His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Dharamsala, HP, India, 23 April 2015 - The Upper Tibetan Children’s Village School was host to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, his good friend Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Team Joy this afternoon. As they drove there from His Holiness’s residence the streets were lined with smiling people eager to catch a glimpse of them.

On arrival at TCV His Holiness and the Archbishop were escorted into the small library adjacent to the basketball court. Amidst the neat bookshelves and displays of projects the children had done writing about ‘joy’, several students, girls and boys, recounted their own journeys from Tibet to the school. The first, who had come with her grandmother, leaving the rest of her family behind, broke down in sobs and tears. Archbishop Tutu’s daughter, Mpho, stepped forward to hug and comfort her. She completed her tale, but when the next student too was overcome with emotion His Holiness intervened, suggesting:

“You should think about how as a result of coming here you have been able to receive not only a modern education, but also to learn about our rich culture. You’ve been able to study our language. This is the best language for explaining the profound traditions of Nalanda University. This is something to be proud of. And yours may be the generation that can rebuild Tibet.”

The final student to make a presentation spoke of his appreciation for what he had received and how he tries to take joy in everything.

The children, who filled the basketball court, sang a song in Tibetan celebrating His Holiness’s 80th birthday as he and Archbishop Tutu emerged to take their seats in the middle of the throng. They then followed it up with a Tibetan rendition of ‘If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.’

When His Holiness was invited to address the gathering, he turned to the Archbishop and said that since he teases him so much about his English, on this occasion he would speak in Tibetan. He stated that although our various religious traditions have different philosophical viewpoints, they share a common message of love and compassion. This is clearly reflected in the Archbishop and is why he admires him.

Commenting on the hardships faced by the parents of the students who were present His Holiness said:

“We received immense help from the Indian government. The world helped us. Because of the kindness we have received you have the opportunity to study today. Please, work hard. We Tibetans are going through a very difficult time, but we still have our own language and culture. Please take full advantage of your educational opportunities.”

Archbishop Tutu acknowledged His Holiness, the beautiful children and those in the crowd who were not children.

“It’s a great honour and privilege to be here. You are beloved throughout the world and we want to say to you, young people, that it might not seem possible to you that you will one day return to a free Tibet. But we in South Africa lived for many years under a system of injustice and oppression. Many of our leaders and young people went into exile. It seemed as if the chains of oppression would never be broken, that our prisoners on Robben Island would never come home. And yet,” and he let out his characteristic high pitched chuckle, “it happened.”

“In 1995, our beloved Nelson Mandela and the others were released and the exiles came home. One day, you too, all of you, will see your beloved Tibet again. You’ll be free of the oppression that has driven you here. The Chinese government will discover that freedom is actually cheaper than oppression.”

He spoke of the deep honour he feels to count His Holiness as his friend and that the world feels the same way. He continued:

“I want to thank the Indian government and the Indian people who opened their arms to welcome you, because they preserved for us a great treasure that would otherwise have been lost.”

Looking round at the students, he exclaimed:

“Look how beautiful you are! One day you’ll be dancing and singing in the streets of Tibet.”

Students were then able to put questions to the two spiritual leaders starting with one to His Holiness asking whether we can ever hope to live in a violence free world. He replied that there are many different kinds of violence, including exploitation and corruption.

“If you are thinking about serious physical violence involving war and people killing each other, then yes, I think we can eliminate that if we make the right effort.”

Archbishop Tutu was asked his advice about the way people seek happiness in material things. He answered that more and more people are realizing that they will not get real satisfaction from things alone. He said you can have many possessions while your heart remains empty.

“I meet many young people from well-off homes who go out to help others and find a much greater satisfaction in that.”

When His Holiness was asked about how he controls his anger in daily life, he replied that when he’s angry he shouts. He told a story of an occasion in 1956 when he was watching the driver and mechanic who looked after one of the cars that had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. While working on it he accidentally banged his head on the car. In anger he then deliberately banged it against the car again and His Holiness wondered: “What’s the use of that?” He remarked that anger destroys our peace of mind.

“Reciting ‘manis’ won’t help, even reciting the refuge prayer won’t help. Training our minds is the only solution.”

Asked whether joy could really be a source of world peace, His Holiness replied:

“I think so and that’s why people should have a clear understanding of how to create joy. Doing harm to others may bring some temporary satisfaction, but being helpful to them is the only real source of lasting joy.”

Archbishop Tutu was also asked how true joy and happiness can be achieved and he answered:

“If we think we want joy for ourselves that’s short-sighted and will only be short-lived. Real joy is the reward of acting to bring joy to others. Deep joy is what happens when you show love, care and compassion to others. You can’t get it any other way. You can’t buy it.”

In reply to a final question about the environment, the Archbishop said:

“We have to remind people that this is our only home and if we treat it badly we’re done for. The ice caps are melting. The summers and winters are too long. We need to say ‘Yes, something is wrong’. People are beginning to hear what many religious leaders are saying, that this is our only home and we have to care for it.”

A band on the stage led the whole crowd in singing, ‘We are the world’. Archbishop Tutu got to his feet, dancing and swaying to the music. At the end he took the microphone and led everyone in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to His Holiness as a large cake ablaze with candles was placed before them. He called for children to come and help His Holiness blow the candles out. The cake was cut and as it was distributed among children and guests, His Holiness, the Archbishop and Team Joy returned to McLeod Ganj.

Tomorrow will see the final day of the conversations that are to become the ‘Book of Joy’.

Click here to see the original article and photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1268-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama--archbishop-tutu-at-tcv

Teaching the Heart of Wisdom and the Commentary on the Awakening Mind

Tokyo, Japan, 12 April 2015 - The weather was bright once more today and, being a Sunday morning, the streets were relatively empty as His Holiness the Dalai Lama drove across Tokyo to the Showa Joshi Women’s University. People waiting outside to enter the Memorial Hall that was the venue for the teachings were taken by surprise to see him arrive in a car. Many bowed and then waved.

His Holiness took his seat punctually at 9.30 before a capacity audience of 2100. They included 370 Koreans, 120 Mongolians and about 1000 Chinese, mostly from Taiwan with some from the mainland.

“Since most of us customarily recite the Heart of Wisdom Sutra, we’ll have recitations in your various languages,” he announced at the beginning. “Today, let’s have the Korean monks and tomorrow the Japanese.”

After the Korean recitation, His Holiness invited the Chinese to do the same and 1000 voices chanted in steady unison. He explained that at the beginning of teachings he likes to recite the verse of homage from the ‘Ornament for Clear Realization’, in praise of the Perfection of Wisdom. He follows this with the verse of homage from Nagarjuna’s’ ‘Fundamental Wisdom’ in praise of the Buddha and his explanation of dependent origination.

“I’m pleased to see Japanese, Koreans, Mongolians, Taiwanese and Chinese here for these two days of teachings. This hall is part of the Showa Joshi Women’s University, which seems an appropriate setting to explain Perfection of Wisdom teachings, since they are often referred to as the mother of all Buddhas. I also understand that these teachings are being broadcast over the internet and will be available in 39 cinema halls elsewhere in Japan. Welcome to those of you joining us there. The Buddhas teachings refer to phenomena as being like an illusion, so there’s a reminder of that as you pay attention to teachings from an illusion like image of me.”

His Holiness clarified that he would briefly explain the ‘Heart of Wisdom’ and the ‘Commentary on the Awakening Mind’ whose explicit meaning is wisdom. He pointed out that the Madhyamaka view of emptiness combined with the awakening mind of bodhichitta is the antidote to the obstructions to knowledge. He also expressed an intention to read the middle volume of Kamalashila’s ‘Stages of Meditation’, which is apt because it contains a complete survey of the path with special emphasis on concentration and special insight. He also mentioned that tomorrow he intends to give an empowerment and permission of Avalokiteshvara as well as an explanation of the ‘Three Essential Moments’.

Starting with his customary introduction to Buddhism His Holiness said:

“In this 21st century all of us 7 billion human beings are the same in wanting happiness and not wanting to be miserable. This is true of us all, whether we are religious or not. Many of the problems we face we make for ourselves, because we are self-centred and tend to see things from a narrow, short-sighted point of view, which only increases our frustration.”

He said that although there is a stress on education in today’s world, it tends to focus on materialistic goals, preparing students for a materialistic way of life in a materialistic culture. Society all but ignores the mind’s contribution to being happy. We are inclined to anger and frustration because we are not at peace within. What we need is a grounding in inner values. All religious traditions emphasize love and compassion the idea of brotherhood and sisterhood and they take different philosophical approaches to that goal.

Religious traditions are either theistic, stressing a belief in a creator god, or non-theistic, and believing in causality instead. Among the non-theistic traditions, only Buddhism advocates the absence of an independent, intrinsically existent self, asserting that there is no self separate from the body and mind. He said that within Buddhism there is the Pali tradition and the Sanskrit tradition. Both teach about the three trainings in ethics, concentration and wisdom, but differ on how wisdom is defined.

The ‘Unravelling of Thought Sutra’ explains the three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma. The first refers to the teachings recorded in the Pali tradition, while the second and third belong to the Sanskrit tradition. His Holiness clarified that during the first Turning of the Wheel, the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths to do with suffering, its origin, its cessation and the path that are the foundation of his teaching. He went into some detail to explain their 16 characteristics, four characteristics of each truth. He focused particularly on understanding selflessness, the possibility of undermining ignorance and attaining a cessation of suffering. When an understanding of the 16 characteristics of the Four Noble Truths is applied in practice it gives rise to the 37 factors of enlightenment.

Coming back from lunch His Holiness explained that the Heart of Wisdom Sutra belongs to a collection of texts known as the Perfection of Wisdom teachings that in their most extensive form comprise the sutra of 100,000 lines in 12 volumes. In their briefest form they consist of one syllable, ‘ah’. The Heart of Wisdom is generally regarded as consisting of 25 lines. Their explicit meaning of the Perfection of Wisdom is emptiness of intrinsic existence and its implications for the truth of cessation.

“Nagarjuna describes the meaning of cessation as occurring when emptiness overcomes the destructive emotions.Khunu Lama Rinpoche on the other hand explained, and I prefer this, that the destructive emotions dissolve into emptiness. Whereas the Buddha expounded the meaning of emptiness during the second Turning of the Wheel, during the third, he introduced the clear light nature of the mind.”

His Holiness made clear that during his explanation of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha referred to cessation and liberation in relation to an understanding of the selflessness of persons. One of the key points in the Heart of Wisdom is where it says:

‘Avalokiteshvara ... beheld those five aggregates also as empty of inherent nature.’

The key word also, which is absent from the Chinese translation, but is found in the Sanskrit original and its Tibetan translation, indicates the selflessness of phenomena in addition to the selflessness of persons. To say that persons and phenomena are empty of inherent existence is not to say they do not exist at all. The words in the sutra, ‘Form is empty’ refer to the ultimate reality of the object, while the words ‘emptiness is form’ refer to its conventional existence. This is reiterated by the statement: ‘Emptiness is not other than forms and forms are not other than emptiness.’

The reason for seeking an understanding of emptiness is, as Chandrakirti states in his ‘Entering into the Middle Way’, ‘All faults, shortcomings and disturbing emotions arise from the misconception of [an intrinsically existent] self.’ On the basis of such a misconception we grasp at the intrinsic existent of things and generate disturbing emotions towards them, which His Holiness quotes his friend, American psychiatrist, Aaron Beck as saying is 90% our own mental projection.

His Holiness quoted Nagarjuna saying that without understanding the selflessness of phenomena you can’t really understand the selflessness of persons. In conclusion he cited the Heart of Wisdom itself:

“All the Buddhas of the past, present and future have depended, do and will depend upon the perfection of wisdom. Thereby they became, are becoming and will become unsurpassably, perfectly and completely awakened Buddhas.’

Turning to Nagarjuna’s ‘Commentary on the Awakening Mind’, His Holiness gave a concise outline. In verses 4-9 the text refutes non-Buddhist points of view. Verses 10-24 repudiates the views of Buddhist lower schools of thought and verses 25-44 address the views of the Mind Only school. In verse 48 Nagarjuna shows that emptiness is the view that cuts off misconceptions at the root.

[48]
Therefore constantly meditate on emptiness:
The basis of all phenomena,
Tranquil and illusion-like,
Groundless and destroyer of cyclic existence.

From verse 63 there is an explanation of the Madhyamaka view, exemplified by verse 68:

[68]
The conventional is taught to be emptiness;
The emptiness itself is the conventional;
One does not occur without the other,
Just as [being] produced and impermanent.

From verse 72 the practice of generosity and the cultivation of the awakening mind of bodhichitta are described, showing how understanding of emptiness becomes a motive factor for developing bodhichitta. Then, from verses 76 - 85 is an account of how to develop the practice of exchanging self and others. At which point, His Holiness announced:

“That’s all for today. Good night. We’ll meet again tomorrow.

link to original article with photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1264-teaching-the-heart-of-wisdom-and-the-commentary-on-the-awakening-mind

The Dalai Lama Speaks on Compassionate Ethics in Livorno, Italy

Livorno, Tuscany, Italy, 15 June 2014 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama began the last day of his Italian visit by arriving early at the Modigliani Forum to do preparatory prayers for the Avalokiteshvara Empowerment. After completing the preparations His Holiness welcomed Bishop Simone Giusti of Livorno on the stage.

"It is a great honor to have a spiritual brother from a major religious tradition present here ahead of my teachings of the Buddha. I always mention that all religions teach the same message, the practise of love. Philosophically there are major differences between our two religions but the aim is the same - to make everyone a better person with moral ethics." His Holiness said.

His Holiness expressed his desire to participate in a Christian prayer service during his next Italian visit, as he said it would not be possible this trip, since he was leaving the next morning. He once again conveyed his warm welcome and deep appreciation to Bishop Simone Giusti on behalf of the Buddhist community in Italy.

Bishop Simone Giusti thanked His Holiness for his words and welcome saying that he was extremely happy and equally honored to be in the presence of His Holiness. He said there are many people in this world who have lost their way and for whom His Holiness' message of love and compassion brings new hope. He once again thanked His Holiness. His Holiness held on to the hands of Bishop Simone throughout their conversation and also walked with him as he left the stage.

His Holiness then conferred the Avalokitesvara Empowerment. In the afternoon His Holiness returned to the Modigliani Forum to give a public talk on Compassionate Ethics attended by more than 6000 people.

He began by talking about the Tibetan national flag, having signed one on his way to the stage. He recalled his conversation with Chairman Mao in Peking, China during his China visit in 1954-55, during which Chairman Mao told His Holiness that he should display Tibet's national flag if they had one. His Holiness said that the Chinese leaders at that time were dedicated people and that he admired them. He went on to add that as far as a social economic theory was concerned he considered himself a Marxist.

His Holiness said that he enjoyed his Italian visit. Whenever he met members of the public they showed genuine human feeling towards him and he thanked everyone for the love that they had shown. He had just one complaint, and that was the hot weather, which is beyond everyone's control, he said.

Speaking on ethics, His Holiness said that he considered all actions carried out for the welfare and benefit of other's wellbeing as ethical. He advised people to develop a sense of concern for wellbeing of others. Ultimately, this will benefit oneself. This he said was being wise-selfish. Sincerely caring for others wellbeing leaves no room to bully, cheat or harm others. This benefits us because our mind will be much happier leading to a happy life, he said.

At the time of birth a child does not know any word, any language, but is totally dependent on its mother's love and affection. Scientists have found through study that for a new born child a mother's touch is very crucial for the proper development of the brain in the initial few weeks after birth. His Holiness said that the affection of mother at an early age in life is very important.

He concluded his talk saying that the first person who benefits from showing compassion to others is oneself. "So please practise love and compassion," he said.

The question and answer session started with questions from young children aged around 7 years and one from a young man in his teens who told His Holiness that like him there are many teens in Europe who are worried about their future and asked for advice.

His Holiness said that he places high hopes on the new generations of young people belonging to the 21st century and asked them to take the lead in being the change that they want to see. He called for them to pay more attention to inner values and moral ethics, over and above the current education system. He said by his talks and other appearances he is sending out a message to youth everywhere that he was with them in their efforts to make the 21st century a more peaceful and compassionate century.

There was one question on the subject of the demonstrations held for the past two days by Shugden supporters. One man asked His Holiness how does one differentiate between the actor and action in this case and what should the attitude of Buddhists like him be towards these protestors.

His Holiness replied that the Shugden problem is nearly 400 years old and that the Great 5th Dalai Lama and the 13th Dalai Lama considered this spirit harmful and advocated against its worship. He said that he considers Shugden worship as just a spirit worship and not a religion. His Holiness further said that this practise was very sectarian, while he always advocated non-sectarianism. He said that even he had worshipped this spirit from 1951-70 out of ignorance. But after thorough investigation and experimentation he found the practise very sectarian in that it restricted him from taking teachings from other Buddhist sects. After stopping this practise he became free to receive teachings from the Tibetan traditions of Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya, thereby actually gaining freedom of religion, he said, refuting the baseless charges of the Shugden followers that His Holiness restricts their freedom of religion.

Responding to a question about leadership, His Holiness said that studies have found that biologically females are more sensitive towards the welfare and well-being of others. He advocated that females take a more active role in leadership. This was received by a huge applause. He also spoke about Buddha having given equal rights to monks and nuns alike. His Holiness mentioned how he has advocated for a similar kind of education for both monks and nuns in Buddhist monasteries in Tibetan settlements in India and that he was glad his words are being implemented these days in the Tibetan monasteries and nunneries in India.

After more than an hour of questions Lama Zopa Rinpoche concluded the program with thanks to His Holiness for blessing Lama Tzong Lhapa Institute with his presence and he also thanked all concerned for making His Holiness's visit a success. The Director of Lama Zong Khapa Institute Mr. Fillipo thanked His Holiness for the teachings, the Avalokitesvara Empowerment and his public talk on compassionate ethics. His Holiness then offered scarves to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Mr Fillipo and all the interpreters.

Before leaving the venue, His Holiness gave his farewell remarks.

"I had a very memorable visit here in Italy. It is now time to say goodbye, not just to Italy, but to this heat. We are separating for the time being but in spirit we are together. We will remain friends until our death. Everyone please realize that the ultimate source of our happiness is within oneself, and does not depend on outside sources. So please pay more attention to inner moral values. Please keep this in mind."

As he left the venue, the crowd of more than 6000 gave him a thundering applause and bidding him an emotional farewell. Tomorrow His Holiness will depart for India.

original link with photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1142-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-speaks-on-compassionate-ethics-in-livorno