Q&A with the Dalai Lama

Question: How do you view yourself?

Answer: I always consider myself as a simple Buddhist monk. I feel that is the real me. I feel that the Dalai Lama as a temporal ruler is a man-made institution. As long as the people accept the Dalai Lama, they will accept me. But being a monk is something which belongs to me. No one can change that. Deep down inside, I always consider myself a monk, even in my dreams. So naturally I feel myself as more of a religious person. Even in my daily life, I can say that I spend 80% of my time on spiritual activities and 20% on Tibet as a whole. The spiritual or religious life is something I know and have great interest in. I have some kind of confidence in it, and thus I want to study it more. Regarding politics, I have no modern education except for a little experience. It is a big responsibility for someone not so well equipped. This is not voluntary work but something that I feel I must pursue because of the hope and trust that the Tibetan people place on me.

Question: Will you be the last Dalai Lama?

Answer: Whether the institution of the Dalai Lama remains or not depends entirely on the wishes of the Tibetan people. It is for them to decide. I made this clear as early as in 1969. Even in 1963, after four years in exile, we made a draft constitution for a future Tibet which is based on the democratic system. The constitution clearly mentions that the power of the Dalai Lama can be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Assembly. At the present moment, the Dalai Lama's institution is useful to the Tibetan culture and the Tibetan people. Thus, if I were to die today, I think the Tibetan people would choose to have another Dalai Lama. In the future, if the Dalai Lama's institution is no longer relevant or useful and our present situation changes, then the Dalai Lama's institution will cease to exist.Personally, I feel the institution of the Dalai Lama has served its purpose. More recently, since 2001 we now have a democratically elected head of our administration, the Kalon Tripa. The Kalon Tripa runs the daily affairs of our administration and is in charge of our political establishment. Half jokingly and half seriously, I state that I am now in semi-retirement.

Question: Do you think you will ever be able to return to Tibet?

Answer: Yes, I remain optimistic that I will be able to return to Tibet. China is in the process of changing. If you compare China today to ten or twenty years ago, there is tremendous change. China is no longer isolated. It is part of the world community. Global interdependence, especially in terms of economics and environment make it impossible for nations to remain isolated. Besides, I am not seeking separation from China. I am committed to my middle-way approach whereby Tibet remains within the People's Republic of China enjoying a high degree of self-rule or autonomy. I firmly believe that this is of mutual benefit both to the Tibetans as well as to the Chinese. We Tibetans will be able to develop Tibet with China's assistance, while at the same time preserving our own unique culture, including spirituality, and our delicate environment. By amicably resolving the Tibetan issue, China will be able to contribute to her own unity and stability.

Question: The Chinese have recently stated that the next Dalai Lama will be born in Tibet and chosen by them. What do you have to say about this?

Answer: If the present situation regarding Tibet remains the same, I will be born outside Tibet away from the control of the Chinese authorities. This is logical. The very purpose of a reincarnation is to continue the unfinished work of the previous incarnation. Thus if the Tibetan situation still remains unsolved it is logical I will be born in exile to continue my unfinished work. Of course the Chinese will still choose their own Dalai Lama and we Tibetans will choose our own according to tradition. It will be similar to the present situation of the Panchen Lama. There is a Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama and there is the Panchen Lama chosen by me. One is paraded to serve its master's purposes and the other is the Panchen Lama accepted in the hearts of all the Tibetans.

Question: What are your commitments?

Answer: In general, I always state that I have three commitments in life. Firstly, on the level of a human being, my 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 lives happier. I remain committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone I meet. Secondly, on the level of a religious practitioner, my second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding amongst different religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create better human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other's respective traditions. Thirdly, I am a Tibetan and carry the name of the Dalai Lama. Tibetans place their trust in me. Therefore, my third commitment is to the Tibetan issue. I have a responsibility to act the free spokesperson of the Tibetans in their struggle for justice. As far as this third commitment, it will cease to exist once a mutually beneficial solution is reached between the Tibetans and Chinese. However, my first two commitments I will carry on till my last breath.

Question: What were your first feelings on being recognized as the Dalai Lama? What did you think had happened to you?

Answer: I was very happy. I liked it a lot. Even before I was recognized, I often told my mother that I was going to Lhasa. I used to straddle a window sill in our house pretending that I was riding a horse to Lhasa. I was a very small child at the time, but I remember this clearly. I had a strong desire to go there. Another thing I didn't mention in my autobiography is that after my birth, a pair of crows came to roost on the roof of our house. They would arrive each morning, stay for while and then leave. This is of particular interest as similar incidents occurred at the birth of the First, Seventh, Eighth and Twelfth Dalai Lamas. After their births, a pair of crows came and remained. In my own case, in the beginning, nobody paid attention to this. Recently, however, perhaps three years ago, I was talking with my mother, and she recalled it. She had noticed them come in the morning; depart after a time, and then the next morning, come again. Now, the evening the after the birth of the First Dalai Lama, bandits broke into the family's house. The parents ran away and left the child. The next day when they returned and wondered what had happened to their son, they found the baby in a corner of the house. A crow stood before him, protecting him. Later on, when the First Dalai Lama grew up and developed in his spiritual practice, he made direct contact during meditation with the protective deity, Mahakala. At this time, Mahakala said to him, Somebody like you who is upholding the Buddhist teaching needs a protector like me. Right on the day of your birth, I helped you.  So we can see, there is definitely a connection between Mahakala, the crows, and the Dalai Lamas.

Another thing that happened, which my mother remembers very clearly, is that soon after I arrived in Lhasa, I said that my teeth were in a box in a certain house in the Norbulinka. When they opened the box, they found a set of dentures which had belonged to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. I pointed to the box, and said that my teeth were in there, but right now I don't recall this at all. The new memories associated with this body are stronger. The past has become smaller, vaguer. Unless I made a specific attempt to develop such a memory, I don't recall it.

Question: Do you remember your birth or the womb state before?

Answer: At this moment, I don't remember. Also, I can't recall if at that time when I was a small child, I could remember it. However, there was one slight external sign perhaps. Children are usually born with their eyes closed. I was born with my eyes open. This may be some slight indication of a clear state of mind in the womb.

Question: Between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, after you assumed temporal power, did you change?

Answer: Yes, I changed a little bit. I underwent a lot of happiness and pain. Within that and from growing, gaining more experience, from the problems that arose and the suffering, I changed. The ultimate result is the man you see now (laughter).

Question: How about when you just entered adolescence? Many people have a difficult time defining themselves as an adult. Did this happen to you?

Answer: No. My life was very much in a routine. Two times a day I studied. Each time I studied for an hour, and then spent the rest of the time playing (laughter). Then at the age of 13, I began studying philosophy, definitions, debate. My study increased, and I also studied calligraphy. It was all in a routine though, and I got used to it. Sometimes, there were vacations. These were very comfortable and happy. Losang Samten, my immediate elder brother, was usually at school, but during these times he would come to visit. Also, my mother would come occasionally and bring special bread from our province of Amdo. Very thick and delicious. She made herself.

Question: Are there any of your predecessors in whom you have a special interest or with whom you have a particular affinity?

Answer: The Thirteenth Dalai Lama. He brought a lot of improvement to the standards of study in the monastic colleges. He gave great encouragement to the real scholars. He made it impossible for people to go up in the religious hierarchy, becoming an abbot and so forth, without being totally qualified. He was very strict in this respect. He also gave tens of thousands of monks' ordinations. There were his two main religious achievements. He didn't give many initiations, or many lectures. Now, with respect to the country, he had great thought and consideration for statecraft. The outlying districts in particular. How they should be governed and so forth. He cared very much how to run the government more efficiently. He had great concern about our borders and that type of thing.

Question: During the course of your life, what have been your greatest personal lessons or internal challenges? Which realizations and experiences have had the most effect on your growth as an individual?

Answer: Regarding religious experience, some understanding of shunya (emptiness: lack of independent self nature) some feeling, some experience and mostly bodhichitta, altruism. It has helped a lot. In some ways, you could say that it has made me into a new person, a new man. I am still progressing. Trying. It gives you inner strength, courage, and it is easier to accept situations. That's one of the greatest experiences.

Question: When you became a refugee, what helped you gain this strength? Was it the loss of your position and country, the fact of everyone suffering around you. Were you called on to lead your people in a different way than you had been accustomed to?

Answer: Being a refugee is really a desperate, dangerous situation. At that time, everyone deals with reality. It is not the time to pretend things are beautiful. That's something. You feel involved with reality. In peace time, everything goes smoothly. Even if there is a problem, people pretend that things are good. During a dangerous period, when there's a dramatic change, then there's no scope to pretend that everything is fine. You must accept that bad is bad. Now when I left the Norbulinka, there was danger. We were passing very near the Chinese military barracks. It was just on the other side of the river, the Chinese check post there. You see, we had definite information two or three weeks before I left, that the Chinese were fully prepared to attack us. It was only a question of the day and hour.

Question: About you being the incarnation of the bodhisattva of infinite compassion, Avalokiteshvara. How do you personally feel about this? Is it something you have an unequivocal view of one way or another?

Answer: It is difficult for me to say definitely. Unless I am engaged in a meditative effort, such as following my life back, breath by breath, I couldn't say exactly. We believe that there are four types of rebirth. One is the common type wherein, a being is helpless to determine his or her rebirth, but only reincarnates in dependence on the nature of past actions. The opposite is that of an entirely enlightened Buddha, who simply manifests a physical form to help others. In this case, it is clear that the person is Buddha. A third is one who, due to past spiritual attainment, can choose, or at least influence, the place and situation of rebirth. The fourth is called a blessed manifestation. In this the person is blessed beyond his normal capacity to perform helpful functions, such as teaching religion. For this last type of birth, the person's wishes in previous lives to help others must have been very strong. They obtain such empowerment. Though some seem more likely than others, I cannot definitely say which I am.

Question (follow up): From the viewpoint then of the realistic role you play as Chenrezi, how do you feel about it? Only a few people have been considered, in one way or another, divine. Is the role a burden or a delight?

Answer: It is very helpful. Through this role I can be of great benefit to people. For this reason I like it: I'm at home with it. It's clear that it is very helpful to people, and that I have the karmic relationship to be in this role. Also, it is clear that there is a karmic relationship with the Tibetan people in particular. Now you see, you may consider that under the circumstances, I am very lucky. However, behind the word luck, there are actual causes or reasons. There is the karmic force of my ability to assume this role as well as the force of my wish to do so. In regard to this, there is a statement in the great Shantideva's Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds which says, As long as space exists, and as long as there are migrators in cyclic existence, may I remain removing their sufferings. I have that wish in this lifetime, and I know I had that wish in past lifetimes.

Question (follow up): With such a vast goal as your motivation, how do you deal with your personal limitations, your limits as a man?

Answer: Again, as it says in Shantideva, If the blessed Buddha cannot please all sentient beings, then how could I. Even an enlightened being, with limitless knowledge and power and the wish to save all others from suffering, cannot eliminate the individual karma of each being.

Question (follow up): Is this what keeps you from being overwhelmed when you see the suffering of the six million Tibetans, who on one level, you are responsible for?

Answer: My motivation is directed towards all sentient beings. There is no question, though, that on a second level, I am directed towards helping Tibetan. If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.

Question (follow up): A lot of people say this, but few really live by it. Did you always feel this way, or did you have to learn it?

Answer: It is developed from inner practice. From a broader perspective, there will always be suffering. On one level, you are bound to meet with the effects of the unfavorable actions you yourself have previously committed in body, speech or mind. Then also, your very own nature is that of suffering. There's not just one factor figuring into my attitude, but many different ones. From the point of view of the actual entity producing the suffering, as I have said, if it is fixable, then there is no need to worry. If not, there is no benefit to worrying. From the point of view of the cause, suffering is based on past unfavorable actions accumulated by oneself and no other. These karmas are not wasted. They will bear their fruit. One will not meet with the effects of actions that one has not done oneself. Finally, from the viewpoint of the nature of suffering itself, the aggregates of the mind and body have as their actual nature, suffering. They serve as a basis for suffering. As long as you have them you are susceptible to suffering. From a deep point of view, while we don't have our independence and are living in someone else's country, we have a certain type of suffering, but when we return to Tibet and gain our independence, then there will be other types of suffering. So, this is just the way it is. You might think that I'm pessimistic, but I am not. This is how, through Buddhist teaching and advice, we handle situations. When fifty thousand people in the Shakya clan were killed one day, Shakyamuni Buddha, their clansman, didn't suffer at all. He was leaning against a tree, and he was saying, I am a little sad today because fifty thousand of my clansmen were killed. But he, himself, remained unaffected. Like that, you see (laughter). This was the cause and effect of their own karma. There was nothing he could do about it. These sorts of thoughts make me stronger; more active. It is not at all a case of losing one's strength of mind or will in the face of the pervasive nature of suffering.

Original link: http://dalailama.com/biography/questions--answers

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Teaches the Tibetan Community in Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 21 February 2016 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama left the religious institution where he’s been staying in Rochester early this morning for a nearly ninety mile drive to Minneapolis. The local Tibetan community there had invited him to teach. The journey took him through a frozen landscape of rolling fields still bearing remnants of the winter snow.

Arriving at the Minneapolis Convention Center he was welcomed by representatives of the Tibetan community as he stepped out of his car and was offered the traditional ‘Chema Changpu’ once inside the building. Tibetan children danced and sang a delightful song of praise to him as he took the stage. His face radiant and brimming with health, he waved to the audience before greeting the assembled lamas and monks. Mayor of Minneapolis, Betsy Hodges and State Representative Carolyn Laine welcomed him to their city.

President of the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota, Dr Tsewang Ngodup spoke briefly, rejoicing in His Holiness’s good health and thanking him for accepting the Foundation’s invitation. He noted the additional auspiciousness of its being Losar, the day before the Day of Miracles and the beginning of a Monkey Year with its propitious links to Guru Padmasambhava. He affirmed Minnesotan Tibetans' aim to be active members of the Tibetan diaspora, to contribute to their local communities and conduct themselves as global citizens. He expressed a wish that His Holiness’s medical treatment be a complete success.

Seated before thangkas of Chenrezig, the Medicine Buddha and Guru Rinpoche, His Holiness began his talk:

“I always start by greeting my brothers and sisters. That’s how I think of you and how I think of all 7 billion human beings, so I’m never lonely. Many Tibetans came here as refugees, although many of them have passed on. Now there is a new generation who were born and brought up here. I’ve met you now and then over the last ten years that I’ve been receiving care at the Mayo Clinic. Two years ago we celebrated Losar together and I’m happy to see you all again.

“I’m glad to know that you are trying to preserve our traditional values. It's 57 years now that we’ve been in exile, while the turmoil in Tibet began 60 years ago. Nevertheless, you’ve kept your spirits up, which is praiseworthy, and maintained our cherished values, for which I’d like to thank you all. The Tibetan spirit is strong and we’ve kept our culture and religious traditions alive, which is important because they have a contribution to make to the world at large. That’s something to be proud of. The Nalanda tradition is based on logic and reason, which is why aspects of it appeal to scientists today. We Tibetans are able to study these traditions in our own language without any need to look elsewhere. It remains our responsibility to keep these traditions alive and to raise our children with love and affection.

“Today I want to speak about some of the thoughts and experiences I’ve had as a human being, not as a Buddhist or as Dalai Lama.”

He said he was committed to sharing with others how to help humanity live more happily and more peacefully. The key is to develop a concern for others’ well-being; a sense of compassion. He noted that many of the problems we face are of our own making, worst among them being when others are killed. He remarked that we feel concern when we hear about someone being killed by a tiger or an elephant, but we seem to accept reports of people killing each other as something normal. He reminded his listeners that although they were comfortable where they sat, at the same time, in other parts of the world, people were dying violently, some in the name of religion. He drew attention to the link between our physical and verbal actions and our emotions. If, instead of anger, hatred and suspicion, we were moved by loving-kindness, we would naturally have greater respect for others and our actions would be non-violent.

His Holiness observed that we live in a materialistic world in which there is insufficient attention to human values. We rely for satisfaction on material things rather than on warm-heartedness. But, as human beings, we are social animals. We need friendship and friendship depends on trust. Building trust depends on concern for others and defending their rights, not doing them harm. Friendship has a direct link to warm-heartedness, which also has benefits for our physical health. He added that some scientists have found that constant anger, fear and suspicion undermine our immune system.

“In my experience, what we need is a calm mind and warm-heartedness provides a basis for that. That’s how we make ourselves happy as individuals in families, local communities and nations. I believe that if we can train those who are young today in these qualities the world will be a more peaceful place later in this century. I try to promote human values because we tend to forget that we are all the same as human beings. If you think of me as your friend, try to do the same. This is not something we can hope the government or the UN can do, real change starts with individuals. We each have to make a contribution. I request you to do so too.”

Applause rippled across the nearly 3000 people in the hall.

“Let me add one thing,” His Holiness resumed. “I’ve been in conversation with scientists for more than 30 years. Many of them show an interest in learning about the science of the mind. Ancient Indian understanding of the mind is profound when compared to modern psychology which seems to be at an early stage of development.

“However, scientists have shown that even infants who are too young to talk can distinguish between illustrations of harmful and helpful behaviour and respond positively to help and negatively to harm. They conclude that basic human nature is compassionate. And this gives us hope.”

His Holiness explained that his second commitment is to promoting inter-religious harmony. He declared that, despite their apparent philosophical differences, all religions carry a common message of love, forgiveness and tolerance. Their common purpose is to produce compassionate human beings. He cited the examples of religious people dedicated to the service of humanity. He noted too that the Buddha taught different things at different times and places to different people. This was not because he was confused, nor because he sought to confuse others. It was because he appreciated that people of different aptitudes respond better to different explanations, much as the same illness may respond to different remedies.

Pointing out that many religions teach about God the creator, there are others, a branch of the Samkhya tradition, Jainism and Buddhism among them, that teach that responsibility for what we do and what happens to us rests on our own shoulders. However, thinking of God as a being of infinite love and seeking to emulate him is a very powerful practice.

“Those of us who follow a religious practice ourselves have a responsibility to work to foster inter-religious harmony.”

During the course of his talk His Holiness spoke some of the time in Tibetan and asked his translator to provide the essence of what he’d said and at other times spoke directly in English himself.

“I’m also a Tibetan,” he said, “and since I’ve been nurtured by Tibetans since I was small, I can never give up the cause of Tibet. In 2001 I semi-retired from political responsibility and in 2011 completely retired. I did this to promote democracy. Still, Tibetans both within Tibet and outside have placed their hopes in me, but now my responsibility is to work to protect Tibet’s natural environment, which is fragile and delicate because of the altitude and dry climate. Because they see it as important to global climate change as the North and South Poles, some environmentalists have referred to the Tibetan Plateau as the Third Pole. Special care needs to be taken of it.”

Describing Tibetan culture as a culture of peace and non-violence, His Holiness suggested it can contribute to making the world a more peaceful, compassionate place. As for Tibet’s Buddhist traditions, he said it seems to be the most complete transmission of the traditions of India’s Nalanda University, including logic, psychology and a range of philosophical views. These traditions are contained in the more than 300 volumes of Buddhist literature translated, mostly from Sanskrit, into Tibetan.

At this point a small girl dressed in red came and stood right in front of the stage looking up at His Holiness. He smiled and waved to her, asked how old she was and heard that she was four. She held his gaze steadily for some time before turning and running back to her family. His Holiness remarked:

“Children like this are very pure and open. They have no prejudices or preconceptions. They aren’t bothered by the secondary differences of colour, faith, nationality, wealth or education that seem to pre-occupy adults. We would be better to be like them and one remedy is to remember that we are all the same as human beings.”

His Holiness resumed his account of the Nalanda tradition’s being introduced to Tibet by the great Nalanda scholar Shantarakshita. He came at the invitation of Tibetan Emperor Trisong Detsen. That he was a great scholar can be seen today in his writings such as the ‘Compendium of Reality’, which His Holiness said he has suggested that both the Nyingma Monastery of Namdroling and Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in South India include in their curriculums. Shantarakshita gave the first monastic ordination in Tibet, helped found the first monastery at Samye, and explained the great treatises, as well as encouraging and participating in the translation of Buddhist literature into Tibetan. The renowned Indian traveller, Rahul Sankrityayan, who made several trips to Tibet in the early 20th century, noted with bemusement that although images of Guru Padmasambhava widely prevailed in Tibet, he saw not one statue of Shantarakshita.

After the achievements of the 8th century, in the 9th, Tibet fragmented politically and Buddhism declined. In the 11th century, a descendant of the earlier emperors, the King of Ngari invited Dipamkara Atisha from the Indian university of Vikramashila. He composed his seminal text ‘Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment’ at Thöling. His principal student Drom Ton, Gyalwai Jungney founded the Kadampa tradition. Within that were those who belonged to the scholarly lineage, who studied classic Indian treatises, those who belonged to the stages of the path lineage and those who belonged to the instruction lineage. Geshe Langri Tangpa, disciple of Potowa and author of the ‘Eight Verses for Training the Mind’, which His Holiness had been invited to teach, belonged to the scholarly lineage.

Taking up the text, His Holiness explained that the first verse emphasised the practice of altruism - ‘May I always cherish all beings.’ But, His Holiness asked, what does the ‘I’ refer to? He explained that while many Indian philosophical schools asserted the existence of an independent self, all four Buddhist schools of thought reject a permanent, independent, self-sufficient self. He quoted Nagarjuna:

A person is not earth, not water,


Not fire, not wind, not space, 

Not consciousness, and not all of them. 

What person is there other than these? 

Noting that while a person is designated on the basis of these six elements, those elements too exist only as designations. His Holiness stated clearly that understanding this is not easy and that he has been working on it for 60 years. He suggested that 40 years ago it began to make sense. Asking what would be the use of such an understanding, he answered that it was related to developing peace of mind. His Holiness mentioned that when he was talking to some Christian nuns the other day one asked what to do about our strong ego. He said he told her that it’s very powerful to think of yourself as just one small part in the whole of God’s creation.

Turning to the ‘Eight Verses' again, he explained that the first verse shows you should have compassion and affection for others. The second is about humility, the third is about being mindful in daily life, for example applying the anti-dote of love when you sense anger arising. The fourth verse is about not giving in to anger but showing compassion when you encounter uncouth, unruly people, while the fifth recommends accepting defeat and giving the victory to others. The sixth verse advises cultivating patience when those you have helped scorn you. The seventh deals with the practice of giving and taking; imagining giving virtue to others and taking their sufferings upon yourself. The final of the eight verses tells you not to give in to the eight worldly concerns and to see everything as like an illusion, completely lacking independent existence.

His Holiness then led the gathering of nearly 3000, including about 2000 Tibetans, in reciting three verses as the basis for generating the awakening mind. With regard to the first verse that dealt with taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, he said that those belonging to other faiths could visualize and imagine addressing their own objects of refuge. The second verse dealt explicitly with developing the awakening mind and the third rouses courage to do the practice.

For as long as space endures

And for as long as living beings remain,

Until then may I too abide

To dispel the misery of the world.

His Holiness concluded his talk with a succinct explanation of making progress through the five paths, which he related to the mantra found in the ‘Heart of Wisdom’. He said the first ‘gate’ indicates the path of accumulation, the second ‘gate’ the path of preparation, ‘paragate’ indicates the path of seeing, ‘parasamgate’ the path of meditation and ‘bodhi svaha’ the attainment of enlightenment.

After representatives of the organizers had offered white silk ‘katas’, His Holiness smiled and, waving to the happy crowd, left the stage. He was offered lunch before climbing into a car once more and driving back to Rochester.

Link to original article & photos: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1369-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-teaches-the-tibetan-community-in-minneapolis