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Dalai Lama administration made mistake on Tibet issue: Shamar Rinpoche

Holiness Shamar Rinpoche, who is a lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and the mind manifestation of Amitabha Buddha had an interaction with isikkim.com. In the first part of interview he told us about the Karmapa controversy. In this part he talks about the Tibetans and their movement to gain independence from China

Part I interview

H.H the Dalai Lama was forced to migrate to India and now there is a Government in Exile in India. Many Tibetans are living here and in other parts of the world. Isn’t it a difficult situation where you being a spiritual leader have to perform political duties too and fight the Tibetan struggle for freedom?

Ofcourse it is a difficult situation. But I am not involved so much into Tibetan politics. So far I was not in the exile government and never involved in the affairs of the exile government. I was at Rumtek and during late Karmapa’s time there was not so much cooperation between Rumtek and Dharamsala. Rumtek has always functioned completely as a separate body.

I don’t know what the late Karmapas intention was but he did not involve so much in it. But as far as my knowledge is concerned, he used to say that it is very difficult for Tibetans to be free from Chinese control.

Does that mean Tibetan community will never return to Tibet?

Tibetans do visit to Tibet but they don’t stay there because it becomes difficult for them to adjust in the climate now. Majority of the Tibetans are young and born in India and Nepal. When they go back they don’t have any problem. Now-a-days Tibetan people in China live quite comfortably. They are doing business and becoming richer than those who are here. Monasteries are also doing well in Tibet.

What do you foresee the future of Tibetan struggle for independence or for the autonomous region?

I would say that Dalai Lama administration made one biggest mistake. Former US president George Bush’ relations with Dalai Lama were good. Bush administration was very supportive to Dalai Lama. But Dalai Lama’s govt. in exile completely relied on Bush administration. US government needs some really strong reasons to support Tibetan cause. Bush government helped because of his relations with Dalai Lama and not because of strong reasons. When Obama administration came in power they couldn’t find any solid reasons. So they couldn’t find enough ground to support the Tibetan cause. China is very important for even US because of many reasons.

Then, Tibetans created problem during Olympics. This annoyed Chinese a lot. Once Chinese get angry they never forget it. It’s the Chinese nature. So it was a very big mistake to tease China that way. Even if China government had some intentions to relax restriction on Tibet, because of this they got back to their old position.

But when someone forces a large part of community to desert their homeland and migrate, they also have anger issues. Tibetans are refugees not out of choice.

Chinese government is not chasing Tibetans away. This they don’t do. Talking to them peacefully and convincing the leaders of China to give more freedom and autonomy is much better way of dealing with them. But Tibetan exile government already made China government angry and effectively harmed them. Now they will not forget it and will not cooperate for anything.

So what next?

Next everything is result less. No autonomy and no freedom.

China is a threat to India too but instead of taking tough stand Indian Government position on Tibetan issue is also now getting more pro-China

I don’t know much of India’s stand on that but that they have too. Even US government have to please China so India would ofcourse do.

I think Indian government will not tease China. Chinese are angry with India because they allowed Dalai Lama to have exile government here in India.

But Chinese claims large part of Indian Territory as theirs.

China claims on one hand but on the other hand they will not try to capture it. Chinese follow the Mao Zedong directions and their policy is that we will not take one inch of land of others and we will not give one inch of our territory for others. They will never invade any other country if there is no historical record that it belongs to them. Chinese did not manage to claim the Indian territories as theirs during the British rule. Mao already gave up these territory but they still claim it because Indian government allowed Dalai Lama government to function.

What options do the Tibetans have now? What you think they should go for?

All the Tibetans should follow the directions of H.H Dalai Lama and they are doing quite well. Dalai Lamas directions are the only solution. He is the only capable leader for religion and politics. He is the one who feels most about the Tibetan issue. It is very clear to me that whatever direction Dalai Lama is giving is the best any way.

His Holiness thanks a lot for talking to isikkim.com

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Comment

vickey palzor lepcha

January 2, 2011 at 8:44 am

very enlightening talk…..Shamar Rinpoche is really one good scholar who never hides anything from people, he criticizes anyone if they are wrong..
Long Live 14th Kunzig Shamar Mipham Choekyi Lodro

Yap Kushyo

January 3, 2011 at 4:16 am

Such an straight forward statement, only an enlightened being to the stature of the Gyalwang Shamarpa could have made.

Tibetan strength

February 4, 2011 at 5:39 pm

Shamar Rinpoche really speaks what china wants Tibetans to speak……grt job………..i never thought Shamar Rinpoche hates Tibetan Govt in Exile aneway he has reasons for that the karmapa controversy !!!! but instead of rulling out some one or thers me Tibetan must work together particularly on Tibetan struggle………i find odd and negligence on Shamar rinpoche how he can claims Tibetans are better off in tibet under chinese rule its totally gross and naive to act frenetic against your own people……….Tibetan people have immense belief in religion plzzzzz dont frabicate it i didnt just mean to Shamar rinpoche i have respect for him since he is one a the recognized lama but truth and message of love should be preached since Buddha Dharma is the only motive

tenor

February 19, 2011 at 6:19 am

Sharmar………………… you are so afraid to make Chinese angry. Why??????????? why are so concern about Chinese and not for 1.6 million Tibetans who were killed by PLA.
Shame on you….
Indian Government need to be more careful with sharmar instead of great 17th Karmapa who is loved not only by 6 million Tibetan in and out side Tibetan but whole range Himiayan Buddhist communities.

Ordinary Tibetan

April 3, 2011 at 4:19 pm

Look at shamar, how he talks clearly shows he is not spiritual being rather pro chinese communist party with greeds and thirst for power & money. Earlier i got some respect for shamar but if your action, behavior and motives remain like this, you definitely loose little support that you got in our community.

karze

May 15, 2011 at 5:10 pm

The Shamar reincarnation was banned in Tibet for close to 200 years for inviting Gurkha Army to attack southern Tibet, Tashi Lhunpo and Zonga following his failure to wrongfully claim the estate of Panchen Lama as he happened to be relative of Panchen Lama. Shamar reincarnation was reinstated by present Dalai Lama on the request of XIV Karmapa as he happened to cousin of Karmapa.

The guy being Tibetan has no trace of Tibetan identity left in him. Shamar shame on you.

nawang chouni

June 6, 2011 at 10:39 am

sharma,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, plz never again dare to speak about tibetan issue.since u r not involve in politics and tibetan affairs,i think u dont even deserve to be called tibetan..from all corner,u seems more like a chinese spy.killing tibetan in homeland is also mean throwing out of country.if ur view is justify that chinese are good people then why dont u stay in tibet,leave india yar.and we hav no choice coz we will fight till death for our homeland.In India,we hav inspiring legent like Bhaghat singh and Mahatma Gandhi,there image is enough to motivate us 4r tackling future challenges.plz dont ruins others efforts especially when u hv no single contribution.be lama and be in temple and dont give unnecessary interview.plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
i am student and am learning so to contribute more,next time u better dont call ur self tibetan.
at this era of nation’s crisis,if u contribute nothing,then no one deserve to be call citizen of nation.

Karma Sonam

August 7, 2011 at 9:45 pm

You traitor and old moles kept in our society from ancient times. You regularly visiting hongkong to meet communist party official of china to plan and execute how to orchestrate your propaganda & divide our community. Your intentions are dooms to fail as today youngstars are well educated enough to find out the facts distorted by you, ‘by the grace of almighty, HH the Dalai Lama’. Long live HHDL and HH the 17th Karmapa. Bodhgyalo.,.

Dawa

August 30, 2011 at 6:43 am

Shamar Rinpoche speaks the truth. I think he understands Chinese pride much better than the government in exile, which never tires of playing a losing game of shaming rather than trying to befriend the Chinese. The government in exile needs some new strategies if they are going to make any real progress in bringing freedom to Tibet. Honoring monks who have set themselves on fire just to shame the Chinese in the most shocking manner possible is clearly not the way to achieve any progress.

tenzen

April 5, 2012 at 12:12 am

Karma Sonam, if you believe in Tibet’s cause; first who says Tibet is part of china after all these years? second who has Chinese money under their pillow? soon the new generation will find out the truth about lama/tibet politics and what happened to tibet. and tibetan people. say some prayers for tibetan’s who lost their lives save tibet bodgyailo