Comments on: The Buddhist cave at Phuktal Gompa (Phugtal Monastery)

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:08:11 +0000

It seems to be a difficult question of how this is best done.

The Pope is no longer a prince and the Dalai Lama has relinquished his temporal position. So the idea that there should be a separation between church and state seems to have the greater currency.

Perhaps the modern model is more like Joan of Arc who spiritually assisted the temporal power? Joan was from a farming family so not at all like Frank Brennan’s background?

It seems that a person’s background is somehow relevant to their spirituality.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:41:45 +0000

In reply to Christine. 'Australian Jesuit priest, human rights lawyer and academic' sounds like a wonderful combination. Let's hope Frank Brennan becomes an urban designer too! There need to be ways of aligning temporal power with spirituality.

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:50:58 +0000

There is some idea that affluence discourages vocations to the spiritual life. But there are always notable exceptions to this concept. They would be great advocates for Western spirituality on a broader stage. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Brennan_(Jesuit) ] and
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Radcliffe ].

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:49:49 +0000

In reply to Christine. I wish we could find a way of making monasticism a more-attractive lifestyle choice in the modern world. It would be a good project for the EU, which seems to have an appetite for good projects and a very limited ability to implement them. I like the idea of projects Held Together With Paper Clips and Chewing Gum but it is better if they are not mission-critical projects.

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:10:55 +0000

You are right, there are many Tibetan student monks and nuns with no or limited family assistance that need aid to study Buddhism.[ http://www.tibetaid.org/hidden_bios2.html ] Some children are as young as nine.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:05:33 +0000

I think Washington was more concerned with politics and economics and that, as your third question suggests, the Tibetans are more concerned with spirituality. One could, however, contrive an economic explanation of their spiritual concerns. It was always biologically possible, in Tibet, to have many children. But the economy was only able to provide for one male child/family to marry and have children. The other children therefore became monks.

By: Christine

Christine — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:44:20 +0000

The text by Ngawang Tsering sound a little like a Tibetan equivalent of a speech by George Washington? Do you think the values it espouses might found a Tibetan Constitution? Or perhaps it is more like a spiritual constitution rather than a political one?