Jun 20 2020 46 mins
Join me as I welcome Tenzin Tethong, formerly H.H. The Dalai Lama's Special Envoy and Prime Minster of the Central Tibetan Administration. Tenzin and I discuss the critical importance of free media and the free flow of information in Tibet. He describes a new sense of identity among Tibetans: Even though Tibetans are occupied and controlled by the Chinese, in mind, spirit and in the cultural sense, Tenzin says they cannot be controlled at all. We discuss the fascinating story of Tenzin's family art collection, a series of 84 paintings of legendary Tibetan Mahasiddhis (great beings). These were carried out of Tibet by his Grandfather, and in turn carried by Tenzin around the world. Now all 84 paintings are reproduced in and the subject of a book with commentary by the Tibetan scholar Donald Lopez. Finally, we spoke about the pathos of the increase in self-immolations in Toibet as a way to protest the occupation and plea for H.H.'s return. While they are shocking, Tenzin and other feels that their intention is pure. He showed me a book, Tibet on Fire, that he has been reading about just this. We closed by acknowledging life's 10,000 sorrows and the 10,000 joys.