I just watched a remarkable documentary, the first of three one-hour shows being produced by Frame of Mind Films.

http://www.womenoftibet.org/pages/index.php

This first part juxtaposes the archetype of the Great Mother with the details of the Dalai Lama's mother's life. It includes interviews with the DL's family--brothers and sisters, sister in law, nieces, nephews, great nephew, and friends of the family, as well as segments with Jungian psychologists, anthropologists, and author Alice Walker and lots of family photos. The DL has always struck me as very human and down to earth; listening to him and other people speak of his mother, it's easy to see where that came from. And he looks just like her, too!

If you can lay your hands on a copy, I highly recommend it. It's interesting and detailed, but also very heart warming.

Tibetans have risen against the Chinese in Lhasa, and now there has been a demonstration in China, as well.

From the NY Times

From the International Campaign for Tibet, including a statement from the Dalai Lama

For those who haven't been following this, China has, for years been shipping in Chinese "settlers" at a high rate, apparently seeking to dilute Tibetan culture and unity. It's not so different from what we did to Native Americans.

I'm distressed that so many people seem to be more concerned about whether we should boycott the Beijing Olympic Games than what's happening to the Tibetans.

A good friend of mine is from mainland China, and her view of the situation is more along the lines of the split between the North and South during our Civil war, and that places like Taiwan and Tibet constitute strategic borders, which may be true, but China feels the need not only to control territory, but also religion, and has been actively co opting and suppressing Tibetan Buddhism for some time now. According to my Chinese friend, all religions, including Christianity are allowed to operate in China, but under close government scrutiny to "preserve order for all".

My Chinese friend and I drive to meditation together, and have some really nice conversations. She loves her country, just as I love mine, and says that many things about her country are misrepresented by our government, just as happens in her country about us. I know I've meet a lot of people from other countries who hold views of the US that are unfamiliar to me, or just plain wrong, but sometimes with a seed of truth.

View is very subjective.