The Dalai Lama on democracy and his possible reincarnation — as a woman (with video)

Photo by Luca Galuzzi - www.galuzzi.it

By Adam Tebbe

"The day I officially handed over [political power], that night? Very unusual, sound sleep."

These were the words of the 14th Dalai Lama, who recently sat down for an interview with NDTV at the 2012 Kalachakra event in Bodh Gaya. Now seeing himself as semi-retired, some Tibetans and Tibetan supporters wanted him to take on a ceremonial role in the wake of his announcement. To that, he said (in this interview), "No use. My basic nature — I don't like formality. I don't like. I've grown up [with] too much formality."

His Holiness believes strongly that the Tibetan problem is a national one; not the job for any one individual, but one for all Tibetans and supporters of Tibet. His hope is that Tibet's next leader will be modern educated and democratically elected. This, he believes, will be his greatest contribution to the Tibetan people and cause. "Still, I am here," he said in his NDTV interview. "Still I am the Dalai Lama. I am Tibetan. This body [is] Tibetan body."

This year has been a particularly challenging one for Tibet, hit by wave after wave of self-immolation acts in protest of Chinese repression. His Holiness scoffs at China's assertion that the Tibetan leadership in exile is somehow responsible for the acts. "People inside Tibet [are] our boss, " says His Holiness. "So, the decision is in their hand. Not my hand. If I try to control them, then my expression is hypocritical."

He continues, "The Chinese government, they have the responsibility. We are refugees. We have no responsibility. But Chinese officials sometimes point out, ah, all the blame on us. So, immediately, I respond, 'Please, come here. Investigate, thoroughly, whether we started these works or not."

"Now the time has come [where] they must look at what are the real causes?" He points to the increase of soldiers at Tibetan monasteries and cameras on every corner of the street, even in classrooms, as the real causes for such acts. He asks, "Why? For the last sixty years they have utilized various methods and now they must think, 'What is wrong? What are the real causes?'"

The Chinese have expressed their intention to appoint (or, anoint, as the interviewer points out), their own successor to the office of the Dalai Lama. Speaking on his own reincarnation, the Dalai Lama talked about how he doesn't anticipate any final decision on the matter for at least another decade. "As early as 1969, in one of my statements, I stated [whether] the very institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not should be decided by the Tibetan people. They should decide. So, no hurry. No hurry."

When asked whether the next Dalai Lama could possibly be a woman, His Holiness replied, "Yes." He continued, "You know, among humanity, in very, very ancient times, male and female were equal. Everybody is equal. No concept of leader. Now, the time has come [where] we must make every effort for the promotion of human compassion and human affection. In that respect female, biologically, more sort of sensitivity toward other's pain."

The video also features a short interview with Richard Gere, well-known for his activism for Tibet, who speaks on the self-immolation phenomenon and causes. You can watch the video from NDTV in full by clicking here.

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