I am a Marxist monk: Dalai Lama

[Unicorn]

Ahmedabad, January 18 Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama calls himself a Marxist monk, because “Marxism is more ethical, unlike capitalism”.


At a gathering at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), he said: “I am a Marxist monk, a Buddhist Marxist. I belong to the Marxist camp, because unlike capitalism, Marxism is more ethical. Marxism, as an ideology, takes care of the welfare of its employees and believes in distribution of wealth among the people of the state.”


Delivering a lecture on Ethics and Business, the Tibetan leader-in-exile said the global economy has created vast economic differences in every country of the world. “In the absence of ethical handling of money, the whole community suffer from a sense of insecurity. Exploitation of workers is maximum in developing countries. There are very high degrees of exploitation in India and China, similar to the exploitation during industrialisation of Western countries a century ago,” he said.


Ethics, the Dalai Lama said, could be categorised as theistic, non-theistic, and secular, and need not be based on religious faith.


“In all the three cases, the definition of ethics remains the same. Both theistic and non-theistic religions advocate love, forgiveness, tolerance and compassion. Secular ethics, on the other hand, is based on the realisation of the same ideas on the basis of common sense and individual experience.


“Trust and openness should be the foundation of business ethics. Even according to modern scientific research, warm heartedness is important for the happiness, well-being and health of a person. Consequentially, it forms a sounds base for a happy society,” the Dalai Lama said.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/I-am-a-Marxist-monk-Dalai-Lama/263190/

People should stop peddling the nonsense that Dalai Lama wants to restore feudalism in Tibet.

[Honggweilo]

funny how suddenly this world class oppertuinist turns against "chinese capitalism" :rolleyes:

[Niccolò Rossi]

“Marxism is more ethical, unlike capitalism”.

Unicorn, if you can not tell from this quote what the Dalai Lama is, I'm afraid you might be a lost case. The man is a hopeless religious utopian.


People should stop peddling the nonsense that Dalai Lama wants to restore feudalism in Tibet.

Whether you consider the claims sensible is another matter, but certainly you don't buy into the Dalai Lama's attempts to curry favor with the left?

You've brought this up time and time again, please just stop it.

[Dimentio]

Marxism =/= Charity

Marxism = Theory of class conflicts.

[Comrade Krell]

The man obviously is nothing short of an opportunist and a fraud. If he was a Marxist he would understand that 'ethics' and 'morality' are part of the superstructure of the existing social system, and exist as nothing but extensions (political or otherwise) of the current ruling class.

[Module]

I'll echo everybody else.
Marxism isn't about being more 'ethical' than capitalism. Although personal ethics may motivate personal Marxist beliefs, I can't help but think that if he truly understood Marxism he definitely wouldn't be describing it as being "warm hearted".

[Unicorn]

Unicorn, if you can not tell from this quote what the Dalai Lama is, I'm afraid you might be a lost case. The man is a hopeless religious utopian.
Yes, I think the guy is a religious Social Democrat / Eurocommunist, not an actual Marxist-Leninist. His ideology still beats the PRC capitalism.

[Module]

Where on earth did the 'Leninist' bit come from?

[Unicorn]

I'll echo everybody else.
Marxism isn't about being more 'ethical' than capitalism. Although personal ethics may motivate personal Marxist beliefs, I can't help but think that if he truly understood Marxism he definitely wouldn't be describing it as being "warm hearted".
The use of such language to defend Marxism is actually quite common and I don't think there is anything wrong with it, especially when speaking to an audience that is unfamiliar with Marxism. The Marxist poet Nazim Hikmet in a famous poem made a connection between love and Marxism. The Finnish band Agit-Prop made a song of the poem. Sentinel has it in his signature.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2gOA1UZPSQ

Dalai Lama is an intelligent man and has been some kind of "libertarian communist" for over 50 years.



I was very young when I first heard the word "communist." The 13th Dalai Lama had left a testament that I read. Also, some of the monks who were helping my studies had been in monasteries with Mongolians. They had talked about the destruction that had taken place since the communists came to Mongolia. We did not know anything about Marxist ideology. But we all feared destruction and thought of communists with terror. It was only when I went to China in 1954-55 that I actually studied Marxist ideology and learned the history of the Chinese revolution. Once I understood Marxism, my attitude changed completely. I was so attracted to Marxism, I even expressed my wish to become a Communist Party member.

Tibet at that time was very, very backward. The ruling class did not seem to care, and there was much inequality. Marxism talked about an equal and just distribution of wealth. I was very much in favor of this. Then there was the concept of self-creation. Marxism talked about self-reliance, without depending on a creator or a God. That was very attractive. I had tried to do some things for my people, but I did not have enough time. I still think that if a genuine communist movement had come to Tibet, there would have been much benefit to the people.

Instead, the Chinese communists brought Tibet a so-called "liberation." These people were not implementing true Marxist policy. If they had been, national boundaries would not be important to them. They would have worried about helping humanity. Instead, the Chinese communists carried out aggression and suppression in Tibet. Whenever there was opposition, it was simply crushed. They started destroying monasteries and killing and arresting lamas.
http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/99/0927/lhasa.html

[Unicorn]

Where on earth did the 'Leninist' bit come from?
Well, I am in the Marxist-Leninist camp. Dalai Lama is not but he is a leftist definitely.

[The Advent of Anarchy]

Jeez, Marxism is becoming popular with a RELIGIOUS LEADER? Weird.
Did he read the "opium of the masses" part?

[Dimentio]

And I am a raspberry tree.

[The Advent of Anarchy]

Mkay. I WANT A RASBERRY! =D

[Hit The North]

The Marxist poet Nazim Hikmet in a famous poem made a connection between love and Marxism.

As did Che.

The difference between an opportunist like the Delai Lama and a revolutionary like Che is that Che uses love to fuel his revolutionary activity, whereas the Delai Lama will use love to argue against revolutionary activity.

But those amongst us who believe that a socialist society will not be more ethical than a capitalist society are of no use to the revolutionary movement.

[Unicorn]

As did Che.

The difference between an opportunist like the Delai Lama and a revolutionary like Che is that Che uses love to fuel his revolutionary activity, whereas the Delai Lama will use love to argue against revolutionary activity.
Why do you call him an opportunist? Dalai Lama's declaration that he is a Marxist does not help him get popular support for the Free Tibet movement. American neocons or liberals don't like Marxists. I think it was a sign of honesty and real leftist convictions.

[Hit The North]

Why do you call him an opportunist? Dalai Lama's declaration that he is a Marxist does not help him get popular support for the Free Tibet movement. American neocons or liberals don't like Marxists. I think it was a sign of honesty and real leftist convictions.

Whatever. Call him what you want. But my point stands: he (and religion in general) will be a brake on real revolutionary activity. The Delai Lama's spiritual beliefs - his love for an abstract spiritual humanity - will prevent him from endorsing armed resistance and assault on the police for instance. For Che, resistance and armed assault are necessary to express his love for the people.

Besides, his description of himself as a Marxist is in error. You can be a socialist and religious, but you cannot be a Marxist and religious.

[Dros]

Well, I am in the Marxist-Leninist camp. Dalai Lama is not but he is a leftist definitely.

If by "leftist" you mean utopian, opportunistic, ultra-reactionary feudalist then I guess you're right.

[Unicorn]

Whatever. Call him what you want. But my point stands: he (and religion in general) will be a brake on real revolutionary activity. The Delai Lama's spiritual beliefs - his love for an abstract spiritual humanity - will prevent him from endorsing armed resistance and assault on the police for instance. For Che, resistance and armed assault are necessary to express his love for the people.

Besides, his description of himself as a Marxist is in error. You can be a socialist and religious, but you cannot be a Marxist and religious.
I am against religion of course but in some parts of the world religious politicians offer a more progressive alternative. Paraguay's "bishop of the poor" is a good example. It is good that Fernando Lugo won the elections and ended the right-wing rule.

[Module]

But those amongst us who believe that a socialist society will not be more ethical than a capitalist society are of no use to the revolutionary movement.
And chances are, wouldn't be in the revolutionary movement in the first place.

[Hit The North]

I am against religion of course but in some parts of the world religious politicians offer a more progressive alternative. Paraguay's "bishop of the poor" is a good example. It is good that Fernando Lugo won the elections and ended the right-wing rule.

Yes, I'm not arguing that religious movements cannot occasionally be progressive in their relationship to the class struggle (meaning, really, more the workers friend than the bosses friend) but they will stop short at suggesting the violent expropriation of the boss.

[Cheung Mo]

Beijing sent Chilean Marxists seeking refuge to Pinochet's torture chambers. The Dalai
Lama did not.

Beijing gave billions in arms and funding to Nepali reactionaries. The Dalai Lama did not.

Beijing built a society of immense inequality and class stratification. The Dalai Lama just happened to be born into one,

The Chinese government backs and is backed by virtually every rightist organisation in Tibet and in Taiwan. (Not that everyone opposed to Beijing there is particularly progressive, but just about anything is better than the Kuomintang and Tien's corporatist HK Liberal Party.)

Beijing suspends already-toothless labour laws (why a Marxist society would have a bureaucracy to create and enforce bourgeois labour laws is completely beyond me) to serve the interests of American and multi-national capital on a regular basis. The Dalai Lama may have received a few bucks from the CIA or something.

So whether or not it's possible for him to be a Marxist, he's certainly more of a socialist than anyone running the show in China.

Incidentally, does following a non-theistic religion disqualify people from being Marxists? Unlike those who espouse Western and Middle Eastern myths, the Dalai Lama actually does seem to have some critical thinking skills.

[RedStarOverChina]

I am a socialist leader: Adolf Hitler

[piet11111]

the dalai lama is without a nation so how could he hope to be as opressive as the chinese government when he has no real power.

that feudal prick would probably be even worse then the ayatollahs of iran if he had tibet under his control.

[RedStarOverChina]

the dalai lama is without a nation so how could he hope to be as opressive as the chinese government when he has no real power.

that feudal prick would probably be even worse then the ayatollahs of iran if he had tibet under his control.
Actually, he's currently running a corrupt feudal state in Dharamsala, India.

[Hit The North]

Incidentally, does following a non-theistic religion disqualify people from being Marxists?

To be a Marxist you have to believe in historical materialism as a minimum. There's no room for a realm of spiritual reward/punishment through which human souls are eternally processed or whatever other mystical realm he obviously believes in.

[Severian]

He's been saying this kind of nonsense for decades. It started during the Mao-Nixon pact, when he was seeking Soviet sponsorship to replace U.S. sponsorship.

Actions speak louder.

[redarmyfaction38]

Jeez, Marxism is becoming popular with a RELIGIOUS LEADER? Weird.
Did he read the "opium of the masses" part?

for a start, bhuddists, don't actually believe in god as us westerners understand it, they believe we are "chained to life" until we reach "enlightenment", that is, the recognition that material goods and accomplishment mean nothing and the recognition that simple humanity towards your fellow human being, respect for the planet and taking only what you need from natures bounty, will start you on the road to enlightenment.
as a socialist and a martial artist i understand exactly what mr. dalai lama is trying to get across.
the sentiment and the analysis of the relationship between marxism and bhuddism is quite correct, both seek to fulfil human need rather than serve personaL GREED, they just come at it from a different direction.
bhuddists believe the abandonment of material gain will lead to spiritual and physical fulfillment.
marxisats believe, that you can only drive humanity forward by satisfying its material desires and exposing them for the non events they are.
whilst a marxist like myself would never suggest spirituality was important, the removal of material want, is a common desire.
think about it for yourself from here :). i've got as far as i can at the moment.
no doubt i'll have a sleep and come back.

[rouchambeau]

Dali Lama:
"Marxism, as an ideology, takes care of the welfare of its employees and believes in distribution of wealth among the people of the state.”

lolwat

[The Advent of Anarchy]

Eh, doesn't sound too bad, being 'chained to life'. I don't like death. It doesn't sound like fun, being worm food. Hopefully I'll be surprised and I can become a MAN-EATING CROCODILE! >=D I DARE YOU! COME TO THE RIVER'S EDGE!!!! I AM HUNGRYYYYYY!

*ahem*

[Herman]

The Dalai Lama is as marxist as Putin is communist.

[Cheung Mo]

The Dalai Lama is as marxist as Putin is communist.

I wouldn't even call the Communist Party of the Russian Federation communist (every time Zyuganov opens his mouth, neo-Stalinist, anti-Marxist tripe seems to come out), let alone Putin.

Russia's political situation is as sad and pathetic as the USA's.

[cyu]

Yes, I'm not arguing that religious movements cannot occasionally be progressive in their relationship to the class struggle (meaning, really, more the workers friend than the bosses friend) but they will stop short at suggesting the violent expropriation of the boss.

Uh, when you say "violent expropriation", if you mean kill the boss, then take the means of production, then that is true, most traditionally religious people probably aren't willing to do that.

But is this type of "violent expropriation" even necessary? The MST in Brazil has had connections with liberation theology, and they don't need to kill any landlords. They simply show up on the land and start using it. If the landlord shows up and tells them to leave, they just ignore him.

Of course, violence can always come into the picture. The landlord or boss may bring out a gun or hire mercenaries to attack the farmers. If the farmers fight back, I wouldn't call that real violence - it would just be self-defence.

In any case, depending on the level of your organization and how popular your side is, if everybody is on your side and it's only the landlord on the other side, then he won't be able to find any mercenaries to hire. And he'll probably give up on the idea of attacking so many people by himself, since that would just be suicide.

[chimx]

The Dali Llama is an atheist and has called himself an atheist on numerous occasions.