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发表于 2009-4-9 15:51
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这是达赖的正式演讲辞，对印度大加谄媚
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Tibet is the snowy-land located beyond the Himalayan ranges to the north of
India- the Land of Aryas. Buddha Shakyamuni blessed this land and prophesied
the spread of the Buddhadharma there. Mount Kailash and Lake Manasrovar are
located there, both of which are considered sacred by India's major
religious traditions. Tibet is the source of the four great rivers that flow
into India and finally reach the great oceans. Geographically, it is like
the Indian highlands, which many great Indian masters have referred to as
the Heaven of Thirty-three, (Trayastrimshadeva). Regarding the date at which
the Tibetan race first came about, archaeological findings suggest it was
at least ten thousand years ago. The Bon scriptures concur. According to the
Bengali scholar Prajna Varma, Tibetans are descendants of Rupati, king of a
south Indian kingdom, who escaped to Tibet with his subjects after the
Mahabharata War. As for the King of Tibet, it is believed that around 150
BCE, a prince of Magadha escaped to Tibet after being exiled from his
kingdom. Tibetans named him Nya-tri Tsenpo and made him their king. Thus
began the Tibetan royal lineage. Whether we consider our geography, ancestry
, or our royal dynasty, India and Tibet have long had close ties with each
other.
In the 7th and 8th centuries, Tibetan students were sent to India to study.
Once they had completed their education, these young Tibetans, such as
Thonmi Sambhota, created a Tibetan alphabet on the basis of the Nagari
script that improved on the Shangshung Maryig, an earlier Tibetan mode of
writing, and a Tibetan grammar based on Sanskrit. This not only contributed
to the development of Tibetan civilization, but also allowed for the
dissemination of the Buddhadharma in Tibet. In the 8th century,
Shantarakshita, a Bengali prince turned monk and illustrious scholar from
Nalanda University, visited Tibet and founded the monastic order there. Guru
Padmasambhava from the west of India was responsible for the spread of
Tantric Buddhism. Shantarakshita's student Kamalashila also visited Tibet to
uphold Buddhism.
It is through the kindness of these masters who established Buddhism in
Tibet that numerous teachings of the Buddha such as those concerning the
three vehicles and the four classes of tantra, which make up the content of
the Three Baskets or Tripitaka, were translated into Tibetan. Besideds these
, numerous works of the great Indian commentators, such as the seventeen
Nalanda masters, Arya Nagarjuna and Arya Asanga among them, were also
translated into Tibetan. This helped establish in Tibet the complete and
pure tradition of Buddhism that had been fostered in the great Indian
Universities at Taxila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Odantapuri. Also, because
Tibetan scholars constantly referred to the Indian sources and did not
corrupt them with their own ideas and concepts, today it is Tibetans who
have been able to preserve the complete and pure Indian Buddhist tradition,
which declined in India.
To begin with, Tibetan scholars, such as the translator Thonmi Sambhota (7th
century CE), translated many texts like the twenty-one tantras of
Avalokiteshvara, the Dharani of the Crown of Precious Collection, and the
Hundred Thousand Verse Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. According to the History
of the Rise of the Dharma by Buton Rinchen Drub (1290-1364), from the time
of the translator trio Kawa Peltseg, Chogro Lui Gyaltsen, Shang Yeshe De in
the 8th century until the translator Legpa'i Lodro in the 14th century there
were 192 Tibetan translators and 93 great Indian masters who supervised and
approved their work. Altogether there have been about 700 translators.
From the era of Acharya Shantarakshita and Surrendrabodhi, that is the late
8th to early 9th centuries until Acharya Belbhadra and his disciples in the
17th century more than 300 volumes were translated into Tibetan from other
languages , such as Sanskrit, of which only 10 volumes were translated from
Chinese. Many volumes written in Indian languages such as Sanskrit were
translated into Tibetan, which now comprise the Kangyur, the translated
words of the Buddha and the Tengyur, the translated commentaries of
subsequent Indian masters. Today, it is we Tibetans who preserve the
complete and the pure Indian Buddhist tradition, which declined in India.
Regarding the translation of texts from Indian languages, the greatest
number is found in Tibetan and they are considered the most accurate, I
think this is because the creation of the Tibetan written language followed
a Sanskrit pattern.
Among the many Indian masters who visited Tibet, despite the difficulties of
traveling at such high altitudes, in order to teach the Buddhadharma, some
of the most celebrated figures are Pandit Shakyashree, Pandit Smritijanana
and Dipamkara Atisha. There are also accounts of thousands of Tibetans
visiting India in those days to study Buddhism. Many of them returned to
Tibet after completing their studies, but some remained in India. There were
cased of Tibetan scholars renowned for their scholarship like the
translator Tsami Sangye Drak, who later became abbot of the monastery at
Bodhgaya. There were also instances of Indian masters whoescaped to Tibet
when their monasteries fell victim to the Turkic invasions.
These accounts reflect the indisputably strong ties that have linked
Tibetans and Indians in the fields of religion and culture. In a letter to
me, the late Morarji Desai stated, " India and Tibet are like two branches
of the same Bodhi tree". I entirely agree, which is why I wholeheartedly
describes Indians as our gurus, while we Tibetans are chelas or students.
Following the decline of Buddhism in India, spiritual and cultural ties and
social interaction with Tibet declined too. However, Tibetans continued to
go on pilgrimage to the sacred Buddhist sites in India and from the Indian
side pilgrims continued to visit Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar freely,
without a need for passports and visas, until 1959. Trade between the two
countries continued along the border from Ladakh in the west to present day
Arunachal Pradesh in the east. Tibet reached agreements on important issues
with the kingdoms on its borders. There was also a tradition of sending
donations for religious purposes to the sacred places in the border areas.
In the twentieth century, Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan (1893-1963) visited
Tibet three times and retrieved many rare Sanskrit texts, which have
contributed greatly to the revival of interest in Buddhism in India.
Politically, in 1904, Tibet signed an agreement with British-India. In 1910,
the 13th Dalai Lama fled into exile in India. In 1913/14, the Simla treaty
was signed (between British India and Tibet), according to which the two
sides agreed to review their agreements every ten years. Arrangements were
made between Tibet and India to ensure security along their trade routes.
Postal services and telegraph lines were established, and an Indian Mission
was set up in Lhasa. In March 1947, a few months before India gained
independence, representatives of the Tibetan government were invited to an
Asian relations conference.
In 1956, Panchen Rinpoche and I, accompanied by other Tibetan lamas, visited
independent India when we were invited to attend the 2500th Buddha Jayanti
Celebrations. All the Tibetan pilgrims were kindly granted half-fare when
they made pilgrimage to the holy Buddhist sites in India. I myself had the
opportunity not only to make pilgrimage to many of the Buddhist and non-
Buddhist sacred sites here, but also saw many industrial developments in
India, which filled me with fresh inspiration. I also had the chance to meet
and receive advice from many prominent Indian leaders. In particular, the
then Prime Minister, Pandit Nehru's affectionate guidance was of far-
reaching benefit to Tibetans.
That year, instead of seeking asylum in India, I decided to return to Tibet.
Retrospectively, I am glad to see that this was the correct decision from
both a temporal and spiritual point of view. Not only was I able to fulfil
many of my spiritual obligations, such as sitting for my final Geshe (
doctoral) examinations, but I also left no stone unturned in my efforts to
deal with Chinese officials.
Although the local Tibetan government and I made great efforts to ensure
that Tibetans and Chinese lived together peacefully on the basis of the
Seventeen Point Agreement, they were in vain. The Tibetan people were left
with no alternative but finally to launch a peaceful uprising on 10th March,
1959 to oppose Chinese brutality and the situation became much more serious
. I tried my best to calm the situation and avert a harsh Chinese response,
but failed. Consequently, accomplished by a small party of Tibetan
government officials inclduing some Kalons (Cabinet Ministers), I fled to
southern Tibet on 17th March. I tried once again to establish contacts with
the Chinese authorities from there. However, the situation in Lhasa had
worsened on the night of 19th March when Chinese troops resorted to extreme
force and more than twenty thousand innocent Tibetans were killed, injured
and imprisoned over a period of twenty-four hours. This left us helpless,
with no option but to escape to India. Finally, on 31st March, after many
days of hardship, we safely reached India and the light of freedom. As one
of the most significant days of my life, it also marked a turning point in
the history of the Tibetan people.
Because of the Chinese military's harsh and relentless repression of the
Tibetan people and the turmoil that spread throughout Tibet, that same year
about one hundred thousand Tibetans fled through NEFA, (present day
Arunachal Pradesh) and Bhutan seeking refuge in India. The Indian government
was so generous as to have immediately set up refugee camps for Tibetans at
Misamari in Assam and Buxa Duar in Bengal. The generous way in which the
Indian government bestowed aid in the form of food, clothing, blankets and
medical facilties brought Tibetans tremendous relief. In due course, monks
and nuns were provided opportunities to resume their spiritual studies,
children were provided with education, the elderly were provided with homes
and suitable employment was found for others. In short, because Tibetans'
material needs were addressed, we were able to dedicate ourselves to
preserving our religion, culture and our very Tibetan identity.
It was due to particularly to Pandit Nehru's farsightedness and personal
concerns that we established Tibetan farming settlements, with the aim that
Tibetans could live together in communities without being scattered here and
there, and separate schools for Tibetan children where modern education
could be given in addition to instruction in our own language, culture and
religion. Over the last fifty years, more than one hundred thousand Tibetan
refugees have enjoyed social benefits similar to those of their Indian hosts
and we have now reached the third generation. We are deeply grateful to the
Indian Central and the State governments, who, despite having to deal with
their own problems, have wholeheartedly and consistently supported and
assisted Tibetans. The friendship and sympathy the Indian people as a whole
have shown Tibetans has made us feel this is truly our second home, indeed,
wherever Tibetans have had skills and abilities of their own we have been
able to exercise them. Overall India has given us the greatest moral and
material support. Looking back over the past fifty years, we feel confident
that we made the right choice when we sought refuge in India.
Regardless of their own caste, religious or political affiliations, a wide
variety of Indians have formed Tibetan support groups such as Indo-Tibet
Friendship Society (ITFS), Bharat-Tibet Sahyok Manch and Friends of Tibet.
Innumerable Indian individuals have shown great sympathy for Tibetans and
have worked actively for the Tibetan cause and the welfare of Tibetans in
exile. This reflects the unique Indian tradition of the guru showing concern
for his chela. India's moral and material generosity to us during this
critical period when our very identity and the civilization we derived from
India is under severe threat of extinction truly reflects the English
proverb which says, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
Considering the differences between Indian and Tibetan langauge, habits and
social customs, our presence might initially have caused some unease and
anxiety. However, in general a genuine hamony and understanding exists
between us. This is a great source of strengthen and satisfaction. It is
also a reflection of India's valuable tradition of tolerance and ahimsa. The
number of Tibetan refugees is small compared to that of other refugee
communities in India and yet we have received the most generous recognition
and assistance from both the government and the people.
In addition to farming the small plots of land provided by the government of
India, Tibetans fo petty business during the winter months selling woollen
garments in the town and cities across India. This business is not only an
opportunity to earn a livelyhood, but is also an opportunity for us to
interact with the people of this country and improve our mutual
understanding. Although Tibetab refugees have by and large become personally
self-sufficient, we are still indebted to the government of India for its
dedicated support of many of our Tibetan schools and other Tibetan cultural
institutions.
On a personal level, the freedom I enjoy in exile I owe to India. I am able
to practise Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings, on the basis of which I try to
make some contribution to the betterment of humanity. The liberty I enjoy in
India is truly reflected in the title of my autobiography – Freedom in
Exile. It is a great honour for me to consider India my spiritual home and
like a messanger I have tried to promote the key Indian principles of ahimsa
(non-violence) and karuna (compassion) where ever I go.
As a human being my main commitment is in the promotion of human values such
as warm-heartedness that are essential to a happy life. As a religious
practitioner, my second commitment is the promotion of inter-religious
harmony. My third commitment is of course the issue of Tibet, due on the one
hand to my being a Tibetan with the name of “Dalai Lama”, but more
importantly due to the trust that Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet
have placed in me. The welfare of Tibetans is my daily concern and I
consider myself only as someone free to speak on behalf of those Tibetans
oppressed by years of Chinese communist rule, who do not enjoy such freedom.
Over the last fifty years, I have received generous, affectionate and
personal encouragement on official and personal matters from numerous
leaders as well as social workers and intellectuals. They have shown me
trust and friendship and offered me valuable advice that I will always
cherish. I am ubable to name all of them now, but if I may mention just a
few, they include C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), Dr Rajendra Prasad, Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, Acharya Vinobha Bhave, Jayaprakash Narayan and Acharya
Kripalani.
The support and assistance India has given Tibet for more than two thousand
years, but particularly over the last fifty years is incalculable. Words are
insufficient to repay the debt own we owe India. However, on this occasion
of the fiftieth year of our living in exile in this country, to show how
greatly indebted I feel, let me express my deep gratitude to the people of
India and their government through you, my Indian friends who are personally
here with us today.
Buddhism spread to Tibet from India around fifteen hundred years ago.
Although it then declined in land of its birth, we were able to preserve it
in Tibet as well as helping others benefit from the teachings of the Buddha.
We feel we have gone some way towards repaying India's kindness.
We shall be very happy if we are able to contribute to restoring India's
rich Buddhist heritage. In order to fulfil this dream, Pandit Nehru
established the Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology, Central Institute
of Buddhist Studies, Leh, Ladakh, and the Central University of Tibetan
Studies in Varanasi. In these places, initiatives have been taken to
translate important texts, whose originals once existed in Indian languages
but have since been lost, from Tibetan back into Indian languages such as
Sanskrit. This significant project has been both successful and satisfying.
As a token of Tibetan people's willingness to restore to India the rich
culture we have preserved so far,I would like to tell you that we plan to
offer the Indian nation, complete sets of the Kangyur (Tibetan translations
of the Buddha's teachings), and Tengyur (Tibetan translations of
commentaries by subsequent Indian masters), as well as 63 titles restored
from Tibetans into Sanskrit and over 150 translated into Hindi and other
languages.
On behalf of all Tibetans, both those inside and those outside Tibet, I
fervently wish to express our profound gratitude by saying “Thank You ”
over and over again to you, the people and government of India.
At the same time, I would like to recall that our neighbours Bhutan and
Nepal share the same religion and culture and have long had close ties with
us. Both of these countries have also provided shelter to Tibetan refugees.
We are grateful to the people and the governments of these two countries too
. Indeed, we also would like to express our gratitude to all the other
countries in which Tibetans now live.
With my prayers for the happiness of all beings.
Dalai Lama
31st March, 2009 |
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