Tibet: Dalai Lama: Tibet Wants Autonomy, Not Independence
The Dalai Lama's schedule is usually set seven years in advance, but the Tibetan spiritual leader made a rare change to his plans in order to attend a San Francisco conference convened by Muslim leaders to discuss religious tolerance. His Holiness, as Tibetans call him, spoke with Time's Amanda Bower about Islam, his hopes to return to his homeland after 47 years in exile, and his hobby of tinkering with timepieces.
TIME: What was so important about this conference that you changed your schedule
to attend?
THE DALAI LAMA: I have two major commitments. Number one is the promotion
of human values — not because of religious belief, but because of biological
reasoning. We need peace of mind. Peace of mind is good for health, good for
community, good for family, and also for physical growth. A peaceful mind
is more proper. A disturbed mind, harmful. My number two commitment, as a
believer, is for harmony among the different religious traditions. In the
last 20, 30 years, I made these two commitments whenever I had the opportunity.
As far as the promotion of religious harmony is concerned, I think I made
some contribution, at least between the Tibetan Buddhist community and our
Christian brothers and sisters. I think we have very good, close understanding.
For example, there are many Christian practitioners now showing their respect
and understanding about Buddhist concepts, as there is among Buddhists now
an appreciation of Christian contribution for the betterment of the world
and humanity.
Personally, from my childhood, there is a Muslim community in Lhasa [Tibet's
capital] for the last four centuries. Very peaceful. Very gentle. No quarrels.
Nowadays, in the outside world, sometimes people get the impression Muslims
are more militant. I think that is wrong. I think these wrong impressions
must be eliminated. They are no good for the world. [Islam] is one of the
important world religious traditions that we must respect.
But everyone gathered here is a moderate. Do you think the extremists who
have been giving Islam a bad name will listen to what you have to say?
[Laughs] I don't think they will listen. In my Buddhist community, the radicals
don't listen... But our attempt is to try to explore the same values, send
messages, and make them known to other people. Some mischievous people always
remain. Doesn't matter. It's a mistake to generalize the behavior of a few
individuals to the whole tradition. Since 11th of September, some Muslims
really carry some violence, including terrorism. This should not be considered
representative of the whole Muslim faith. A few mischievous individuals are
everywhere, among the Hindus, among the Christians, among the Muslims, among
the Buddhists.
China's President Hu Jintao is visiting the U.S. at the same time as you are,
and you have urged your supporters here not to demonstrate against him. Why?
Since we already have some official contact with the Chinese, we believe it
is very important to create impressions that we are very sincere, we are fully
committed.
Two weeks ago, the Chinese government said it would allow you to visit your
homeland, which you fled in 1959, if you abandoned your pursuit of independence
for Tibet. But haven't you long said that you want autonomy, not independence,
for Tibet?
Oh yes. The world knows the Dalai Lama is not seeking independence. The world
knows. Still the Chinese do not know. [Laughs]
Do you have any heaviness of heart about giving up hope for Tibetan independence?
No. It's not necessary. Of course the present situation, in reality, I think
that 99% of the Tibetan population is very, very unhappy. Every year, I think
more than 10,000 Tibetans come to India. Some escape, some with permission.
Every single Tibetan, when you meet them, is crying, complaining, including
some Tibetans who have high level positions and are party members. I think
many foreigners who visit Tibet and who have some close contact with local
Tibetans also get the same impression. There are a large number of police
forces there. Why? Too much suspicion, too much fear. If what the Chinese
government claims is true, there's no need for security like that. This is
very bad, not only bad for Tibetans, but also for the People's Republic of
China as a whole.
As far as the future is concerned, look at the European Union. In the past
centuries, those nations talked most about their sovereignty. Now, today,
the common interest is more important than each individual nation's sovereignty.
Tibet is a landlocked country, a large area, small population, very, very
backward. We Tibetans want modernization. Therefore, in order to develop Tibet
materially as a modern nation, Tibet must remain within the People's Republic
of China. Provided Chinese give us a full guarantee of preservation of Tibetan
culture, Tibetan environment, Tibetan spirituality, then it is of mutual benefit.
[Besides] foreign affairs [and] defense [are] all the things which Tibetans
can manage by themselves. Tibetans should have the full autonomy.
As a hobby, you like to collect and repair watches. It seems an unusual thing
for a Tibetan monk to do.
Many Tibetans, including many monks, like wristwatches. I think monks are
more fond of watches than lay people. Lay people have a lot of other things.
[Laughs] I don't buy them for myself, they are all presented by other people.