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Q: You have written a book. Q: From the level of the province, Q: Please tell us about your work

how do you see things further up? as a spiritual leader.
Although I live in Nepal, I have to look
after the monastery founded by the late At the federal level, as in Washington I teach meditation a lot, and I have also
XVI Karmarpa in an Indian State called or New Delhi, there is also one central written a handy meditation book for
Sikkim. Since the passing away of the parliament. Each province sends one everybody called Path for Awakening.
Karmapa and before his new reincar- representative to the federal parliament
nation has been found, I frequently had which is for the whole country. Then Q: A Norwegian said almost 100
to go there to look after his monastery again at the provincial level, whatever years ago that, if people stop-
and his affairs. In each state in India, decision is made in the parliament for ped meditating, you will see an
there is an elected chief minister. The each district, the budget will be distri- increase in all kinds of cancer.
Chief Minister of Sikkim at that time be- buted accordingly. Each mayor may use Something that has proved to be
came very corrupt, and one could even it during his period in office. It is very true. Do you think this is one of
say that he became a dictator in his own easy to control then, because the mayor the reasons why people should
state. Even though the parliament had is under control. So from the bottom-up meditate?
thirty-two members, they all belonged no election is needed, except the mayor.
to his party, so he had no opposition. In my understanding, curing cancer pa-
Those who opposed him were put in pri- Q: Do you think you will be able tients is not eased when they are either
son. I had some experience of dealing to reduce corruption, because hu- very lonely or mentally stressed, or both.
with him. Later, he started to interfere man beings in general You may be very involved in society, but
in the monastery's affairs because he you may have a lot of stress. Or you may
needed money. You cannot eradicate corruption, but be very lonely and meditation can also
with this system you can reduce it to a help.
Sikkim was a small kingdom incorpo- level that is acceptable.
rated into India in 1975. The people are Meditation is usually used for improving
very gentle and kind and up to recently For example, each province's money mental skills, to obtain peace of mind
there has been no corruption there. comes from the federal government and and to control the negative thoughts in
Then, this man introduced corruption is being watched by sixty-four mayors, your mind. The essence of mind is wis-
through his cabinet; he did the people who are not belonging to any political dom, and it is true that meditation can
of Sikkim a very great disservice. I was party. These mayors will discuss how lead to this.
very surprised. I asked why and how to use these funds within the district
India, which is such a large democratic depending upon the suggestions made Real Buddhist meditation is not concer-
country, can tolerate that by winning all by each of the mayors. If I am one of ned with religion. It is no part of
the seats in parliament, you can indeed the mayors, I will receive funds for my worship. Meditation is only technical.
become a "dictator". So this was one of district, and I have to distribute these Concentrating on breathing is the initial
my inspirations. Later, I saw the same funds in my area, etc. Once the report step on how to train your mind to medi-
kind of problems in other countries. describing the work that I submit to my tate, but that's just the beginning. Then
Then I thought that the Common Law parliament is adopted, I will receive the you go from there to something deeper
democracy of the United Kingdom has budget, and then I have to use it for the -- there are many steps of meditation.
been one of the most influential in the work stated in the report. The small book I wrote about it is totally
world. It has influenced the United free of religion. I only give the steps for
States, Canada and India, but such a meditation.
system is perhaps getting too old. This
encouraged me to investigate more and Q: You have also set up the Infinite
more, and then finally I came to write Compassionate Foundation?
this book.
The starting point was to teach people
Q: How do you see this new model not to be brutal on animals, as can be
of democracy? seen in China. When people are bru-
tal towards animals, it is important to
In my book, it's shown that you can Q: On one side, if I may put it this teach them that animals too feel pain,
form a complete democracy without way, you are a political lama, and that they have feelings. I write books on
campaigning for the leaders, without on the other side you are a spiri- the subject. It's the same for chickens,
political parties, just civil society. Since tual leader. cows, etc.
I was in India at that time, I stayed in
a small town, Kalimpong, with 60,000 I'm not really involved in politics and My theory is the following. One cannot
inhabitants. I started my writings there, I'm not working for that. It is for this turn the whole of the world's population
and used Kalimpong as an example of a reason that I say religious leaders should into vegetarians, but you have to think
district. If you have sixty-four districts, not become involved in politics. Spiri- that if you are buying meat the animal
you have a state or province. Each dis- tual leaders should not touch politics in question should have had a good life
trict has a mayor, and she/he is elected and this is clearly stated in my book. I first. Pig, chicken, cow, whatever you
by the people. If each state is composed wrote this book as a Buddhist philoso- eat, you must give them a good life un-
of sixty-four districts, the state is run pher who is able to write on any subject til a certain age. This is the reason why
by its sixty-four mayors. They appoint that is good for society. Here, I chose this one should ban veal meat because the
a secretary-general, just like the United one. So I wrote this according to Budd- animal is too young. If you must then
Nations Secretary-General, and the se- hist ethics. I wrote this book on how to slaughter them, this should be done hu-
cretary-general has to carry out the po- form a good democratic governance free manely and without pain. So this is the
licies according to the decisions made by of corruption, unfortunately involving work of the foundation.
the mayors in the parliament. India is a each political party. In the system I pro-
large country and it gives the opportu- pose, you cannot easily play politics for
nity to have more than 1,000 provinces. personal reasons.
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