Question about the Dalai Lama?

Question

So i recently found out that the dalai lama is the reincarnation of the previous dalai lama, they say it takes a couple of years to find that person

and all the dalai lamas seem to have been tibetan....um...about reincarnation...cant the previous dalai lama be black, white, indian, etc??

(sorry i dno much about this)

but reincarnation...is not limited to like...one race...the soul spreads to a diff location.

AND UM...CAN MONKS MASTURBATE...SORRY I HAVE TO KNOW...IM JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT

Answer 1

Wasn't it Richard Gere once?

Answer 2

To the first answerer: Richard Gere studies with the Dalai Lama; is friends with the Dalai Lama--but was never one, himself. He studies continously, as do all Buddhists.

All Dalai Lamas are the reincarnation of the previous ones. I believe that they all have been Tibetan--as that is the branch of Buddhism that honors the Dalai Lama (though other branches still have Lamas)

You can check this out at
http://www.about.com
type in Buddhism in their search box, and it will bring you right there. Buddhism is a peace-loving, hard working practice.

Answer 3

Here is what the Bible says about death.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5-6) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. 6 Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun.

As such ANYONE dead, Dalai or not, cannot come back.
so if you grant that the Bible is the truth about the ONE God, then the reincarnation belief cannot be correct.
The Dalai, being a born politician, and probably knowing the Bible, has never brought up this subject, knowing what a ' tin of worms' it could be.

Answer 4

I remember the Dalai Lama's comments from Memphis, considering i'm getting my information from there and his circulate to grow to be a great adventure. i did no longer understand his comments have been international information however. besides be conscious how he additionally says women human beings are greater able to compassion than adult adult males. it kind of feels as though he believes Western women human beings will shop the international by skill of themselves. he continues to be have been given some paintings to do if he believes in real equality. If this is the view of feminism then this is worse than i presumed and a great kind of of the comments indexed right here are greater precise than even I was hoping. The Dalai Lama's perspectives of feminism at the instant are not what i presumed feminism grow to be approximately, and to be undemanding no longer what i'm getting from many feminists even in this internet site. i do no longer innovations the assumption of having greater women human beings in places of impact while it includes conflict, and to be undemanding possibly this is a sturdy element by way of distinction in perspectives, yet I do question his reasoning at the back of that assertion. this is kind of comparable to me asserting I choose adult adult males to be in ability because of the fact they're greater probable to stand corporation and stand by skill of their judgements, a view that's consistent with stereotypes and that i'm helpful would not be seen a feminist or an equivalent perspective (be conscious i do no longer probable have faith that, purely making a element). The ends do no longer constantly justify the skill. As for feminism purely being approximately 500 lb. lesbians hating adult adult males, there are various idiots in this internet site as undesirable as something feminism ever produced.

Answer 5

The concept of "soul" is alien to Buddhists since it means there is an "eternal self" (ataman) of which the Buddha denied the existance (anatman). The concept of ataman is a Hindu belief.

Rather than attempting to answer your question myself, I thought it best to directly quote His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in regard to the majority of your question. The sources of the quotations follow each section. I believe they satisfactorily answer your question.

"I always consider myself as a simple Buddhist monk.I feel that is the real me. I feel that the Dalai Lama as a temporal ruler is a man-made institution. As long as the people accept the Dalai Lama, they will accept me. But being a monk is something which belongs to me. No one can change that. Deep down inside, I always consider myself a monk, even in my dreams. So naturally I feel myself as more of a religious person.

"Question: Will you be the last Dalai Lama?

"Answer: Whether the institution of the Dalai Lama remains or not depends entirely on the wishes of the Tibetan people. It is for them to decide. I made this clear as early as in 1969. Even in 1963, after four years in exile, we made a draft constitution for a future Tibet which is based on the democratic system. The constitution clearly mentions that the power of the Dalai Lama can be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Assembly. At the present moment, the Dalai Lama’s institution is useful to the Tibetan culture and the Tibetan people. Thus, if I were to die today, I think the Tibetan people would choose to have another Dalai Lama. In the future, if the Dalai Lama’s institution is no longer relevant or useful and our present situation changes, then the Dalai Lama’s institution will cease to exist.Personally, I feel the institution of the Dalai Lama has served its purpose.

"Question: About you being the incarnation of the bodhisattva of infinite compassion, Avalokiteshvara. How do you personally feel about this? Is it something you have an unequivocal view of one way or another?

"Answer: It is difficult for me to say definitely. Unless I am engaged in a meditative effort, such as following my life back, breath by breath, I couldn’t say exactly. We believe that there are four types of rebirth. One is the common type wherein, a being is helpless to determine his or her rebirth, but only reincarnates in dependence on the nature of past actions. The opposite is that of an entirely enlightened Buddha, who simply manifests a physical form to help others. In this case, it is clear that the person is Buddha. A third is one who, due to past spiritual attainment, can choose, or at least influence, the place and situation of rebirth. The fourth is called a blessed manifestation. In this the person is blessed beyond his normal capacity to perform helpful functions, such as teaching religion. For this last type of birth, the person’s wishes in previous lives to help others must have been very strong. They obtain such empowerment. Though some seem more likely than others, I cannot definitely say which I am."

from http://www.dalailama.com/page.54.htm

""Q: What role would you play in that system [of government in conjunction with China in Tibet]?

"The Dalai Lama: My own role? Nothing. Zero. As early as 1969, I made an official statement that the very institution of the Dalai Lama, whether it should continue or not, is up to the people. Second, in 1992, I made clear that when the day of our return—with a certain degree of freedom—comes, I’ll hand over all my political authority to the local Tibetan government. Hopefully, that government should be a democratic, elected government. And even while we have remained outside Tibet—for the last forty-six years—we have undertaken strong efforts at democratization. In the last four years, we have established an elected political leadership. Since then, I have been in a position of semi-retirement. Once the day of our return comes, I will go into complete retirement.

"There will be no political role for the Dalai Lama. This will be true not only for me but for any future Dalai Lama.

"Q: And you have said that the next Dalai Lama will be discovered outside China.

"The Dalai Lama: As I’ve said earlier, whether this institution will continue depends on the people. Under the best of circumstances, I think that the institution should continue. First, the maintenance of the institution is important. Then, there is the personal history. Both options should be kept open. If the Tibetan people want another reincarnation, then logically while we’re outside, the successor should be someone who can carry out this task, which has not yet been accomplished by the previous Dalai Lama. That means that he must come in a free country. But the Chinese government will also appoint a Dalai Lama. So there’ll be two Dalai Lamas. One Dalai Lama—the Chinese official Dalai Lama—the Tibetan people will have no faith in. Even the ordinary Chinese will have no faith in him. He’ll be a false Dalai Lama. Sometimes our Chinese brothers and sisters have different calculations. [Laughs]"

from "The Progressive" : "The Dalai Lama Interview" by Amitabh Pal (January 2006) http://www.progressive.org/mag_intv0106

In response to your question "...CAN MONKS MASTURBATE...." I'm sure that they *can* assuming they have the right functioning plumbing (smile) but the question is, I believe. whether a monk is permitted to perform self gratification or masturbation. This is one of those questions/answers to which there are many interpretations of the Buddha's admonition to abstain from "sensual misconduct" (Third Precept in Buddhism) which some have placed the emphasis on the sexual misconduct aspect. "This precept is often mistranslated or misinterpreted as relating only to sexual misconduct but it covers any overindulgence in any sensual pleasure such as gluttony as well as misconduct of a sexual nature." (from http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/budethics.htm). Most monks would consider masturbation to be a form of sensual attachment and would therefore, as I understand, would consider it to be non-virtuous karma.

Other traditions view sexual misconduct differently for monastics depending upon whether or not they are fully ordained or temporarily ordained (ordained for a specific period of time). One who is temporarily ordained may leave the monastery, marry, etc., after their specified time has expired or may continue in their studies and eventually become fully ordained.

I apologize for the length of the response. Any errors contained herein are due to my own carelessness.

May all be at peace.

John

Answer 6

don't they have to return to earth 6 other times before coming back as a human???

Answer 7

Nope.

Answer 8

is a false god