I feel it’s a wonderful billboard
December 1, 2007
Although the Dalai Lama has been exiled from his fellow Tibetans since 1959, he remains their religious leader. The official Web site of “The Office of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama,” is definitely worth a good look. For at least 25 years, he has leant his image to a variety of ads, including an advertisement for Apple computers. According to his site, the first two of the Dalai Lama’s 3 main commitments in life are:
(1) [O]n the level of a human being, His Holiness’ first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their life happier. His Holiness refers to these human values as secular ethics. He remains committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone he meets.
(2) [O]n the level of a religious practitioner, His Holiness’ second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each others’ respective traditions. As far as one truth, one religion is concerned, this is relevant on an individual level. However, for the community at large, several truths, several religions are necessary.
[Extracted from: http://godvertising.wordpress.com/category/church-signs/]
How do you feel about this religious figure appearing on this billboard? Do you feel the same about him appearing in an Apple ad? Would it depend on the type of Apple ad? Explain.
I think it is great advertisement for the Religious leader and his message. In this age, we got to use all the medium of communication we can to spread goodness and happiness.
Wow! To be able to see HH Dalai Lama in any aspect would be a great blessing. Not only to the people but other sentient beings as well. Therefore I’d prefer HH’s picture on the billboard rather than any other ads.
His HH Dalai Lama is an influential figure in the world and whatever he endorses, it will have a large following. Therefore I think it is ok for religious figures to appear on billboards and spread their vision and what they stand for. The best quote fr HH is “My religion is compassion” which means a lot to people and it is universal. All human beings live by it as it is their inherent behavior, if we look deeper inside, we want people to be kind and compassionate to us as well as others by us.
Oh NO, this is advertising, how can the Dalai Lama be “advertised”?
He is supposed to teach humility, but then he is on a billboard, how can this be!
So many things I have heard said about the Dalai Lama and Rinpoches: “but a lama should not do that!”, “this is self-promotion!”, “are they asking for money?”…
I have come to realize that sometimes people need to be provoked so as to engage in a proper conversation and so that misconceptions can be clarified. So all these questions are good.
If monks remained in monasteries, they’d be much happier (in a way), but then there would be a world with monks in walled monasteries and other humans “surviving” in the world.
But then monks could not help others much, so maybe they would be happier if they reach to others and only use the monastery as a base.
So how do monks reach to the “other humans”?
They use the means that the very people they want to communicate to use: internet, TV, magazines, and yes, billboards.
However, when a figure like the Dalai Lama is used in a commercial advertising and without his consent, there is a risk. Not that it is right or wrong, but there is a risk. The risk is to do with the motivation behind the “advertiser”, the risk is what:
-to diminish the figure of the Dalai Lama,
-to send a misconception about the Dalai Lama.
But then, it would be a great opportunity to discuss about the Dalai Lama too… So these risks can be turned around and clarify who the Dalai Lama is, what he does, what is his motivation…
And also by seeing a picture of the Dalai Lama, many would get imprints, that is supposed to be good, right? (there are more people looking at advertising than people surfing through the Dalai Lama’s website).
Perhaps we should ask ourselves this:
-Does it have the potential to benefit people in a spiritual sense?
-Does it hurt people?
If we have YES and NO as answers, and if on top of that it challenges my conceptions, I think it is good.
The Dalai Lama is an epitome of compassion and has worked tirelessly non stop to promote not just Tibetan Buddhism but Buddhism in general. Buddhism is made cool by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The Mongolians have a saying that if they see the Dalai Lama’s golden face before they pass away they would be alright.
In one of his speeches made at a packed audience at an inaugural event of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative values, H.H. The Dalai Lama exhorted everyone to work towards a more compassionate, loving and ethical life change, basing on, irrespective of any religion or no religion. Open-heartedness, compassion …….. is a capacity from birth. It must be possible to increase that; there is a potential to increase that, just as knowledge can be increased by education. Dalai Lama emphasized that most people today, out of the 6 billion in this planet, which, in his opinion are not very serious about religion. Even though they visit a church, mosque, or a temple occassionally, majority of them can be counted as non-believers. If a way or means could be found to promote these values of ethics and compassion to these non-belivers, then peace and harmony could be better achieved and maintained in today’s sopciety. What more better, simpler and effective method could be used, than to make use of these billboards limitlessly, together with a world famous religious figure of peace and harmony, such as H.H. The Dalai Lama to boost the strength of the “Message” for the whole World to know and adapt to. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities for the benefit of WORLD PEACE!!!