His Holiness supports Empire

It is a strange world we live in when the Dalai Lama (whom I have always admired), eschews his 'apolitical' position and weighs in in the propaganda war on the side of Empire.

Dalai Lama attacks 'self-centred' Vladimir Putin

Dalai Lama states Vladimir Putin is "self-centred" and wants to "rebuild the Berlin Wall" as Ukraine's Orthodox Church head claims Russian leader is possessed by Satan

the Telegraph,

7 September, 2014

Vladimir Putin came under attack by religious leaders on Sunday, with the Dalai Lama describing him as "self-centred" and the head of Ukraine's Orthodox Church claiming the Russian preisdent is possessed by Satan.

The Dalai Lama, in an interview with a German newspaper, pointed out that Mr Putin had served as Russian president, then prime minister and then president again.

"That's a bit too much," he told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. "This is very self-centred." "His attitude is: 'I, I, I'," Tibet's exiled spiritual leader explained.

Referring to the ongoing Ukraine crisis, the Dalai Lama said: "We had become accustomed (to the fact) that the Berlin Wall has fallen.

"Now President Putin seems to want to rebuild it. But he is hurting his own country by doing this. Isolation is suicide for Russia."

Surprisingly, the Dalai Lama compared China favourably to Russia. China has ruled Tibet since invading the country in 1950.

"China and Russia, these are two very different cases," said the Dalai Lama, voicing hope that "the modern world supports China becoming a democratic country".

"China wants to be part of the global political system and will be ready to accept the international rules in the long run," he said in the interview conducted in English.

"I don't have the impression that this accounts for Russia and President Putin, as well, at the moment."

Patriarch Filaret, meanwhile, claimed Mr Putin is possessed by Satan and faces eternal damnation unless he repents.

The head of Ukraine's Orthodox Church said in a statement titled "New Cain" that Mr Putin was trying to "incite bloodshed and killings" in eastern Ukraine.

"With great regret I must now say publicly that among the rulers of this world ... there has appeared a new Cain, not by his name but by his deeds," he said

"Like the first fratricide of history Cain, these deeds show that the aforementioned ruler has fallen under the action of Satan," he said in the statement, published on the patriarchate's website in Ukrainian, Russian and English.

Mr Putin "himself tells obvious outward lies: while organising and sending mercenary killers to our countries, he talks about an 'internal conflict' in which he is allegedly not involved," he said.

Patriarch Filaret heads the Kiev Patriarchate, a branch of the Orthodox Church that broke away from Moscow in 1992

The patriarch added that Ukrainians had repeatedly called on Mr Putin "and his accomplices to come to their senses, stop sowing evil and death, and repent".

"But it seems that he remains deaf to these calls and only multiplies evil because he, like Judas Iscariot, has become possessed by Satan."

Patriarch Filaret added there was still hope for Mr Putin.

"However, relying on God's mercy to all sinners, yet we maintain hope on repentance of this ruler and refer to him the call of millions of people: Stop, cease the multiplication of lies and murder, come to your senses!", the statement says.

About 15 per cent of Ukrainians are believed to be members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Its much larger Moscow-based counterpart has direct ties to the Russian Orthodox Church led by Patriarch Kirill – a close Putin ally who plays an increasingly visible role in politics.

On Sunday a fragile ceasefire deal agreed on Friday was in tatters, after pro-Russian forces launched an intense artillery bombardment of Ukrainian positions on the outskirts of Mariupol. A woman died – the first death since the announcement of the deal – and at least four people were wounded.

This is heaven-sent to propagandists for the Kiev junta

Here is an alternative view from historian, Michael Parenti

Michael Parenti - Dalai Lama is not all he's cracked up to be?