I feel it’s a wonderful billboard
How do you feel about this religious figure appearing on this billboard? Do you feel the same about him appearing in an Apple ad? Would it depend on the type of Apple ad? Explain.
December 1, 2007
Although the Dalai Lama has been exiled from his fellow Tibetans since 1959, he remains their religious leader. The official Web site of “The Office of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama,” is definitely worth a good look. For at least 25 years, he has leant his image to a variety of ads, including an advertisement for Apple computers. According to his site, the first two of the Dalai Lama’s 3 main commitments in life are:
- On the level of a human being, His Holiness’ first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their life happier. His Holiness refers to these human values as secular ethics. He remains committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone he meets.
- On the level of a religious practitioner, His Holiness’ second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each others’ respective traditions. As far as one truth, one religion is concerned, this is relevant on an individual level. However, for the community at large, several truths, several religions are necessary.
Source: http://godvertising.wordpress.com/category/church-signs/
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people., well respected icon and well known around the world. Having a billboard of him would be wonderful for everyone. Reminding them the importance of human valves. in making their life happier which H.H Dalai Lama is trying to spread the message .And of religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions too. After all he has travelled around the world and has spoken about the welfare of Tibetans, environment, women’s rights, non-violence, interfaith dialogue and so forth.
So having a billboard of him will definitely bring that messages across.
Thank you Rinpoche for these sharing.
Yes, I agree too Rinpoche it’s a wonderful billboard.
This is a great advertisement for a religious leader and the message he wants to spread. His Holiness does so much for everyone even if they are NOT Buddhists. His Holiness is a great person and I aspire to be like him!
Oh I think it’s wonderful to have religious icons on secular advertisements. The world of media and advertising has become so cut-throat and hard, and I believe people have become very cynical about it – the pervasive reaction would be “okay, so what are they trying to sell me now?” Public messages are taken less seriously and with more skepticism if only because people don’t feel any sincerity in it – just another ploy to make a quick buck.
I think it’s wonderful to put inspiring icons on such public facades as a reminder that goodness, kindness and spiritual values also have a place in our modern world. The images are incongruous and mismatched perhaps because we have come to think of spirituality as something separate from our usual daily worlds and activities. In reality, as we know, it isn’t and shouldn’t be. It should be carried and incorporated in as a part of what we do, no matter how mundane. Images like this billboard remind us that goodness and positivity can very much be a part of all we do. It also makes spirituality approachable, that we see it as realistic, practical and humane. This image shows us that Dalai Lama is as human as the rest of us, that he too can be photographed, smiling, and up on a billboard. Nothing is too mundane for him, as it shouldn’t be for the rest of us. Above all, it is a reminder that in the absurdity of what has become an increasingly disconnected, post-modern world, we too can strive to be just as outstanding, pure and kind as someone like the Dalai Lama.
I think it is alright for HH Dalai Lama to be on billboard as seeing a picture of the Dalai Lama, many would get imprints and blessings. Having a billboard with religious figures for spiritual purposes is better than adverts for commercial purposes.
HH Dalai Lama is a charismatic speaker, he has since traveled the world, advocating for the welfare of Tibetans, teaching Tibetan Buddhism and talking about the importance of compassion as the source of a happy life and he has huge followers. A billboard with His Holiness will attract a lot of attention and bring benefits to many. If more people follow his vision of spreading compassion and world peace, the world will be a better place to live.
I think it’s definitely and 100% positive to have billboard like this. Billboard normally just used for commercial purpose to make monkey to generate business. No doubt billboard has very big impact to plant seed or to make deep imprint in people’s mind. Hence billboard should not just use for commercial products. It should and often be used for spiritual purpose, to promote world peace, harmony, love, compassionate, kindness, wisdom, human and animal right!
In one of his speeches made at a packed audience at an inaugural event of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative values, H.H. The Dalai Lama exhorted everyone to work towards a more compassionate, loving and ethical life change, basing on, irrespective of any religion or no religion. Open-heartedness, compassion …….. is a capacity from birth. It must be possible to increase that; there is a potential to increase that, just as knowledge can be increased by education. Dalai Lama emphasized that most people today, out of the 6 billion in this planet, which, in his opinion are not very serious about religion. Even though they visit a church, mosque, or a temple occassionally, majority of them can be counted as non-believers. If a way or means could be found to promote these values of ethics and compassion to these non-belivers, then peace and harmony could be better achieved and maintained in today’s sopciety. What more better, simpler and effective method could be used, than to make use of these billboards limitlessly, together with a world famous religious figure of peace and harmony, such as H.H. The Dalai Lama to boost the strength of the “Message” for the whole World to know and adapt to. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities for the benefit of WORLD PEACE!!!
The Dalai Lama is an epitome of compassion and has worked tirelessly non stop to promote not just Tibetan Buddhism but Buddhism in general. Buddhism is made cool by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The Mongolians have a saying that if they see the Dalai Lama’s golden face before they pass away they would be alright.
Oh NO, this is advertising, how can the Dalai Lama be “advertised”?
He is supposed to teach humility, but then he is on a billboard, how can this be!
So many things I have heard said about the Dalai Lama and Rinpoches: “but a lama should not do that!”, “this is self-promotion!”, “are they asking for money?”…
I have come to realize that sometimes people need to be provoked so as to engage in a proper conversation and so that misconceptions can be clarified. So all these questions are good.
If monks remained in monasteries, they’d be much happier (in a way), but then there would be a world with monks in walled monasteries and other humans “surviving” in the world.
But then monks could not help others much, so maybe they would be happier if they reach to others and only use the monastery as a base.
So how do monks reach to the “other humans”?
They use the means that the very people they want to communicate to use: internet, TV, magazines, and yes, billboards.
However, when a figure like the Dalai Lama is used in a commercial advertising and without his consent, there is a risk. Not that it is right or wrong, but there is a risk. The risk is to do with the motivation behind the “advertiser”, the risk is what:
-to diminish the figure of the Dalai Lama,
-to send a misconception about the Dalai Lama.
But then, it would be a great opportunity to discuss about the Dalai Lama too… So these risks can be turned around and clarify who the Dalai Lama is, what he does, what is his motivation…
And also by seeing a picture of the Dalai Lama, many would get imprints, that is supposed to be good, right? (there are more people looking at advertising than people surfing through the Dalai Lama’s website).
Perhaps we should ask ourselves this:
-Does it have the potential to benefit people in a spiritual sense?
-Does it hurt people?
If we have YES and NO as answers, and if on top of that it challenges my conceptions, I think it is good.
His HH Dalai Lama is an influential figure in the world and whatever he endorses, it will have a large following. Therefore I think it is ok for religious figures to appear on billboards and spread their vision and what they stand for. The best quote fr HH is “My religion is compassion” which means a lot to people and it is universal. All human beings live by it as it is their inherent behavior, if we look deeper inside, we want people to be kind and compassionate to us as well as others by us.
Wow! To be able to see HH Dalai Lama in any aspect would be a great blessing. Not only to the people but other sentient beings as well. Therefore I’d prefer HH’s picture on the billboard rather than any other ads.
I think it is great advertisement for the Religious leader and his message. In this age, we got to use all the medium of communication we can to spread goodness and happiness.