Dalai Lama Says Delhi Gang Rapists Should Not Be Executed, Death Penalty Not The

[Ensapa]

Interesting how the Dalai Lama comments against the rapists of the Dehli case, but why is it okay for the CTA to put Lamas into their hitlists? Double standards......?

Dalai Lama Says Delhi Gang Rapists Should Not Be Executed, Death Penalty Not The Answer
by Meredith Bennett-Smith, The Huffington Post, Jan 24, 2013
Jaipur, India -- One of the world's most respected spiritual leaders has asked that mercy be shown in the case of the men accused of last month's brutal gang rape and murder of a woman on a bus in New Delhi.


<< The Dalai Lama, left, listens to one of his biographers, Pico Iyer at one of the sessions on the opening day of India's Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur, India, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. The Dalai Lama said he thiks the men accused in the Delhi rape case should not be hanged. (AP Photo/Deepak Sharma)

During a panel discussion this week at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur, India, His Holiness the Dalai Lama touched on the controversial trial that began Thursday in the bustling Indian city.

The five men on trial could be hanged if they are convicted, according to the Associated Press. The family of the 23-year-old victim, who succumbed to her injuries two weeks after the attack, have called for the execution of all the accused. But the Dalai Lama, during his appearance at the Jaipur festival, demurred.


 “I do not like the death sentence,” he said, adding that there are other ways to deal with the alleged perpetrators, according to English-language Indian news outlet the Hindu.
The Hindu went on to write that "the Dalai Lama said the 21 century belonged to dialogue and not to confrontation or violence."

The Tibetan leader has been a steadfast opponent of the death penalty, which contradicts the Buddhist philosophy of nonviolence. In July 2011, the Dalai Lama, then 76 years old, traveled to Chicago, where he praised Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn for abolishing the death penalty in his state.

The Delhi rape case has sparked debate over the Indian legal system, and public anger has been directed at officials in a city informally christened India's "rape capital," according to Reuters.

A Indian government panel this week dismissed calls to allow the death penalty to be considered in cases of sexual assault, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The panel's decision does not have bearing on the Delhi case, as the suspects are also accused of murder, a charge that can carry the death penalty.

[Tenzin K]

"Buddhist doctrines hold nonviolence and compassion for all life in high regard. The First Precept of Buddhism requires individuals to abstain from injuring or killing all living creatures and Buddha's teaching restricts Buddhist monks from any political involvement. Using historical documents and interviews with contemporary authorities on Buddhist doctrine, our research uncovered a long history of political involvement by Buddhist monks and Buddhist support of violence. Yet, there seems to be limited Buddhist involvement in Southeast Asian countries in death penalty issues...

The death penalty is inconsistent with Buddhist teachings, since philosophically, capital punishment and Buddhism are a false paradox. Yet, evidence suggests that most Southeast Asian countries practiced capital punishment long before the Buddhist influence emerged in India in 400 to 500 B.C."

[Positive Change]

"Buddhist doctrines hold nonviolence and compassion for all life in high regard. The First Precept of Buddhism requires individuals to abstain from injuring or killing all living creatures and Buddha's teaching restricts Buddhist monks from any political involvement. Using historical documents and interviews with contemporary authorities on Buddhist doctrine, our research uncovered a long history of political involvement by Buddhist monks and Buddhist support of violence. Yet, there seems to be limited Buddhist involvement in Southeast Asian countries in death penalty issues...

The death penalty is inconsistent with Buddhist teachings, since philosophically, capital punishment and Buddhism are a false paradox. Yet, evidence suggests that most Southeast Asian countries practiced capital punishment long before the Buddhist influence emerged in India in 400 to 500 B.C."

This is certainly so... but why the double standards is in question here not the Buddhist view on non violence and compassion for all life. Ensapa clearly highlighted a very brazen disparity... one that exists underlying all the compassionate workings of HHDL. The CTA still punishes and ostracise Dorje Shugden practitioners who are going through insufferable pain but yet the ban is still in place.

I may not know nor will I doubt or question what HHDL's intentions are with regards to the ban but what I do know is that the CTA hold secular power when it comes to blatant disregard to human rights issues under their noses and that they CAN do something about it but WILL NOT. Moreover there is even "support" of self-immolation, making them martyrs even. This is not a democratically elected administration! This farce has to stop!!!

Please have compassion for fellow practitioners, albeit Dorje Shugden followers, like the Dehli gang rapist... at least they Dorje Shugden practitioners did NO WRONG!

[dondrup]

It is very unfortunate for both the rape victim as well as the rapists.  If the secular law of the land is inadequate and incapable of coming up with an acceptable punishment for the offenders, karma will ensure the perpetrators get what they deserve! 

The issue now is why Dorje Shugden practitioners are not being accorded with the human rights as enshrined in the constitution of the Tibetans in Exile?  Why do HH Dalai Lama and CTA keep discriminating against the Dorje Shugden practitioners?   As long as the ban on Dorje Shugden is not abolished and lifted, the World would question the integrity of HH Dalai Lama's and CTA's compassionate actions!  If we analyse, we will see that the whole world has been ‘banning’ CTA!  CTA would never garner the support they need in their quest for independence or autonomy of Tibet from China!

[diablo1974]

Its out of compassion the Dalai Lama says the rapist shouldnt be executed. And there are other ways to deal with the alleged perpetrators. Personally, i do not think the Dalai Lama has given any leniancy to the crime they have committed but as buddhist we all understand the basic theory about karma.

Instead of execution and putting them to death, the next option is to keep them in life imprisonment so as to prevent them from committing the crimes again. This is what the social law would do to keep crimes at low.

[Q]

Well, I would really like to believe that what the Dalai Lama says that the 21st century is the time for dialogue instead of violence. Well, we've been in the 21st century for years now, where is the dialogue for Dorje Shugden practitioners?

Instead, during the 1990s when the ban was still 'hot', personal information of DS practitioners are pasted all over the place, is that not an indirect way of a 'death sentence'? While on the other hand, here HH says that death penalty is not the way? Well, I don't want to think anything bad about HH... bad karma to do so, but if this is not disparity and double standards then what is it? I'd like to believe in HH's ability to see far into the future from this decision, but as of this moment, the ban is just so real and difficult.

Personally, I have never believed in death penalties. The human life is just too precious to be ended regardless of what the person did. What has been done is done, and karma will take it's course. After all, there are many inmates that once released, they lead a normal, and sometimes they change to be a better person and start benefiting others in whatever way they can. Of course not all turns out like that, but if there's even a 0.1% chance of it, shouldn't we take that chance instead of ending their life for something they did... probably just a momentary craziness.

[Rihanna]

Below is the latest development on the gang rape case.  I commend the Indian President for acting so fast on this. As a Buddhist, our first precept is to refrain from killing. However, didn't Buddha kill the robber on the boat to save the 499 passengers? I pray that this decision by the Indian President will send a strong message to others not to commit such negative actions.


Sunday, February 3, 2013
Indian President approves death penalty in some rape cases

India's president on Sunday approved harsher punishments for rapists, including the death penalty, after a brutal gang-rape in New Delhi sparked national outrage and triggered demands for tougher laws.

President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the new rape law two days after cabinet ministers recommended changes to improve safety for women.

"The Indian president has given his assent to the ordinance on crime against women. It comes into effect immediately but it will also be tabled before the parliament," a senior officer in the president's office told AFP.

A government-appointed panel and the cabinet had recommended tougher laws after the death of a 23-year-old woman who was savagely raped and attacked in a bus on December 16 and died nearly two weeks later.

Under the changes, the minimum sentence for gang-rape, rape of a minor, rape by policemen or a person in authority will be doubled to 20 years from 10 and can be extended to life without parole.

In the existing law, a rapist faces a term of seven to 10 years.

The cabinet has also created a new set of offences such as voyeurism and stalking that will be included in the new law.

But women rights activists have slammed the ordinance saying it lacks teeth to fight sexual crimes against women and lashed out at the government for passing the law without holding a debate or discussion.

Five men are being tried in a special fast-track court in New Delhi on charges of murder, gang-rape and kidnapping in connection with the death of the student, who died from her injuries in a Singapore hospital where she had been sent for further treatment.

A sixth suspect faces trial in a juvenile court.

The physiotherapy student was assaulted on a bus she had boarded with a male companion as they returned home from watching a film in an upmarket shopping mall.

India says it only imposes the death penalty in the "rarest of rare cases". Three months ago, it hanged the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks -- the country's first execution in eight years.

Source: Agence France-Presse, Feb. 3, 2013

[kris]

Whatever it is, death sentence is not the solution.

Prevention is always more important and more effective than the cure. Instead of thinking of the ways to punish the people after they have made mistake, we should spend more time in thinking of ways to prevent them from making the mistakes in the first place. This will save a lot of tax payers money too.

Therefore, spirituality and religion is very important in this aspect where, if practice correctly, people will not make as much mistakes. As such, it is said that building a temple or church is equivalent to building 100 police stations (in terms of fighting crime).

[DSFriend]

Whatever it is, death sentence is not the solution.

Prevention is always more important and more effective than the cure. Instead of thinking of the ways to punish the people after they have made mistake, we should spend more time in thinking of ways to prevent them from making the mistakes in the first place. This will save a lot of tax payers money too.

Therefore, spirituality and religion is very important in this aspect where, if practice correctly, people will not make as much mistakes. As such, it is said that building a temple or church is equivalent to building 100 police stations (in terms of fighting crime).

I do agree that prevention and spirituality is important. I do hope that India will not let their rich spiritual heritage to be lost. However, how do you teach a lion to not hunt and eats grass instead? There has to be different methods for prevention, protection and punishment. I do not think anyone has the rights to take another person's life keeping them away from causing harm is the responsibility of the government.

Anyhow, yes i do see the inconsistency in HHDL's stance. It seems that he is employing the compassionate method to every other circumstances except Dorje Shugden matters.

[diamond girl]

I am not one for the death penalty, no matter what the crime, precisely because of my belief in karma. I do hear what Rihanna said about the Buddha killing out of compassion to save the person from the negative karma of killing. However, we are not Buddhas so we do not have a pure motivation and that will affect the karma of those who decide the judgment to execute the criminal as well as the persons actually responsible to execute the person. There is interdependency of everything. The death penalty satisfies a certain vengefulness which is the wrong motivation. The politicians will expedite death penalties to appease the vengefulness of society which will increase their political popularity which is definitely wrong motivation. They appease the vengefulness of the family who was wronged also and i am sorry, but this kind of justice has its own karma and the one who was wronged has suffered enough, don't you think?

I understand that such crime of rape and murder must be punished. Then my opinion is that the legal system is in question. Death sentence is not the answer. Life imprisonment perhaps?

[Midakpa]

There are two types of cause and effect - worldly cause and effect and karmic cause and effect.

In this case, there was rape but no murder.  It is possible that there was no intention to kill her. But unfortunately, the rape victim died and due to the case receiving worldwide condemnation and the uproar created, the Indian authorities decided to impose the death penalty. This is worldly cause and effect.

Now, if we look at the case from the karma vipaka (intentional action and its result) point of view, the poor woman's suffering was probably due to causes created in a previous life. She experienced in this life, the effects of past actions. Karma vipaka is a natural law, not a man-made or worldly law. H.H. the Dalai Lama was probably looking at the case from the karma vipaka viewpoint. If they execute the criminals, they are doing so based on worldly cause and effect. It is not karmic cause and effect because there was no intention to kill. The rapists did not commit the karma of killing! If they execute the rapists, they might be creating karma vipaka and will experience the fruits of such karma in future lives. His Holiness was very kind to voice his opinion on the matter, probably hoping to prevent more negative karma from being committed. The death penalty is in reality worldly cause and effect as a result of man-made laws and man-made laws can be changed. The natural law of karmic cause and effect cannot be changed. What the rapists did will come back to them. The results resemble the cause. Thus it is always better and kinder not to impose the death penalty.