チベットを想う僧侶のことば Archive

An appeal for the victims of the Yushu Earthquake

We, the Non-denominational Coalition of Buddhist Priests and Laypersons Praying
for Peace in Tibet, would like to express our sincere condolences for the victims of earthquake in Yushu (Tibetan:kyigudo), China. In addition, we wish to do whatever possible to help save the lives of those still buried in debris and those who are sick or injured and facing difficult conditions.

At this time, we strongly request the Chinese Central Government to admit the visit of His Holiness The Dalai Lama to the earthquake stricken area. Please refer to the attached two letters. The first one is a letter that the disaster area victims sent to President Hu and Premier Wen. The second is a letter from His Holiness The Dalai Lama, who strongly wishes to visit the sufferers at the disaster stricken area. We Buddhists, having the same compassion that looks beyond nationality, race and gender, consider His Holiness's request quite natural and reasonable.

Permission for the visit depends on a decision by the Chinese Central Government. We also believe the wisdom of Chinese people all over the world because of China's great history, and the fact that the Chinese Government has emphasized the importance of harmony between the many nations and races within China. If the Chinese Government were to assent to this request, it will definitely mark a historic turning point and shed the light of change in a gloomy world pre-occupied with money and military power.

We are announcing this appeal not only to the Japanese Government, but also to the Chinese embassy in Japan, the Chinese Government, the Chinese people, and people throughout the world. We are convinced that it is our mission as Buddhists, as those in Tibet and Burma have selflessly demonstrated under great adversity, to address and try to correct issues of a moral and ethical nature.

Therefore we strongly request Buddhists in Japan, Asia, all over the world, as well as Tibetans and other religious peoples to help to work towards furthering the request of His Holiness The Dalai Lama to visit the disaster stricken area in Tibet.

"Change in the world depends on the heart of each person."

So, we would like to ask everyone to please help this 
project and sign the petition below.

Finally we would like to ask Prime Minister Hatoyama, whose political principles are riendship and love, to help protect lives and request of the leaders of the Chinese government that they allow His Holiness 
The Dalai Lama to visit the calamity stricken area in Tibet.

Chairman of the Super Sangha　22 April 2010
(AKA the Non-denominational Coalition of Buddhist Priests and Laypersons Praying for Peace in Tibet (Japan))

Please see the letter from Tibetans in the quake zone to President Hu and Premier Wen that requests a visit from the Dalai Lama (published on April 16th, 2010) as well as the statement by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the 17th of April, 2010 (below).

If you would like to sign the petition, please send your name, organization's name or sect, and nationality to info@supersamgha.jp ,  using  "Yushu Earthquake Appeal by Super Sangha" as the subject.

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Letter from Tibetans in quake zone to President Hu and Premier Wen requesting a visit by the Dalai Lama 

2010 April 16

Dear President Hu and Premier Wen,

Wish you both good health. During the initial hours of the natural disaster, we appreciate your government's immediate relief efforts through soldiers and all round support from different sections of the society and we, the victims of this calamity, thank you for the same.

But we are a deeply religious community having a strong faith in the teachings of Buddha. Since many generations, we have a deep faith in His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Today, as we are suffering from a great physical and mental anguish, we really need His Holiness to visit the quake affected area to pray for the departed souls and to provide solace to the broken hearts. Today, we request you, president Hu and premier Wen, to find the compassion in your hearts and fulfill this desire of us quake victims. We, the quake victims numbering more than 100,000, implore you from our hearts to temporarily set aside your government's political differences with the Dalai Lama and kindly consider our request.

With this invitation to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we have no other objective apart from fulfilling our religious aspirations of praying for the departed souls and the survivors of the disaster.

Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Eager to Visit Earthquake Affected Area as I mentioned briefly soon after I heard the news, I was deeply saddened by the effects of the devastating earthquake in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Tibetan:Kyigudo) of Qinghai Province which resulted in the tragic loss of many lives, a great number of injured and severe loss of property. Because of the physical distance between us, at present I am unable to comfort those directly affected, but I would like them to know I am praying for them.

I commend the monastic community, young people and many other individuals from nearby areas for their good neighborly support and assistance to the families of those who have lost everything. May your exemplary compassion continue to grow. This kind of voluntary work in the service of others really puts the bodhisattva aspiration into practice.

I also applaud the Chinese authorities for visiting the affected areas, especially Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, who has not only personally offered comfort to the affected communities, but has also overseen the relief work. I am very appreciative too that the media have been free to report on the tragedy and its aftermath.

In 2008, when a similar earthquake struck Sichuan, Chinese central and local government leaders and auxiliary authorities took great pains to provide relief, allow free access to the media, as well as clearing the way for international relief agencies to provide assistance as required. I applauded these positive moves then and appeal for such ease of access on this occasion too.

The Tibetan community in exile would like to offer whatever support and assistance it can towards the relief work. We hope to be able to do this through the proper and appropriate channels as soon as possible.

When Sichuan was rocked by an earthquake two years ago, I wished to visit the affected areas to pray and comfort the people there, but I was unable to do so. However, when Taiwan was struck by a typhoon last year, I was able to visit the affected families and pray with them for those who had perished in that disaster. In providing some solace to the people concerned, I was happy to be able to do something useful.

This time the location of the earthquake, Kyigudo (Chinese: Yushu), lies in Qinghai Province, which happens to be where both the late Panchen Lama and I were born. To fulfill the wishes of many of the people there, I am eager to go there myself to offer them comfort.

In conclusion, I appeal to governments, international aid organizations and other agencies to extend whatever assistance they can to enable the families of those devastated by this tragedy to rebuild their lives. At the same time, I also call on the survivors of this catastrophe to recognize what has happened as the workings of karma and to transform this adversity into something positive, keeping their hopes up and meeting setbacks with courage as they struggle to restore what they have lost. Once again, I pray for those who have lost their lives as well as for the well being of those who have survived.

DALAI LAMA, 17 April 2010

http://www.tibet.net/en/index.php#

全国の皆様新年あけましておめでとうございます。

当会は日本の心ある僧侶が全ての宗派や世代、更にはイデオロギーをも超越してチベット問題に特化した運動を展開する為に、昨年５月から発足した会です。

「ーーーー僧侶の会」と名称はなっていますが、決して僧侶でない方のご参加を拒んでいる訳ではありません。
先ずは我々僧侶が一人の僧侶、そして一人の宗教者としての立位置で、チベットでこれまで起きて来た宗教弾圧や文化の破壊、人権の抑圧等をしっかりと見つめよう。
また世界宗教としての仏教の立場から人間としての「普遍的な責任」「普遍的な愛・慈悲・思いやりの心」「普遍的な共感」を先ずは私達僧侶が共有すべきである。
また、私達僧侶がチベット問題にしっかりと向き合う姿勢を明確にする為に、「ーー僧侶の会」としたのであります。

まだまだ組織としては整っていませんが、全国の幹事会・常任幹事会そして関東地区支部・九州地区支部・関西地区支部・広島ブロック支部、そして近々長野ブロック支部が発足する予定です。（県境を越えた地区を「地区支部」とし県単位を「ブロック支部」）

来る三月十日の『チベット蜂起５０周年』の記念日にはそれぞれの支部で様々な企画が検討されています。

皆さん、縁のある地域での催しに振るってご参加下さい。

ところで、これまでの私達の一連の運動に対して「僧侶が政治的な運動をすべきではない」とか「チベット支援は中国への内政干渉である」などの批判をされる方がおられます。一見まともな意見の様に感じられますが、果たしてそうでしょうか？

何をもって政治的活動と捕えるかは議論の分かれる処ですが、そもそも「チベット問題」に対して正確な知識を日本社会では持ちにくい処からこの様な誤解があるようです。
この問題を「国際的なイジメ問題」「宗教者の普遍的な責任を問う」と捉えるてみると大きく見方が変わってくるでしょう。

また、この会に集っている仲間は一人の例外もなく、チベット問題と出会う以前から様々な社会的な問題と向き合い、何らかの実践を行って来た方ばかりです。
その意味で、当会は現代の諸問題にしっかりと向き合て来た僧侶が宗派の枠を超えて集った、これまでの日本社会には数少ない組織と言えるでしょう。

当会がその特性と柔軟性を更に発揮し、日本社会にまた、国際社会に何がしかの普遍的な責任を果たせるか否かは、互いの違いを生かしあい、尊重し会う所から始まると確信しています。
この「違いを認め会う寛容の心」こそ、仏教の持つ大切な特性であり、当会の基本姿勢として持ち続けるべき基本姿勢の第一としたいものです。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　合掌

　　　　宗派を超えてチベットの平和を祈念する僧侶の会　代表幹事　川原英照

仏教者・宗教学者から見るチベット問題

釈徹宗
（当会幹事・浄土真宗本願寺派・如来寺住職・兵庫大学准教授・比較文化）

※朝日新聞出版発行の「一冊の本」2008年7月号に掲載された「宗教聖典を乱読する　番外編：仏教者・宗教学者から見るチベット問題」を、釈師のご了解により紹介させていただきます。問題の理解の助けにもなるので、ぜひお読み下さい。
なお、この文章は、チベット問題をよく知らない人向けにという出版社からの注文で書かれております。オリンピック前に書かれている点、また字数制限もあって意を尽くせていない部分もありますがご寛容ください。

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　今となっては旧聞に属するのかもしれないが、今年三月にラサで起こった騒動や、北京オリンピック聖火リレーへの抗議活動によって、チベット問題が大きく取りあげられた。中国政府がラサの取材を規制したこと、聖火リレーに対して各国がそれぞれの反応を示したことなどもあって、この問題は国際社会の耳目を集めた。今回のことでチベット問題を知った人も多いに違いない。
チベット問題に取り組んできた人々は、五十年にもわたって非暴力的に抗議活動やデモ行進を続けてきた。今回、中国が北京オリンピックという表舞台に登壇したからこそ、うやむやに棚上げしにくい状況が生まれ、これまで積極的にこの問題を報道しなかったマスコミも騒ぐ事態となった。

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