Why I read about a Giant, Self-sacrificing Fish today

I'm planning on majoring in International Affairs with a focus on Conflict and Security, so many of my classes have to do with profound, interesting, but not unexpected topics- for example, this semester I'm learning about the theory and practice of pre-, mid-, and post-conflict peacemaking as well as about the fundamentals of  military deterrence strategies.

So, when I paused for second today while doing my readings, my immediate thought was that Tibetan Buddhism is definitely not one of these expected classes. I ended up in the class after discovering that the Political Geography course I had initially registered for was a advanced graduate-level course, and after dropping it found this was one of the two courses that fit my schedule this semester.

Why stay in this class? I've always been intrigued by religious inquiry--having fairly well-developed beliefs of my own and clergy in the family-- but that aside, there has to be some kind of good reason for taking any class, right? As it turns out, that reason came up today in just the second day of class. Our professor-- a Buddhist nun who commutes to the university from her convent in Maryland-- was talking about the possibility of reincarnation in the context of the Tibetan religious leaders. Each of these "lamas", or enlightened souls who are held to reincarnate over and over again in order to bring others enlightenment, is recruited as a child after the death of the old spiritual teacher, whose consciousness, memories and spiritual power is believed to pass to the new incarnation.

The lamas, of whom the Dalai Lama is the most famous and most important, are often considered the political key to the stability of Tibet because of the authority they hold in the mountainous region's culture. I read some time ago in The Economist that the Chinese Communist Party, in an attempt to cement its control of Tibet, had begun declaring that it-- not the lamas themselves or their clerical subordinates-- had the right to choose new lamas. This happened at least once, some years ago, when the second-most important religious leader's chosen successor disappeared under mysterious circumstances; the CCP-appointed alternative is under house arrest as well, and his few public pronouncements have urged obedience to the government.

I got a chance to ask my professor whether or not the CCP's control of the lamas would be considered politically legitimate because of the religious imperatives of obeying the lamas in their capacity as spiritual leaders. She answered, contrary to the beliefs and hopes of some in the West, that the campaign probably would be successful. That's the kind of insight into the internal workings of a long-simmering conflict that can sometimes be found only in some of the most unexpected places- and a great reason to take a "random" class every once in a while.

Since I don't agree with the Chinese government's suppression of Tibetan dissent, or with what I feel is the immoral use of force to culturally assimilate Tibet and its people, the conclusion I heard was disturbing. Still,  getting a more nuanced, realistic understanding of the world is an important prerequisite for trying to change it to better conform with my ideals. From my education I could expect nothing less. (edited 1/14/09 8:27 PM)