Re: How to get rid of trouble makers at Potala of Tibet?

On Jun 17, 10:03=A0am, "fyfp...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" <fyfp...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Jun 17, 9:19=A0pm, ltlee1 <ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
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> > On Jun 17, 8:22=A0am, "fyfp...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" <fyfp...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
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> > > The government subsidy of any religion is wrong. And the Chinese
> > > government has been doing this in Tibet in a very stupid way. If
> > > anyone in Tibet wants to become a lama in a temple, he or she should
> > > finance his or her own career endeavor in much the same way that an
> > > engineer student has to finance his schooling. That the central
> > > government has been financially sup****ting Tibet's religion and in
> > > particular that monstrous building named Potala in order to tell the
> > > world how nice the Chinese government is does sound silly to me and
> > > has already backfired.
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> > > Government's financial sup****t of Potala has created a surplus of
> > > lamas at a prive level above equilibrium that would have prevailed
> > > under a competitive market situation. =A0Years ago in California,
> > > government sup****ted college education programs created a generation
> > > of 'flower people' or the intellectual proletarians. =A0These people
d=
id
> > > not want to pick up meniel jobs; they just wanted to provide answers
> > > to how to save mankind from sufferings.
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> > > Potala at this moment is very much like the California education
> > > system years ago when I was there. =A0The Tibetan families are
sending=

> > > their kids to this large monumental structure where they can have
free=

> > > food and lodging while reciting mantra and do so at government
> > > expenses or the expenses of the tax payers in the other parts of
> > > China. =A0At the same time they are getting sympathy from the other
> > > 'flower people' or welfare bums in the rest of the world especially
> > > Canada and Europe.
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> > > What the Chinese governent should do is to privatize Potala and turn
> > > it into a private enterprise capable of sup****ting itself. =A0That
mea=
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> > > anyone who wants to become a lama there should pay for his own
> > > religious endeavor instead of leaning on the government for money.
=A0=
In
> > > this way, they can achieve freedom by paying for what they are
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> > > at Potala. =A0The government would no longer need to put up any show
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> > > the foreign press and it is up to the directors in this Potala
> > > Incor****ated to maintain laws and orders. =A0The directors of this
> > > Potala Incor****ated can invite into its holy premises big names like
> > > Big Mac and Starbuck or Peking ducks...or night clubs as long as
these=

> > > business activities can keep Potala pay off its overheads and keep
the=

> > > surplus monks out of trouble. =A0If the Chinese government could do
> > > that, it would further observe the spirit of Adam Smith's laissez-
> > > faire philosophy.
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> > I think about the isse often. And I am not sure there is any short
> > term solution.
> > Bascially, it is about geography. Tibet is as beautiful as it is
> > harsh. And as isolated as the enviornment is still pristine. Life is
> > exceedingly difficult in Tibet. Hence parents traditionally have the
> > tendency to donate their sons to the temple where they could at least
> > surive. =A0Having a monk in the family would also eleveate the status
fo=

> > the family. Of course, difficult physical environment also contribute
> > the people's devotion to buddhism. If they cannot make it this life.
> > Hopefully they can make it in the coming lives.
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> > People's devotion to buddhism and their propensity to send their kids
> > to the temple cannot be switched off by governemnt fiat. The only way
> > is economic development. When parents think that their kids have
> > brighter future in the greater world outside, they will stop sending
> > their kid to be monks and nuns. Yes. privatization is a good idea. At
> > the same time, the governemnt or the private sector can also offer
> > training in management and marekting to the monks. If the temple
> > management can turn a profit, they will need less government subsidy.-
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> It all boils down to economics. =A0If there were no freebies, see
> whether the parents still want to send their kids there...

You are right. But the leaders of the temple can play the government
like a violin. For example, Chinese law stipulated that they cannot
takes boy under 18. They don't follow the laws. They take as many they
want. Shut dow the temple is not an option. Anyway, from the local
governemnt officials' point of view, as long as the problem can be
solved by mony, it is not a problem. At least not their problem.

The railroad is a big thing. Because Tibet is now not as isolated.
Young people have more choices and they may not want to be monks
anymore.  Again, it will take time to solve the problem. The DL will
die sooner or later. The absence of a superstar monk will also reduce
the attraction of monkhood.


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