Dalai Lama on America

By Terry Reis Kennedy

Many of us may be looking at the United States with great sadness as we witness its fall from a once seemingly almighty country to one riddled with internal difficulties.  Some political commentators and activists, such as scientist Noam Chomsky, have noted that the USA’s loss of standing in the world community coincides with its loss of integrity—the  practice of human values such as truth, non-violence, peace, right action, and love.

On an earlier visit there His Holiness said, “America, like every other nation, has some good aspects and some negative aspects.  That is normal.  First, the United States is a so-called superpower.  You are a superpower, not only in military and economic force, but even more so in freedom.  I think that your greatest strength is in creating a country where true open space is available, where human individual creative nature can be fully realized.  Of course, it is true that in your country there is much inequality—many people are poor while others are quite rich.  But, basically, there is genuine freedom here, and this is quite an open society.  I think that is your real source of strength and progress.”

Another feature of the United States is that it is an ethnically mixed society where people have learned to co-exist in relative harmony.

On the other hand, Dalai Lama, warned, “But I sometimes feel, in the global atmosphere of international politics, that moral uprightness or justice has very little value, and that makes me very sad.  If that continues, many people will suffer.  Eventually, the powerful nations will also suffer.  Even though America is a powerful nation,  you need genuine friends, including the small countries.  How can you make friends?  I think, on top of your material strength and cultural strength, you must begin to stand firm with moral principles.  That would be marvelous.”

Personally, I am troubled by how many Indians have taken on western ways, particularly selfish and materialistic attitudes, the very things that have so corrupted  the American Ethic—liberty and justice for all. Bollywood has turned into Hollywood, producing what I perceive as over rated films and film heroes.  

“The present trend is not healthy,” the simple monk who happens to be King of Tibet, explained. “ Sooner or later you will have to change.  It is easier to change while you are strong.  If you become weaker or smaller, it will be much  more difficult to change.  You will not be strong enough to face the consequences.  Powerful nations always have a greater chance and capacity to right the wrongs in our system and be able to take the risks that are involved in changing an existing system.  Until the fifties and sixties, America was a really powerful nation with quite high prestige, a real champion of liberty and freedom.  But since then, it seems to me, you have been going in the opposite direction.  That is sad.  But it is not my business; it is really your business.”