The following are excerpts from a recent message from the Dalai Lama  to Tibetans all over the world.  For someone who has been accused of formenting trouble, the tenor of this message is so balanced and  mindful. The Dalai Lama is one of the spiritual leaders, I truly admire. Doesn’t his face say it all?

          “  …………  The hosting of the Olympic games this year is a matter of great pride to the 1.2 billion Chinese people.  I have from the very beginning supported the holding of these Games in Beijing.  My position on this remains unchanged.  I feel the Tibetans should not cause any hindrance to the Games.  It is the legitimate right of every Tibetan to struggle for their freedoms and rights.  On the other hand, it will be futile and not helpful to anyone if we do something that will create hatred in the minds of the Chinese people.  On the contrary, we need to foster trust and respect in our hearts in order to create a harmonious society, as this cannot be built on the basis of force and intimidation.

         Our struggle is with a few in the leadership of the People's Republic of China and not with the Chinese people.  Therefore we should never cause misunderstanding or do something that will hurt the Chinese people.  Even during this difficult situation, many Chinese intellectuals, writers and lawyers in Mainland China and other parts of the world have sympathized and shown us their solidarity by issuing statements, writing articles and offering pledges of support that is overwhelming.  I have recently issued an appeal to the Chinese people all over the world on 28^th March, which I hope you will hear and read.

      If the present situation in Tibet continues, I am very much concerned that the Chinese government will unleash more force and increase the suppression of Tibetan people.  Because of my moral obligation and responsibility to the Tibetan people, I have repeatedly asked the concerned leadership of the PRC to immediately stop their suppression in all parts of Tibet and withdraw its armed police and troops.  If this brings result, I would also advise the Tibetans to stop all the current protests.

      I want to urge my fellow Tibetans who live in freedom outside Tibet to be extra vigilant as they voice their feelings on the developments in Tibet.  We should not engage in any action that could be even remotely interpreted as violent.  Even under the most provocative of situations we must not allow our most precious and deeply held values to be compromised.  I firmly believe that we will achieve success through our non-violent path.  We must be wise to understand where the unprecedented affection and support for our cause stems from.

      As Tibet is currently virtually closed and no international media is allowed there, I doubt my message will reach the Tibetans in Tibet.  But I hope through media and by word of mouth, it will be passed on to the majority of you.

      Finally, I want to reiterate and appeal once again to Tibetans to practice non-violence and not waver from this path, however serious the situation might be.”

The Dalai Lama

Dharamsala

April 6, 2008

For reading the whole of this message and other texts, interviews, etc. you may visit the official site of the Dalai Lama

 http://www.dalailama.com/