Dalai Lama to Join AEI with Online Free Enterprise Program,

The special presentation will premier February 20 at 9 AM and will be live streamed.

The Dalai Lama will join AEI’s Arthur Brooks, himself a dynamic and infectious speaker, to discuss the human benefits of the free enterprise system.

Free enterprise, free trade, and capitalism are forever being attacked in the media and the halls of higher education and government, but as AEI notes, simply "doubling down" on debates about tax policy and budgets is not all that supporters of free market ideals can rely on to back their position.

www.aei.org...

Happiness, free enterprise, and human flourishing: A special online event featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama

www.aei.org...

About This Event

Recent years have made clear that the free enterprise system is under immense strain. But the answer is not simply to double down on budgetary arguments, tout low-tax solutions, and explain economic basics. We must stop considering free enterprise purely in terms of economic gain and wealth creation and begin considering it in terms of human fulfillment. In working with his Holiness the Dalai Lama, AEI seeks to create an open forum among scholars, social and political leaders, doctors, and scientists to discuss the ways in which material prosperity, spiritual development, and ethical leadership can maximize human flourishing.

Far from a talk, we look forward to a conversation with His Holiness about how the free enterprise system can offer the best path toward happiness when predicated on ethical leadership, morality, and compassion for others.

This event will be livestreamed only. You can join the conversation in the liveblog below.

bcove.me...

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Stuff like this makes me question the legitimacy of the Dhali Lama, Buddhist should not get involved in politics.

In fact the Buddha escaped his home in a palace to avoid getting involved in politics and to help his fellow man.

ETA: the only involvement that should really take place is protesting wars and nuclear weapons, beyond that, it's just noise that is not relevant to a developing spiritual being.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


I wouldn't mind hearing what he has to say. He comes across as someone filled with wisdom.

reply to post by iRoyalty


it's possible we need men like him now more than ever. and yes that was the beginnings of his story but not the end.

reply to post by solongandgoodnight


True I guess, he converted kings and spread Buddhism around the world, that must have had it's fair share of political ties. However a free-trade agreement and promoting capitalism? As an aspiring Buddhist living in a Capitalist country it just doesn't seem to fit with how I would see the spiritual leader of Buddhists.

He's been scrutinised before for working too closely with western powers, even the CIA and MI5.

Darn I posted to late just caught the end, but there is supposedly going to be a transcript, but it isn't up yet.

reply to post by iRoyalty


Interesting info on the CIA. I'll have to check it out. I would like to think the man would just like to give his honest point of view on the matters, but just because I would like that doesn't mean I'll get it.

reply to post by solongandgoodnight


So would I, he's meant to guide all Buddhists to Enlightenment, but I have never felt like he is a being who has ever achieved Enlightenment himself.

I hope I am wrong but perhaps he's just another element of control in this Matrix we call life.

All I can say is since I haven't heard what he had to say , I am going to have to wait for the transcript to have an opinion.

Just because he was invited doesn't mean he didn't have an alternative view point.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


This is very true, I don't really want to be bashing the Dhali Lama online.

All I will say is take anything he says with a pinch of salt.

iRoyalty
reply to post by Stormdancer777

 

Stuff like this makes me question the legitimacy of the Dhali Lama, Buddhist should not get involved in politics.

In fact the Buddha escaped his home in a palace to avoid getting involved in politics and to help his fellow man.

ETA: the only involvement that should really take place is protesting wars and nuclear weapons, beyond that, it's just noise that is not relevant to a developing spiritual being.

edit on 20-2-2014 by iRoyalty because: (no reason given)

You need to review your thinking above about his escaping to avoid politics. I think that most observers would say that he escaped to retain his life. If he avoided politics, he would have calmly stayed and took whatever the Chinese wanted to dish out. Plus, I guess, you completely ignore everything he has said of a political nature relating to him literally losing his country?

Aliensun

You need to review your thinking above about his escaping to avoid politics. I think that most observers would say that he escaped to retain his life. If he avoided politics, he would have calmly stayed and took whatever the Chinese wanted to dish out. Plus, I guess, you completely ignore everything he has said of a political nature relating to him literally losing his country?

Actually no, I remember following it a little, I was young at the time and probably didn't understand that well but I remember thinking he was a good man and I hoped he would help.

I know now that communist china tried to take his country away and he was part of the resistance. However his help from the CIA would not have been for free, think about it, why would the CIA really bother saving the Buddhist leader? What did they have to gain?

Once the CIA saves your arse, it's hard to reject offers made by them.

I'll agree I'm speculating, just some things he has done since have not made me think 'Enlightened spiritual leader'

reply to post by iRoyalty


I like him, but I don't believe there is such a thing as a fully enlightend being

reply to post by Stormdancer777


I definitely believe it's possible, has it been done any time since the Buddha? Perhaps, but no one of note I could name you right now so I see your point. But you would at least expect the leader of Buddhism to be showing signs of Bodhisattva maybe?

Perhaps I expect too much, I don't know. I know he has a good heart, I just question if there are strings attached. It can happen to the best of us.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Its a movement that is in the direction of unifying what is frequently thought as a "spiritual lifestyle" into logical societal consequences. There is some very interesting math (that I have since lost the bookmarks for :| ) that goes into how specific areas of resource investment yield higher returns for the entire society, including the individuals who made the investment.

It has been relegated to the "religious" realm, perhaps in an attempt to discredit the validity of even exploring these ideas.

We have economic options in different paradigms, but we do not use methods to "test" their success when considering their impact on the society from which the wealthy draw their resources. Many different "ways of life" and "methods of seeking" can be directly applied to this, including the scientific method, but they are not.

The creation of ideas and new economic platforms could come from anyone.

Talking about whether or not he is enlightened isnt really my cup o' tea, nor do I even remotely care.

It should be set up so that a person who wants to start a small business and employ a couple of people can have a chance of making it. Big business is running things, making small businesses have a hard time. This is supposed to be the American dream, but not anymore. Now people desire to go work for a big corporation where you make more money with little risk.

It seems that technology has gone far astray. People want to get things done fast instead of getting it done the right way. People want to make lots of money quickly instead of having a steady job. Feeding the advertising agencies gets you work but that means you have to charge more.

People don't understand, the more you spend on advertising, the more you spend on the ads at the superbowl, the more the customer has to pay for the product. Buy local, don't buy on the net unless you can't get it locally. Your money stays in circulation in the locality if you buy there. If you spend all your money at big chain stores, the profits leave the area. These stores lease and leave the area as soon as they can most times. I would rather by local products...but here there are few. For those who make things to sell, keep them affordable so people like you can afford them. A community works together. A nation works together for the benefit of everyone in the nation. Buy products made in your own country so that you can support your own people.

iRoyalty
reply to post by solongandgoodnight

 

So would I, he's meant to guide all Buddhists to Enlightenment, but I have never felt like he is a being who has ever achieved Enlightenment himself.

I hope I am wrong but perhaps he's just another element of control in this Matrix we call life.

He is most times very good at talking about the peaceful road doing some good for spiritual progress. Free enterprising I agree with. Parasitic enslavement of others for material gain where you cause suffering no. Capitalism/ego greed will always push the boundary of ego to win over everyone else and own everything and have all the power themselves. The manipulation of the FED by the masters of the economy shows that free market is an illusion and the currencies are a ponzi scheme that is waiting to burst.

By the way what is you definition of enlightenment? Wisdom or/and "physical bodily changes to what reality is" or/and a change of perspective in the mind?

iRoyalty
reply to post by Stormdancer777

 

I definitely believe it's possible, has it been done any time since the Buddha? Perhaps, but no one of note I could name you right now so I see your point. But you would at least expect the leader of Buddhism to be showing signs of Bodhisattva maybe?

Perhaps I expect too much, I don't know. I know he has a good heart, I just question if there are strings attached. It can happen to the best of us.

I think you are putting people on a pedestal with this.

Great Joy: I can get that the bliss can be a great way to experience the feeling of being loved/being one with something greater.

Stainless: Not sure about that since there can be temper issue and duality issues even if the person has achieved the bliss. The outside world can trigger feeling of dualistic levels due to low level of morality that can push up feelings of hate/annoyance with the ones who have not achieved higher level thinking and rejection of even miniscule immorality. There is a reason some people who become spiritually advanced go hermit.

Luminous: Is this supposed to be ki flow/reiki flow? Also patience is not always the way of spiritual advanced. Sometimes it is more use full to show anger. Jesus and the moneychangers come to mind.

Maybe some people who achieve the bliss have this but I do not think all have it. But from my point of view enlightened ones are more common than most people know on this planet.

reply to post by LittleByLittle


Someone who is Enlightened are meant to have this aura about themselves, a calm, warm and serene look about them at all times. I picture them as not wanting to get involved in anything that would possibly offend or backs a certain ideology.

If the Dhali Lama is doing a speech support Capitalism, I see this as a breech of the Eightfold Path.

Right Speech

In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial, unendearing and disagreeable to others, he does not say them.

In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, yet unbeneficial, unendearing and disagreeable to others, he does not say them.

In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, beneficial, yet unendearing and disagreeable to others, he has a sense of the proper time for saying them.

In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial, yet endearing and agreeable to others, he does not say them.

In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, but unbeneficial, yet endearing and agreeable to others, he does not say them.

In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, beneficial, and endearing and agreeable to others, he has a sense of the proper time for saying them.

Why is that? Because the Tathagata has sympathy for living beings.

I would consider backing Capitalism to be disagreeable to others. This is why Buddhists tend to stay out of politics.

reply to post by iRoyalty

Someone who is Enlightened are meant to have this aura about themselves, a calm, warm and serene look about them at all times. I picture them as not wanting to get involved in anything that would possibly offend or backs a certain ideology.

Do not hit an innocent child in front of an Enlightened if you do not want righteous rage to confront you. The bliss is there as long as the enlightened ones are calm and they might be able to be calm no matter what happens around them or they might choose to act and end the behavior they see in front of them. Do not poke the sleeping bear. It is very dangerous in it's annoyed state as any mother or father protecting what it feels to be it's child.

If the Dhali Lama is doing a speech support Capitalism, I see this as a breech of the Eightfold Path.

I agree. Since Capitalism in it's current form is not "service to all for all by all" then it is not pure symbiosis. There is nothing (karma) wrong with one person getting everything that person have produced and keeping it if no one else is affected by that person. There is nothing wrong with that person helping others if he wants to.

The error comes when you enslave others either by yourself or by following a system and forcing others to obey that system to receive more than what is considered a fair share of what you collectively produce. Many likes the trickle up where much for a few from many without regard for the many peoples suffering. It is a flawed system and in fact very shortsighted as we can see from the natural disasters caused by the system and it's short sightedness. Many on the top are blind to believing they are the ones who create all they get and deserve it all while they are in fact are very parasitical in nature.