The Dalai Lama & His Flip-Flop Meet Obama rama!

The choice of footwear of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the indisputable leader of Tibet, for his meeting with the U.S. President Mr. Obama rama on February 19, 2010.

(Photo: BBC News)

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Since 1959, Tibet has been occupied by China. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan people under his guidance of non-violence have been fighting for basic human rights such as freedom of speech, movement, religion and preservation of their own culture despite the Chinese government's strong and often brutal oppression.

In his tireless effort to gain international support to improve the situation in Tibet, the Dalai Lama has been meeting with numerous world leaders traveling around the world.

The meeting with Obama happened about 10 days ago regardless of the firm and insistent opposition by the Chinese government because they believe the Dalai Lama is a "separatist."

Yes, that's an ill-fitting word for the Dalai Lama, who preach non-violence and compassion for all, even for the Chinese government which many Tibetan might consider to be their "enemy."

Not only the Dalai Lama, but also any Tibetan who wants to speak up for more independence from China so they can enjoy basic human rights, as most of us take it for granted, will be labeled as a "separatist" and persecuted.

Obama is the third U.S. president who had a meeting with the Dalai Lama. They met "privately" in the Map Room of the White House rather than the Oval Office which is usually used for more "public" meetings to avoid infuriating the already-steamed-up-like-a-good-dim sum Chinese government further.

When I saw the flip-flop that the Dalai Lama was sporting at the "private" meeting which happened in the midst of winter, I was puzzled and ecstatic in my shallow assumption about his "humanness" at the same time.

"Aha, he must be making a statement against the treatment of the meeting as "private" rather than "public" by wearing the casual flip-flop", I pondered.

No, the Ocean of Wisdom, the living reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara (the Deity of Compassion) does not operate on that level.

He was actually wearing flip-flop when meeting with George W. Bush who allowed to be filmed with the Dalai Lama in public for the first time as a U.S. President. Of course, that enraged China like a rocket that was backfired.

This is the first photo of G.W. that I actually admire, needless to say.

Anyway, the meaning of the flip-flop will not be known to me unless a kind stranger provide me with the info but I am just glad to come to witness the bright side of G.W. for once and all.

My friend pointed out that this latest meeting of the U.S. President Obama with the Dalai Lama was nothing but a political show that was put up by the Administration to further infuriate the Chinese government for their own purpose which will not likely to be revealed to the mass anytime soon.

But even so, the mystery purpose of the flip-flop will be more worth exploring to me than getting caught up in the political war game between the U.S. and China.

Really, if someone knows what is with the flip-flop, please kindly point out to the source of the info. Thank you!

If you are interested in getting more educated about the Tibetan situation, check the websites below:

Central Tibetan Administration

Tibetan Youth Congress

Tibetan Women's Association

My Home Is Here & Everywhere On Mother Earth

(With nomad horses near the Himalaya in North India, Nov 2009)


It's been about a year since I chose to become homeless.

No, I haven't had privilege of sleeping on the street yet thanks to so many people's kindness.

On 03/03/09 at the age of 37, I left my beloved & cozy San Francisco apartment to be a global resident of this Mother Earth

My First Stop: India.

Yes, it's such a choice of cliche for those who are wanting to be awaken.


(After organizing Ganga Cleaning Day with Swami Nagnath in Varanasi, April 2009)


So I got a backpack full of necessary stuff to live reasonably comfortable plus my laptop and a camera to record & share what I experience on the road.

No, it's actually quite comfortable having the bare minimum stuff that
I can personally carry to sustain my life.

There's nothing I haven't used in the past 6 months in my bag and if there is,
I'd give it away Now.

Keeping it light is the name of the game on the road and in life as well.

Anything extra, I gotta carry on my back so no thanks.

Yes, I'm a big loser with a capital L on my forehead in this materialistic world where the sense of success tend to be measured against what you have.

No, I got no money, no stable job, no car, no house, no fancy clothes,
no, no, no, no, no blingin' stuff that represent that kind of worldly success.

But why homeless? Or you could use euphemisms like nomad or gypsy or
how about Dharma Bum?


(With my Tibetan monk friends in Dharamsala, Sep 2009)


I chose to be homeless to be Me, who is not a representative of all the worldly material success carefully promoted by global corporations for their benefit only while putting the wellness of the people on the back burner like it's some left over food that can be left to rot.

Bombarded by commercial ad one after another every angle of our life like
TV, the Internet, billboards and so on, we are being deceived to believe
what you got is what you are.

Not so.

We are more than what we own materially: In fact, we are more than our stuff.

Do you really think the latest gadget you just purchased would be the thing
you'd be pondering on as you lie on your deathbed?

Really. Think about it.

You would more likely be thinking about who you loved, not what you loved.

Let us not become a sucker to the systematic brainwashing of
tyrannical global corporations to strip us of our humanity
to become a mere "consumer."


(Give it up for our Tibetan brothers & sisters in Dharamsala, the home of the Dalai Lama)


That is what I refused so I chose to be a homeless traveler with
no price tag around my neck.

I refuse to wear what you want me to wear with your logo on it.

I refuse to hear what you want me to hear with your commercial in it.

And I refuse to bear witness to the global corporations'
cold and calculated exploitation of the poor in "developing" countries
in the name of maximizing profit and advancement.

Some say they envy my freedom.

Yes, I want to believe that we all have the freedom of movement and speech in this world of subtle oppression by those who control almost all
the limited resources on this planet.

It is very subtle indeed, and the rabbit hole gets deeper as you go down as many people are busy watching TV to kill time.

All the commercials on TV tell me how important I am so I should be buying this and that to make me feel more important.

But the fact of matter is this:

The world comes around and goes around without Me in it anyway.

I'm no important and this little Me, marina saga, is merely a witness to
this facade of the Grand Drama so called Life.

There's nowhere to go as a homeless traveler, actually.


(Yup. This cow's not going anywhere. She's just chillin' in Dharamsala)


I'd rather just sit here & watch the world does its dance in and out of me without feeling too attached to its story.

Life's too short to think it's going to last forever for me and keep pretending there's always tomorrow to do what I want to do today.

Ultimately, I know that Business is as usual even after this little Me's gone.

So might as well be singing & dancing my own dance with my barefoot and
my pack on the back celebrating the beauty of Life itself.

And of course, let's not forget to be kind to all beings in Life so I can see them do their own dance that they came here for.

In love & gratitude,

Japan, 022710