The Dalai Lama's Visit to the U.S. Is Losing Its Usefulness

On July 5, the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, visited the United States for the first time since he stepped down from his position as the political leader of the Tibetan Government in Exile. The Dalai Lama stated that the purpose of the trip was to celebrate his birthday and to host a 10-day sermon for Tibetan Buddhists in the United States. At first glance, the visit appeared to be a form of religious activity; in fact, however, it was a political act. It showed that the Dalai Lama has not really stepped down, and it exposed the sad truth that his importance as a political figure has diminished.

Obama did not announce his meeting with the Dalai Lama until the very last minute. A lot of excuses were made, but it was clear that Obama was annoyed by the Dalai Lama and thought of him as a nuisance. He was probably thinking, “Where am I going to find the time to meet with the Dalai Lama? Why do I have to see him every year when he visits?” On top of that, Obama no longer needs the Dalai Lama as a pawn in his strategy toward China. However, his refusal to attend the meeting would have given Congress a chance to criticize him. Some American commentators have suggested that Obama’s final decision to meet with the Dalai Lama was to boost his chances of raising the debt ceiling. I agree and believe that this was the main reason behind the meeting. Obama also needed a symbolic act of “heroism” to suppress accusations that he bends to Beijing’s will too easily.

The U.S. Realizes that the “Dalai Lama Strategy” Is Not Practical

In fact, Obama urged the Dalai Lama to engage in dialogue with the Beijing government. This tells us that the United States has started to realize that its strategy with the Dalai Lama is no longer practical, at least when compared to its strategy in the South China Sea. Also, the Dalai Lama has already announced his retirement from the political scene, which prevents the United States from using him strategically.

The 10-day Tibetan Buddhist Kalachakra Tantra rite of initiation has been hosted by the Dalai Lama for the Chinese population in America five previous times. The tickets cost between $35 and $475 per person per day, and it can potentially draw as many as 10,000 participants, bringing the Dalai Lama $3.5 million to $40 millions. This large sum is an important source of funding for the Dalai Lama. I believe that this was the main objective of the Dalai Lama’s visit. How will the money be spent? Will it all go toward the Dalai Lama’s religion activities, or will part of it support the exiled government based in Dharamshala?

According to sources, the employees of the exiled government make very little. A general employee makes around $200 a month and lives in poor conditions. The employees admit that their living conditions cannot compare to that of those working for the Lhasa government in Tibet. The Government in Exile does not collect taxes and relies solely on foreign donations and the Dalai Lama. This means that as long as Dharamshala depends on the Dalai Lama for its funding, it is not going to let him retire.

The fact that the Dalai Lama requested a meeting with President Obama proves that he cannot retire. The two of them discussed only politics, not religion. Most of the Dalai Lama’s followers did not want him to retire in the first place, and this visit to America signaled to those followers and the world that his retirement did not actually happen.

What is interesting is that Lobsang Sangay, the soon-to-be leader of the government in exile, published an article in The Washington Post on the day of the Dalai Lama’s arrival in Washington to urge the Beijing government to turn over power over Tibet. Right after he was elected as the prime minister in March, he reiterated that he would follow in the Dalai Lama’s footsteps of remaining neutral on this issue. What does his demand for the Beijing government to give up sovereignty over Tibet mean? It means that he was simply demanding the independence of Tibet. He and the Dalai Lama were acting as the bad guy and the nice guy, respectively. The Dalai Lama, being the “godly” figure, will, in fact, never be able to step down, and Lobsang Sangay is merely his pawn.

It Is Against the Beliefs of Tibetan Buddhism to Elect the Dalai Lama’s Successor

“One thing I want to make clear, as far as my own rebirth is concerned, the final authority is myself and no one else,” the Dalai Lama said in an interview with the Associated Press. He also said that he was sure that his rebirth occurred outside Tibet, perhaps in Russia. Some in the media reported this statement by claiming that the Dalai Lama has handpicked his successor already.

Either the Western media does not fully understand Tibetan Buddhism, or there were some errors in their coverage. Some confused the Dalai Lama’s political successor with his reincarnation. The Dalai Lama announced his retirement from the political scene, and his political successor Lobsang Sangay will officially become the prime minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile next month. Lobsang Sangay may at first appear to an elected representative of the Government in Exile, but he was probably chosen by the Dalai Lama.

However, to say that the Dalai Lama handpicked the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama while he is still alive does not fit the rules of Tibetan Buddhism. Belief in the reincarnated “soul boy” is unique to Tibetan Buddhism. The premise is that reincarnation can only occur after a tulku’s death.* Although there are many different ways to find the “soul boy,” it can never be fully decided while the tulku is still alive. The Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism consists of two main tulku systems: the Dalai Lama sect and Panchen Lama sect. The three procedures involved in the search of tulkus were established during the Qing dynasty; they include the search for candidates, the drawing of names from a golden urn and canonization by the central government. The current and 11th Panchen Lama was canonized by Beijing and was accepted by the people in Tibet. If the Dalai Lama does, in fact, handpick his successor, he decision will receive no recognition. The theory that the Dalai Lama has handpicked his soul boy reveals the current and future difficulties the Dalai Lama faces.

Editor’s note: Soul boys are believed to be the reincarnations of tulku, a high-ranking religious figures in Tibetan Buddhism of whom the Dalai Lama is one.