The Dalai Lama Is Not Who You Think He Is

Christina Larson of Foreign Policy is out to unmask the Dalai Lama (and Tibet).  She writes that despite our fascination with His Holiness’ apparent purity, wisdom, and compassion,

“how much do Westerners really know about the Dalai Lama? His advocacy of an ethos of compassion and environmental protection are popular among his largely left-leaning Western admirers, while his more socially conservative views tend to be either unknown, or selectively ignored…[and] as for Tibet itself, it’s no Shangri-la.”

This is a really good article; we do have an excessive tendency to romanticize Tibet and its religious leadership, but there is nothing special about Tibetans that exempts them from the usual human flaws and foibles.  Tibet is modernizing rapidly under Chinese directives, and the Dalai Lama is indeed a fairly conservative religious leader (which may shock the liberals among us).  He is simply very good at playing up those of his views that appeal to his Western and international audience.

However, I think Larson is a little too fixated on the conservatism of the Dalai Lama’s social views to really appreciate what an incredible politician he is.  That’s another oversight we in the West commonly make.  Even if you find the conservatism of the Dalai Lama distasteful, you may in the end still feel like he’s a good, sincere person fighting for the rights of his people and his homeland.  Everything he does may seem totally guileless and up-front.  But this “simple monk” has remarkable political finesse.  For instance, these days, people usually understand him to be seeking the modest goal of “autonomy” for Tibet, but few know that before Nixon reopened diplomatic relations with China in the early ‘70s, the Dalai Lama was seeking absolute Tibetan independence.  He simply adjusted his tactics when the political climate changed.

Now, I don’t want to be misunderstood: I have enormous respect for the Dalai Lama.  I do think he is at heart a good person fighting for a good cause.   I just think people should know that he’s a little craftier than we usually think.

-Aaron Bekemeyer