On Buddhism and Marxism
21 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
in The Dalai Lama, Yoga Meditation
In the following excerpt from Freedom in Exile, the Dalai Lama is commenting on his trip to Russia some time after his exile to India. He had visited a monastery in Ulan Ude, the capital of Buryat and the center of Buddhism in Russia. The monastery was built at the height of Stalin’s power in 1945. The Dalai Lama found it the most remarkable thing he had seen in Russia, recognizing the similarities of these people who had suffered for their faith (only longer), as had the Tibetans. Regarding the building of the temple during the height of Marxism, he wrote: “I did not see how this could be, but it helped me to realise that spirituality is so deeply rooted in the human mind that it is very difficult, if not totally impossible, to eradicate.” He continued ” . . . If materialism and technology really are the answer to all of humanity’s problems, the most advanced industrial societies would by now be full of smiling faces. But they are not. Equally, if people were meant only be to be concerned with matters of spirituality, we would all be living joyously according to their religious beliefs. But then there would be no progress. Both material and spiritual development are required. And humanity must not stagnate, for that is a kind of death.” – Dalai Lama (excerpt from “Freedom In Exile” regarding his trip to Russia after his exile to India).
