Asia Times Online :: The Rooftop of the World

PART 1: Tibet's Olympic factor
The good news is that the Chinese government is open to dialogue on the Tibet issue after years of shut doors. The bad news is that the move could have more to do with defusing opposition and Western grumbles in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing than any desire for a real settlement.

PART 2: The tale of two Karmapas
As competition between two young contenders to head a key school of Tibetan Buddhism drags on, adverse fallout for the religion increases, and fuels speculation that there might be more to the dispute than simply religion.

PART 3: Tibetan Buddhism the Western way
The bitter dispute over two men earmarked for the leadership of a major Tibetan Buddhist school is mirrored among devotees in the West. But far from being a poor advertisement for the religion, the schism could serve to allow Tibetan Buddhism to become a viable, dynamic and attractive religion among Westerners.

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