Let's Send the Dalai Lama Back to Tibet (where he belongs)

Everyone in the free world knows the Dalai Lama’s story: how he fled Tibet in 1959 to avoid persecution by the Chinese government. Living in exile for over four decades, he is the spiritual leader of Tibetans and a spokesperson for their plight. According to his official website, one of the Dalai’s three main commitments is “the welfare of the Tibetan people, focusing on the survival of their identity, culture and religion.” 

Although living in “exile” sounds like a great hardship, in reality, the Dalai is wined and dined by Hollywood stars, billionaires, kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers.  Perhaps rubbing shoulders with the Dalai helps to counter-balance their self-absorbed life-styles; it makes them feel spiritual without all the messy trappings of religion.

As for the Dali, he travels first class, stays at luxury hotels, and has an entourage who waits on him hand and foot.  In addition to publishing many books, his speaking engagements around the world are always sold out. The Dalai has his own website, facebook page, twitter and youtube channel. He is a folk hero, a pop culture figure, a much quoted Facebook meme and a religious icon for new-agers in all their flaky diversity.

One can understand how this happened.  After all he’s an exiled leader of an underdog religion that most Westerners see as exotic and non-threatening.  And the Dalai is extremely charismatic: a cute old guy, who dresses in robes and says quotable things in adorable broken English. Compared to that other old spiritual leader, the rather rigid and judgmental head of the Catholic empire, the Dalai is a spiritual popsicle; sweet, cool and refreshing, he never leaves you feeling too heavy.  

Don’t get me wrong. I like the Dalai Lama as much as I like any religious leader who lives like a millionaire while selling spirituality to the desperate masses.  But here’s the thing: when it comes to preserving the Tibetan culture and religion, the Dalai’s exile has out lived its purpose.  The entire free world knows about the Tibetan situation. We are up to our eyeballs in empathic awareness.  

So isn’t it time for the Dali to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk, right back to Tibet where he belongs?  Think what would happen if the Dalai Lama went home.  The Chinese government would arrest him.  Imagine the outraged protests from international leaders. All those wealthy powerful people, who currently polish their karma with his robes, would have to speak up. The Dalai’s fans would riot in the streets or at least start a facebook petition.  Think of the attention that would focus on the Chinese government’s terrible human rights record. The Dalai would dominate headlines for days, weeks, even months, provided, of course, nothing too exciting happens in the new season of Mad Men. 

True, the Dalia might spend his remaining years in prison, but for someone who espouses non-attachment to the physical world, that should be a piece of cake. Think how Nelson Mandela defeated apartheid while spending 27 years in prison.  Think of how the Indian nation rallied around Gandhi when he went to prison for his beliefs.  Even the Chinese artist Weiwei has risked prison to draw attention to his country’s repressive policies.

What if the Dalia Lama went face to face with the Chinese regime instead of selling face time to the elite of the western world?  Think what an impact he could have by standing beside his people instead of poolside with Richard Gere.  After the Dalai topples communist China, we could ask the Pope to sell the Vatican’s wealth and live like Jesus.   I know it’s unrealistic to expect spiritual leaders to take action on the real world, but a fella can dream, can’t he?