Dalai Lama on ‘Communal Harmony - Foundation of World Peace’

Seminar on ‘Communal Harmony - Foundation of World Peace’
July 27, 2017

Leh, Ladakh, J&K, India - This morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama attended a Seminar in the auditorium of the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies on its spacious campus in nearby Choglamsar. The theme was ‘Communal Harmony - Foundation of World Peace’ and the occasion was a celebration of the centenary of the birth of the great 20th century leader of Ladakh, Bakula Rinpoche. The meeting had the further distinction of being organized by the Youth Wings of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (YWLBA), the Anjuman Imamia and the Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam.

Arrayed along the back of the stage was an exhibition of photographs from the life of Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, which His Holiness viewed with interest. He then lit the lamp to formally inaugurate proceedings.

In his introduction, Rinchen Namgyel, President YWLBA, explained that the 19th Bakula Rinpoche worked hard, particularly after Indian Independence, to bring all of the people of Ladakh together. He was the architect of modern Ladakh, an MP, and a social reformer, who popularized the promotion of communal harmony through education. He also oversaw the banning of animal sacrifice. Today, the state of communal harmony in Ladakh is an example for the rest of the world.

Bakula Rinpoche is regarded as an emanation of one of the Sixteen Arhats, close disciples of the Buddha, who undertook to protect his doctrine. The 19th incarnation was born a prince of the Matho family. He went to Tibet, where he met the 13th Dalai Lama, studied at Drepung Loseling Monastery, and earned the degree of Geshe Lharampa. In 1949, at Pandit Nehru’s behest he entered parliament and began his work for the growth of Ladakh. He was very keen to improve education and was involved in setting up the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, which was initially located at Spituk Monastery before being transferred to its present site. He also arranged for scholars to study in Varanasi and Sri Lanka.

When he felt that Sheikh Abdullah, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister, was neglecting Ladakh, he challenged him. For all that he was a monk, Bakula Rinpoche maintained a strong secular ethos, which enabled him to serve as a leader of all communities in Ladakh. Later, he contributed to the restoration of Buddhism in Mongolia.

The Representative of the Anjuman Imamia Youth Wing added that Bakula Rinpoche saw education as crucial to the path of development. He quoted Rinpoche as having called on everyone to shed their selfish motivation and work for the general good of Ladakh. The Representative of the Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam Youth Wing expressed admiration for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and stated that he had learned from him to regard all human beings as members of the same family. He added that the Prophet too described a genuine human being as one who serves others, while in general Muslims observe—“You have your religion; I have mine.”

When it came to His Holiness’s turn to speak, he addressed the gathering as brothers and sisters, telling them what an honour it was for him to be among them once more. He remarked that on his first visit to Ladakh in the 1960s he had met Bakula Rinpoche and many old friends, most of whom were no longer there. At that time Ladakh had not made much material progress. Since then, it has been transformed, with Bakula Rinpoche and others like Sonam Norbu having made a significant contribution.

“It’s very good to remember what a difference he made here,” His Holiness continued. “In due course, Rinpoche also played a significant role in the development of Mongolia and the restoration of Buddhism there, especially in terms of discipline.

“However, what’s past is past and now we have to look to the future. Generally, across the world, the beginning of the 21st century has been better than the 20th century. People have become fed up with violence and nurture a genuine desire for peace. I greatly appreciate the spirit of the European Union. At the end of the Second World War, the nations of Europe, after fighting each other for centuries, decided instead to work together for the common good. For sixty years since then peace has prevailed.

“One of the big mistakes of the 20th century was the persistent attempt to solve problems by use of force. The world has become so interdependent, both in terms of our economies on the one hand and dealing with challenges like climate change that affect us all on the other, that such an approach is completely out of date. We need a new way of thinking to suit our new reality. We have to learn to live side by side.

“We all want to live a happy life, so we have to learn to live together in trust and mutual respect. We do have differences of race, nationality, religious faith and so on, but these differences are secondary in comparison to our equality in being human. When I heard scientists say they had evidence that basic human nature is compassionate, I thought, ‘There’s real hope.’

“Helping others brings deep satisfaction. No matter how powerful we may seem to be, our survival depends on the community. Clearly the community is crucial to individual happiness, so if we make others happy, we too derive benefit. We need to take action. However, if we act out of self-centredness, it will be difficult to be transparent, to earn others’ trust and friendship. By learning to be more warm-hearted we can create a more compassionate world. As members of Institutions like this you can make a difference here in Ladakh, in Jammu & Kashmir and in India at large.

“We face a multitude of problems. But among them conflict in the name of religion is unthinkable and shameful. Such narrow-minded, short-sighted thinking is out of step with the times. We have to work with the welfare of the whole of humanity in mind.

“These are the sort of things I talk about wherever I go. As a Buddhist I pray every day for the happiness of all sentient beings, but those on other planets or in other parts of the universe I can’t reach. Even on this planet there are countless animals, birds and insects that we can do little for. Those who we can really help are our 7 billion fellow human beings, who can gain from learning the importance of inner peace. That’s what I wanted to share with you—now I’d like to hear your questions.”

The organizers had gathered more than 50 written questions, which the presenters read out, asking those who had asked them to stand to identify themselves.

Asked the meaning of unity in religion, His Holiness answered, “The sense of being brothers and sisters.” A question about whether there should be just one religion brought a swift response—“Impossible; even within Buddhism there are different points of view. All major religions convey a common message of love, but we need the variety they represent.”

A questioner noted that while religions invariably advocate harmony, the existence of faith schools seems to contradict that. His Holiness asserted his belief that education should be secular. It ought to be possible to learn to be a good human being, to be warm-hearted, without necessarily touching religion. He said we can find justification for warm-heartedness in scientific findings and common sense.

When asked his advice for the peace-loving people of Kashmir, His Holiness recalled first meeting Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah at Nehru’s house in Delhi. At the time he thought there was an opportunity to resolve the problem, but it did not turn out that way. He observed that Gandhi had not wanted partition, but the price was for Jinnah to become Prime Minister of India, while Nehru cherished the same ambition. His Holiness recalled Vinoba Bhave’s advocating a greater unity among South Asian nations that might have provided the context for a solution. Conceding that he had no answer, His Holiness encouraged the young people who had asked the question to think carefully and formulate their own vision for achieving peace.

His Holiness agreed that the Buddha had declared that caste and family background were of no importance in his tradition. It was instead knowledge and practice that deserved respect. He added that in an age of democracy and equality there is no place for caste discrimination, which is simply out of date.

Asked why people trust him, His Holiness laughed and said it was because of his smile. “I always think of myself and others as being just human beings. I find it’s a basis for easily making friends.”

A representative of Christian Students offered words of thanks, expressing gratitude to His Holiness for coming and taking part, and to everyone else whose efforts had contributed to making the event a success. So many members of the audience wanted to shake His Holiness’s hand and have their photographs taken with him that his leaving the stage was slow. Eventually, however, he reached his car and was able to drive to the Sindhu Darshan Complex near Shey, where the LAHDC had invited him to lunch.

Within sight of the River Indus that flows swiftly out of Tibet, Dr Sonam Dawa LAHDC CEC paid tribute to His Holiness as the honoured guest. After a group of Ladakhi musicians had played and sung, prompting His Holiness to voice concern about their sitting too long out in the searing sun, he offered only brief remarks.

“The way Ladakh has developed since I first came here is impressive, but it would be good, at the same time, not to lose sight of the need for inner development in accordance with the ancient Indian knowledge of the workings of the mind and emotions—now let’s eat!”

Once everyone present was replete, His Holiness returned to Shiwatsel Phodrang. Tomorrow, he will begin three days of teaching Shantideva’s ‘Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’.

original link with photos: https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/seminar-on-communal-harmony-foundation-of-world-peace

Dalai Lama: 5 things to keep in mind for the next four years

By Jen Christensen
January 18, 2017
The Dalai Lama has some advice for anyone who is looking for happiness, no matter what their circumstances.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people in exile, spoke about the incoming administration in an interview with CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
The "president, of course, (is a) very important individual, but basically I (am) always telling (people), the world belongs to humanity," said the Dalai Lama during the Emory-Tibet symposium of Scholars and Scientists held at the Drepung Monastic University in India in December. "Each nation belongs to the people," he said.
In other words, take comfort in the fact that our country is not run by a lone individual, albeit one that is incredibly powerful.

"America, I consider the leading nation of the free world," His Holiness said.
In an earlier interview he said he plans to meet with President-elect Trump after his inauguration and added that once in power, all presidents are forced to work with "reality," and "so I have no worries."
America will always keep an "emphasis on liberty, democracy, rule of law," he said, and "the people elected now have the responsibility" to work together and will have to use "team work," since "America is a democracy and the power is divided."
If, however, someone's confidence in the country's checks and balances is still failing them, His Holiness has some additional advice to help you stay happy, no matter what happens in the world around you.

You do you

First step, work on compassion and start by developing it for yourself.
"Mainly," he said, feeling happy is largely about "your own mental attitude."
If you remain someone who is "honest, truthful," about how you feel, you can find happiness "no matter what (the) surrounding situation."
His Holiness is talking, in part, about the Buddhist concept of self-compassion. He believes we'd all be happier people if we learned more about our own selves and embraced who we are, flaws and all.

Which side of ourselves will prevail?
When you have compassion for someone, typically that means you are recognizing and validating someone's pain.
Psychologists have shown when you do that, you automatically develop feelings of kindness and caring for that person. You develop concern for their general well-being.

Self-compassion, then, is when you are kind, rather than critical, toward yourself, even when you mess up or when you are in some form of emotional pain.
Don't confuse this with self-pity, when you dwell on that pain. Instead, it's when "in instances of pain or failure, rather than being harshly self-critical; perceiving one's experiences as part of the larger human experience rather than seeing them as isolating; and holding painful thoughts and feelings in mindful awareness rather than over-identifying with them," writes scholar Kristin Neff in Self-Compassion and Psychological Well-Being.
Neff is an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology and an expert on self-compassion.

Buddhism Fast Facts
"Most people have much more compassion for others than themselves," Neff said.
If you can develop a compassion toward yourself, it is easier to feel compassion toward others "and is much more sustainable," Neff said.
And the Dalai Lama believes that with less self-criticism, your "health will be much better." Many studies back that up.

Take time to think
It's a lot easier to feel compassion if you take the time to reflect on what you're experiencing. The Dalai Lama, for instance, gets up at 3 am to meditate five hours a day.
You probably don't have that much time, but even 10 minutes of meditation has been shown to help your thought process. Meditation can physically change the parts of the brain that help you better handle stress and increase your feelings of empathy, studies show.
Longer meditation sessions, even 20 minutes, can improve your mood, your attention span and memory.
Thinking more deeply, you start to realize, His Holiness said, that "nothing exists as (it) appears."
Take the time to put your feelings in context, he said, "then the very basis of these negative emotions becomes thinner, thinner, thinner."

Anger be gone
If you do feel angry about the election, or any other circumstance, don't let it dominate your thoughts. Constant anger can lead to depression, insomnia, overeating, heart problems, strokes and early death, studies show.

How to stop being annoyed by life
"Constant anger is very bad for our health," His Holiness said. "I try to keep compassion" constantly in mind and then stay "surrounded by (other) compassionate people" that can reduce your anger. Do that and your health will be "much better."
A lot of negative thought is rooted in perception, studies show, but that doesn't have to mean you become a Pollyanna about negative experiences. "If a glass is half full, you can't pretend it's full," Neff said. "If you can think about wrapping your suffering and anger in a kind of care and compassion and concern, it can activate the reward center of the brain."
Working with Tibetan teachers over the years, she said, she has been impressed that despite their difficult circumstances of having to flee their country and live as refugees, as the Dalai Lama has since 1959, many people seem to be happy. "It is not like they deny their suffering, they are open to it, but they hold those feelings with love and compassion," she said.

Help others
Another key to happiness, His Holiness suggests, is to "try to be of some service to others." If you can help others, then "no matter what (the) surrounding situation, you can keep (up your) self-confidence and happiness."
Service can come in the form of volunteering, like at a soup kitchen, or on a candidate's campaign, but it can also be simpler, like being a good listener when people are upset.
Volunteers feel more socially connected, they're less lonely, and suffer from depression less, studies show. Volunteering creates physical benefits too: Regular volunteers are less likely to develop high blood pressure and live longer, some studies show.
Simple acts like being a good listener can also reduce your own feelings of stress and improve your feelings of well-being, other studies show.

Act like a kid
Finally, be playful and childlike. Children, the Dalai Lama said are "very honest" and often accept people without judgment.
"They don't care what's their religion, what's their nationality, they don't care what sort of family background" they have, he said. "Basic human nature is compassionate."
While competition and materialism can encourage those feelings to go "dormant," he said, playfulness can bring those feelings back.
His Holiness is constantly laughing and he's playful even when he speaks about such serious subjects.
Studies back up his advice, showing that adults who are playful have more positive relationships and better life satisfaction. They also tend to be healthier and experience less anxiety.

Considering this advice could make a real difference to how you experience the next few years.
"I will always feel there is real hope we can do something. So no matter (what the) difficult circumstances, it is really worthwhile," the Dalai Lama said.
"Make (an) effort (and) once you committed effort, even small effort results will come," the Dalai Lama said. "You get tremendous sort of satisfaction and then feel happy."

link and photos: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/18/health/dalai-lama-guide-to-surviving-trump/

Dalai Lama: Bridging Buddhism & Science, Emory Tibet Symposium

Mundgod, Karnataka, India, 18 December 2016 - Today, His Holiness the Dalai Lama elected to walk the relatively short distance between Drepung Lachi and Drepung Loseling. He greeted well-wishers along the way, as well as offering comfort to beggars who also vied for his attention. In the spacious Loseling assembly hall approximately 3000 monks, 260 nuns—including the 20 new Geshe-mas—local Tibetan school-children, and people from abroad were gathered to attend the first international Emory Tibet Symposium.

Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi introduced the occasion explaining that the Symposium is a partial fulfilment of His Holiness’s vision for dialogue between Buddhism and science. It was, he said, the natural development of relations that have grown up between Emory University, the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives and monks and nuns, mostly in South India. He announced that the present meeting happens to coincide with the 600th anniversary of Drepung Monastery, one of Tibet’s great seats of learning.

Negi invited the recently elevated 103rd Ganden Tripa, Jetsun Lobsang Tenzin, to address the gathering. Tri Rinpoche read out a formal Tibetan speech in which he paid respect to His Holiness and welcomed everyone to the meeting. He referred approvingly to the fact that training in science has become part of Tibetan monastic education and to the convening of this symposium here at Drepung.  He attributed both to His Holiness’s efforts and inspiration, offering his own words of encouragement.

Negi turned to His Holiness and asked if he had any remarks he would like to share. He began:

“Respected brothers and sisters, I’m very happy to be here and it’s a great honour for me to participate in these proceedings, particularly in this 600th year since the founding of Drepung Monastery.

“When we held the first meetings between scientists and Buddhist scholars organized by the Mind & Life Institute I suggested that Buddhism referred to a certain training aimed at achieving nirvana and Buddhahood. However, in 30 years of conversations, we have never talked about either of these goals, discussing our present reality instead. Consequently, I would prefer to refer to these discussions as between Buddhist science and modern science.

“So far, modern science has focussed on material things with little attention to the workings of the mind and emotions. And yet today many of the problems we face arise because of our disturbing emotions. I believe that by learning more about inner science and how to tackle our emotions we can ensure individuals, families and the wider community are happier and more at peace. When there are differences between us we need to enter into dialogue to resolve them and to do that we have to have respect for each other. As part of the process it will be helpful if science examines the mind and emotions from an academic point of view.”

Next, he spoke to the Tibetans in the audience in their own language. He pointed out that when the Buddha first taught, he explained the Four Noble Truths, the first of which concerns the existence of suffering. By revealing the truth, the reality of how things are, he was able to talk about the possibility of cessation.

Taking the wider scope of the Buddhist teachings into account, His Holiness declared that if we rely on logic there is no room for anything that contradicts empirical evidence. He touched on the emergence of the five elements and the existence of the ‘space particle’. He mentioned that the Buddhist account of the appearance and destruction of the universe and of time in terms of aeons accords with scientific speculation about the ‘big bang’.

He alluded to Buddhist descriptions of different levels of consciousness, how sensory consciousness is rough, consciousness in the dream state is subtler, in fainting it is subtler still and is most subtle at the time of death. This led him to refer to those cases of people whose bodies remain fresh after clinical death has taken place because the subtlest consciousness has, for the time being, remained. This is something we need to know more about and investigations are going on.

“The Nalanda tradition is based on reason and logic,” His Holiness said, “and it is on this basis that we are able to enter into discussions with scientists. The first purpose of this symposium is to enrich understanding on both sides. The second is to support the general promotion of secular ethics, or as I now refer to them in the West, where people are more wary of the word ‘secular’, universal values.

“The world faces all sorts of problems, many of them of our own making, so it is our responsibility to take steps to solve them ourselves. We need to adopt a realistic rather than a formal approach. There is no formality when we’re born and there’s none when we die—why waste time on it when we’re alive?”

Unable to participate in person, Robert A Paul made a presentation by video that was shown in the hall. He suggested that we are living in an ‘Axial Age’, a time of transformation when people must struggle with new and unprecedented conditions. He said an effort must be made to forge new ways of thinking, knowing and acting that build on the best in Buddhist science as well as modern science.

French philosopher, Michel Bitbol sought to show that philosophy could be a bridge between science and Buddhism, suggesting that it can clarify what science is. He quoted Francisco Varela’s view that the discovery of Buddhism would usher in a new renaissance, opening up our understanding of the world. He observed that science regards meditation in the way it would any other object, wanting to know how it works and what it can be used for. He suggested that science is overvalued in the West as a source of knowledge, but concluded that the Buddhist claim that subtle consciousness is beginningless is not incompatible with the scientific theory of evolution.

In her presentation, anthropologist Carol Worthman spoke of the comprehensive and sustainable science education program for Tibetan monastic institutions represented by the Emory Tibet Science Initiative (ETSI). She reported on capacity building with monks being trained to teach science before returning to their monasteries to become science leaders. They deal with questions such as: Matter—what is it? Life—how does it come about? Sentience—how does it occur? Knowledge—can we really know? She concluded that there are many potential benefits to be had from the exchange between Buddhist and modern science.

With His Holiness’s observation that in his experience scientists are generally remarkably open-minded the session broke for lunch, which he ate with the day’s presenters.

When the second session opened in the afternoon, John Durant asked ‘What is science?’ suggesting that to find out we should look at what scientists do rather than what they say. He addressed the powerful and influential myth of scientific certainty saying that it is easy to think scientific knowledge is beyond dispute. The questioning of Newton’s observations about gravity is an example. He also mentioned lichen, universally thought to consist of algae and fungus until the recent discovery that yeast is a third component.

He also challenged the myth of scientific method, pointing out that theory, prediction, experiment and observation have little relevance in optical astronomy or the study of fossils. He questioned the myth of the objective scientist and observed that scientific progress is achieved by a scientific community not an individual.

Sonam Choephel gave a compelling explanation of knowledge of valid cognition in Buddhism, which to overcome ignorance needs to be incontrovertible and certain. He mentioned three domains of knowledge: objects that are manifest, those that are slightly hidden and those that are extremely hidden.

Lobsang Gonpo, Julia Haas and Sonam Wangchuk continued to discuss ‘valid cognition’ during the panel discussion. Returning to implications of questioning scientific certainty, John Durant mentioned that there are those who say that the science regarding climate change is not certain, however, this cannot be taken to mean that it is all wrong.

Before leaving for the day, His Holiness thanked each of the presenters for their contribution and was especially appreciative of the way the monk scholars had demonstrated courage and ability in making their presentations in English. After leaving the hall, he rode back to Drepung Lachi in a car.

original link with photos http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1506-bridging-buddhism--science-emory-tibet-symposium-day-one