Samdhong Rinpoche gestures during a public talk in McLeod Ganj, India, on 13 April 2018. Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal
By Lobsang Wangyal
MCLEOD GANJ, India, 13 April 2018
The time has come to review if monks and nuns involving themselves in politics is right or not, said Samdhong Rinpoche during a public talk on Democracy and Unity in McLeod Ganj. The talk was organised by the National Democratic Party of Tibet.
He said that Burma and Thailand are two Buddhist countries where monks and nuns have no role in politics. “They have to disrobe if they want to be involved in politics,” Rinpoche explained.
Appreciating Bhutan’s system of not allowing monks and nuns to participate in elections, or religious leaders not even being allowed to teach during the elections, he said, “I find this to be a good way.”
“In our case, I can’t say if it’s good or bad to have monks and nuns in politics, but I feel that it will be good to review the matter.”
“I had been saying that it will be bad if the monks and nuns are manipulated for political gains. That will render Buddhism as a whole in a bad light.”
The exile Tibetan administration has seen monks holding high posts over the years. Rinpoche himself held the post of Kalon Tripa (equivalent to Prime Minister) for ten years, from 2001 to 2011. He was the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile for ten years before that.
The current Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and his deputy Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok are both monks.
Nine out of ten representatives from the five religious sects are monks. A representative from U-Tsang and another from Europe are monks, making the total monks in the Parliament to be 11 out of the 45 total members.
Rinpoche explained that there is nothing wrong in monks and nuns being elected as representatives from their religious backgrounds in the Parliament. That is democratic, he said. But such representative’s work should exemplify their religious background.
“Their election should be meaningful,” he said.
The concept of the “combination of religion and politics” (chosi zungdrel) goes a long way back in Tibet’s history.
With regard to the relationships of religion and politics as laid out in the exile Tibetan Charter, Rinpoche said that the presence of relgion doesn’t hinder the practice of democracy for the Tibetan people.
Although Buddhism is the state religion, at the same time citizens have the freedom to practice any religion of their choice.
Speaking about unity, Rinpoche said in a democracy there can be differences of opinion over various issues without dividing people.
He said that if someone is doing good, they should be appreciated, and if one makes a mistake, it should be pointed out. But that the mistaken action is separate from the person making it.
Rinpoche challenged the common view that democracy began in the West. He said that it started in India a few thousand years ago.
“But that the mistaken action is separate from the person making it.” Samdhong Rinpoche
Well, mistaken action includes all actions. So, logically, that means ‘you are not responsible for your actions.’ Really? Who/what do you punish if a man is shot and killed. Action = killing. you cannot punish the gun. nor can you punish an action because action has no inherant existence on its own without the person acting it.
when HH Dalai Lama served Tibetans, we acknowledge HH. We don’t say, ‘Dalai Lama’s acts of kindness has nothing to do with Dalai Lama himself, but it is only his action.’
Absolute sophistry and illogicality.
It is definitely time to move religion out of Tibetan politics. It has served its purpose and the time has come for the people to decide their own destiny. Morality and philosophy cannot fight wars. And most important of all we cannot fight China with a Khatas: referring to a couple of dozen one-sided meeting with China’s Works Department. A weaker person cannot dictate terms to a bully. His Holiness once said it was prudent to fight back if someone with a gun came to kill you. We cannot wait another twenty years for His Holiness the XV.
Many of you people saw the one side only. Monks and nuns are our real pawo n pamo in our fight against the chinese. How many of them r self immolating in Tibet. Religion n politics will always remain together in our society. Right from first king of Tibet to till today in our politics, religion has always played an important role in our Tibetan politics. Of course, there r both bad n good things. But the Chinese have always recognised that it is the best soft power n sharp power of Tibetan’s fight against them.
While appreciating SR’s holistic take on the monk politicians, it might be too late to stomach his appeal to monks to shun politics. It is stunning to learn that the monasteries have, of lately, become the breeding ground for religious, regional and other forms of factionalism.
Let’s see if the matter gets raised in the next session of the parliament. Can one hope Tsewang Rigzin will dare to revive the call once raised by his predecessors decades back. Or will the current TYC leadership raise to the occasion and take up the case once more at its next Governing Body Meeting?
Will SR advise the National Democratic Party of Tibet to make an issue of the concerns he has raised at the meeting it organized? Will the heads of the four religious groups, the Bon tradition leaders heed SR’s call for the separation of the church and the state?
Request Bhutanese Prime Minister to come to Dharamsala and lecture Tibetans to keep MONKS away from politics.
Monks are highly respected in Bhutan because they do not involve in politics and choose to remain simple Buddhist monks.
I am ashamed to notice too many ANGRY MONKS in our society.
Why Rinpoche is bringing this up now when he knows that he cannot be a candidate for any post?
Unlike others who only have self-interest and private motive in every dealings, Samdhong Rinpoche has been a selfless patriot who has not shied away from difficult decisions and positions at the cost of personal happiness and positions. His principled life and motivation has been proven repeatedly from his life-long service for the Tibetan community for all to see.
Remember, Samdhong Rinpoche was invited for the talk. It is not as if he sought out the speaking opportunity. Being the daring and courageous leader he has always been, he did not shy away from speaking out his mind
Choe-si Sung Drel is the Tibetan system of governance which has numerous merits. Mixing of politics and religion very good for Tibetan system, as Samdhong Rinpoche and HH Dalai Lama stated many times.
Two lions in Tibetan flag represents religion and politics co-existing. So church and politics should always remain together like a pair of scissors.
However, Samdhong Rinpoche can change it by setting an example by himself. Lots of people don’t want to see him anymore, as he is hanging around like Jiang Zemin of China, and shows no sign of going into a meditation retreat.
HH Karmapa and lots of other people think Samdhong Rinpoche should go into a cave to meditate like Buddha for the rest of his life. But he doesnt look prepared.
Besides having a stockpile of allegations to shoot at anyone questioning LS and his kashag, our Sikyong and his supporters would make a great career counselor or mentor. The protestors have been advised to seek legal action. Samdhong Rinpoche is now advised to go into retreat for life. Now, the next order would be for HH the Dalai Lama. Just wait and watch.
Please don’t bring our venerable Gyalwa Karmapa Rinpoche in your dirty politics.
In recent times, one joker was analyzing that Samdhong Rinpoche is jealous of LS. For God’s sake, why would Dilip Kumar/Amitabh Bachan feel jealous of Kapil Sharma? Get a reality check and come up with better story content.
A voice of wisdom and a powerhouse of morality and uprightness in this ethically deficient and morally bereft times. Thank you Samdhong Rinpoche for your courage to be the light in this dark confusing times. Keep guiding us again and again. Thank you so much.
I was appalled and put off by the rhetoric and aggressive behavior of monk Kyithues (dog representatives) in the recent session of the Tibetan parliament as well as in the past. They are described as Geshe Lharampas and Khenpos etc. but are so biased in their speech and demeanor that they flung away their basic monkhood vows and attack fellow Chitues and other Tibetans without any demonstrative proof of their allegations. These monk Kyithus are one of the main reasons why we have Cholkha divisiveness and we should immediately do away special quotas for them in the Tibetan parliament.
Genuine monks are in remote retreats or in the monasteries and at least they do no speech or behavioral harms to any body. The genuine ones earn respect from the public and would help to continue flourishing the Dharma for a long time to come, otherwise some monk Kyithues are a disgrace to other monks and even to lay people.
I must mention that monk speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel proved to be otherwise calm, collected and discharged his duty quite well. It looks like he didn’t show any bias towards Khampa Chitues or to Sicko Lobsang Sangay. Hope next Chitue session would be more sane and would not descend into more firing of verbal insults and mockery of Chitue to the delight of Communist Chinese.
The aggressive attitudes and behaviors of monks in the recently held Tibetan Parliament meeting in Dharamsala, as witnessed by thousands of Tibetans, clearly triggers us to rethink whether monastic members should be disallowed from the Tibetan political scene. Bhutan has outlawed monks to participate in politics. It works in Bhutan and it will work for us.
Monks must maintain a peaceful and non-violent principle of Buddhism, and must earn their respect by not disappointing the lay people.
Totally agree. It is time we review many things in our community.
Buddhism is the root of all compassion and happiness and politic is the root of all anger, jealousy and hatred. One can easily understand that how politic is bad for monks and nuns. Buddha himself shunned from this hustling bustling world and concentrated in the well being of all beings. Logically we do not need to look at Thailand, Burma, Srilanka or Bhutan. Buddha himself is the example in front of us to see.
Our leaders have took us to a path like a 500 monkeys that has no common sense at all.