SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE:

Last summer I strolled around the Jokhang — the most important temple in Tibet — with hundreds of Tibetan men, women and children. This spiritual practice, called circumambulation, goes on for hours at sunrise and sunset every day at various places sacred to Tibetan Buddhists. Inside the Jokhang, I rubbed elbows with devotees offering yak butter and prayers at each shrine. Will these practices survive in Tibet under Chinese rule? Or will the cobblestone streets be paved with “Tiananmen Squares” and the temples become museums for tourists?

As a result of the recent Olympic protests and anti-government riots, Chinese officials and envoys of the Dalai Lama are meeting for a series of China-Tibet talks. What can Tibetans hope to accomplish? For almost 50 years, the Tibetan people have valiantly protested the invasion and occupation of Tibet. But the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, steady construction and the influx of Chinese from other regions have completed the takeover. Tibetan children hope to go to school in Beijing. It is neither realistic nor desirable to return to the theocracy of the past. The Dalai Lama calls for “meaningful autonomy for Tibet” rather than for complete independence from China.

I believe there are three critical issues. The first is for Tibetans to win a stronger role in the local rule of Tibet. A secular government, which reflects the current diversity of people now living in Tibet — Tibetans and non-Tibetans — would oversee domestic matters but would be included in China’s foreign policies. Tibet could not claim to be an independent nation, but the further marginalization of Tibetans and the destruction of Tibetan culture might be prevented.

The second issue is freedom of the Tibetans to practice their unique branch of Buddhism. While Zen is quite different and I do not share their beliefs in such things as the reincarnation of lamas, I strongly support their right to practice their faith. Under local rule this would be more likely, especially if there were no longer the threat of a Tibetan independence movement, which is sometimes associated with monks and nuns.

The third issue is the plight of Tibetan refugees all over the world. They need assistance for the basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter and medical care. An excellent source is www.savetibet.org. Our hearts also go out to victims of the earthquake in all of the regions of China that are affected, and the efforts of the Chinese government to provide relief.

On May 9, Sens. Barbara Boxer, Joseph Biden Jr. (D-Delaware), Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) wrote to President Bush as a follow-up to the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing on Tibet. Their action plan calls for the U.S. to show leadership and exert more pressure, for the president to visit Tibet, for a consulate to be established in Lhasa, for the restoration of media access and for better access by non-governmental agencies to provide necessary goods and care.

Though it is beyond translation, we join Tibetan Buddhists in their chant for peace and harmony: Om Mani Padme Hum.

DEBORAH BARRETT is a minister and teacher at the Zen Center of Orange County in Costa Mesa.