Why does anyone even care about the Dalai Lama?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

A better question is "Why does the world - except Xi Jinping - love the Dalai Lama?"

Why does the West love the Dalai Lama?

A US president is again choosing to meet the Dalai Lama despite Chinese opposition. But why is this Tibetan spiritual and political leader such a popular figure in the West?

To the Chinese government and to many of its people he is an inciter of violence and a defender of a brutal, backward, feudalistic, theocratic society.

But to many politicians and people in the West, the Dalai Lama is a kind of smiling, spiritual and political superhero.

His monastic robes, beaming countenance and squarish, unfashionable glasses are the stuff of a thousand photo opportunities. To some he is in a league of international personalities that contains only one other person - Nelson Mandela. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8521957.stm

[jberryhill]

1. I didn't vote for him

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. We didn't vote for Xi either. Did you vote for this Chinese monkey business at DU?

[liberal_at_heart]

2. He lived through the violent expulsion of his people. He chooses to advocate peace.

He also advocates for the freedom of Tibet. Could you imagine of the Tibetan people stood up to the Chinese violently? They would be exterminated.

[Blue_Tires]

4. I've always wondered why we care about the Pope...

But that's just me...

[Prism]

5. 20% of Americans are Catholic

I'm not sure what percentage are Buddhist Tibetan, but probably very low.

Fun fact, my neighbors are Tibetan, but they're Muslim. (I assumed they were Pakistani based on language, religion, and appearance, but no, apparently there is a strong Tibetan Muslim population. It was a TIL moment). They couldn't possibly care less about the guy. They're also pretty puzzled why we make such a big deal over the Buddhist leader while ignoring the rest of Tibet. They have interesting, complicated thoughts on the matter. But what they do have in common is that they're pretty soundly anti-Chinese imperialism over their home.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

6. There isn't a Tibetan Muslim or Catholic population in China, anymore...

Xi had most of those Muslims tortured to death. He hit the few Catholics, living and doing charity work in China, pretty hard too...

[Prism]

7. And that's what rankled my neighbors

That their culture and history was ignored or unknown. I had no idea about Tibetan Muslims until talking with them. As I said, after a year of light interaction with them, I just had assumed they were Pakistani or something along those lines.

Here in the Bay Area, they're a very, very tight knit group of immigrants. America is kind of their life raft, and they're sticking together.

[Odin2005]

8. Because he's basically a modern saint?

But I'm a Buddhist, myself (though not of the Tibetan tradition), so I'm biased.