Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Issue 87 Why Ask Questions If You Don’t Want Answers?


By Kirby Robinson

Have you ever noticed that when someone wants to set you up they'll ask you a question that would take 20 minutes to answer---but they give you 45 seconds to respond? Then they turn around and say you don't know what you're talking about. Also, I still had 18 minutes and 15 seconds worth of information to give. This is a false type of debate, a common practice of those within the new age and shadow Christian haters to use. I've been a victim of it, along with anyone who stands up for GOD'S Word. We are living in the last pages of the New Testament -- take a look at the Book of Jude to finish the ground work for the End Times. Man will claim any religion as from GOD. They'll claim to know him when they don't. They'll say any sin is okay. And what was once GOD'S Word will be turned on its head. Dr. Gene Scott once told me back in the 80's that the church in America had to be destroyed prior to the start of the End Times. Additionally, so did the Bill of Rights -- but that's for a different blog.


IF GOD IS ALL POWERFUL WHY IS THERE EVIL?

People think that’s a stunner. Ask a Christian that and you have them on the ropes. What we were told at new age meetings back in the 80s, it has been far longer than that but it was a popular one in the meetings back then. Now in the age of both pat answers and pat teachings everyone expects a response and a teaching in less the 45 seconds. Unfortunately that isn't always possible.

God created the earth in perfect balance. There was to be no evil, no suffering and no sin. There was to be no:

Birth

Aging

Illness

Death

As GOD had it set up there was to be only Adam and Eve keeping company with GOD and worshiping Him. With Him they never had to suffer. Life was a perfect balance. There was never going to be an afterlife as you have to die to have an afterlife.

Due to the fact of Free Will for all his creations, Lucifer rebelled and was cast out of the heavens and fell to earth. Lucifer hated man and sought to make him suffer as he and his fallen had suffered. He tempted Eve, who in turn tempted Adam, who then suffered the wrath of GOD. This was for the betrayal and for what was unleashed on the earth: the suffering of birth, aging, illness and death as well as condemning His Son [Jesus] to a death sentence. Evil doesn't come from GOD. God doesn't like to see people suffering. Evil is due to the rejection of GOD'S greatness. While this isn't a complete response, it's far more than the new age ambusher wanted to hear.

Let's take a look at some of the questions and comments that took place in the Paranormal Journal chat room:

A person by the name of Spirit Realm IP. I always love it when people hide behind a fake ID when they speak -- it lends so much for the public to find their words to hold seeds the truth.

Spirit claims I'm a liar. Show me and the public what I have lied about. "Spirit Realm" claims to know who is on our staff [interesting how do they think everyone is in this for the money]? Sorry S.R., we do have a full staff of experts who lend a hand when their needs to be one. Why do we not advertise who they are? So their life doesn't get filled with threats, stalkers, haters, and idiots. Because that seems to be what the paranormal entertainment industry attracts. Genuine light workers do it in the shadows. Glory isn't the prize but helping to end suffering is.

S.R. gets their facts wrong as they claim that they spoke to Gary and I was the fool that was going to have my blog removed.

The reality is that this was the blog that was moved:

I removed mine due to a change in heart concerning the case.

Nel Crawford wanted to know how we make money to pay people. Wonder why this was not asked on the air? Mr. or Ms. Crawford must do volunteer work. I never charge for my help. If the client can help with expenses, that's cool. We do have some benefactors that realize the importance of the EYE ON THE PARANORMAL. If I can keep a roof over my head and food in my belly, that's all I need.

Shannon Swift felt that I was jealous of the others. I've heard this more than once! She implies  that I want what fake para-celebs have, and wish to be in their place, do as they do, be rewarded here on earth for their actions and suffer the same fates they face after they cross over and face the final judgment. I value my relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. To enjoy temporary happiness here and now usually means facing lifetimes of suffering in the afterlife. That's not the path I choose at all.

Connie Dyment apparently has ties to a show called Zero Gravity Paranormal which appears to have drinking the psychic/paranormal investigator Kool-Aid. Ms. Dyment added a great insight by calling me an asshat, and that they were making me stumble. Clearly, I'm still standing ever stronger in my faith and the determination of my convictions. I invite Ms. Dyment to a public debate on the issues on a neutral show if she so desires. The first question should be just what the heck is an asshat?

Mary Magdalene claims she didn't get a response from me which is not true. She got a response; it just wasn't the one she wanted. She also feels that by placing my name on SHADES OF LIGHT, SHADES OF DARKNESS and donating profits to charity isn't being charitable enough.

So to use her logic all the celebrities [which I'm not] who donate their time and money should do it and not mention their names on books they write and give the funds away.

I wonder [I asked this last week] did the producers of Ghost Adventures, the team and the production staff donate all their profits from the show? Should Ghost Adventures not run any opening/closing credits? I think the only people that didn't make money off the episode was Gary Galka as he refused to take a dime for the episode.

This week we'll close with the story from Matthew concerning the night Christ walked on water [a feeble attempt to prove ghosts are real].




Now let's tell a modern story!

Two boys in a dark room hear bumps in the night

One boy asks what is it?

2nd boy says It's a 3-headed boogieman.

Just because someone says it might be a ghost or think it is doesn't make it so.

Nice try but no points …


Next week--We deal with para-celebs behaving badly and produce more responses to the questions from the Paranormal Journal chat room.


Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal


EARN EXTRA MONEY! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of INVESTIGATING PARANORMAL STATE, PARANORMAL STATE EXPOSED and PARANORMAL TEACHINGS: THE BEST OF SHEDDING SOME LIGHT and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the link https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Accept Buddha's Teaching Only After Proper Analysis



His Holiness the Dalai Lama has returned to Dharamsala from Ladakh after giving a teaching to local Buddhists on the fundamental precepts and philosophical underpinnings of all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He said: ‘'the four traditional schools of Buddhism in Tibet may superficially seem to differ in the way they explain the [Buddhist] view, but ultimately what they refer to is the same [thing]''.

The Tibetan spiritual leader spent four days in Ladakh, a region in Northern India sometime called ‘little Tibet' due to its strong linguistic, cultural and religious ties with Tibet, and, as he has does many times in the past, His Holiness stressed the importance of the authenticity of Buddhist teachings, and being true to the historical Buddha's words.

He stressed, "In fact the Buddha counseled his followers to examine what he taught and to adopt it only if they felt it was worthwhile, not simply out of respect for him''.

On the second day of the teachings His Holiness talked of Dolgyal (or Shugden). He said that he stopped propitiating the spirit many years ago after extensive investigations had revealed it was improper to do so.

His Holiness encapsulated his thinking on the subject of Dolgyal by saying, "anyone who has kept up the practice of Dolgyal out of ignorance should not have any fear about giving it up if they heed his advice.

On the other hand, he said, whatever fierce spirit you choose is up to you, all His Holiness asks is that such persons do not take vows or empowerments from him.''

Turning to other themes, he reiterated his long standing conviction that Buddhism must not just rely on tradition and handed down conventions based on out dated thinking. For example, in reply to some Korean Buddhists a few years His Holiness said, ‘'that he didn't think the Buddha appeared in the world to give cosmic measurements, but to show the way to liberation from cyclic existence''.

Moreover, the pertinent point he made was that if you take refuge in the three Jewels of Buddhism-The Buddha, Sangha and Dharma- it is because you have consciously tried to "overcome all faults and [ripen] all qualities''.

Cultivating Compassion

On the third day, in order to cultivate compassion, and altruism, His Holiness said that an altruistic attitude-to all living beings-is essential if we wish to achieve Buddhahood. His Holiness went through important Buddhist initiations with the congregation for instance the ‘rite to aspire to develop Boddhichitta'. Boddhichitta: meaning the awakened mind that strives for compassion and solidarity with all humans and all other sentient beings.

On the fourth and final day His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave the long life empowerment associated with White Tara (a female deity in Tibetan Buddhism), and symbolically, she is regarded as the feminine aspect of Avalokitesvara.

Amongst other things, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama went onto discuss the importance of religious tolerance in all parts of the world-not least within the different Tibetan Buddhist traditions and his hope that current tolerance would prevail everywhere.

Finally, His Holiness thanked the congregation and the organizers for making his visit a successful one. His Holiness then conferred the long life empowerment of White Tara and subsequent prayers were conducted in relation to White Tara for his long life. At one point in proceedings, after the sun had come out, he stopped to remark:

"The 13th Dalai Lama was once giving a teaching at Norbulingka on a very hot day and there are reports that you could tell who had attended them by their sunburnt faces. It looks like it'll be the same today."

By Mark Kernan, Tibet Post International  - August 17, 2012

Monday, September 10, 2012

Paranormal Headline Monday– September 10, 2012


By Kirby Robinson


UFO expert Bob Lazar - Real or Fake?



Deep sea UFO hunt turns up a bunch of rocks … but no UFOs



Psychic Phone frauds still thriving!



Fake Psychic tells all!



New Age crazies keep the money flowing!




Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal


A CALL TO ACTION! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of INVESTIGATING PARANORMAL STATE, PARANORMAL STATE EXPOSED and PARANORMAL TEACHINGS: THE BEST OF SHEDDING SOME LIGHT and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the link: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

Saturday, September 8, 2012

This & That Saturday - September 8, 2012


By Kirby Robinson


THE EYE ON THE PARANORMAL IS GROWING!


If you write about the paranormal, are reliable, and want to join this group, we still have openings. Contact us at: freeallspirits@live.com


A Story Everyone Should Enjoy – The Old Cowboy and a Church

One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand, he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible. The Church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it. The preacher gave a long sermon about Hellfire and brimstone and a stern lecture on how much money the church needed to do God's work. As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what He thinks would be appropriate attire for worship."
The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.
The next Sunday, he showed up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again, he was completely shunned and ignored.
The preacher approached the man and said, "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church."
"I did," replied the old cowboy.
"If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher.
"Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He says He's never been in this church."

A great teaching on the subject of hypnosis and its ties to the dark side:


I never tire of sharing this video on FALSE TEACHERS. Run do not walk. to flee from them


  
Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal


EARN EXTRA MONEY! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of INVESTIGATING PARANORMAL STATE, PARANORMAL STATE EXPOSED and PARANORMAL TEACHINGS: THE BEST OF SHEDDING SOME LIGHT and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the link https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

Friday, September 7, 2012

Ten Reasons Soul Sleep Is Not Biblical


By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
1. A book frequently appealed to is Ecclesiastes, where it seems to teach soul sleep…..One should NEVER appeal primarily to this book for doctrinal support because the stated perspective is “under the sun”(life without God), which leads to meaningless existence.

An increasing number of Christians are appealing to the notion of soul sleep as their primary argument against the notion of ghosts.  This is an in-family discussion, and while I deeply rejoice in their courage to confront a very serious issue, I am also concerned that the biblical view of the afterlife is being distorted. What is soul sleep? It has to do with what is known as the intermediate state—the time between a person’s death and the Second Coming of Christ. It is the belief that when we die, our souls remain asleep until Jesus returns. Of course if this were true, it would be a profound argument against ghosts, but it is not, and using it is counter-productive. Besides, as I point out in Seeing Ghosts through God’s Eyes, there are many other cogent arguments which stand on solid biblical ground.

 I have to ask this question: why do people believe in this notion? They sincerely believe the bible teaches it. I respect that. But, historically there is another reason this notion has arisen. The reasoning goes like this: if the body cannot exist without the soul, then the soul cannot exist without the body. That is fallacious reasoning because it leads to a non-sequitor or false conclusion. When the soul leaves the body, then that person is dead, and their body will decay. However, there is no scriptural or anecdotal evidence to support the notion that the soul cannot exist apart from the body. The soul is the consciousness/essence of a person…it is spiritual in nature. If in principle we think that a spiritual soul cannot exist without a body, then how do we explain God, angels, and demons….all of whom have spirits without bodies—except for Jesus’ body in heaven? They are disembodied consciousness and personality, so why not the same for humans when they become disembodied?


2. Also, it is asserted that since Jesus referred to dead people as sleeping, then that clearly indicated the souls of dead people are sleeping;  Is that not what Jesus said? No. He said they were asleep…He did not say their soul was asleep. What is asleep, the soul or the body? Clearly the bible and experience teach that our bodies rest or sleep until they are resurrected. More to the point, we need to be familiar with the culture of the time—calling death, sleep was simply a common euphemism of the day for death—it was not a technical term used to indicate the soul’s awareness level. Meaning is determined by context, and in this case it is the whole bible.

3. A survey of church history shows that all three branches (Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) have staunchly supported conscious existence after death. From the early church fathers to today, conscious existence after death has been a crucial aspect of classical Christianity. All the Reformers, historical confessions (e.g., Westminster Confession) as well as the great Revivalists (Edwards, Whitfield, Wesley, Spurgeon, and Moody) all robustly affirmed the importance of “when they are dead, they will have never been more alive!” Moody. John Calvin’s first book was a refutation of the notion of soul sleep.     

4. Today, the two main groups that affirm soul sleep are Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses; regarding the latter, the late great Walter Martin saw soul sleep as one of the hallmarks of a cult.

5. Enoch and Elijah were beamed up into heaven very much conscious….would God take them only to put them to sleep?

6. Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the Mt. of Transfiguration and were talking to Him. The simplest explanation is continuity of conscious existence.

7. In Acts 7 Jesus stands to celebrate Stephen’s homecoming while he is being stoned to death.

8. Rev. 6:9-11 The current activity and communication of the souls of believers is seen and heard by John. The topic of their discussion could only occur during the intermediate state. Crucial text.

9. “…away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Cor.5:8) one reason I don’t reference Hebrew and Greek more often is that it can inadvertently cause folks to lose confidence in their English bibles…which are exceedingly accurate. Clearly Paul anticipates that death will propel his soul into heaven.

10. Phil.1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul succinctly summarizes his dilemma and then elaborates. Life or death, Jesus is everything to Paul. If he stays then he will have a fruitful ministry with them by being a minister of their joy in Christ. But if he dies…Paul’s longing to be with Jesus will be fulfilled. Paul yearns for the latter, but his Jesus-like servant heart will choose to continue to help them. But the point is clear—death is seen as an immediate entry into Christ’s presence. How could it be considered gain if he said, “I’m excited about being asleep for 2,000 years…”? Remember Paul had already had a direct vision of heaven which was unspeakably wonderful. THAT is what he desired above all else.

11. “But you have come to Mt Zion and to the city of the living God….and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.” Heb.12:22-24 Note that it says… you have come…a present reality (same in Greek as in English). This is a reference to the church militant (us) worshipping with the church triumphant…NOW!. The righteous made perfect are the glorified souls of believers in heaven who are worshipping God now. Dr. Edmund Clowney, commenting on these amazing verses, states that when believers join for corporate worship, then we are mystically united with the departed saints in worship of the living God--with Jesus as the choirmaster (2:12)! “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (emp. added) Lk23:43 If one has a solid grasp of the central doctrine of union with Christ, there is no way to believe in soul sleep. By virtue of being in Christ we are already in heaven! (Col.3:1f)

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Issue 86 Christians Aren't Welcome In the Paranormal Community


 By Kirby Robinson


If you’re a skeptic, able to think, and a Christian you're no longer welcome in the paranormal community.

I'm often amazed at how God works in the shadows putting together the pieces of the puzzle of the path that He has me on. I often say to Him, I've done this enough, it's time to find someone wiser, smarter, younger, and more articulate than this old country hick. But it seems that He hasn't found anyone with those qualifications and keeps calling this old workhouse. His Son went up on the cross for my soul. He had nails driven into his hands and feet to shed the blood so that we can have victory over not only death, but the devil, illness and all manners of evil. He also gave us a Word that was true yesterday, today and for the dark years ahead.

I've wondered why for several weeks my angels have been close by. [They aren't spirit guides. When they come to me they don't speak of how important they are, nor do they ever bring up anything other than the glory of our Lord unless it is to give me a word from the Bible or a message of warning]. Additionally, memories of life in the new age that I'd put away so many years ago kept coming back fresh as ever. As did books concerning the false new age Christ and the empty gospel of the new age church that's sold out the message of salvation, redemption and the never ending or never changing Word of GOD.

 So what took place during Friday night's interview on Paranormal Journal didn't come as a big surprise. And, right after the show, I was sent this message:

"sorry that happened with your interview Kirby. Personally, I think it was a lack of professionalism on the part of the host's that conducted the interview. Seems they ( personally ? ) knew each caller that was spewing verbal venom and then when it came time to say good-bye, sounded overly sweet and at least one of the caller's said, I'll talk with you tomorrow. Couldn't help but notice that the dialog sounded almost the same, like they were feeding off each other's comments. To me, it sounded like a planned deal...like I said, the show wasn't conducted in a  professional manner. Host's should have intervened when the callers start to become adversarial and rude. Just my opinion...but I was pleased with the way you kept your cool and held your ground Kirby."

We've been given information concerning ties of the callers to some of the well know para- celebs and groups we have pointed out in the past with concerns of credibility.

Two of the most troubling callers were:

1 The lady who stated that the death of my child was no big thing because her child had been ten years old when he died; and mine, well it was never born, so it was no big issue. Just get over it. Is not all life precious? That includes an unborn baby that has a heartbeat, feelings and a functioning brain. So to take her argument [and we do feel sorry for her loss if she does not feel for mine] we also have to wonder if she would say her suffering is greater than a parent whose child was 21when they died? You had him for 21 years, I only had mine for ten, so let me stand in the spotlight of my suffering. Does this sound healthy emotionally or spiritually--holding onto suffering like that? We've found out the person goes by the name Lee Anna and is a para-celeb groupie. She even appeared on Darkness Dave's radio show. We would hope she informs clients that some of the spirits of the dead are more and less important, and next time I see and speak to Victoria, my dead child that Lee Anna says is not that important. Also, we are concerned about her claims about her dead child, apparently reports range in age from 10 to 12…

2 The other is the woman that claims that the Hindu religion only has one GOD. This shows a lack of wisdom and knowledge that runs rampant within the paranormal field. You don't get a solid foundation in matters of theology just from listening to Coast to Coast radio, Darkness at the Edge of Town, and attending lectures at paranormal conferences. Guess it's time to teach how many GODS are in the Hindu religion




Here is more proof [they always come back and say that site isn't right].



It was also implied by a caller that I didn't respect other people's religions. This is very odd, as I'm friends with Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Native Americans and even Atheists. If you notice during the show I stated if a person desired to walk a particular path they can but that path was not mine. And I would defend their right to do so. But you always see that Christians are asked to rape their faith to allow others to practice theirs.


Christ teaches that there is one path unto his Father and that is through Him. If you don't accept him in your heart and speak of Him with your tongue, He won't pass you on to His Father—and we can't enter heaven. This is all going on while demons and sometimes the devil himself stands in the court of heaven pointing out our errors to GOD.

That is pretty black and white. For us, that is the only path that will work. If we accept that by works or some other path will get you into heaven, that makes us betray our faith.

My spirituality teaches my GOD is supreme. Sorry about that, if you follow a GOD outside of the GOD who created all this and gave up His Son for us. If you want to follow a different GOD -- fine it is your choice. But again, Christians are asked to bring their GOD and make him just one of the members of the GOD Crew.


3 I was attacked by one caller as seeking fame for the book I'm working on claiming that I'm profiting off the suffering of others. Let me ask this…aren't the producers of Ghost Adventures profiting off the family's suffering? Have they donated money made from the show's airing? Will they donate any money from the sale of the DVD to charity? If so, which charity? How much have they donated? Can we see any records from the producers?

And let me say this about Ghost Adventures.

1 It's odd that in every single investigation something happens.

2 Where is the proof that they are ever locked down for the entire night? One site had a report from a law officer state he saw the team calmly walk out of the building they were locked down in so they could take a break, only to return later on.

3 Have they ever shown their footage of being demonically attacked to theologians who are expert in the subject of demons? Theologians have no ties to the paranormal community or financial interest in the spreading of false teachings to get their take on whether it's real or not.

4 I should come out and say I personally feel the show Ghost Adventures is fake. And just like that other fake para-reality show, Paranormal State, sometimes they stumbled onto real cases. This was seen in the Paranormal State episode with Kelli Ryan. They didn't really know how to deal with it and properly present it to the public.

I would love to go on one of their investigations with my own people to record what really goes on. Others who doubt the show and made the same request haven't received a response, because much of what goes on is faked.

NEXT WEEK – We go into the chatroom and do what we do so well – expose darkness to the light. I'm not ashamed to be a skeptic and free thinker. I have the courage of my convictions because if I don't then I have no courage or convictions.


Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal


EARN EXTRA MONEY! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of INVESTIGATING PARANORMAL STATE, PARANORMAL STATE EXPOSED and PARANORMAL TEACHINGS: THE BEST OF SHEDDING SOME LIGHT and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the link https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Dalai Lama: What Do I Really Fear? Being Eaten By Sharks!


Outside the Dalai Lama’s temple complex in Dharamsala, hundreds of young monks in crimson robes are locked in animated verbal combat. Against a Himalayan backdrop of jagged white peaks and a bright iris sky, the next generation are holding a debate, clapping their hands triumphantly when they score a point over their opponent.

Inside the high-security cloisters, the bravado gives way to a more sombre scene as selected devotees wait in line for the man they regard as their living god. These include local teachers waiting to be blessed for their devotion; a wealthy looking white-haired Western man in a black Tibetan robe; and a glamorous young Australian woman in a tight cheongsam and high wedges. As Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, passes down the line, the emotion is too much for some. One young woman starts weeping and locks her fingers into his, holding his fist to her cheek.

At the end of the line, the Dalai Lama stoops to meet the gaze of 81-year-old Lhakchung, a wheelchair-bound tailor now dying of cancer. He looks intently into his eyes. There are tears running down the old man’s lined cheeks – he knows this will be the last blessing before he dies and he is looking for comfort, perhaps even hope. Instead, the man regarded by Tibetans as a living incarnation of the Buddha of Compassion, places a traditional white scarf around his shoulders and urges him to come to terms with his fate. It is at once moving and hard, religious and scientific. “I have nothing to give. I told him to pray. We all have to die,” he explains afterwards, matter-of-factly.

Over the past 53 years, the Dalai Lama has been able to offer little more in the way of hope to Tibetans. Exiled since 1959, he watched helplessly as China imposed its totalitarian rule on Tibet. Today, Tibet is no closer to freedom but, without him, the Tibetans might have been forgotten, simply another group of exiles clinging on to a fragmented culture.

Despite Beijing’s countless efforts to discredit him, the Dalai Lama has become one of the world’s most revered leaders, praised for the non-violent way he has led his people, and has a rockstar-like following (tickets to next month’s lecture tour of Scotland, for instance, sold out within hours). Along with his close friend Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he remains one of the last great surviving 20th‑century icons of peace.

Tomorrow he will be in London to receive the Templeton Prize at St Paul’s Cathedral. The honour is awarded annually to someone who has encouraged common ground between science and religion – Mother Teresa was its first recipient – and, with its £1.1 million purse, is by some measure the world’s largest prize. The Dalai Lama will announce how he is to spend the money during the ceremony. The award follows the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his commitment to non-violence, and highlights his championing of science as a vital element in religious life.

It is hard not to be in awe of a man billed as a living divinity, and his charisma is undeniable. But when I met him in Dharamsala last week, I discovered a less godly and more human leader than I was expecting; one who spoke of his achievements and regrets, his strengths and weaknesses, and his eventual demise, which poses the problem of a successor.

This is an interesting time for the Dalai Lama. Last year he passed the political leadership of exiled Tibetans on to an elected prime minister. He remains their spiritual leader – and the future Dalai Lama will be an exclusively spiritual figure. “So after my death I have no worries about the leader of the spiritual tradition,” he says. “I’ve made a significant contribution regarding the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture and also forming a Tibetan refugee community outside Tibet. It is now one of the most successful refugee communities in the world.”

However, his succession is unlikely to be an easy transition. The Karmapa Lama has been touted as Tibet’s next spiritual leader, and in Tibetan spiritual hierarchy he ranks only behind the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. But the current Panchen Lama was chosen by Beijing, and followers of the Dalai Lama do not recognise him. The Dalai Lama’s own choice was rejected by China; that particular boy then mysteriously vanished and has not been seen since.

The same could happen with the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. Indeed, such is his fear of Chinese attempts to impose a pro-Beijing successor that he says the Tibetan people could choose not to have another Dalai Lama at all. “If, at the time I pass away, or even before, the majority of the people feel the Dalai Lama institution is no longer relevant, the institution will automatically cease,” he says, adding, “I am not worried about that.”

The Dalai Lama was born Lhamo Thondup. His family were farmers in the Tibetan region of Amdo, then already part of the Chinese province of Qinghai. He was selected as the “rebirth” of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two, by a search party sent to look for the new incarnation. There had been a series of strange omens. For instance, the head of the embalmed 13th Dalai Lama, which was originally facing south-east, suddenly turned to face north-east, so the party headed in that direction. When Thondup was eventually found, he was presented with various items, some of which had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. He correctly identified his possessions, crying: “That’s mine! That’s mine!”

At four, Thondup was taken in a procession of lamas (spiritual masters) to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, and renamed Tenzin Gyatso. His monastic education started at the age of six, but he was still allowed some fun. He describes a childhood in which he loved images of military hardware, marching soldiers and war – in particular Royal Navy gunships from the First World War.

“The war picture books kept by the 13th Dalai Lama, those pictures of the British Navy at the time – their guns, their battleship guns – I found very attractive,” he tells me. It is an unexpected confession for an icon of peace, but he waves away its significance.

“Every child loves a uniform,” he says, recalling children marching behind his Tibetan army parades in Lhasa before his exile.

He also inherited his predecessor’s wind-up film projector and a series of other mechanical gadgets which, he says, sparked his lifelong interest in science and logic. He dismantled, and then reassembled, each one to understand how it worked. If he were not a monk, he would have liked to have been an engineer.
Indeed, when he met Chairman Mao Tse-tung and Premier Chou En-lai in “Peking” – as he still calls the Chinese capital – for the 1954 talks following China’s invasion of Tibet, Mao himself told him he had a “scientific mind”.

He soon developed a close relationship with both men, despite them having unleashed the might of the People’s Liberation Army on his country. Mao served him with his own chopsticks, and Chou played him at ping-pong. “Chairman Mao gave me food in the Chinese tradition. I felt great honour but also fear. He was a chain smoker, too, lots of coughing, so I thought I might get a virus from his chopsticks,” he says with his trademark naughty giggle.

Mao had initially praised Lord Buddha as a “revolutionary”, but later told the Dalai Lama that “religion is poison”. Despite their closeness, five years later the Dalai Lama was forced to lead his Tibetan government into exile in Nehru’s India. The Dalai Lama made the north Indian hill town of Dharamsala his spiritual centre as well as his home, establishing a “government in exile”. Since then, several thousand Tibetan exiles have settled there.

The Dalai Lama has not had an opportunity to discuss religion – or play table tennis – with today’s Chinese leaders, and to outsiders the prospects do not look good. A series of anti-Chinese protests by monks throughout Tibet in 2008 was brutally put down by armed police, and children were among the estimated 160 killed.

China accused the Dalai Lama of organising the uprising – a charge he denies – and has since charged him with encouraging the self-immolations of Tibetan monks and nuns (there have been more than 30) in protest against government attempts to marginalise the Tibetan language and culture.

The Dalai Lama has so far remained silent, offering them neither support nor condemnation. “If I say anything negative, then their families will feel very sad,” he says. “Of course, I cannot say this is good. So I remain silent. I can only pray and share their determination, their willpower. Nobody normally sacrifices their own life without reasons – they’re concerned about Tibetan culture, Tibetan Buddhist faith.”

He still hopes that China will change its approach to Tibet and will initiate democratic reforms within his lifetime. “My lifetime means if I remain another 10, 20 years, then definitely we’ll see it. If I die next year, I don’t know.”

He believes that the Arab Spring has had a deep impact on China’s thinking, and that Buddhist logic could offer its leaders a way out of totalitarianism. “If they face the reality, then there is no reason for fear or distrust” – which he believes are the product of China’s rule. “A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.”

To some, this might seem naive. China furiously protested when President Obama held talks with the Dalai Lama, for instance. And last October, he was denied a visa to South Africa to attend Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 80th birthday celebrations (he was due to deliver a lecture). The Archbishop accused the South African government of bowing to pressure from China.

The Dalai Lama’s high profile may also account for reports of an assassination plot. Last year he was warned that Chinese agents had trained Tibetan women to kill him using scarves laced with poison. “They would have said they were sick, to receive a blessing from me, and my hand would have touched them.”

He believes his popularity worldwide is due to his focus on common human desires for happiness and contentment. “Human beings – we are all physically, emotionally, the same. And importantly, everybody wants a happy life. We need money, it’s useful, but if we put all our hopes on these things, it’s wrong. We must look at our inner values, that’s the main thing to bring inner strength, self-confidence and inner peace. The ultimate source of happiness is within ourselves.”

He cites Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (“a very close friend; always joking”), Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein as people who inspire him, but says he has been most heavily influenced by the second-century Indian Buddhist monk Nagarjuna. “He said that there is a huge gap between appearances and reality. Appearance is something absolute, but reality is not that way – everything is interdependent, not absolute. So that view is very helpful to maintain a peace of mind because the main destroyer of a peaceful mind is anger.”

But he hasn’t quite mastered this himself, he concedes. He gets angry “quite often” with “advisers, secretaries, other people around me when they make some little, little mistake, then sometimes I burst. Oh yes! Anger, and I shout! And some harsh words. But that remains for a few minutes, then it’s finished.”

At 76, he doesn’t have time to allow his rage to linger. He wakes at 3.30 every morning, meditates for four hours, pounds the treadmill, and then uses Buddhist prostrations to relax. He hasn’t watched television for two years, doesn’t read novels or poetry, but stays up to date with Newsweek and Time and is a BBC radio “addict”. He stops work just after three in the afternoon and is tucked up in bed by 7pm.

He wishes he had been more studious and less playful as a young boy, and regrets not learning to swim. His great fear, though, is of flying and of sharks. “Long flights, those I really feared, but now I’m used to them,” he says. “The fear now is that I never learnt to swim so if the plane crashes on water, I would immediately go deep under the sea and be enjoyed by a shark. That I really fear.”

The greatest single thing in life, he says, is the intelligence of human beings. “With the help of human intelligence, we have the ability to develop infinite love and infinite compassion.”

It is what drives his dedication to others, and inspires his favourite prayer from an eighth‑century Indian Buddhist master. “So long as space remains and suffering of sentient beings is there, I will remain to serve,” he recites. “That prayer really gives me inner strength.”

By Dean Nelson, The Telegraph, May 13, 2012