If the United States Department of State, in its legally mandated report on religious freedom (see below), officially informs Congress and the President that China is torturing Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns (see below), then will somebody please explain to me why this nation sits still and does nothing?
I have posted the entire text of the State Department's report on Tibet for a reason: I want everyone who visits this site to see the truth of what Tibetan Buddhism is facing. It is my belief that unless something is done to mobilize China's estimated 100 million Buddhists, then Tibetan Buddhism as we understand it may no longer exist in Tibet within the next 25 years. Further, it is my belief that unless the West mobilizes all of its considerable resources, Tibetan Buddhism itself may well yet again face extinction within the next 50 years.
I used to believe that the efforts we commenced in the 1960s had produced rich fruit, and that we had "saved" Tibetan Buddhism. Today, in spite of the progress that has been made, I am less sanguine. Today, I seem to see that the job we began is not even half-finished.
I think we need to put more horsepower into infrastructure projects in nations of safety. I think we need to put more horsepower into monastic education in the countries of first asylum. Candidly, I think the United States needs to take some of the burden away from India, and itself become a country of first asylum. I think we need to develop a global fund-raising mechanism that is strong enough to support the infrastructure which is already in place, and its anticipated expansion.
I urge you again to read the entire text of the U.S. State Department's report, released earlier this week.
I have posted the entire text of the State Department's report on Tibet for a reason: I want everyone who visits this site to see the truth of what Tibetan Buddhism is facing. It is my belief that unless something is done to mobilize China's estimated 100 million Buddhists, then Tibetan Buddhism as we understand it may no longer exist in Tibet within the next 25 years. Further, it is my belief that unless the West mobilizes all of its considerable resources, Tibetan Buddhism itself may well yet again face extinction within the next 50 years.
I used to believe that the efforts we commenced in the 1960s had produced rich fruit, and that we had "saved" Tibetan Buddhism. Today, in spite of the progress that has been made, I am less sanguine. Today, I seem to see that the job we began is not even half-finished.
I think we need to put more horsepower into infrastructure projects in nations of safety. I think we need to put more horsepower into monastic education in the countries of first asylum. Candidly, I think the United States needs to take some of the burden away from India, and itself become a country of first asylum. I think we need to develop a global fund-raising mechanism that is strong enough to support the infrastructure which is already in place, and its anticipated expansion.
I urge you again to read the entire text of the U.S. State Department's report, released earlier this week.
