New Painting for Tibet/Rants

So, I’m going to do that Tibetan Gothic painting I described in a previous post later.  For the Choice: HIV/AIDS Initiative silent auction on September 4, 2010, I’m gonna do something a little less time-consuming.  This is one of my #1 soul-bruthas, J.D., with the Tibetan flag behind him.

8/20

This is just the beginning.  I still have to fix the eyes, cuz they’re looking kinda cock-eyed… and do the eyebrows and lips and some darker shading.  I’ll probably get that done later today.

8/21

This is like the second layer… and I still have more detail to do on the eyelids, the ears, and the hair…

8/25

I still have to fix his hair, his shirt, and the straighten the lines, and paint some sun rays on the flag behind him.  I don’t know if I’m gonna keep the button-up shirt on him or chupa… I’ll figure it out today.

9/2

Almost done…

9/4

Today is the day of the auction, and the painting still has some wet spots, but it is dry enough to travel to 1st Congregational Church on Harrison where the event is taking place.  Wish I had a little more time to make things perfect, but you can’t cry over spilled milk.  Hopefully it raises a little money for TANC and Choice: HIV/AIDS Initiative…

I know my non-Tibetan friends and family always hear me talking about, Tibet this, and Tibet that, but do you really understand what’s going on over there??  Basically, the same thing that was done to the Native people of America, the cultural genocide, is taking place in Tibet.

This is nothing new… it’s been going on since 1959, when the Chinese government took over.  Tibet is not a really small place, but it’s like a little mouse compared to China and it’s dragon-sized military.  I guess all the conflict only boils down to one thing – MONEY.  Tibet is a land rich in natural resources and culture, and the Chinese government claims that it is, and always has been, a part of China.  Therefore they’re entitled to anything that Tibet has to offer, including the various places of worship and historical landmarks that draw in a lot of tourism.  (Which doesn’t make much sense, since the Chinese government is so anti-religious.  I saw somewhere that you have to be an Athiest in order to work for the government.)  The fact is, that Tibet IS NOT part of China, and the written history proves that.  Tibetans ARE NOT Chinese - they don’t speak Chinese, nor do they look Chinese.  And their way of life is unlike any other I’ve ever seen.

The sad part is that the Tibetan people’s culture is dying out.  There is an influx of Chinese people in Tibet, and the number of original inhabitants continues to get smaller.  They may soon become the minority in their own land, a land where they are discriminated against if they speak their own language instead of Mandarin, and a place that they STILL do not have the religious freedom to worship the Dalai Lama, their spiritual leader.  You can be imprisoned if you openly support the Dalai Lama, or even keep a picture of him.

Anyway, it’s all about greed and the acquisition of wealth at the expense of someone else.  And it’s not right!  America really has no room to speak on it, because we do the same thing.  It’s everywhere.  For some reason, it’s really hard for humans to fight against a greedy spirit, and they will do whatever it takes to get what they want.  They are able to ignore that they are hurting someone else, because they are only looking straight ahead… got a one-track mind on the dollar sign.

Politically, America can’t get involved, because it would interfere with their own interests.  We owe billions(?) of dollars to China, and it would be really stupid to get on their bad side.  Plus, what can we say?  America is probably the greediest nation of all, and we have a long-standing history of abusing people in order to make money.  That’s why sometimes money makes me sick.  If we have enough to eat and our living conditions are comfortable, then why do we need more??  Why can’t we take some of the excess and share it with those who have NOTHING TO EAT!  There are people starving right now!  Damn.  (I know I’m talking a big game right now, but I’m not helping any of those hungry people.  If I were rich, I would, though.  I really would.)

Side Note:  I had also stated previously that I didn’t want any enemies, and that maybe things could be solved peaceably and yadah, yadah, yadah… But enough is enough.  50 years is enough.  I don’t like to be offensive, but I want to be the type of person who isn’t afraid to speak the truth.  Sorry, China.  I love you, but the false imprisonment, and the executions and torturing and brain-washing…  It is NOT the way to do it.  If the government doesn’t condone these things (torture, etc.), then can you please look further into the behavior of the officials in the cities and provinces, or individuals in the military/police, who may not not be handling the situation properly?

Police notice, Tibet, 1993

Shit, maybe I need to be taking the time out to ask the same thing to Mr. Obama and Schwartznegger and Ron Dellums.  Can you guys check your police officers and tell them to stop shooting kids?  This world is a mess.

As far as that situation in NY is concerned, about the Ground Zero mosque/cultural complex thing… I can’t believe the ignorance that still exists… We have to look at things with a purer heart and mind.  The fact is that there are Muslims who died in 9/11, there are Muslims that are “on the frontlines,” fighting for America (even though I don’t support that war).  The people who are equating Muslims with terrorists really need to expand their minds, watch some documentaries, and meet some people.  Islam is the world’s largest religion, so you will find a plethora of personality types within that group.  There are extremists in every religion.  Christians have done some f*cked up stuff, too.  Are you going to stop letting them build churches because some Christian killed a bunch of innocent people?  THINK ABOUT IT!

#RIDICULOUS

The Tibet Quake and What You Can Do To Help…

A two-year-old child survivor of the earthquake is seen during the mourning for victims in the earthquake-hit Gyegu town of Yushu County, April 21, 2010

A lot of people don’t know it, but about a week ago an earthquake shook the “Rooftop of the World,” otherwise known as Tibet.  Part of the reason you might not have known that Tibet was hit because the headlines read, “Earthquake Kills Dozens in Northwest China…”

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the region that was struck by the 7.1 quake in the Yushu Prefecture of Tibet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yushu_Tibetan_Autonomous_Prefecture

Please visit this link as well:

http://blog.studentsforafreetibet.org/2010/04/tibet-earthquake-update-more-ways-you-can-help/

Whatever the case, the earthquake was devastating and thousands have lost their lives.  People are in need of food, water and supplies (clothes, blankets, etc.)  If you have any money to spare, you can donate to the organization of your choice by visiting the following link.

http://studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=2189

The region that was hit also happens to be the region that His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama hails from.  Amdo.  He is asking the Chinese government to allow him to return, after 51 years of exile, to pray for the victims of the quake.  I doubt they will be very open to this idea, but I wish they would consider it.

Fear of a possible uprising is the major issue, and measures have already been taken to keep any sort of revolutionary activity at bay.  Monks that came from the monasteries to find victims, pray for them and give a proper burial have been told to go home, even though there is still much work to be done.  Read this article on Yahoo News:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100421/ap_on_re_as/as_china_earthquake

I don’t know, it’s complicated.  The most important thing we can do is give, even if it’s only a little.  And if you can’t do that than offer a prayer to all those suffering.  While we live our easy, cushy lives there are people out there starving, sometimes cold and wet, and in pain.  And we have our problems but we can always go to sleep in our comfortable beds, take long, hot showers, and eat whenever we get hungry.  There are children who aren’t even old enough to express their hunger, they can only cry out in pain because their stomachs are completely empty.  THINK ABOUT IT!!!

Or send the following letter to your representative to support the quake victim’s rights to see the Dalai Lama.

http://blog.studentsforafreetibet.org/2010/04/quake-letter/

Thank you in advance.  Please spread the word!!

Damn Yankees: My letter to China

According to a new national poll, nearly three-quarters of Americans think Tibet should be an independent country.

However, the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday also indicates that most Americans think it is more important to maintain good relations with China than to take a stand on Tibet.

I’m not in the business of telling anyone what to do, or how to think, but I must say that it’s imperative that we stand for something.

It just dawned on me the other day that Tibetans in Tibet are going through the same thing that the Native people of this land had to suffer.  While many Americans are pointing their fingers at China, it seems to escape them that we’ve been oppressing people in this great country since 1492.  What are we going to do to rectify that situation?

I can totally understand not wanting to rock the boat with China.  I, for one, would prefer to live without making any enemies.  If it were up to me, we would all live together as one big, happy family.  No fighting, no crime; we’d work on the barter system, and EVERYBODY would be involved in some aspect of the Arts.  My own Utopia…

I will work towards that, even though I know it is completely unrealistic.  A girl can dream, right?

My point is that I would LOVE for us to work this out peaceably.  Soooo…

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Dear “China,”

I love you.  I’ve been inspired time after time by the beauty of your culture, your land, your art, and your people.  What would the world be like without all things Chinese?  What would CALIFORNIA be like?  A lot of this state, my home, was built on the backs of Chinese immigrants.  Even though I have no Chinese blood (that I know of), part of my heart is Chinese.  So what I have to say comes from my soul, and I’ll say it with love.

Can you please give the Dalai Lama just a few moments to discuss with you what he wants for his people?  His request seems pretty reasonable to me.  I think this can be worked out if everybody lets down their defenses.  Just try it, and see what happens.  Also, this meeting between Obama and H.H. is a necessity.  Do not let it create tension between your country and mine.  That’s pointless and a waste of time, and we don’t need the drama.

Nobody likes to be told what to do.  Especially grown men.  So I can understand why you take offense when you feel like you are being  threatened to do something.  America likes to think it’s somebody’s father sometimes – and wants to run around and tell everybody else what they should be doing (without taking a look at what’s going wrong, right under it’s own nose.)  That’s annoying, isn’t it??  But how do you think Tibetans feel?  You’ve taken advantage of the fact that they’re a small, developing nation, and you’ve abused your power.

I don’t care about the past, I’m not God and I’m not the judge of you.  But this killing and torture and abuse has to STOP!!  Not only in China and Tibet, but in Africa, in Afghanistan and right here in the United States of America.

Tibet is a beautiful jewel that must be preserved and shared with the rest of the world.  Please see to it that this is done with the utmost care and concern.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Leah

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*All of this was said out of my own naivete… I know it goes waaay deeper than this – to a place I could NEVER understand.  But I had to write it anyway, and hope that it will do some small, tiny, salt-speck of good.

For the rest of you reading this blog:

You can change.  I can change.  Even if you’ve murdered a hundred people you can make the decision to turn your life around, and you can work towards peace.  We all can get greedy, if we let our minds go there, but we can also resist those desires if we train our minds.

I’m soooooo through with money.  I love nice things and I know that you do have to have some $$ in order to live, but I’m tired of seeing how the love of that sh*t destroys relationships, lives, countries, continents, and will eventually destroy our world.  Wealth acquired through the abuse and mistreatment of others is a curse, remember that.

p.s. Thanx to CNN and Wangmo (tenzinshakya.wordpress.com) for always keeping me in the loop.