Kritik am Buch „The Shadow Of The Dalai Lama ... - Neues von Shi De

of holies of the time god, the rest of the nuns’ events also took place, beginning each time with a
group meditation. It is further noteworthy that it was not just representatives of Tibetan Buddhism
who turned to the god-king as the advocate of their rights at the conference but also the nuns of other
Buddhist schools. [8]
In his speech the Kundun welcomed the women’s initiative. First up, he spoke of the high moral and
emotional significance of the mother for human society. He then implied that according to the basic
principles of Mahayana Buddhism, no distinction between the sexes may be made and that in
Tantrayana the woman must be accorded great respect. The only sentence in which the Kundun
mentioned Tantrism in his speech was the following: “It is for example considered an infringement
when tantra practitioners do not bow down before women or step around them during their
accustomed practice of the yoga [in their meditations]" (Lekshe Tsomo, 1991, p. 34). The Buddhist
women present would hardly have known anything about real women (karma mudras) who
participate in the sexual magic practices, about the ceremonial elevation of the woman by the lama so
as to subsequently absorb her gynergy, or about the “tantric female sacrifice”.
The Dalai Lama continued his speech by stressing the existence of several historical yoginis in the
Indian and Tibetan traditions in order to prove that Buddhism has always offered women an equal
chance. In conclusion he drew attention to the fact that the negative relationship to the female sex
which could be found in so many Buddhist texts are solely socially conditioned.
When the decisive demand was then aired, that women within the Buddhist sects be initiated as lineholders
so that they would as female gurus be entitled to initiate male and female pupils, the Kundun
indicated with regret that such a bhiksuni tradition does not exist in Tibet. However, as it can be found
in China (Hong Kong and Taiwan), it would make sense to translate the rules of those orders and to
distribute them among the Tibetan nuns. In answer to the question — “Would they [then] be officially
recognized as bhiksunis [female teachers]?” — he replied evasively — “Primarily, religious practice
depends upon one’s own initiative. It is a personal matter. Now whether the full ordination were
officially recognized or not, a kind of social recognition would at any rate be present in the
community, which is extremely important” (Lekshe Tsoma, 1991, p. 246). But he himself could not
found such a tradition, since he saw himself bound to the traditional principles of his orders (the
Mulasarvastivada school) which forbade this, but he would do his best and support a meeting of
various schools in order to discuss the bhiksuni question. Ten years later, in Taiwan, where the
“Chinese system” is widespread, there had indeed been no concrete advances but the Kundun once
again had the most progressive statement ready: “I hope”, he said to his listeners, “that all sects will
discuss it [the topic] and reach consensus to thoroughly pass down this tradition. For men and women
are equal and can both accept Buddha's teachings on an equal basis.” (Tibetan Review, May 1997, p.
13).
Big words — then the reformation of the repressive tradition of nuns dictated to by men is fiercely
contested within Lamaism. But even if in future the bhiksunis are permitted to conduct rituals and are
recognized as teachers in line with the Chinese model, this in no way affects the tantric rites, which do
not even exist within the Chinese system and which downright celebrate the discrimination against
women as a cultic mystery.
Tibetan women in exile
As far as their social and political position is concerned, much has certainly changed for the Tibetan