Book Freedom Exile Review Dalai Lama\'s Reputation Role West

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Freedom in Exile

The Dali Lama has become a symbol of the oppression of the Tibetan people at the hands of the Chinese, and of oppression of all marginalized people everywhere. He has shown strength and courage as an ambassador in exile from his homeland. Yet he also inspires others because he is a symbol of someone who leads a life founded upon peace and love. Although he has suffered at the hands of the Chinese, he does not advocate a policy of ill will and vengeance, and rather prays for the peace of the entire human race. This is the essence of the theme of his autobiography, entitled Freedom in Exile. Although has lived in exile since 1959, he is still free -- free because of the good graces of the Western democracies that support his cause, but also because he is spiritually free. He is free of hate, free of fear. "I have received only support for my belief that wherever you go people everywhere are basically the same, despite certain superficial differences. They all, like myself, seek happiness: no one wants suffering" (199). Part of the Buddhist mindset is the determination to liberate all sentient beings from a state of suffering. Thus, although the Dali Lama may abhor what the Chinese people have done to his land, he does not hate individual members of the Chinese race. In the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, he lives in a state of spiritual as well as physical nonviolence.

The Dali Lama was honored as the reincarnation of the holy leader of his faith at a very young age, and left his homeland soon afterward. 'Dali Lama' means 'Ocean of Wisdom,' and reflects the fact that he is regarded as the reincarnation of the living Buddha (2). Although a mere adolescent when Tibet passed into Chinese hands, he still recalls those years with great fondness. He recounts the ways and customs of the Tibetan people, including their fondness for yak milk and their hard, yet proud lifestyle in the harsh climate of Tibet. Although he does not state so explicitly, this is a kind of tacit reply to the justification of China that its takeover of Tibet was designed to modernize a 'backward' nation. Such judgments are relative, and the Dali Lama stresses that his people had a complex and thriving culture.

All of that changed when the Chinese arrived. Buddhist monks and nuns were forced to forsake their vows, as part of the Chinese official policy of atheism. The ascent to power of the Lama ironically coincided with the coming of the Chinese to Tibet. The Lama was born to farmers tilling the land, but his upbringing was very different from that of an 'average' Tibetan.

He became the Lama at the age of seven, and at fifteen became the leader of his people when the Chinese took over his land. Thus, at a very young age, the Dali Lama was thrust upon the world stage, and there he has stayed. Instead of a book of individual personal triumphs and tribulations, his autobiography makes it clear that his fate is inexorably tied to that of his nation. He speaks of his sense of personal betrayal for his people, for example, when then-Prime Minister Nehru tacitly accepts China's claim to India -- he regarded Nehru as a supporter of his rights and India is considered Tibet's spiritual mother (63).