Tenzin Gyatso, better known to international audiences as the 14th Dalai Lama, is arriving in Toronto this Tuesday.  At the downtown Rogers Centre on Wednesday, he will be giving a public speech on the "Art of Happiness", a reference to his recent book.  It focuses mainly on spiritual matters and, in particular, Tibetan Buddhist beliefs on achieving peace with the world and within ourselves. The Dalai Lama's previous visit to Toronto occurred in April, 2004, when he delivered a speech on the "Power of Compassion" in front of more than 30,000 Torontonians. Speaking yesterday in Ottawa, the Dalai Lama said that his trip to Canada had, “no particular political agenda”.  On the other hand, should we truly expect the Dalai Lama to guide us through the peaceful, spiritual realms of Buddhist harmony and enlightenment without injecting any political messages?  Before answering that question, we might take a closer look at what the Dalai Lama wishes to achieve during his trip here. 

The spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama has been living in exile for 48 years after the invasion and annexation of the country of Tibet by China in the mid-20th century.  During the invasion and occupation, over 400,000 Tibetans were killed and more than 6,000 monastic communities were brutally destroyed.  The country was forced to sign a treaty with Beijing, under which Tibet became a part of China.  At the age of just 16, and a year after the Chinese invasion of his country, the Dalai Lama became the head of the Tibetan government but soon had to flee to safety in Dharmasala, India, where he still resides in exile as the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people.  Many residents of the country followed the Dalai Lama and chose to live in exile, too, and now more than 120,000 of them live outside of Tibet.

The Dalai Lama holds a doctorate degree in Buddhist philosophy, a Geshe Lharampa degree received after successful graduation from three monastic universities when he was 24.  From the first day of the Chinese invasion to the present, the Dalai Lama has been struggling to restore Tibetan autonomy and preserve the culture of Tibetan Buddhism.  In 1956, he spoke before the United Nations for the first time and called for the self-determination of Tibet.  In 1963, he drafted and proposed a democratic Tibetan constitution that combined the principles of Buddhism with Western human rights values.  Still, despite these efforts and more, the Dalai Lama has been unsuccessful in obtaining any concessions from China. 

Tibet is considered an "autonomous region" within China, and the number of Chinese colonists currently living there outnumber native Tibetans.  In the 1990s, the Dalai Lama accused the Chinese government of cultural genocide.  His efforts to sustain the country’s culture have proven more successful than attaining his political goals, however.  He has founded over 200 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and established an institute of higher Tibetan studies as well as a Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts.  This success is muted by the fact that all of these were established outside of Tibet, mainly in India.  In 1989, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of Tibet.

Although it is possible to attach different political evaluations of the Chinese occupation of Tibet, one fact remains true - the exiled spiritual and political leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, is a profoundly influential figure in the modern world.  He is welcomed and accepted by the governments of the largest and most powerful nations such as the United States and Canada.  Even George Bush recently called him "an international symbol of peace".  Despite all the spiritual intentions, Dalai Lama's present tour to Northern America nevertheless carries a political purpose which is to promote the autonomy of Tibet and gain international support to battle the injustices of the current political rule affecting his former country.  Another important issue is the drive to preserve the unique Tibetan Buddhist ways, which are only kept alive because of the vigilance and constant efforts of the Dalai Lama and the former government of Tibet in exile.  His international tour is very important now, since China is expanding its economic, political and cultural influence in the world with a speed never seen before.  The messages of freedom and justice that the Dalai Lama is spreading in Northern America have the potential to provoke vehement opposition from Chinese officials, particularly prior to the approaching 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, when China wishes to look especially attractive and respected in the eyes of the international community.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the Dalai Lama, is regarded by the Chinese government as a separatist and a dangerous political figure, a "secessionist" who is trying to split China while veiling this purpose behind religion.  Both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President George W. Bush have already received reprimands from the Chinese government for their recent welcomes and meetings with the Dalai Lama on a state level.  Yet another expression of discontent came from the Chinese embassy in Ottawa immediately after the Dalai Lama arrived to meet with Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.  During the official reception and welcome, the Prime Minister spoke positively of the Dalai Lama's visit to Canada, however, Chinese officials, including the Foreign Minister of China, responded by saying that meeting could negatively affect the Chinese diplomatic relationship with Canada.

Canada, a country that values freedom and a deep respect for human rights, certainly has a special attitude towards the Dalai Lama.  Last year, its government granted him an honorary Canadian citizenship, thus accepting the Tibetan leader as a political figure equal in stature to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Raoul Wallenberg, and, most recently, Aung San Suu Kyi.  Yesterday, the Dalai Lama was publicly received at the Prime Minister’s office, making Stephen Harper the first Canadian Prime Minister to ever hold a talk with the Dalai Lama on an official level.  The previous Prime Minister, Paul Martin, also met with the Dalai Lama in 2004, but their one-hour talk was held privately at the home of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Ottawa, which highlighted the purely spiritual aspect of the visit.

The current tour is the Dalai Lama's sixth to Canada since he began travelling to Western countries in the 1970s.  His first visit was in 1980, when he met with Ed Schreyer, then the Governor General of Canada.  In 1990, he arrived in the capital city of Ottawa and was received on behalf of the government by Gerry Weiner, the former Secretary of State for Multiculturalism.  In 2004, Paul Martin became the first Canadian Prime Minister to meet with the Dalai Lama to discuss peace and human rights issues.  In 2006, the Dalai Lama received an honorary Canadian citizenship which drew a storm of protests from Chinese officials.  However, despite "great respect" for the Dalai Lama and his ideas, Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade still officially recognizes China to be the legitimate government of Tibet.

The Dalai Lama’s messages of global responsibility and peaceful approaches for solving international conflicts should be very appealing for many Canadians, especially the masses concerned about environmental pollution, excessive production, wasteful consumption, rapid depletion of precious natural resources, and the increasingly unpopular Canadian participation in the war in Afghanistan.  "Destruction of a part of the world is the destruction of yourself," said the Dalai Lama in Ottawa, clearly indicating his opposition to armed conflicts on the globe.  His pleas to destroy all nuclear weapons and to reject the violent approach to solving problems in Afghanistan strongly resonates with the thoughts and desires of many Canadian citizens.

In the words of the Dalai Lama, his "main commitment is the promotion of human value and the promotion of religious harmony."  He praised Canada for encouraging multiculturalism and its ability to respect many different religions and perspectives.  He suggested that China should learn from the Canadian example.  In the meantime, a Tibetan-Canadian leader, Norbu Tsering, said that the Dalai Lama's visit to Canada and his meetings with highly ranked Canadian officials should set the tone for future Canadian relationships with China, encouraging Canada to stand up in support of Tibetan autonomy in the Himalayas.

The missionary work of the 72 year-old Dalai Lama is certainly supported by many who do not believe in oppression and violence of any kind.  Once again, Canada is making a clear statement about protecting liberal values and human rights and also about showing respect to those who strive against oppression and injustice in the world.