There are times when I really, really hate being proven right. The latest Dalai Lama controversy is one of those times. In case you need a recap, you may click here or read the pull quote below:
The Dalai Lama has apologized for kissing a young boy on the lips and asking him to "suck my tongue" after a video of the incident sparked outrage on social media.
So...Yeah. That happened.
There could be all sorts of reasons behind what he did. He could be suffering from Dementia, which is likely. He really could have been kidding, which is also likely given his attempts at joking in the past. Or, he could be an old pervert who has lost the ability to keep his perversions to himself. I want to say that's the least likely scenario, but if scandals surrounding holy folk turning out to be sexual predators has taught me anything, it's that the benefit of the doubt is no longer a luxury we can afford.
As a lapsed Buddhist, I suppose I should be more upset at losing a spiritual teacher than I am. So, why am I not? Frankly, I never much cared for the guy. For me, he's always been a questionable figure who seemed more in love with fame and notoriety than in preaching the Dharma. Even when I saw him in-person, long before I'd formed an opinion of him, old Tenzin gave me a funny vibe.
This was in the early Nineties when Tibetan-style Buddhism was just starting to supplant Zen as the dominant denomination or "school" of the religion in the United States. This was thanks in so small part to actor Richard Gere and the Free Tibet movement. Unlike Zen, (Mahayana Buddhism) the Tibetan school (Vajrayana) had a sexy political cause behind it. Plus, it was a lot prettier than the stripped-down, barebones Zen. It was filled with beautiful colors and lots of pageantry and it had its very own Pop equivalent in the form of a charismatic leader.
I am a Zen Buddhist. I do not subscribe to the overwrought Tibetan version of Buddhism. I find it spiritually empty and far too provincial to be taken seriously. The Book of the Dead, the Bardo, all those rituals including seeking out a reincarnated former lama (teacher) always seemed primitive and silly to me. My belief is that Buddha attained enlightenment through a spontaneous flash of insight during meditation and then chose to guide others to that same place rather than hoard the realization for himself. He didn't choose to become a king.
So, when I observed the Dalai Lama along with other members of my temple, I found him entertaining and charming but something seemed off somehow. In the ensuing years, I came to regard him as an over-exposed media whore, constantly mugging for the camera and seeking validation through fame. Whenever I compared him to the teacher I feel best embodies the Way of the Buddha, Thich Naht Hanh he came up sorely lacking. Hanh was a humble, mostly solitary figure who did not seek fame and exposure. His actions caused people to notice him, which is how every story about someone following the Buddha begins.
Buddha never went on a speaking tour and he certainly never made stupid comments about immigrants and women. He never courted celebrities and, here's the most important part, he never placed his focus on a single country and got involved in politics. He also would have never allowed himself to be named the in-effect head of a nation. These were not things an Enlightened One would concern himself with.
Having said all that, however, this incident was quite unforeseen. What was Tenzin thinking? I realize sticking out one's tongue is a show of greetings in Tibetan culture but I doubt telling a kid to suck said tongue is part of the greeting. If anything, the Dalai Lama is an extremely sheltered individual whose every utterance is treated as infallible...until it's not. Then damage control kicks in and nonpologies fly out from the Tibetan PR machine.
Thich Naht Hanh never issued a single apology for questionable behavior. Neither did Buddha. Hmm. I wonder why old Tenzin has to keep doing it?
