Buddhism's Lost Cause: Tibet and Others Pt4

In more recent times, yet another case of how Buddhists have lost their sacred sites and unable to control their spiritual heritage is the case of Tibet, where it was invaded by China in 1959. The heydays of Tibet is now gone. Potala Palace is now empty and is reduced to a tourist destination. There may be monks in most monasteries but most respected Lamas and Rinpoches are no longer there. Slowly but surely Tibet's spiritual heritage is losing its glorious splendour of the past. It is being replaced by a China that do not appreciate spirituality and the need to achieve enlightenment. How sad!

Another case is that of the destruction of the giant Bamiyan Buddhas by the Talibans in 2001. That site where the Bamiyan Buddhas once were, was once a properous Buddhist cultural meeting point. Again we have lost it to others.

Are there more to come? Probably. Already Buddhists do not value making pilgrimages to Lumbini and Kapilavastu. They might have been to Swayambu and Bouddha stupas and other shrines in Nepal many times, but not a single visit to the place where the Buddha was born. See how much importance Buddhists place on Lumbini? Its significance is slowly disappearing in the minds of Buddhists. Another 100 years, and that place will be probably forgotten ... AGAIN! Buddhists just donot realise that the holiness of Lumbini far exceeds that of the other holy Buddhist stupas and shrines in all of Nepal.

All the previously cited cases from Pt 1 to 4 points to one thing: the Dharma Ending Age and our own seriously deteriorating bad karma! Yes, we donot need to be attached to these "sites" and "heritages" but that does not mean we should not do our utmost effort in protecting and preserving them for the benefit of future generations.