Originally posted by Texcoco II:
I found this article
"... the Dalai Lama's Tibet,
torture and mutilation -- including eye gouging, the pulling out of
tongues, hamstringing, and amputation of arms and legs -- were
favored punishments inflicted upon thieves, runaway serfs, and
other "criminals." Journeying through Tibet in the 1960s, Stuart
and Roma Gelder interviewed a former serf, Tsereh Wang Tuei, who
had stolen two sheep belonging to a monastery. For this he had both
his eyes gouged out and his hand mutilated beyond use. He explains
that he no longer is a Buddhist: "When a holy lama told them to
blind me I thought there was no good in religion." (19) Some
Western visitors to Old Tibet remarked on the number of amputees to
be seen. [b]Since it was against Buddhist teachings to take human
life, some offenders were severely lashed and then "left to
God" in the freezing night to die. "The parallels between Tibet and
medieval Europe are striking," concludes Tom Grunfeld in his book
on Tibet. (20)
Some monasteries had their own private prisons, reports Anna Louise
Strong. In 1959, she visited an exhibition of torture equipment
that had been used by the Tibetan overlords. There were handcuffs
of all sizes, including small ones for children, and instruments
for cutting off noses and ears, and breaking off hands. For gouging
out eyes, there was a special stone cap with two holes in it that
was pressed down over the head so that the eyes bulged out through
the holes and could be more readily torn out. There were
instruments for slicing off kneecaps and heels, or hamstringing
legs. There were hot brands, whips, and special implements for
disembowling. (21)
The exhibition presented photographs and testimonies of victims who
had been blinded or crippled or suffered amputations for thievery.
There was the shepherd whose master owed him a reimbursement in
yuan and wheat but refused to pay. So he took one of the master's
cows; for this he had his hands severed. Another herdsman, who
opposed having his wife taken from him by his lord, had his hands
broken off. There were pictures of Communist activists with noses
and upper lips cut off, and a woman who was raped and then had her
nose sliced away.... (22)"[i/]
[/b]
Very sad... But I believe these are politics stuff.. looks to be
very violent methods.. I don't think the high lamas have anything
to do with this and certainly wouldn't have agreed on such
atrocities. If certain lamas are involved, because the lamas
themselves used to be involved with politics, then Buddhists have
the right and should reject them and their acts and atrocities..
not all lamas are true incarnations of predecessors (although most
are), I think it was mentioned in the discovery channel by one of
the Rinpoches. Some are simply chosen to take over the job.
But anyway I have to agree with Kaister on the point about
culture... Tibet used to be a violent and barbaric tribal place
with tribal culture... Buddha prophecised that there will be
'dharma for the Barbarians' for Tibetans in the future (refering to
Tibetan Buddhism), if memory serves. Master Padmasambhava
introduced Buddhism to Tibet and sort 'tamed' the barbarians. But I
guess maybe some continue to be.
Anyway, longchen was a Tibetan monk 2 lifetimes ago. 
