Those non-voilent pacificist Buddhists of Tibbet -- don't exist...

There are those here in the West who think the Dailia Lama and those nice, peaceful shepherds of Tibet are just some of the most genteel and peaceful people who've ever walked the earth. While there is a mountian of evidence available that could destroy this distorted viewpoint in a heartbeat, let me just point out this article that appeared on Nation Reivew Online:

The Dalai Lama’s Army
A right to self-defense is recognized by the Dalai Lama -- indeed, his predecessor tried to recruit an army.

By Dave Kopel

An al Qaeda organization is attempting to assassinate the Dalai Lama. Lashkar-e-Toiba, al Qaeda’s South Asian affiliate, is acting consistently with Osama bin Laden’s April 2006 denunciation of “pagan Buddhists.”

This raises an interesting question: Can an ethical follower of Tibetan Buddhism kill someone in order to save the Dalai Lama? Or in order to fight religious totalitarianism in general?

Absolutely yes. Although some Westerners imagine that the Dalai Lama is an absolute pacifist, the teachings of the present Dalai Lama and of his predecessor, as well as the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, all legitimize the use of deadly force against killers and would-be tyrants.

This may come as news to certain anti-American pacifists in the United States and Europe who are guilty of “Shangri-La-ism” — of what Jane Ardley (in her book The Tibetan Independence Movement) describes as the “idealized, romantic vision of Tibet as a land of enlightened, non-violent, happy and exotic people.” She observes, “For those in the West who look to Tibetan Buddhism for all the answers to their insecurities, the image of ‘violent’ Buddhists is uncomfortable particularly where Buddhism itself can be offered as a justification for their actions.”

SOURCE: National Review Online: 5 APRIL 2007: The Dalai Lama's Army