Good Morning Lowcountry

Spring dharma

GMLc has been wondering if the Dalai Lama can resign, as he has said he will do if violence continues in Tibet.

Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama, is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism by birth, or rather re-birth. He was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama when he was 2 years old. He is now 72.

The Dalai Lamas are believed by Tibetans to be the manifestations of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion and patron saint of Tibet.

If it comes to that, the Dalai Lama will resign only as head of the Tibetan government in exile, but he will be the Dalai Lama until he dies and a new one is found.

Therein lies part of Tibet's tragedy. Besides China's oppression, cultural destruction and abuse of human rights in Tibet, the Chinese might succeed in stamping out Tibet's spiritual heritage.

In Tibet, the Panchen Lama, chosen by the Dalai Lama, is responsible for finding the next Dalai Lama by locating his reincarnation.

But the chosen Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was abducted by the Chinese at age 5 and has not been seen since. He is believed to be a virtual prisoner in or near Beijing.

The Chinese installed their own boy as a puppet Panchen Lama in Tibet.

He will choose a new Dalai Lama that Tibetans will likely not accept as their true spiritual leader.

When the Dalai Lama dies, aspirations for Tibetan autonomy will likely die as well.

While we've been worrying about Tibet, our own path to the sun, our favorite star, is opening.

Spring arrives in the Lowcountry with the vernal equinox just after midnight. Thursday is the first day of spring.

Mourning doves, mockingbirds, azaleas, buzzards, no-see-ums and other signs of spring in the Lowcountry are already here.

NASA has established this week as Solar Week and Thursday as Sun-Earth Day.

Students are invited to learn about solar science, solar energy, the equinox, sunspots, solar storms, the solar system, solar careers and the coming total solar eclipse over China on Aug. 1.

Teachers, find the Web-based educational programs at solarweek.org. Live interactive chat with NASA scientists is ongoing there. Find ancient observatories at traditionsofthesun.org/news.html. Find out about polar sunrise and watch The Polar Year Conference video at sunearthday.gsfc.nasa.gov/polarsunrise/index.php.

The dharma of spring in the Lowcountry requires visiting a festival ... the Flowertown Festival or Charleston Harbor Festival or Spoleto Festival USA... or at least a baseball game or an outdoor concert.

The Charleston RiverDogs's season opener is the night of April 7 (hello, no-see-ums).

Music Under the Oaks will return to the College of Charleston Cistern on April 13 with jazz, the College of Charleston Orchestra and a chamber music group made up of Enrique Graf, Natalia Khoma and Lee-Chin Siow. It will be at 4 p.m. It's free.

If you choose to do none of these things, spring will still be here.

As the Zen saying goes, "Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring arrives and the grass grows by itself."

As the Dalai Lama said, "This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness ... Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

Peace

A peace vigil will be held tonight at 7:30 in Marion Square to call for an end to the Iraq war.

Thursday, the College of Charleston chapter of Students for a Democratic Society will stage a walkout in protest of the war. It's at 2:15 p.m.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has called for its members to hold a "No Peace No Work Holiday" work stoppage for eight hours on May 1 to demand an immediate end to war and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Middle East.

See more about these events at Charleston Peace's Web site at charlestonpeace.net or call them at 312-9741.

GMLc
Call 937-5564. Write gmlc@postandcourier.com. Find the blog at gmlc.typepad.com.