Word: lama
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...TIME: was the international Free Tibet movement a fad, like saving the whales? Dalai Lama: I don't think so. I think interest worldwide in Tibet and support groups are active still. Sometimes concerts happen, sometimes they don't. Another factor may be Afghanistan and Iraq; they make Tibet a secondary issue...
...TIME: if international interest and pressure are not maintained, does China win? Dalai Lama: China is already in a win-win situation in any case. It already controls Tibet. (Laughs.) But what do you mean by win or lose? This is quite complicated. We're not suggesting separation, [but] that Tibet becomes more prosperous within China?and that it is also in the interests of the people of China to preserve our cultural heritage. Only if you seek independence or separation is it a question of win or lose. If worldwide interest in Tibet diminishes and is not sensitive, then...
...TIME: How much has exile cost you personally? Dalai Lama: I don't know. Of course, I lost my own country and for more than 45 years I have been stateless. But I think I've had a very good opportunity to learn new things, including other traditions. As a result, my nonsectarian spirit is much, much stronger. And accordingly I can make a small contribution to religious harmony. I am a rare religious person who has a lot of genuine friends in other traditions. So I feel that if I stayed inside Tibet, in the Potala [Palace] looking around...
...TIME: is there still a Tibet to return to? Dalai Lama: I think so. When Manchuria was facing danger, no one in the outside world took it seriously. Tibet is not like that. Today, Tibetan culture is almost like a part of international culture. That's a big advantage...
...TIME: What do you see in the future? Dalai Lama: If you look at the Tibet situation locally, then it's hopeless. But from a wider perspective, it's hopeful. That's my last words on this...