Buddhist Leader Supports Video Games

By Akela Talamasca on September 22nd, 2009

karmapa17 Finally, someone in a position of authority says what I’ve been saying all along. I must be more spiritually advanced than I thought I was! Trinley Dorje is the Karmapa Lama, the leader of one of the four major sects of Tibetan Buddhism. He’s also only 24 years old, which puts him right at the center of influence for modern culture’s temptations, which include video games.

During a recent interview with The Times of India, Dorje talks about how playing video games actually helps him manage negative emotions in a cathartic manner. “The aggression that comes out in the video game satiates whatever desire I might have to express that feeling,” he says. “For me, that’s very skillful because when I do that I don’t have to go and hit anyone over the head.”

This is a statement that flies in direct contradiction to all those lawsuits that allege that video games create killing machines out of our susceptible youth. I’ve been playing video games ever since there’ve been video games to play, and I’ve never struck another being in anger, nor used a weapon to harm anyone. It’s unfortunate that The Karmapa Lama didn’t go on to actually name any of the games he enjoys; that would be quite a coup for the advertising departments of those games. “Achieve inner peace — play Call of Duty 5!” Manolith salutes you, Trinley Dorje: Best. Spiritual leader. Ever.