parts of Shayka law and implemented torture as punishment.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Pretty much what hindsight says. It's really peculiar to expect a teenager to have revolutionized an ancient feudal society overnight, even if he is a reincarnation of a Boddhisattva. I wish the Chinese apologists would at least grant the Dalai Lama the fact that he was limited by his youth! From what I've read of the Dalai Lama's own statements on Mao, he himself approved of Mao's reforms, just not the heavy handed way he imposed them and, in the Lama's mind, the infringement on what had been traditional Tibetan autonomy.

There's always been room for China and the Tibetans to negotiate. Both sides have some reasonable arguments.

[Princess Luna]

Pretty much what hindsight says. It's really peculiar to expect a teenager to have revolutionized an ancient feudal society overnight, even if he is a reincarnation of a Boddhisattva. I wish the Chinese apologists would at least grant the Dalai Lama the fact that he was limited by his youth! From what I've read of the Dalai Lama's own statements on Mao, he himself approved of Mao's reforms, just not the heavy handed way he imposed them and, in the Lama's mind, the infringement on what had been traditional Tibetan autonomy.

There's always been room for China and the Tibetans to negotiate. Both sides have some reasonable arguments.
maybe a good start would have been giving just a little , tiny bit of his personal wealth to help his people , i mean while his people were living in hovels his main palace had A GOLDEN FUCKING STAIRCASE IN IT and him and his priests still made the commoners pay a monthly tribute to them. In fact he made no reforms , made no attemps to reform , and didn't even bother saying "hey guys maybe milking the peasants for money isn't cool" until he was already kicked out and had started putting on a "Ghandi" impression to gain sympathy in the west. So i don't like the Chinese , but i don't support them negotiating with the Dalai Lama anymore then i support the government of Iran negotiating with the Shah (i know the Shah is dead , but i think it presents the best example)

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

But he was fifteen when the chinese first occupied tibet. Who should be held responsible for not being totally socially aware at the age of fifteen?

As for the "golden staircase", did he personally chose to put that in, or was that something put in there over the centuries of its construction? It's not like a golden staircase can be melted down into farm implements, gold is largely valueless except as ornamentation anyways, and there's nothing wrong with its existence in religious buildings. Perhaps the Lamaists went to great excess to decorate their monastic institutions before the birth of the 14th Dalai Lama, but we shouldn't hold him responsible for that. It wasn't his decision to put a golden staircase in.

[Crimson Commissar]

But he was fifteen when the chinese first occupied tibet. Who should be held responsible for not being totally socially aware at the age of fifteen?

As for the "golden staircase", did he personally chose to put that in, or was that something put in there over the centuries of its construction? It's not like a golden staircase can be melted down into farm implements, gold is largely valueless except as ornamentation anyways, and there's nothing wrong with its existence in religious buildings. Perhaps the Lamaists went to great excess to decorate their monastic institutions before the birth of the 14th Dalai Lama, but we shouldn't hold him responsible for that. It wasn't his decision to put a golden staircase in.
When you're the ruler of an entire country, it's pretty fucking pathetic to not be socially and politically aware.

[PhoenixAsh]

When you're the ruler of an entire country, it's pretty fucking pathetic to not be socially and politically aware.

yes...and in effect and theory he did not "rule"the country untill he became of age at which point he tried to implement many, many reforms.

[Crimson Commissar]

yes...and in effect and theory he did not "rule"the country untill he became of age at which point he tried to implement many, many reforms.
Still doesn't make him anything more than a social democrat, really.

[PhoenixAsh]

Still doesn't make him anything more than a social democrat, really.

I agree with you there.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

When you're the ruler of an entire country, it's pretty fucking pathetic to not be socially and politically aware.

Yeah, that's why the Dalai Lama was surrounded by a thick ring of advisors who probably made most of the decisions until he got old enough anyways. There are lamas other than the dalai, such as the panchen lama and others who also had a role in society. It's not like the Tibetans were crazy enough to give 15 year olds complete, unguarded reign over an absolute theocracy.

Of course he's not going to be socially or politically aware, he was raised within a giant monastery. Perhaps that's the fault of the ideology of a 1,000 year old government type, but it's not like he himself was responsible for being raised in a cloistered environment.

[gorillafuck]

Still doesn't make him anything more than a social democrat, really.
I'd be surprised if he was father left than a moderate democrat.