Under the slogan of "harmony" was held April 13 to 16 the first World Buddhist Forum in China's Hangzhou city, near Beijing. This initiative would mark a turning point in Chinese politics, toward greater religious tolerance and openness towards other countries.
Too bad the "harmony" and longed advocated by the Beijing government can not allow "other", namely that of the Dalai Lama. In exile in India since 1959, the highest religious authority of Tibetan Buddhism is not in fact been invited to the Forum. It is not surprising to find instead the second authority of Tibet, the Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu was in fact appointed by Beijing rather than chosen and made to disappear by the Tibetans by the Chinese authorities when he was a child in 1995.
But is not this attitude by China to grieve. In the end we might have expected, given China's historical attitude toward religious tolerance: as a useful way, an up- ā if ya want to be ironic, to strengthen the government's policy. What is most perplexing is the attitude-compliant or at least uncritical -Buddhist authorities of other countries, who have quietly been involved in a similar summit propaganda. Why, after all, this is propaganda. The goal was just to prove that China is move social harmony, and that points to openness, tolerance. And accepting the invitation, the Buddhist authorities have drawn the attention of the international community on this desire for "harmony", detaching problem since the oppression of Tibet. Maybe, just maybe, a desertion of the Forum would enable refocusing attention on what this artificial "harmony" affect the base.
