Salon | Letters to the editor

_______________HIS MATERIAL HIGHNESS BY CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS (07/13/98)

I would have welcomed any unbiased critical analysis of not just the Dalai Lama, but of the entire Tibetan community. We Tibetans have suffered much on account of our past isolationist policies and so we certainly need to be told when the emperor is not wearing his clothes.
However, Christopher Hitchens' article, far from doing that, picks up on a few pieces of disinformation and expands them to support his case, the purpose of which is nothing but to vilify the Dalai Lama. Let me explain.
On the nuclear test issue: It is evident that Hitchens has not seen the Dalai Lama's full statement on his reaction to the Indian nuclear tests. I was privileged to be present on May 13 in Madison, Wisc., when the Dalai Lama answered a reporter's question on the issue. The Dalai Lama at no time supported the test. He said he was saddened by it and mentioned that he was for complete nuclear disarmament. However, he did mention that it was undemocratic for a few nuclear powers to be asking others not to indulge in actions they themselves are undertaking. Is that supporting India's nuclear tests?
On the Steven Seagal issue: The Dalai Lama is nowhere involved in the picture concerning the recognition of the actor as a reincarnated being. Steven Seagal was recognized by his teacher, Penor Rinpoche. While the issue may appear controversial, it has nothing to do with the Dalai Lama.
It is also unbecoming for the writer to denigrate the Buddhist concept of reincarnation, as if this was something started by the Dalai Lama for his own benefit. It is the writer's choice not to believe in this theory but he has no right to denigrate our religion.
Finally, the whole tone of the article is to undermine the institution of the Dalai Lama rather than to give a dispassionate appraisal. The reference to the Dorje Shugden controversy only furthers my suspicion as to the motives of the writer. He fails to mention the killing of three prominent Tibetan monks in Dharamsala, India, at the suspected hand of some Dorje Shugden practitioners.
I do not think the article adds any credibility to Salon's image.
-- Bhuchung Tsering
Washington
Thank you, Christopher Hitchens. It's about time somebody popped the hot-air balloon of phony piety and bad faith surrounding Buddhism. Now please come to Canada and take a run at the platitude-mouthing politicians, entertainers, academics and journalists who never miss an opportunity to say something inspiring about "aboriginal spirituality." Don't public figures realize how cringe-inducing their bowing and praying in the marketplace is? Guess not.
-- Bob Armstrong
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Just because Hollywood has wholeheartedly embraced the Dalai Lama doesn't mean he's simply the flavor of the month, but that those who labor in such an incredibly shallow and materialistic industry desperately search for values as do the rest of their brethren in other industries, i.e. publishing. I'm also not surprised Hitchens would use this opportunity to attack Scientology as well (a cousin spiritually to Buddhism), which also believes in reincarnation and strict ethical behavior. He should really first find out more about these belief systems and how they have enhanced the lives of literally billions of people before he lashes out so dogmatically.
-- Glenn M. Benest
Christopher Hitchens comes off like a farmer who is suspicious of the local college boys who are attracting the village girls, because they foolishly think there is more to life than cornfields and the words in the little black book.
-- Bill Sigler
Charlotte, N.C.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Christopher Hitchens felt the need to train his laserlike critical gaze away from Mother Teresa and onto the Dalai Lama. I actually appreciated his desire to debunk the "merciful angel" view of the nun who hoarded money and counseled against birth control, but his comments regarding the Dalai Lama are full of misinformation and reveal his anti-religious bias. If Hitchens aspires to save the world from charlatans and magical thinking, he will have to at least be accurate and ethical, if not balanced.
First of all, the Dalai Lama admitted rather sheepishly that his organization had accepted a donation and given a brief audience to Shoko Asahara. His comment was, "Well, if you need any other proof that I'm not an omniscient Buddha, here's some more evidence to that effect!" The Dalai Lama is consistently humble and straightforward. He is a monk in the difficult position of bearing responsibility for a large secular organization with many subordinates. His roles as spiritual leader and secular statesman are in dynamic tension all the time, and I think he does an amazing job.
The Dorge Shugden deity brouhaha is an example of doctrinal dissent within the Tibetan Buddhist community that has been gleefully seized upon by skeptics and contrarians as evidence that something dark and rotten is at work in the Tibetan Buddhist community. The Dalai Lama has responsibility as a spiritual leader to address doctrinal issues, and he has done so. For those who can't agree with his views, he has simply asked those who practice Dorge Shugden to refrain from taking teachings from him. But people are free to practice as they wish otherwise. It's a shame that this doctrinal dispute that is of private concern to serious tantric practitioners has been made into a public issue that's inadequately explained and reduced to an image of infighting.
-- Nancy Jacobus Dadak
Thanks to Christopher Hitchens for his informative article on the Dalai Lama. I get tired of the myopic media treatment of this man, Tibet and Asian issues in general. I don't think news and entertainment producers in the U.S. have the patience or the stomach for Asia's complexity. Attempts to package Tibetan struggle, much like Bosnia, defy our Western devotion to good guys and bad guys.
Oh well, like every good media fad, this too will pass, especially with the endorsement of people like Steven Seagal and Richard Gere. Maybe we need to just go back to the motorcycle maintenance version of Buddhism on Harleys, where a less than holy man is followed by a ghost on the open road. At least nobody confused that with current events.
-- Brett Nelson

_______________FETISH NATION BY CAROL LLOYD(07/02/98)

Fabulous article! It was well written, poignant and precisely articulated the diversity found within the S&M/fetish communities. Cleo Dubois' point about S&M meeting the strangely isolated needs of techies was so true. Remember, we aren't just people with a kink for pain; we just have a high tolerance for pleasure -- and we fix your computers just fine.
One point missed, however, was that S&M and fetishism offer a creative and dramatic venue to have great safe sex. It was leather-men and -women who wrote virtually everything we know about safer sex practices. How wonderful it would be if we Americans moved past the idea that sex is only penis/vagina intercourse, and on to a more holistic experience that uses the whole body, especially our biggest sexual organ -- the brain.
Sex feels good, it offers endorphins and raises our serotonin levels. Fetishism and S&M are gourmet sexual experiences. Just as rich food isn't for everyone, neither are S&M and fetishism.
-- Jenne Blade
This story carefully points out that practices of the SM community are safe and between consenting adults and that SM has been removed from the DSM IV's list of mental disorders. As the article indicates, SM and other fetishes are as old as human society itself and sexual minorities often become aware of their preferences in early childhood. Responsible media coverage such as this is needed to help reduce the widespread misconceptions and prejudices about members of the SM community that far too often result in violence and discrimination and suppress the rights of sexual minorities to actualize their sexualities and to be themselves.
-- Bernadette Wright
Your "fetish culture" article was too weird, but I now understand the Southern Baptists better when they tell women to "submit graciously."
-- Regina Raynes
I am writing to thank you for your delightful and sex-positive article. As you no doubt realize, the community of fetishists in the U.S. is large and largely closeted. Justifiably, many S&M-ers fear discrimination. By giving an honest portrayal of real people in the fetish/SM community, you are helping combat the stereotypes that have hurt so many.
-- Jonathan Krall
SALON | July 16, 1998

R E C E N T L Y+| LIBERALISM IS AS PATRIOTIC AS APPLE PIE BY JOE CONASON

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_______________HIS MATERIAL HIGHNESS BY CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS (07/13/98)
	I would have welcomed any unbiased critical analysis of not just the Dalai Lama, but of the entire Tibetan community. We Tibetans have suffered much on account of our past isolationist policies and so we certainly need to be told when the emperor is not wearing his clothes. However, Christopher Hitchens' article, far from doing that, picks up on a few pieces of disinformation and expands them to support his case, the purpose of which is nothing but to vilify the Dalai Lama. Let me explain. On the nuclear test issue: It is evident that Hitchens has not seen the Dalai Lama's full statement on his reaction to the Indian nuclear tests. I was privileged to be present on May 13 in Madison, Wisc., when the Dalai Lama answered a reporter's question on the issue. The Dalai Lama at no time supported the test. He said he was saddened by it and mentioned that he was for complete nuclear disarmament. However, he did mention that it was undemocratic for a few nuclear powers to be asking others not to indulge in actions they themselves are undertaking. Is that supporting India's nuclear tests? On the Steven Seagal issue: The Dalai Lama is nowhere involved in the picture concerning the recognition of the actor as a reincarnated being. Steven Seagal was recognized by his teacher, Penor Rinpoche. While the issue may appear controversial, it has nothing to do with the Dalai Lama. It is also unbecoming for the writer to denigrate the Buddhist concept of reincarnation, as if this was something started by the Dalai Lama for his own benefit. It is the writer's choice not to believe in this theory but he has no right to denigrate our religion. Finally, the whole tone of the article is to undermine the institution of the Dalai Lama rather than to give a dispassionate appraisal. The reference to the Dorje Shugden controversy only furthers my suspicion as to the motives of the writer. He fails to mention the killing of three prominent Tibetan monks in Dharamsala, India, at the suspected hand of some Dorje Shugden practitioners. I do not think the article adds any credibility to Salon's image. -- Bhuchung Tsering Washington Thank you, Christopher Hitchens. It's about time somebody popped the hot-air balloon of phony piety and bad faith surrounding Buddhism. Now please come to Canada and take a run at the platitude-mouthing politicians, entertainers, academics and journalists who never miss an opportunity to say something inspiring about "aboriginal spirituality." Don't public figures realize how cringe-inducing their bowing and praying in the marketplace is? Guess not. -- Bob Armstrong Winnipeg, Manitoba Just because Hollywood has wholeheartedly embraced the Dalai Lama doesn't mean he's simply the flavor of the month, but that those who labor in such an incredibly shallow and materialistic industry desperately search for values as do the rest of their brethren in other industries, i.e. publishing. I'm also not surprised Hitchens would use this opportunity to attack Scientology as well (a cousin spiritually to Buddhism), which also believes in reincarnation and strict ethical behavior. He should really first find out more about these belief systems and how they have enhanced the lives of literally billions of people before he lashes out so dogmatically. -- Glenn M. Benest Christopher Hitchens comes off like a farmer who is suspicious of the local college boys who are attracting the village girls, because they foolishly think there is more to life than cornfields and the words in the little black book. -- Bill Sigler Charlotte, N.C. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Christopher Hitchens felt the need to train his laserlike critical gaze away from Mother Teresa and onto the Dalai Lama. I actually appreciated his desire to debunk the "merciful angel" view of the nun who hoarded money and counseled against birth control, but his comments regarding the Dalai Lama are full of misinformation and reveal his anti-religious bias. If Hitchens aspires to save the world from charlatans and magical thinking, he will have to at least be accurate and ethical, if not balanced. First of all, the Dalai Lama admitted rather sheepishly that his organization had accepted a donation and given a brief audience to Shoko Asahara. His comment was, "Well, if you need any other proof that I'm not an omniscient Buddha, here's some more evidence to that effect!" The Dalai Lama is consistently humble and straightforward. He is a monk in the difficult position of bearing responsibility for a large secular organization with many subordinates. His roles as spiritual leader and secular statesman are in dynamic tension all the time, and I think he does an amazing job. The Dorge Shugden deity brouhaha is an example of doctrinal dissent within the Tibetan Buddhist community that has been gleefully seized upon by skeptics and contrarians as evidence that something dark and rotten is at work in the Tibetan Buddhist community. The Dalai Lama has responsibility as a spiritual leader to address doctrinal issues, and he has done so. For those who can't agree with his views, he has simply asked those who practice Dorge Shugden to refrain from taking teachings from him. But people are free to practice as they wish otherwise. It's a shame that this doctrinal dispute that is of private concern to serious tantric practitioners has been made into a public issue that's inadequately explained and reduced to an image of infighting. -- Nancy Jacobus Dadak Thanks to Christopher Hitchens for his informative article on the Dalai Lama. I get tired of the myopic media treatment of this man, Tibet and Asian issues in general. I don't think news and entertainment producers in the U.S. have the patience or the stomach for Asia's complexity. Attempts to package Tibetan struggle, much like Bosnia, defy our Western devotion to good guys and bad guys. Oh well, like every good media fad, this too will pass, especially with the endorsement of people like Steven Seagal and Richard Gere. Maybe we need to just go back to the motorcycle maintenance version of Buddhism on Harleys, where a less than holy man is followed by a ghost on the open road. At least nobody confused that with current events. -- Brett Nelson
_______________FETISH NATION BY CAROL LLOYD(07/02/98)
	Fabulous article! It was well written, poignant and precisely articulated the diversity found within the S&M/fetish communities. Cleo Dubois' point about S&M meeting the strangely isolated needs of techies was so true. Remember, we aren't just people with a kink for pain; we just have a high tolerance for pleasure -- and we fix your computers just fine. One point missed, however, was that S&M and fetishism offer a creative and dramatic venue to have great safe sex. It was leather-men and -women who wrote virtually everything we know about safer sex practices. How wonderful it would be if we Americans moved past the idea that sex is only penis/vagina intercourse, and on to a more holistic experience that uses the whole body, especially our biggest sexual organ -- the brain. Sex feels good, it offers endorphins and raises our serotonin levels. Fetishism and S&M are gourmet sexual experiences. Just as rich food isn't for everyone, neither are S&M and fetishism. -- Jenne Blade This story carefully points out that practices of the SM community are safe and between consenting adults and that SM has been removed from the DSM IV's list of mental disorders. As the article indicates, SM and other fetishes are as old as human society itself and sexual minorities often become aware of their preferences in early childhood. Responsible media coverage such as this is needed to help reduce the widespread misconceptions and prejudices about members of the SM community that far too often result in violence and discrimination and suppress the rights of sexual minorities to actualize their sexualities and to be themselves. -- Bernadette Wright Your "fetish culture" article was too weird, but I now understand the Southern Baptists better when they tell women to "submit graciously." -- Regina Raynes I am writing to thank you for your delightful and sex-positive article. As you no doubt realize, the community of fetishists in the U.S. is large and largely closeted. Justifiably, many S&M-ers fear discrimination. By giving an honest portrayal of real people in the fetish/SM community, you are helping combat the stereotypes that have hurt so many. -- Jonathan Krall SALON \| July 16, 1998