Exploration Eleven

I really thought that it was intriguing how a man who plotted the violent overtaking of the South African Government could turn around and win The Nobel Peace Prize. Nelson Mandela served almost 28 years in prison for organizing a group (Umkhonto we Sizwe), whom he says was for defensive purposes against the violence of apartheid. I think it was a great achievement for Mandela to not let 27 years in prison stop his efforts to restore peace in his homeland of South Africa. When I initially thought about the Dalai Lama, I thought about a wise monk who is
packed to the brim with witty and philosophic quotes like that

of Confucius; of course I was only partly right. The Dalai Lama is a renowned advocate for peace - particularly in his homeland of Tibet. In a room full of bankers seeking his insights to further their fortunes (how that is even possible, I am not sure), he opens up the floor by telling them that he is "a Buddist-Marxist." This alone tells me that the Dalai Lama is os open-mind, and not just fixated on the teachings of Buddism. After reading his Nobel Peace Prize Speech, Inner Peace and Human Rights, I was amazed at how is truly aware of issues that occur everywhere in the world - not just in Tibet. Overall I think that it is very remarkable how it seems that direct, but non-violent action against inequality has yielded massive and positive results. Who would have thought of such a thing?! Using peace (not war) to gain peace... Now there's an idea. Although there was this one instance in Tiananmen Square... I guess the peaceful approach is not always the best route to take, but should always be considered over the alternative.