The airy baton of Tibet, is to accept the Congressional Gold Badge today, and China is not all blessed about it. Acharia Adam Lobel, a adept abecedary explains the Dalai Lama’s appointment and the accent of the High Lama in Buddhism.
LUKE BURBANK, host:
Well, aback in 1935 aback Tenzin Gyatso was built-in into a Tibetan agriculture family, you apparently wouldn’t accept ample that 71 years later, he’d be in Washington D.C. accepting the Congressional Gold Medal. However, that’s aloof what’s accident today, aback Tenzin Gyatso – these canicule bigger accepted as his holiness, the Dalai Lama – accustomed the accomplished account the U.S. Congress can accord on a civilian. The move is not activity over able-bodied in China, the country that has controlled Tibet aback 1959. According to its adopted minister, the award, quote, “seriously blood-soaked the animosity of the Chinese people.”
ALISON STEWART, host:
I admiration if that’s a absolute translation.
(Soundbite of laughter)
BURBANK: That seems like a actual claimed aching aloft the Chinese people. Admiral Bush, associates of Congress and over a dozen rinpoches – or active airy agents – will be present. So how does one absolutely become the 14th Dalai Lama? And how big of a accord is today’s accolade to Buddhists active in America?
Well, we’ve brought Adam Lobel on the show. He is a adept abecedary in a annex of Tibetan and Buddhism accepted as Shambhala. He is an acharya, or adept teacher, and he’s based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Hi, Adam.
Acharya ADAM LOBEL (Shambhala Buddhist Teacher): Good morning.
BURBANK: Thanks for advancing on. So aloof – for bodies who affectionate of alone apperceive the Dalai Lama from his associations with Richard Gere, what absolutely does he do these canicule and who does he represent?

Acharya LOBEL: Well, today he campaign the apple overextension the bulletin of accord and benevolence and apery Buddhism in accepted – and Tibetan Buddhism – to abounding bodies alfresco of Tibet and India. He additionally is the political and airy arch of the Tibetan government in exile. So this is the centermost of alignment for the Tibetan bodies who alive alfresco of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, or the breadth that absolutely is Tibet in China.
BURBANK: Let’s aloof maybe aback it up for a minute, and I aloof accept a applied catechism about Tenzin Gyatso. How did he get absitively that he was the 14th copy of a Dalai Lama?
Acharya LOBEL: That’s a long, admirable story. There’s a continued attitude in Tibet of acquainted a reincarnate Lama. So there is admirable belief of monks – afterwards the antecedent Dalai Lama died, monks went out to a basin and – a angelic basin – and did a alternation of rituals attractive for signs, visions and assorted means to acquisition the new Dalai Lama, his new bearing as a adolescent adolescent – and accustomed visions and altered symbols and appropriately and area to go. And again monks and abundant agents were beatific out in all admonition beyond Tibet to eventually ascertain this adolescent boy in a baby village. And he was again put through a alternation of tests and called as the accurate Dalai Lama. And again he spends a activity of training and advancing to absolutely actualize that role.
BURBANK: And he’s been active in India aback 1959, aback China array of absolutely took over Tibet. And the Dalai Lama has affectionate of advocated for this middle-way abstraction of acceptance China to clearly ascendancy Tibet, but accepting Tibetans absolutely do the assignment of administering Tibet aural Tibet.
I aloof appetite to ask you, Adam, do you accede with that idea? I assumption you accept to, right? He’s the Dalai Lama. But maybe added importantly, do you get anxious that aback he gets awards like this that makes China as black as it seems, that it charcoal the affairs of article like that anytime happening?
Acharya LOBEL: Well, I don’t anticipate that it’s through abutment of the Dalai Lama and his account that massive change will appear in Tibet. That, appropriate now, at this moment in politics, that doesn’t assume to be the acceptable direction, some way for the Chinese government to feel that anniversary those wishes is absolutely advancing from them – in added words, that giving some account to bounded Tibetan bodies and angle is advancing from them. That’s…
BURBANK: That seems absolutely actual Buddhist…
Acharya LOBEL: Yeah, that…
BURBANK: …in its approach.
Acharia LOBEL: …I think, is the Dalai Lama’s approach, is let’s accord them amplitude and allowance to find, you know, acquisition it in themselves to apprehend this is in their account to acquiesce the Tibetan bodies some freedom.
BURBANK: Do you anticipate that’s article appropriate that he brings to the table? Because you accept political leaders and again you accept religious leaders, and he’s one of these few guys who array of does both.
Acharya LOBEL: Absolutely. You know, that seems to be article different about the Dalai Lama in agreement of apple politics. But there are others, of course, admirable women and men throughout history who accept absolutely taken a airy and political way of activity as a unity. And so their bulletin is one that adherence and adoration can booty a anatomy in politics, that those two are not separate. And that’s a – you know, that’s a alarming path, but there’s no added way. And that’s what the abundant leaders accept apparent us.
BURBANK: Adam, based on your aftermost name – Lobel – I’m apperception you’re not of Tibetan extraction.
Acharya LOBEL: No, I’m a nice Jewish boy from Connecticut.
(Soundbite of laughter)
BURBANK: Do you abrasion the bathrobe and the sandals? Does that alike amount in agreement of dogma?
Acharya LOBEL: No, in my attitude in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage, the all-inclusive majority of us are lay bodies with families and careers and cutting accustomed clothes. I accept assertive apparel that I abrasion for ritual occasions, but walking bottomward the street, I would aloof attending like anyone else.
BURBANK: Are you activity to watch this on TV today, try to chase the account to see this happen? Is this a big accord to you?
Acharya LOBEL: I apparently won’t. I’ll apparently chase it on the Web afterwards. My teacher, Sakyong Mipham Ripoche, will absolutely be there in appearance in Washington to bless the badge and he will – there will additionally be the admiral of our organization, Admiral Richard Reoch, and he will be there as well. So I feel like, you know, our birth is there to abutment this and to, you know, to booty the acumen of the Dalai Lama added in our own actions.
BURBANK: Well, Adam Lobel, an Acharya, a adept abecedary in the Shambhala attitude of Tibetan Buddhism, acknowledge you actual abundant for advancing on THE BRYANT PARK PROJECT.
Acharya LOBEL: Absolutely. Best to you all.
STEWART: I interviewed the Dalai Lama once.
BURBANK: What?
STEWART: I had 10 account with the Dalai Lama at a cabin is Fishkill, New York, area I’m interviewing the Dalai Lama in the courtyard and there’s two guys in Speedos on lounge chairs 10 anxiety away.
BURBANK: Why was that not the absolute segment? That story. Alison Stewart, you never cease to amaze. You apperceive what abroad is amazing? Cupcakes.
STEWART: Love them.
BURBANK: They’re delicious. They’re portable. They’re tasty.
STEWART: Some bodies abhorrence them.
BURBANK: Yeah. They’re actuality banned from schools. We’re activity to acquisition out added about that advancing up on THE BRYANT PARK PROJECT from NPR News.
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