Dalai Lama: How We Create Problems for Ourselves

His Holiness the Dalai Lama talks about how human beings create problems for themselves during his meeting with medical students from Tulane University in the USA at his residence in Dharamsala, HP, India on July 17, 2019.

Venue: His Holiness's Residence, Dharamsala, HP, India
Date: July 17, 2019 
Duration: 2 minutes and 10 seconds
Languages: English

Original link: https://www.dalailama.com/videos/how-we-create-problems-for-ourselves

Dalai Lama Meets with Deepak Chopra and Friends

Deepak Chopra and Friends Meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India - Indian-born American author and public speaker Deepak Chopra and 45 close friends met His Holiness the Dalai Lama this morning. His Holiness welcomed them saying:

“We’ve met a few times before, but now I’m happy to be able to welcome you here, my spiritual brothers and sisters, to what has been my home for the last nearly 60 years.

“In today’s world, despite extensive material development, we face all kinds of problems. Natural disasters are beyond our control, but fighting and killing are things we could put a stop to. However, we pay too much attention to material goals and not enough to human values like love. Many of the problems we face are of our own creation and yet scientists tell us that basic human nature is compassionate. They also tell us that cultivating a compassionate attitude is good for our physical health, while constant anger and fear undermine our immune systems.

“We don’t give enough weight to inner values. We see other people in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’. Even religious practitioners do this. We distinguish between our country and their country. Young children don’t care about such distinctions. If other children smile and play, they’re happy to be with them. It’s only when we get older that we begin to stress secondary differences between us. We need to look deeper and appreciate that we are all the same in being human. And I believe we have a responsibility to share the importance of warm-heartedness.”

“Since we last met in New Jersey,” Deepak Chopra interpolated, “it has become clear that many ailments are a result of inner inflammation and that meditation is a means of calming it down.”

“I appreciate the work you do.” His Holiness responded, “We all belong to the 7 billion human beings. Mentally, emotionally and physically we are the same, so we should each contribute as best we can to making humanity better and happier. We should try to make this 21st century different from the 20th century, a period spoiled by violence, a time when brilliant scientists dedicated themselves to improving weapons. The outbursts of fighting and killing we see here and there today are a consequence of that old way of thinking that problems can be solved through the use of force. Instead, we should acknowledge our different interests and ideas and make this a century of dialogue.”

In answering questions from the group, His Holiness explained that just as we can’t assert that one medicine is best for everyone, because what is required will depend on the patient’s age, condition and ailment, we can’t state that a particular religious tradition is best. Different people may find different traditions and practices more effective for them. Tibetans follow the Nalanda Tradition which means they study the works of various masters and he indicated the figures depicted in paintings hanging around the room. They analyze and investigate contrasting points of view, which deepens their understanding. For the individual, His Holiness added, the important thing is to find a practice that helps tackle the destructive emotions.

Asked to name a world leader he admired, His Holiness mentioned Mahatma Gandhi, who, despite his sophisticated education, returned to India where he dressed like an ordinary Indian and promoted ahimsa or non-violence during the freedom struggle. He also acknowledged Rajendra Prasad, first President of India and Willy Brandt who maintained contact with the Soviet Union even during the Cold War.

Invited to explain how to be compassionate while being wronged, His Holiness recommended recognizing that we are all just human beings. He declared that he’d found such an approach of immense help in his own life. Whoever he meets he feels is just like him, someone he can regard as a brother or sister. When he thinks of Chinese officials in Tibet who have imposed hardship on Tibetans, he reminds himself that they too are human beings. As social animals, human beings depend on the community in which they live, which is why His Holiness emphasizes the importance of remembering the oneness of humanity.

He went on to discuss non-violence and what a waste it is to dedicate talent and resources to developing, manufacturing and selling weapons. He recounted a meeting of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome and being shocked by a description of the consequences should nuclear weapons be used. He immediately suggested that a timetable be set for their elimination, but nothing happened. Nevertheless, he said, it is essential not to give up the effort, not only on the level of leaders and organizations like the UN, but on an ordinary public level too.

“As brothers and sisters we must take action,” he said, “to bring about a peaceful world step by step.”

In the face of modern education’s predominantly material goals His Holiness recommended adding to instructions about physical hygiene advice about emotional hygiene and ways to tackle destructive emotions. Children can be taught to recognize that anger and fear ruin our peace of mind, while other destructive emotions disrupt family harmony. He noted that the ancient Indian understanding of the workings of the mind and emotions remains relevant and helpful on a practical level today.

“In the early 20th century,” His Holiness added, “scientists only showed interest in learning about the brain as distinct from the mind. Gradually, some of them have come to recognize that there are different levels of mind—sensory waking consciousness, the consciousness of the dream state, the subtler awareness of deep sleep and so forth. Some meditators have experienced these different levels of mind in meditation, while scientists have begun to see how they affect the brain.

“In schools we need to teach not only about physical fitness, but about mental fitness too. In general, modern India pays too little attention to this kind of understanding, but I am committed to encouraging a revival of ancient Indian knowledge in this country. I am convinced that India is the only country that can combine modern education with ancient Indian knowledge of the mind and emotions and share it with the wider world.”

original link & photos: https://www.dalailama.com/news/2019/deepak-chopra-and-friends-meet-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama

Dalai Lama on the Natural World

If there is one area in which both education and the media have a special responsibility, it is, I believe, our natural environment. This responsibility has less to do with questions of right or wrong than with the question of survival. The natural world is our home. It is not necessarily sacred or holy. It is simply where we live.

It is therefore in our interest to look after it. This is common sense. But only recently have the size of our population and the power of science and technology grown to the point that they have a direct impact on nature. To put it' another way, until now, Mother Earth has been able to tolerate our sloppy house habits. However, the stage has now been reached where she can no longer accept our behaviour in silence. The problems caused by environmental disasters can be seen as her response to our irresponsible behaviour. She is warning us that there are limits even to her tolerance.

Nowhere are the consequences of our failure to exercise discipline in the way we relate to our environment more apparent than in the case of present-day Tibet. It is no exaggeration to say that the Tibet I grew up in was a wildlife paradise. Every traveller who visited Tibet before the middle of the twentieth century remarked on this.

Animals were rarely hunted, except in the remotest areas where crops could not be grown. Indeed, it was customary for government officials annually to issue a proclamation protecting wildlife: Nobody, it read, however humble or noble, shall harm or do violence to the creatures of the waters or the wild. The only exceptions to this were rats and wolves.

As a young man, I recall seeing great numbers of different species whenever I travelled outside Lhasa. My chief memory of the three-month journey across Tibet from my birthplace at Takster in the East to Lhasa, where I was formally proclaimed Dalai Lama as a four-year-old boy, is of the wildlife we encountered along the way.

Immense herds of kiang (wild asses) and drong (wild yak) freely roamed the great plains. Occasionally we would catch sight of shimmering herds of gowa, the shy Tibetan gazelle, of wa, the white-lipped deer, or of tso, our majestic antelope. I remember, too, my fascination for the little chibi, or pika, which would congregate on grassy areas. They were so friendly. I loved to watch the birds: the dignified gho (the bearded eagle) soaring high above monasteries and perched up in the mountains; the flocks of geese (nangbar); and occasionally, at night, to hear the call of the wookpa (the long-eared owl)

Even in Lhasa, one did not feel in any way cut off from the natural world. In my rooms at the top of the Potala, the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas, I spent countless hours as a child studying the behaviour of the red-beaked khyungkar which nested in the crevices of its walls. And behind the Norbulingka, the summer palace, I often saw pairs of trung trung Oapanes blacknecked cranes), birds which for me are the epitome of elegance and grace, that lived in the marshlands there. And all this is not to mention the crowning glory of Tibetan fauna: the bears and mountain foxes, the chanku (wolves), and sazik (the beautiful snow leopard), and thesik (lynx) which struck terror into the hearts of the normal farmer - or the gentle-faced giant panda (thorn tra), whi.ch is native to the border area between Tibet and China.

Sadly, this profusion of wildlife is no longer to be found. Partly due to hunting but primarily due to loss of habitat, what remains half a century after Tibet was occupied is only a small fraction of what there was. Without exception, every Tibetan I have spoken with who has been back to visit Tibet after thirty to forty years has reported on a striking absence of wildlife. Whereas before wild animals would often come close to the house, today they are hardly anywhere to be seen.

Equally troubling is the devastation of Tibet's forests. In the past, the hills were all thickly wooded; today those who have been back report that they are clean-shaven like a monk's head. The government in Beijing has admitted that the tragic flooding of western China, and further afield, is in part due to this. And yet I hear continuous reports of round-the-clock convoys oftrucks carrying logs east out of Tibet. This is especially tragic given the country's mountainous terrain and harsh climate. It means that replanting requites sustained care and attention. Unfortunately there is little evidence of this.

None of this is to say that, historically, we Tibetans were deliberately 'conservationist'. We were not. The idea of something called 'pollution' simply never occurred to us. There is no denying we were rather spoiled in this respect. A small population inhabited a very large area with clean, dry air and an abundance of pure mountain water. This innocent attitude toward cleanliness meant that when we Tibetans went into exile, we were astonished to discover, for example, the existence of streams whose water is not drinkable. Like an only child, no matter what we did, Mother Earth tolerated our behaviour. The result was that we had no proper understanding of cleanliness and hygiene. People would spit or blow their nose in the street without giving it a second thought. Indeed, saying this, I recall one elderly Khampa, a former bodyguard who used to come each day to circumambulate my residence in Dharamsala (a popular devotion). Unfortunately, he suffered greatly from bronchitis. This was exacerbated by the incense he carried. At each corner, therefore, he would pause to cough and expectorate so ferociously that I sometimes wondered whether he had come to pray or just to spit!

Over the years, since our first arriving in exile, I have taken a close interest in environmental issues. The Tibetan government in exile has paid particular attention to introducing our children to their responsibilities as residents of this fragile planet. And I never hesitate to speak out on the subject whenever I am given the opportunity. In particular, I always stress the need to consider how our actions, in affecting the environment, are likely to affect others. I admit that this is very often difficult to judge. We cannot say for sure what the ultimate effects of, for example, deforestation might be on the soil and the local rainfall, let alone what the implications are for the planet's weather systems. The only clear thing is that we humans are the only species with the power to destroy the earth as we know it. The birds have no such power, nor do the insects, nor does any mammal. Yet if we have the capacity to destroy the earth, so, too, do we have the capacity to protect it.

What is essential is that we find methods of manufacture that do not destroy nature. We need to find ways of cutting down on our use of wood and other limited natural resources. I am no expert in this field, and I cannot suggest how this might be done. I know only that.it is possible, given the necessary determination. For example, I recall hearing on a visit to Stockholm some years ago that for the first time in many years fish were retUrning to the river that runs through the city. Until recently, there were none due to industrial pollution. Yet this improvement was by no means the result of all the local factories closing down. Likewise, on a visit tei Germany, I was shown an industrial development designed to produce no pollution. So, clearly, solutions do exist to limit damage to the natural world without bringing industry to a halt.

This does not mean that I believe that we can rely on technology to overcome all our problems. Nor do I believe we can afford to continue destructive practices in anticipation of technical fixes being developed. Besides, the environment does not need fixing. It is our behaviour in relation to it that needs to change. I question whether, in the case of such a massive looming disaster as that caused by the greenhouse effect, a fix could ever exist, even in theory. And supposing it could, we have to ask whether it would ever be feasible to apply it on the scale that would be required. What of t_e expense and what of the cost in terms' of our natural resources? I suspect that these would be prohibitively high. There is also the fact that in many other fields-such as in the humanitarian relief of hunger-there are already insufficient funds to cover the work that could be undertaken. Therefore, even if one were to argue that the necessary funds could be raised, morally speaking this would be almost impossible to justify given such deficiencies. It would not be right to deploy huge sums simply in order to enable the industrialized nations to continue their harmful practices while people in other places cannot even feed themselves.

All this points to the need to recognize the universal dimension of our actions and, based on this, to exercise restraint. The necessity of this is forcefully demonstrated when we come to consider the propagation of our species. Although from 'the point of view of all the major religions, the more humans the better, and although it may be true that some of the latest studies suggest a population implosion a century from now, still I believe we cannot ignore this issue. As a monk, it is perhaps inappropriate for me to comment on these matters. I believe that family planning is important. Of course, I do pot mean to suggest we should not have children. Human life is a precious resource and married couples should have children unless there are compelling reasons not to. The idea of not having children just because we want to enjoy a full life without responsibility is quite mistaken I think. At the same time, couples do have a duty to consider the impact our numbers have on the natural environment. This is especially true given the impact of modern 'technology.

Fortunately, more and more people are coming to recognize the importance of ethical discipline as a means to ensuring a healthy place to live. For this reason I am optimistic that disaster can be averted. Until comparatively recently, few people gave much thought to the effects of human activity on our planet. Yet today there are even political parties whose main concern is this. Moreover, the fact that the air we breathe, the water we drink, the forests and oceans which sustain millions of different life forms, and the Climatic patterns which govern out weather systems all transcend national boundaries is a source of hope. It means that no country, Be matter _either how rich and powerful or how poor and weak it may be, can afford not to take action in respect of this issue.

As far as the individual is concerned, the problems resulting from our neglect of our natural environment are a powerful reminder that we all have a contribution to make. And while one person's actions may not have a significant impact, the combined effect of millions of individuals' actions certainly does. This means that it is time for all those living in the industrially developed nations to give serious thought to changing their lifestyle. Again this is not so much a question of ethics. The fact that the population of the rest of the world has an equal right to improve their standard of living is in some ways more important than the affluent being able to continue their lifestyle. If this is to be fulfilled without causing irredeemable violence to the natural world-with all the negative consequences for happiness that this would entail-the richer countries must set an example. The cost to the planet, and thus the cost to humanity, of ever-increasing standards of living, is simply too great.

Excerpt from Ancient Wisdom, Modern World: Ethics for the New Millennium by Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Published by Little, Brown and Company, United Kingdom J 999. (pp 2 J 3 -220).

Dalai Lama on the Importance of Education

From his speech in Dharamsala to a large gathering of followers from Tibet on Mar 27, 2006, the Dalai Lama warns of extreme dangers facing the survival of the Tibetan identity while emphasizing that modern education is indispensable for sustaining the Tibetan Buddhist culture and ethnicity in these most difficult circumstances in Tibet's history.

I always keep saying that the broad masses of the Tibetans in Tibet are the real masters of the Tibetan destiny, and that the about one and half hundred-thousand Tibetans in exile here only represent them for accomplishing the truth of the Tibetan cause, acting as their free spokespersons and symbolic representatives.

So far the broad masses of the public in Tibet have remained in a distressed state as a result of the deprivation of their freedoms. Nevertheless, even when faced with dangers to their lives, they have, in every respect, remained steadfast in upholding the higher cause of their ethnicity and the common faith in their future prospects, keeping in mind their rights as a people. It is for these reasons that we have an audience on the world stage to whom we can speak about the tragedy and well being of Tibet, and what we say are received with respect as true. The principal asset for our credibility on the world stage is the people back in Tibet, their dedication to the common cause, indefatigable courage, and steadfast stand. It is because of these that the truth of our position stands proven. We therefore owe gratitude to the people in Tibet for their genuine dedication to the common cause and unassailable commitment to the common faith that binds them with us. I regularly say thank you to the broad masses of the people in Tibet through those who come here and I felt an urge to say it again today.

In future, too, the question whether in this world a unique people called the inhabitants of the Snowland of Tibet, and the profound culture and religion connected with them, would survive and thrive depends mainly on the people living in Tibet. Thinking from the opposite end, it is not impossible that the situation of the Tibetan people in Tibet will take such a tragic turn that they will become a minority in their own land. In such a situation, if those in Tibet fail to uphold the common aspiration of the Tibetan race, it will be extremely difficult for us in exile to be able to maintain the Tibetan ethnic identity and to carry out things like keeping, defending and spreading the Tibetan religion and culture beyond some generations. Things will be just all right during my generation in exile. After that, there will be another generation. It is possible that the situation will be fairly all right during their time. But it is impossible to say whether beyond that generation the situation will be good or bad. Extreme dangers lurk us in our future. The essential point is that the people living in Tibet are extremely important. In view of this, what is most important is that everyone should act with diligence, without any loss of determination.

One of the main ways of being diligent is to pay particular attention to the pursuit of knowledge. The world is undergoing an enormous transformation today. Even in the communist ruled countries, knowledge is considered important. Previously, during the Cultural Revolution, it was as if knowledge had lost all respect and value. But today, in the case of China, the situation is nothing like in the 1960s. Reports have also been emerging that even North Korea has, for example, been compelled to give importance to the value of modern knowledge. So, when I say that we should make efforts without loss of courage, the essence of it is that we must bring emphasis particularly on education.

Our freedom campaign is based on non-violence. Following the path of non-violence is the business capital and pride of our campaign. If we do not have truth on our side, we will have no alternative but to keep suffering. Having truth on one's side gives one the pride to be transparent about everything and to speak reason in a face-to-face exchange. It is on the basis of knowledge that truth must be vindicated by non-violent means. There is no way this task can be accomplished by just an act of taking a solemn oath.

In the area of modern knowledge, Tibetans have lagged extremely behind. Not only was the imperative for it not felt from the very beginning, there has also been no deliberately established system for pursuing it. His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama visited China in 1907, 1908, etc., and India during the period of 1910-1911 and witnessed many things about the outside world. As a result, from 1915 to 1920, he made such sound beginnings as sending some Tibetan students to countries like England with plans to have them study English and to acquire related modern mechanical skills and knowledge. However, he did not succeed in continuing these. These are matters of extreme regret. Anyway, although the 13th Dalai Lama had a broad vision for reforms, there were many internal and external elements and obstacles that rendered his efforts fruitless.

In 1960, the year after we arrived in exile in India in April 1959, we were able to speedily set up our first school in Mussoorie. Considerable effort was made to set up schools to give opportunities for modern education to the Tibetans in exile. In particular, in the early 1960s, many initiatives were taken to give more importance to setting up schools than monasteries in the Tibetan community in exile. The main reason why we especially devoted more attention to setting up schools was because it was extremely obvious that one cause of the miserable situation in which the Tibetan race found itself in was attributable to our major failure of being up to the standard in the field of modern knowledge. This resulted in our inability to set out strategies as a people at par with the rest of the world; it exposed us as too backward to be able to meet the challenges of modern times. It was in view of this that we considered setting up schools to be more important than building religious centres.

The public back in Tibet too should draw lessons from this and consider paying attention to the pursuit of modern knowledge as extremely important. In Tibet today there is a big problem in this area, including the fact that one has to pay high fees for educating one's children. Nevertheless, undaunted by both the internal and external hardships, they continue to send their children to schools, whether they are being run by the Chinese government or by private Tibetans. Everywhere in Dotoe, Domey and U-Tsang, Tibetans in large numbers are emerging, putting in their best efforts and bringing out whatever capabilities they have in the field of learning. To them all I express rejoice and offer praise for efforts well made. Whatever be the case, making efforts in the field of education is highly important.

In the case of schools in Tibet set up by the Chinese, it would be extremely narrow-minded to show disdain for them by such actions as not sending one's children to study there. Schools, even if set up by the Chinese government, are good. In order to ensure good standard of the teaching of Tibetan and other subjects in them, it should be possible to discuss the matter with concerned persons and entities. Whatever be the case, all Tibetans should make efforts in every possible way.

There are many aspects of modern education. They include science, law, economics, environment, etc. Nevertheless, the Tibetan language has not progressed in these numerous subjects. In India, efforts are being made to teach the Tibetan children all the subjects in Tibetan language from Grade I onwards. But, leave alone Tibetans, even the Indians find it most difficult to gain expertise in specialised modern subjects without pursuing it in English. In Tibet too, one has no choice but to rely on Chinese language to gain expertise in a specialised field of modern knowledge. Whether for becoming a professional or an expert researcher, in the different fields of modern knowledge in Tibet today, it is extremely important to use the Chinese language to achieve the required specialisations.

We are today struggling for a meaningful autonomy for Tibet. But in order to achieve an appropriate standard of it, our own people should be able to fully take responsibility in every possible area of undertaking related to it and to be able to produce results. There is no way merely engaging in debates will be sufficient. We ourselves must be able to argue for and administer the autonomy. The essence of this is that we must be able to do our own work by ourselves. In order to achieve both internal and external progresses appropriate for modern times, having modern education is extremely important. The reality of the situation in Tibet today is such that one has no choice but to rely on Chinese language if one is to become modern educated.

One thing that comes to my mind is this: Suppose there are a hundred Tibetan students. Seventy or eighty such students could study Tibetan language as their main subject and achieve excellence in projecting one's national identity and in preserving our cultural heritage. Twenty or thirty such students could study Chinese language as their main subject and make efforts to achieve professional qualifications in modern specialised subjects. I feel this to be important, do you understand?

orriginal link: http://www.dalailama.com/messages/tibet/importance-of-education

Dalai Lama on Seeing Science Through A Spiritual Lens

New Delhi, India, 18 December 2010 (By Amy Yee, Special to The Washington Post) - The northern Indian town of Bir was greeted with an unusual sight when Scott Schmidt carried six-foot-long plywood sheets on his head through the streets. Schmidt, who develops exhibits for the Smithsonian, had retrieved the wood from the village carpenter and toted it on his head to the Buddhist institute he was visiting. "I got impatient," said Schmidt. "I probably broke every rule of how a Westerner is supposed to act in a village in India."

Schmidt was helping a group of 30 Tibetan monks plan "The World of Your Senses," a bilingual science exhibition displayed last month in New Delhi at the India Habitat Center, an arts and culture venue in India's capital.

The wood was used to build a prototype of the display panels. Schmidt's effort - and sore head - were worth it. The exhibit showcasing Western and Buddhist perspectives of the five senses was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama and viewed by hundreds of visitors over five days. Plans are underway for the exhibit to tour in India next year and possibly at a Smithsonian museum in the United States.

The exhibit was the latest effort in a 10-year-old initiative to teach science to Tibetan monastics, started at the behest of the Dalai Lama. In 2001, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama's exile home in India, and the U.S.-based Sager Family Foundation began bringing Western scientists and educators to India to teach science to Tibetan monks. India is home to about 120,000 Tibetans - the largest population outside of Tibet.

After a decade of instruction and workshops in the Science for Monks program, an exhibit was the next step in the monks' dialogue with science, says Lhakdor, director of the LTWA. (Like many Tibetans, he goes by one name.)

While the Smithsonian works with various communities to tell their stories, "The World of Your Senses" was a more hands-on project that immersed Smithsonian staff in a culture far from the museums of Washington. The exhibit's cross-cultural, interdisciplinary combination of science, philosophy and art - the panels were painted by a Tibetan thangka painter - also made it unique.

Tibet's spiritual leader, known for tinkering with watches and engines as a boy, has long been fond of science. The Dalai Lama considers science and Buddhism as complementary "investigative approaches with the same greater goal, of seeking the truth." Modern education is critical to the survival of Tibetan culture and identity for the Dalai Lama.

Tibetan children in India learn science in school, but Tibetan monks and nuns have followed a traditional curriculum largely unchanged for centuries. Until a decade ago, Tibetan monks had learned no science at all. Since then it's been a crash course in science for some monks, with classes on topics ranging from cosmology to neuroscience.

As part of the Science for Monks program, a select group of geshes (monks who are the equivalent of PhDs) from monasteries across India attend biannual workshops taught by scientists and educators from the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Arizona, the Exploratorium in San Francisco and, most recently, the Smithsonian. The program is funded by Boston philanthropist Bobby Sager.

At the exhibit in New Delhi, Indians, Tibetans and overseas visitors perused seven-foot-tall panels depicting colorful images of anatomy alongside dancing Buddhist deities, all painted by a master Tibetan thangka painter. Red-robed monks explained to visitors in English and Tibetan the nuances of how sound waves vibrate in the inner ear, as well as abstract Buddhist concepts for how sensation is perceived.

Ultimately, the exhibit looked polished, but it was a frantic rush to put together in six months what would normally take a year by professional standards. A team from the Smithsonian traveled from Washington to India for two-week stints from December 2009 through last month to help the monks conceive, develop, execute and stage the exhibit.

Stephanie Norby, director of the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, helped the monks launch a science fair in June 2009 that was a precursor to last month's formal exhibit. "We gave a broad overview of what might be done but were sensitive that the monks do it on their own. We wanted it to be their exhibit," said Norby.

The interdisciplinary nature of the exhibit was amplified when the monks decided that the panels should be painted like thangkas. Thangkas are a traditional Tibetan style of religious paintings that typically depict ornate Buddhas and deities, not human anatomy. Visitors to the exhibit saw the striking sight of a gigantic brain painted with fluid brush strokes resembling water, and blood vessels behind an eyeball reminiscent of delicate tree roots.

"I've been working on bringing science to monks for the last 10 years, and this is the first thing I've worked on that had such an aesthetic quality," said Bryce Johnson, director of the Science for Monks program. "To see the beauty at the intersection of science and Buddhism - that was a really unique experience."

Schmidt, an exhibits fabricator at the Smithsonian's Office of Exhibits Central, took two trips to India this year, in May and November. After his visit in May, the monks' sketches and draft text were sent to Tracie Spinale, program manager at the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, and media designer Darren Milligan in Washington. They were charged with creating a Smithsonian-quality visual framework to explain the Buddhist and Western perspectives of the senses.

It is no easy task to distill explanations about photons, bony ossicles and microvilli into a few paragraphs of English and Tibetan text. But articulating complex metaphysical Buddhist concepts was even more difficult. The Buddhist explanation for sight, for instance, relies on the "objective condition, dominant condition and immediately preceding condition." According to Tibetan Buddhist texts, there are six categories of tastes "due to the dominance of two of the four elements: earth, water, fire and wind."

While the Western images were based largely on pictures from standard science textbooks, the Buddhist senses had never been explained in a mainstream, pictorial way. "We had to design visual representations for concepts that did not currently exist," said Spinale.

The Smithsonian team researched thangkas and visited Buddhist art collections at the Sackler Gallery and the Rubin Museum of Art in New York. Yet they were still looking for ways to convey the Buddhist perspectives in an accessible way. They eventually came across pictures in Buddhist medical texts that inspired the look of the panels.

"We tested the graphic concepts on a range of people, from a neuroscientist, to science educators, to exhibit designers, to my first-grade daughter," said Spinale. "If she didn't understand what one of the graphics represented, then it wasn't used."

The final graphics were adapted to the subject matter in innovative ways. For instance, a typical Buddhist image of a hand mirror morphed into a five-armed mirror to depict the "five concomitant factors" that are part of the Buddhist perspective on sight.

Thangka painter Jampa Choedak took a reassignment from his regular duties at the LTWA to paint the panels. Choedak, 36, has been painting thangkas for 23 years, and had never studied science. Painting large images of the inner ear, cells and other anatomy surprised him with "how delicate the human body is."

The Smithsonian team worked on the science exhibit on top of their regular work and during off-hours. Yet all of them waxed enthusiastically about the experience of working with the monks and science program staff to create the exhibit.

"Helping people to learn and then to share what they have learned is exactly what the Smithsonian is about," said Milligan.

Original link and photo: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/632-seeing-science-through-a-spiritual-lens-with-the-smithsonians-help

The Dalai Lama: Why I’m hopeful about the world’s future

The Washington Post, Opinions, 13 June 2016

By The Dalai Lama

(The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of Tibet. Since 1959, he has lived in exile in Dharamsala in northern India.)

Almost six decades have passed since I left my homeland, Tibet, and became a refugee. Thanks to the kindness of the government and people of India, we Tibetans found a second home where we could live in dignity and freedom, able to keep our language, culture and Buddhist traditions alive.

My generation has witnessed so much violence — some historians estimate that more than 200 million people were killed in conflicts in the 20th century.

Today, there is no end in sight to the horrific violence in the Middle East, which in the case of Syria has led to the greatest refugee crisis in a generation. Appalling terrorist attacks — as we were sadly reminded this weekend — have created deep-seated fear. While it would be easy to feel a sense of hopelessness and despair, it is all the more necessary in the early years of the 21st century to be realistic and optimistic.

There are many reasons for us to be hopeful. Recognition of universal human rights, including the right to self-determination, has expanded beyond anything imagined a century ago. There is growing international consensus in support of gender equality and respect for women. Particularly among the younger generation, there is a widespread rejection of war as a means of solving problems. Across the world, many are doing valuable work to prevent terrorism, recognizing the depths of misunderstanding and the divisive idea of “us” and “them” that is so dangerous. Significant reductions in the world’s arsenal of nuclear weapons mean that setting a timetable for further reductions and ultimately the elimination of nuclear weapons — a sentiment President Obama recently reiterated in Hiroshima, Japan — no longer seem a mere dream.

The notion of absolute victory for one side and defeat of another is thoroughly outdated; in some situations, following conflict, suffering arises from a state that cannot be described as either war or peace. Violence inevitably incurs further violence. Indeed, history has shown that nonviolent resistance ushers in more durable and peaceful democracies and is more successful in removing authoritarian regimes than violent struggle.

It is not enough simply to pray. There are solutions to many of the problems we face; new mechanisms for dialogue need to be created, along with systems of education to inculcate moral values. These must be grounded in the perspective that we all belong to one human family and that together we can take action to address global challenges.

It is encouraging that we have seen many ordinary people across the world displaying great compassion toward the plight of refugees, from those who have rescued them from the sea, to those who have taken them in and provided friendship and support. As a refugee myself, I feel a strong empathy for their situation, and when we see their anguish, we should do all we can to help them. I can also understand the fears of people in host countries, who may feel overwhelmed. The combination of circumstances draws attention to the vital importance of collective action toward restoring genuine peace to the lands these refugees are fleeing.

Tibetan refugees have firsthand experience of living through such circumstances and, although we have not yet been able to return to our homeland, we are grateful for the humanitarian support we have received through the decades from friends, including the people of the United States.

A further source of hope is the genuine cooperation among the world’s nations toward a common goal evident in the Paris accord on climate change. When global warming threatens the health of this planet that is our only home, it is only by considering the larger global interest that local and national interests will be met.

I have a personal connection to this issue because Tibet is the world’s highest plateau and is an epicenter of global climate change, warming nearly three times as fast as the rest of the world. It is the largest repository of water outside the two poles and the source of the Earth’s most extensive river system, critical to the world’s 10 most densely populated nations.

To find solutions to the environmental crisis and violent conflicts that confront us in the 21st century, we need to seek new answers. Even though I am a Buddhist monk, I believe that these solutions lie beyond religion in the promotion of a concept I call secular ethics. This is an approach to educating ourselves based on scientific findings, common experience and common sense — a more universal approach to the promotion of our shared human values.

Over more than three decades, my discussions with scientists, educators and social workers from across the globe have revealed common concerns. As a result, we have developed a system that incorporates an education of the heart, but one that is based on study of the workings of the mind and emotions through scholarship and scientific research rather than religious practice. Since we need moral principles — compassion, respect for others, kindness, taking responsibility — in every field of human activity, we are working to help schools and colleges create opportunities for young people to develop greater self-awareness, to learn how to manage destructive emotions and cultivate social skills. Such training is being incorporated into the curriculum of many schools in North America and Europe — I am involved with work at Emory University on a new curriculum on secular ethics that is being introduced in several schools in India and the United States.

It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the 21st century does not repeat the pain and bloodshed of the past. Because human nature is basically compassionate, I believe it is possible that decades from now we will see an era of peace — but we must work together as global citizens of a shared planet.

Original link: http://dalailama.com/messages/articles/hopeful

Dalai Lama Attends 'Abundance without Attachment' Symposium

Theckchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, 4 November 2015 - This morning the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington DC based think tank, brought a delegation of 38 to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his residence in Dharamsala. This is the second symposium the AEI has held with him. This time the theme is Abundance without Attachment.

There was quiet in the room until His Holiness arrived, accompanied by AEI President Arthur Brooks. He smiled at the guests and remarked:

“Of course, India has long been my spiritual home, but for the last nearly 57 years it has been my physical home too - welcome to all of you. I’d like to say at the start that this is an informal meeting among fellow human beings.”

In his introduction, Arthur Brooks said he hoped they would be able to talk about purpose in their work, about enterprise and poverty, and how to lift people up. He suggested three pillars he’d learned from His Holiness - moral living, concentration and wisdom. He noted that His Holiness regards wisdom as something that arises from examining what is true. It is something about which we have to reach our own conclusions.

He reported four factors that His Holiness told American psychiatrist Howard Cutler constituted the secret of a happy life: enlightenment, spirituality, worldly satisfaction and wealth. He expressed surprise at the inclusion of the last two, but suggested that worldly satisfaction means we should enjoy our lives, but we should do so by serving others. As to a definition of wealth, he quoted the proud boast of someone he’d met in the Dharavi slum in Mumbai:

“I built something; I earned my living and I served other people.”

Brooks introduced the members of the first panel, Jay Panda, an Indian Member of Parliament representing Odisha, Paresh Shah, a Gujarati who now lives in LA, who is an executive and yogi and Robert Doar, now an AEI fellow, who was commissioner of New York’s Human Resources Administration. He asked them to consider ‘What is a meaningful life in the midst of poverty?’

Jay Panda said he had seen very poor people who rise above their poverty with dignity. He mentioned an old woman gave him a donation of Rs.10 (15 cents) because she liked what he was doing. He cited the simple homes of tribal families in Odisha that were as neat and clean as any middle class equivalent.

Paresh Shah suggested that if we see wealth as energy it has to flow. We have to share it and as we share it more comes. He said we are vessels for sharing wealth with which to lift, heal and inspire others. He continued:

“What we learn is that our inner world shapes our outer world. Through our own emotional hygiene we can touch everyone.”

Robert Doar spoke of a man he’d met when he was working in New York, a man who had been twice been released from prison and fallen back twice and faced real hardship. Then he succeeded and when asked how that happened replied: “I finally realized I could do it.” With regard to tackling poverty, Doar said there is a need for a safety net, but responsibility and dignity come first. He suggested a need to expect that people can help themselves.

When Arthur Brooks asked His Holiness what he had to say, he replied:

“We are all living beings with feelings of pleasure and pain. All beings love their own life, but different sizes of brain mean we have different levels of intelligence. We human beings are the most intelligent and it is by using this intelligence that we can change the world for the better.

“We all want to live a happy life; we don’t want to be miserable. But we have to see how we can overcome the problems we make for ourselves. These problems don’t come about because of our warm-heartedness, but because we give in to anger, hatred and self-centredness. Our intelligence allows us to look at things from a wider perspective, to see that anger and hatred disturb our peace of mind and shatter the warm atmosphere within our families. In fact, you might say that if the place is tense and full of suspicion it’s not really a home.

“We are social animals and we need to take the welfare of all humanity, all 7 billion human beings, into account. Today, we have achieved remarkable material development, but right now as we speak, there are people in other places wielding weapons and killing each other. Some do this in the name of religion. It’s unthinkable.”

His Holiness mentioned that he has come across several cities in America that have declared themselves cities of kindness or cities of compassion. He suggested that India follow suit. He remarked that he used to think that businessmen were only interested in profit and exploiting others. He suspects that this was true of the colonial powers who once dominated the world. However, he said, as human beings we need love, and money alone cannot provide love. He pointed out that whether you are rich or poor, the size of your stomach is the same and you only have ten fingers.

“We need to bridge the gap between rich and poor. We need to find ways to lift people up. Here in India as people continue to flock into the cities I think there is an urgent need to bring development to the rural areas. What the rich can do is to respectfully provide facilities and education. But the poor have to work hard and develop self-confidence. Wallowing in anger and resentment wins nothing.

“We can build a happier more compassionate world based on an appreciation of the oneness of all humanity. If we try, we can create a more equal, more compassionate world, although I don’t expect my generation to live to see it.

“People need to find a way to be useful while maintaining their dignity. If they can’t do that they are likely to waste their lives. I believe we each have the ability to do something to change the world, not from the top down, but starting as individuals. I don’t think praying to God will solve our problems, because God didn’t make our problems, we did. So we need to find a solution to them.”

Danielle Pletka, senior vice president of foreign and defence policy studies at AEI was the moderator of the second session. The theme was building businesses in India’s slums. The AEI has taken a special interest in one of the slums in Mumbai called Dharavi. It is more than 130 years old and is home to between 700,000 and 1 million people. The AEI has made friends with Asim Abid Shaikh, a travel agent, Murti Ramaswamy, a salesman, Mohammad Akran Shah, a tailor and Yusuf Galwani, a potter, all from Dharavi. They were part of this panel.

Asim Shaikh explained that people in Dharavi looked after themselves and tried to get an education to ensure they could live a good life. Murti Ramaswamy, who sells water purifiers for Hindustan Lever said that what he liked about his job was that he earned money, but was also able to give satisfaction. He added that because he earns a steady wage he can send his daughters to a private school, which he hopes will give them confidence. He denied being poor, mentioning not only that he does not beg, but also that he is contributing to a life insurance policy.

Yusuf Galwani, the potter, told the story of his grandfather arriving in Dharavi hungry and with nothing, taking up pottery for lack of anything else to do. He described Dharavi’s inhabitants as good people with many skills. They are achieving development not by begging, or because of government help, but through their own efforts.

Gurcharan Das, a former CEO and public intellectual, pointed out that what Galwani described was evidence that development in India starts from below which will make it more lasting, as opposed to China’s development that is handed down from above.

Akran Shah, who has been a tailor for 25 years, said that where the government could help would be in providing better health facilities and taking steps to combat illnesses like dengue fever. He praised the social harmony that exists in Dharavi with members of all the major religions living easily with one another.

Commenting on his experience of Dharavi Arthur Brooks noted five things: its potential, the opportunity that thrives there. The work that goes on. The faith that is part of a good life. The strong sense of family and the sense of community. Danielle Pletka encouraged the panellists to talk about their sense of fairness, but it did not seem to interest them. They were more eager to express their love for the jobs they do and the sense of community where they live. Asim Shaikh mentioned that when he visited Germany last year, 70 people from his neighbourhood saw him off at the airport.

Among several clarifications, such as that a slum is defined as an illegal settlement on government land, Jay Panda expressed regret that government schools in India often have good facilities but very poor teaching, whereas NGO and mission schools tend to have the opposite, poor facilities and excellent teaching. Sikyong Lobsang Sangay stressed the importance of compassion, suggesting that in education learning English is one thing, but inculcating compassion is even more effective.

A Tibetan member of the audience drew comparisons between what he had heard about Dharavi and the Tibetan settlement of Manjnukatilla on the outskirts of Delhi. He recalled that at one time the only business there was brewing liquor. Visionary leadership had encouraged the people to shift to other work and now it is a vibrant place that attracts a lot of interest.

Asked for his remarks, His Holiness said that since all his knowledge derived from Indian sources and since his body had been nourished by Indian rice and dal for more than 50 years, he considers himself a son of India. He listed aspects that make India important. It is the world’s most populous democratic country. It is by and large stable and peaceful. Religious harmony prevails as it has done for centuries. The rule of law exists. In contrast, in China there are neither free media nor freedom of expression.

“I often point out that existing modern education is not adequate to shape happy individuals living in happy families in a happy nation,” His Holiness said, “because there is too much focus on materialism. In the West people are affluent, but are beginning to realize that having inner peace is more important. Because no one religious tradition can have universal appeal, we need to adopt a secular ethics, a sense of respect for all spiritual traditions and even for the views of those who follow none.”

Finally, His Holiness explained that compassion can take two forms one that is like a natural instinct, a concern for the friends and family to whom we are attached. This is a limited and biased compassion. However, it can be the seed for something bigger. By employing reason and intelligence we can learn to extend our compassion to include others. An unbiased, genuine concern for others' well-being, whoever they are. That is real compassion, and only human beings are capable of developing it.

The session broke for lunch. The delegates, and His Holiness, will all get together for a second and final day tomorrow.

Original link & photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1326-aei-symposium---abundance-without-attachment---day-1

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Launches Local News App

Kangra, HP, India, 9 May 2015 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama was today invited to Kangra, the ancient town near Dharamsala where he lives. He was welcomed on arrival by Dr Rajesh Sharma, founder of the Balaji Hospital and Shree Balaji Media Innovations, and local MLA and Minister for Housing, Town and Country Planning in the Himachal Pradesh Government, Mr Sudhir Sharma. His Holiness was ushered into the new media building adjacent to the hospital, which will be home to Himachalabhiabhi.com a bilingual new news app.

Before launching the app, His Holiness was briefly interviewed for it by Anil Patwar who asked he what felt PM Narendra Modi might talk about when he goes to China next week.  He replied:

“I’m sure as Prime Minister, he knows best, but he might mention India and Tibet’s unique more than one thousand year old relationship. All our knowledge came from India, so we have a special relationship of Guru and disciple. Today, I am very concerned about the preservation of Tibetan culture, which is essentially ancient Indian culture. We follow the Buddhadharma and the Buddha taught in India, as the Prime Minister himself was observing the other day at Buddha Purnima celebrations in Delhi. And the traditions we preserved in Tibet belong to the Nalanda tradition that was introduced to us by Shantarakshita.

“He might also talk about the environment, the importance of the Brahmaputra and other rivers that rise in Tibet on which more than a billion people depend.”

When asked what kind of birth he might choose next, His Holiness jokingly replied, “A woman?” and went on to explain how he had once told a French journalist that it could very well be possible for a Dalai Lama to be born as a woman. He cited the example of other high reincarnations in Tibet who were women.

“Personally, I don’t know where I’ll be born, but I always remember the prayer:

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.

“The first Dalai Lama, who was a great scholar and practitioner, when he reached about my age and commented that he was getting old, was told by his disciples that he would probably go to a Pure Land. He told them that wasn’t what he wished for at all. He wanted to be where he could relieve others’ suffering.”

Asked why the Chinese authorities seem to have such misapprehensions about him despite his being a man of peace, he said they tend to see things only from a political point of view. He gave the example of the Cultural Revolution, which was praised while it was going on. When it was over it was described as having had some advantages and some drawbacks. Much later it was said to have been completely destructive. This suggests a difficulty in appraising things realistically.

His Holiness said that the 1.3 billion Chinese people deserve to be given reliable information and if they were could make their own judgement about what is right and wrong. By comparison he praised India as a wonderful country where freedom flourishes. He remarked that while he generally considers himself one of the 7 billion human beings alive today, he has lived the last 56 years in India.

“I am a messenger for India, a son of India, but if you ask which part of the country I’ve spent the most time in, it’s Himachal Pradesh. And I’d like to extend my greetings to the Himachali people and the wish that they will go from success to success.”

Flanked by Dr Rajesh Sharma and Mr Sudhir Sharma, His Holiness cut the ribbon to the portal hub and was invited to sit at one of the computer desks where Anil Patwar guided him in launching the new news app, Himachalabhiabhi.com

Addressing an invited audience of about 200 downstairs, His Holiness said that this was the first time he had launched a new app and that he was not well acquainted with the use of computers.

“But,” he noted, “they are part of the 21st century, a time when I think people’s attitudes are changing. People are becoming opposed to the use of violence to settle conflicts, they are more concerned about the natural environment and they are concerned to find ways to close the gap between rich and poor. And the more they recognise corruption, that seems to erupt everywhere, the more they are opposed to it. The reason for this is that people’s awareness has grown. A special quality we human beings possess is our intelligence and in order to employ it we need access to more and better information.

“It’s clear that in this the world’s most populous democratic country, the media have a very important role. This includes a role in educating people. But educating the brain alone provides no guarantee of living a happy life. We need also to educate people about karuna, warm-heartedness, which will enable them to live as happy individuals, in happy families, in a happy society.”

Original link and photos: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1270-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-launches-local-news-app

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Meets Foreign Visitors to Dharamsala

Dharamsala, HP, India, 30 March 2015 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama today met with an estimated 1100 people from 56 different countries in Asia, Australasia, Europe, North and South America and Africa. Among them were more than 100 Indians. He first posed for photographs with them arranged in groups according to nationality before sitting down below the Tsuglagkhang to speak to them.

“Some time ago I thought it would be good,” he said, “if, when there are quite a number of visitors here, I could meet with them and share with them some of my thoughts and experiences. So, you can not only see my face, but also hear about what I think.”

He mentioned that we are all the same as human beings. We all want to be happy and we all value each others’ affection. It is the experience of care and affection at the start of our lives that equips us to be able to show affection to others when we are older. He pointed out that scientists today have found that having constant feelings of anger and hatred is bad for our health, whereas showing affection does us good.

Addressing particularly the Indians in the audience, he said that Tibetans have historically regarded Indians as their gurus because it was from them that they gained their knowledge. He quoted a great Tibetan teacher of the 14/15th century who said that although Tibet is a Land of Snow and the colour of snow is white, until the light of wisdom came from India, Tibet had remained in the dark. His Holiness said that his own study of the philosophy and psychology as taught by masters of Nalanda University was the basis on which he has been able to converse with modern scientists over the last thirty years. It has been a mutually rewarding dialogue. He expressed appreciation of the growing numbers of educated Indians who are showing an interest in the science of mind and other aspects of the profound knowledge of ancient India, much of it still very relevant today.

He also spoke of his admiration for India’s longstanding tradition of secularism, its unbiased respect for all spiritual traditions and even for the individual’s right to adhere to none.

“We should adopt such a secular approach to inner values and moral principles, which should be taught in schools, where everyone can hear them, not just in temples, churches and mosques.”

His Holiness went on to discuss three aspects of religion: firstly the message of love, compassion, tolerance and contentment that all religions have in common. Secondly, there is the philosophical aspect on which they all differ. He compared those traditions that believe in a creator god with those that believe in principles of causality, the idea that good actions lead to happiness while unwholesomeness produces sorrow. He joked about how people lazily blame what happens on their ‘karma’ as if their destiny were beyond their control. They forget that ‘karma’ means action and that they are its agents.

Finally, he mentioned the cultural aspects of religion, customs that are subject to change. He cited the general principle of equal opportunity that the Buddha granted to men and to women and yet men are predominant.

“It’s time for this to change,” he said, “We should have more real equality. Similarly, the Buddha disregarded India’s caste system and today it’s time for an end to caste discrimination. This is a cultural aspect of religious tradition that spiritual teachers should speak out against.”

Lastly, His Holiness remarked that he is Tibetan with a deep concern to preserve Tibet’s culture of peace, non-violence and compassion, values that can be of benefit to everyone. He also spoke of his concern to preserve Tibet’s natural ecology, noting that in terms of its glaciers Tibet is like a Third Pole. From these sources flow the major rivers of Asia that are crucial to the water supply of a billion people.

At the end of his outline of his three commitments: the promotion of inner values as the source of real happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony, as exemplified in India, and the preservation of Tibet’s language, culture and environment, he appealed to his listeners:

“If anything I’ve said has been of any interest, think about it some more and discuss it with your family and friends. Thank you. The day after tomorrow I’m leaving for Japan. See you again.”

Original link with photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1255-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-meets-foreign-visitors-to-dharamsala

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is Given a Warm Welcome at Palpung Sherabling

Upper Bhattu, Himachal Pradesh, India, 11 March 2015 - Well-wishers, Tibetan and foreign were gathered outside the gate to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s residence to see him off this morning. Other small groups were waiting see him as he drove down the bumpy Dharamsala roads. Outside Gyutö Tantric College more than 100 monks waited to greet him as he passed, white silk scarves and incense in their hands. At Gopalpur, the entire population of the TCV School, hundreds of children and staff lined the road for 200 metres or more, smiles on their faces and their hands folded together in respect.

More than 30 nuns greeted him near Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, while at the end of the road to the Khampagar community at Tashi Jong, there were 2-300 monks, nuns and lay-people, young and old patiently waiting to see His Holiness pass. As the road wound up through the forest and he neared his destination at Palpung Sherabling, there were more people, welcome arches, clouds of incense and scattered flowers.

Tai Situ Rinpoche and Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche received His Holiness when he reached Sherabling. They escorted him into the covered courtyard, filled with more people, past the roaring snow lions that guard the steps and up to the assembly hall of the monastery. At the entrance he ceremoniously cut the ribbon and pushed the doors open. Inside the guests included past and serving Kalons, members of the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies (ATPD), and officers of the Central Tibetan Administration, Lamas, monks and nuns of several nearby institutions besides those who belong to Sherabling.

Once His Holiness had taken his seat on the high throne before a colossal statue of Maitreya Buddha, prayers and praises were recited. Situ Rinpoche personally constructed a mandala of grains as the offering of the mandala of the universe was recited and offered it with the representations of the body, speech and mind of the enlightened ones.

In his words of welcome, Situ Rinpoche praised the Dalai Lamas’ bodhisattva deeds, starting with Gendun Drup and including the 5th Dalai Lama, who took responsibility for the welfare of the Tibetan people. He recalled a connection between his predecessor and the 13th Dalai Lama. He acknowledged that during recent difficult times, His Holiness the present Dalai Lama has upheld a non-sectarian approach as interest in Buddhism has spread across the world. Since 1959, tens of thousands of Tibetans have settled in India due to His Holiness’s vision and kindness with the kind support of the people and government of India. Later, he said, His Holiness’s and the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa’s views converged in the recognition of Orgyen Trinley Dorje as 17th Gyalwa Karmapa.

“In 1991, when we built this temple with its statue of Maitreya, we invited you to come and that wish is realised today,” Tai Situ Rinpoche concluded. “We offer you our deep thanks, request you to live long and ask you to keep us in your heart.”

Auspicious readings by Khenpo Jamyang Lodoe followed. Khenpo Gyaltsen Phuntsok gave an introduction to Palpung Monastery, in which he mentioned that both the 1st Karmapa and the 5th Dalai Lama made predictions about Situ Rinpoche and the founding of Palpung. After Palpung Monastery had been destroyed in Tibet, Sherabling was established. There is now a monastery, nunnery, college and retreat centre here and more than 180 related centres and branches around the world.

Lopon Karma Dakpa gave a presentation of the Sutra tradition. Ven Choeying Kunkyap spoke about the Tibetan medical tradition with its origins at the time of King Nyatri Tsenpo, the work in the 11th century CE of the Yuthoks and the previous Situ Rinpoche’s efforts to bring different Tibetan medical systems together. Ven Ngawang spoke about the Astrology tradition that is upheld here and Lama Sherab Dreme described the grammar traditions that came from the study of Sanskrit and the work of the 8th Situ, Situ Panchen who composed a grammar treatise that is regarded as a classic today. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Dergey printing press.

In his address, the Minister for Religion and Culture in the Central Tibetan Administration, Pema Chinjor, recalled His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking at the first meeting of the Tibetan Youth Congress of the treasure Tibetans had to offer the world in their Buddhist traditions. He said that as a young man it did not mean much to him, but later he has come to understand how right His Holiness was. He emphasised the importance of ensuring that teachers are well qualified and that each Tibetan Buddhist tradition preserves its own unique features.

Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the ATPD said His Holiness’s presence at Sherabling was cause for celebration. He expressed the hope that progress in learning and spiritual practice should not decline, noting that quality is as important as numbers amongst monks and nuns.

In his address, His Holiness mentioned that the successive Situ Rinpoches have been of service to the Dharma and sentient beings. His establishment of this monastery, with its opportunities for study and practice are evidence of this. He said:

“When we think about Nalanda, what comes to mind is a centre of learning and study, not just a place where rituals were performed. Similarly, Tai Situ Rinpoche has taken practical steps to support the study of the 5 sciences here.

“Tibetan Buddhism may not be suitable for everyone as a spiritual tradition, but within Tibetan culture is knowledge, such as Tibetan medicine, with its medications made from natural substances, that has the potential to benefit many people.

“Buddhism is not just about blind faith. It’s about transforming the mind through training. And what is transformed and what does the transforming is the mind. The emotions that disturb our minds cannot be overcome by money; we have to understand how the mind works and how to achieve peace of mind. This is why increasing numbers of people today are interested in psychology, the science of mind and the Buddhist understanding of mind as revealed in the Nalanda tradition.”

He spoke of efforts that have been made to extract material from the Kangyur and Tengyur, the collections of the Buddha’s teachings and commentaries to them, that relates to philosophy, science and religious practice. He said that the philosophical and scientific material can be studied on an academic basis by anyone who is interested. He also mentioned the resonance between the Middle Way - Madhyamaka - School view, expressed by Chandrakirti, that while nothing exists independently, things do exist conventionally and the Quantum Physics’ view that nothing can be found objectively. Likewise the suggestion that observer and observed are of one substance relates to the Mind Only - Chittamatrin - view that rejects external existence. His Holiness said that it is on the basis of such comparisons that he is encouraging Dharma centres to become more like academic centres of learning.

On his way to the residence where he was offered lunch, His Holiness visited the Library on the floor above the assembly hall and above it the mandala hall, where he recited verses of consecration and scattered rice and flowers.

During the afternoon there were presentations of debate by groups of monks and nuns and discussions of language and grammar and the Perfection of Wisdom, which His Holiness listened to with interest. The session ended with words of thanks.

Tomorrow, His Holiness will offer a Long-Life Blessing and the transmission of Atisha’s ‘Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment’.

original link with photos http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1243-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-is-given-a-warm-welcome-at-palpung-sherabling

Dalai Lama on the Importance of Education

From his speech in Dharamsala to a large gathering of followers from Tibet on Mar 27, 2006, the Dalai Lama warns of extreme dangers facing the survival of the Tibetan identity while emphasizing that modern education is indispensable for sustaining the Tibetan Buddhist culture and ethnicity in these most difficult circumstances in Tibet's history.

I always keep saying that the broad masses of the Tibetans in Tibet are the real masters of the Tibetan destiny, and that the about one and half hundred-thousand Tibetans in exile here only represent them for accomplishing the truth of the Tibetan cause, acting as their free spokespersons and symbolic representatives.

So far the broad masses of the public in Tibet have remained in a distressed state as a result of the deprivation of their freedoms. Nevertheless, even when faced with dangers to their lives, they have, in every respect, remained steadfast in upholding the higher cause of their ethnicity and the common faith in their future prospects, keeping in mind their rights as a people. It is for these reasons that we have an audience on the world stage to whom we can speak about the tragedy and well being of Tibet, and what we say are received with respect as true. The principal asset for our credibility on the world stage is the people back in Tibet, their dedication to the common cause, indefatigable courage, and steadfast stand. It is because of these that the truth of our position stands proven. We therefore owe gratitude to the people in Tibet for their genuine dedication to the common cause and unassailable commitment to the common faith that binds them with us. I regularly say thank you to the broad masses of the people in Tibet through those who come here and I felt an urge to say it again today.

In future, too, the question whether in this world a unique people called the inhabitants of the Snowland of Tibet, and the profound culture and religion connected with them, would survive and thrive depends mainly on the people living in Tibet. Thinking from the opposite end, it is not impossible that the situation of the Tibetan people in Tibet will take such a tragic turn that they will become a minority in their own land. In such a situation, if those in Tibet fail to uphold the common aspiration of the Tibetan race, it will be extremely difficult for us in exile to be able to maintain the Tibetan ethnic identity and to carry out things like keeping, defending and spreading the Tibetan religion and culture beyond some generations. Things will be just all right during my generation in exile. After that, there will be another generation. It is possible that the situation will be fairly all right during their time. But it is impossible to say whether beyond that generation the situation will be good or bad. Extreme dangers lurk us in our future. The essential point is that the people living in Tibet are extremely important. In view of this, what is most important is that everyone should act with diligence, without any loss of determination.

One of the main ways of being diligent is to pay particular attention to the pursuit of knowledge. The world is undergoing an enormous transformation today. Even in the communist ruled countries, knowledge is considered important. Previously, during the Cultural Revolution, it was as if knowledge had lost all respect and value. But today, in the case of China, the situation is nothing like in the 1960s. Reports have also been emerging that even North Korea has, for example, been compelled to give importance to the value of modern knowledge. So, when I say that we should make efforts without loss of courage, the essence of it is that we must bring emphasis particularly on education.

Our freedom campaign is based on non-violence. Following the path of non-violence is the business capital and pride of our campaign. If we do not have truth on our side, we will have no alternative but to keep suffering. Having truth on one's side gives one the pride to be transparent about everything and to speak reason in a face-to-face exchange. It is on the basis of knowledge that truth must be vindicated by non-violent means. There is no way this task can be accomplished by just an act of taking a solemn oath.

In the area of modern knowledge, Tibetans have lagged extremely behind. Not only was the imperative for it not felt from the very beginning, there has also been no deliberately established system for pursuing it. His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama visited China in 1907, 1908, etc., and India during the period of 1910-1911 and witnessed many things about the outside world. As a result, from 1915 to 1920, he made such sound beginnings as sending some Tibetan students to countries like England with plans to have them study English and to acquire related modern mechanical skills and knowledge. However, he did not succeed in continuing these. These are matters of extreme regret. Anyway, although the 13th Dalai Lama had a broad vision for reforms, there were many internal and external elements and obstacles that rendered his efforts fruitless.

In 1960, the year after we arrived in exile in India in April 1959, we were able to speedily set up our first school in Mussoorie. Considerable effort was made to set up schools to give opportunities for modern education to the Tibetans in exile. In particular, in the early 1960s, many initiatives were taken to give more importance to setting up schools than monasteries in the Tibetan community in exile. The main reason why we especially devoted more attention to setting up schools was because it was extremely obvious that one cause of the miserable situation in which the Tibetan race found itself in was attributable to our major failure of being up to the standard in the field of modern knowledge. This resulted in our inability to set out strategies as a people at par with the rest of the world; it exposed us as too backward to be able to meet the challenges of modern times. It was in view of this that we considered setting up schools to be more important than building religious centres.

The public back in Tibet too should draw lessons from this and consider paying attention to the pursuit of modern knowledge as extremely important. In Tibet today there is a big problem in this area, including the fact that one has to pay high fees for educating one's children. Nevertheless, undaunted by both the internal and external hardships, they continue to send their children to schools, whether they are being run by the Chinese government or by private Tibetans. Everywhere in Dotoe, Domey and U-Tsang, Tibetans in large numbers are emerging, putting in their best efforts and bringing out whatever capabilities they have in the field of learning. To them all I express rejoice and offer praise for efforts well made. Whatever be the case, making efforts in the field of education is highly important.

In the case of schools in Tibet set up by the Chinese, it would be extremely narrow-minded to show disdain for them by such actions as not sending one's children to study there. Schools, even if set up by the Chinese government, are good. In order to ensure good standard of the teaching of Tibetan and other subjects in them, it should be possible to discuss the matter with concerned persons and entities. Whatever be the case, all Tibetans should make efforts in every possible way.

There are many aspects of modern education. They include science, law, economics, environment, etc. Nevertheless, the Tibetan language has not progressed in these numerous subjects. In India, efforts are being made to teach the Tibetan children all the subjects in Tibetan language from Grade I onwards. But, leave alone Tibetans, even the Indians find it most difficult to gain expertise in specialised modern subjects without pursuing it in English. In Tibet too, one has no choice but to rely on Chinese language to gain expertise in a specialised field of modern knowledge. Whether for becoming a professional or an expert researcher, in the different fields of modern knowledge in Tibet today, it is extremely important to use the Chinese language to achieve the required specialisations.

We are today struggling for a meaningful autonomy for Tibet. But in order to achieve an appropriate standard of it, our own people should be able to fully take responsibility in every possible area of undertaking related to it and to be able to produce results. There is no way merely engaging in debates will be sufficient. We ourselves must be able to argue for and administer the autonomy. The essence of this is that we must be able to do our own work by ourselves. In order to achieve both internal and external progresses appropriate for modern times, having modern education is extremely important. The reality of the situation in Tibet today is such that one has no choice but to rely on Chinese language if one is to become modern educated.

One thing that comes to my mind is this: Suppose there are a hundred Tibetan students. Seventy or eighty such students could study Tibetan language as their main subject and achieve excellence in projecting one's national identity and in preserving our cultural heritage. Twenty or thirty such students could study Chinese language as their main subject and make efforts to achieve professional qualifications in modern specialised subjects. I feel this to be important, do you understand?

http://www.dalailama.com/messages/tibet/importance-of-education