President Bush with the Dalai Lama and Nancy Pelosi at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony
President Bush with the Dalai Lama and Nancy Pelosi at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony (Getty Images)

Empty Vessel

October 19, 2007

For the Dalai Lama, emptiness is not just a Buddhist concept—it’s an enormously successful P.R. strategy. Attacks from China don’t hurt his image either. In the wake of his Congressional Gold Medal, we look at the Dalai Lama’s enduring rock-star status in the American media.


Listener Comments Leave a Comment | Refresh Comments
[1]
Posted by: Elihu Smith
October 21, 2007 - 03:14PM
Illinois

To reframe your comments that "empty space" is the basis of the Dalai Lama's appeal - rather than seeing this as some media trick, please note that "empty space," along with his teaching of compassion and "seeing more clearly," are the basic teachings of Buddhism. Since the Dalai Lama is, as he says, "a simple Buddhist monk," this is most appropriate.

[2]
Posted by: Paul Caron
October 21, 2007 - 07:59PM
Vermont USA

You would think that on "On the Media" would have something more interesting about the recent visit of the Dalai Lama than rehashing a story that has played before.

How clever of the Dalai Lama using such a simple bland concept as compassion....to sell himself to the masses. He should work for Madison Ave, advise presidential candidates. The article could be titled: Buddhism 6000 yrs of spin. Buddhists had a phrase for that its called turning the wheel of the dharma.

[3]
Posted by: Paul Caron
October 21, 2007 - 08:01PM
Vermont USA

**thats 2600 hundred years of spin... pc

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