Prof Samdhong Lobsang Tenzin candidly admits that Buddhist ideal is compromised, can’t resolve modern-day conflicts
Ahmedabad, January 28: A scholar from Tibet talking about Buddhism does not come as a surprise. But what if he candidly admits that Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of non-violence was better than what Buddhism offered to resolve modern-day conflicts?
Prof Samdhong Lobsang Tenzin did just that while addressing a gathering of Ahmedabad’s glitterati — right from Mrinalini Sarabhai to Amit Ambalal and Toofan Rifai—- at the Mahatma Gandhi International School on Sunday.
Asserting that Gandhi was the only person who showed the courage of calling the modern violent civilisation a satanic one, he said, “The Buddhist ideal of non-violence is compromised while administering the state and handling law and order or defence issue. Complete non-violence may not be possible in such matters.’’
“But Gandhi not only taught but experimented with the truth and non-violence.
“He demonstrated that the State can also be dealt with non violence… it here that Gandhi’s version of non-violence stands out,” said the scholar, who holds an important positio— – the fifth Samdhong Rinpoche in the Central Tibetan Administration of the Dalai Lama.
Tenzin, who had to flee from Tibet in 1959, served as a religious teacher at a Tibetan school in Shimla before becoming its principal in 1963. Commenting on the post-Godhra riots, he said this was a clear symptom of modern violent civilisation, a malady of humanity with no permanent solution. He said there could be different ways of condemning or justifying Godhra riots but it remains the most unfortunate event.
He said violence could not end violence just as fire could not extinguish fire or flood could not be stopped by adding more water. Violence has to be countered with non-violence, like controlling fire with water, he said.
Dwelling at length on the subject from an intercultural perspective, he said the word culture and violence could not co-exist as one negates the other.
“Unless the modern violent culture is negated, there is no future for humanity which is facing four major challenges – of economic disparities, war and violence, environmental degradation, and religious intolerance.”
Of the last challenge, he said intolerance and religion cannot remain together and no religion can be true religion if it divides people.
To him, the root cause of all human misery was the shift from need-based economy to consumerist economy where market was created for excess production of goods by greedy commercial enterprises. In this context, he said that all wars were thrust on nations to pay the weapons industry, which again, thrived on conflict between countries.
He said George Bush, too, was no exception from this as he also had to repay the weapons manufacturers.
Awed by his presence and erudition, danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai presented him with her book while noted artist Toofan Rifai presented a painting. Anju Chasot of Mahatma Gandhi International School also presented him with books. Later, Ptrofessor Tenzin visited the Sabarmati Ashram where he meditated for a few minutes and signed the visitors’ book.
