Dalai Lama Meets Tibetans & People from the Himalayan Region

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India - Before His Holiness the Dalai Lama went out this morning, filmmaker Bharath Subbarao and his wife Soumya introduced him to ‘Mandala’, a newly launched app dedicated to bringing Buddhist wisdom and the best insights of psychology together in a clear and accessible way so that people may apply them in their everyday lives. The app is introduced and guided by Thupten Jinpa, a former Buddhist monk who completed his training as a Geshe Lharampa at Ganden Monastery and went on to earn a BA in philosophy and a PhD in religious studies at Cambridge University. He has served His Holiness extensively as a translator since 1985 and has translated and edited numerous books by him.

The app, which is presently available in English, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese, offers talks and conversations that bring together Buddhist wisdom and scientific insights under the heading Learn. Well-known scientists and writers like Daniel Goleman contribute. Under the heading Live, are a series of guided meditation practices, while there is also an option to discover and delve further into key Buddhist concepts under the heading Explore.

His Holiness was pleased to see that guidelines to help people find peace of mind and develop a warm heart could be made so easily and clearly available to them.

A short drive brought His Holiness to the King’s Court section of the Palace Ground. A spellbound crowd of more than 2500, mostly young Tibetan students, but also including about 300 Bhutanese and others from the Himalayan Region waited to listen to him. All expenses for the event were met by Ganden Jangtse Monastery.

Received by Chief Representative Chophel Thupten, His Holiness was given a traditional welcome at the door. Inside the hall, a group of singers and musicians performed for him. He beamed with pleasure as they played. Chophel Thupten presented a brief report of achievements and aspirations for the future, before requesting His Holiness to address the gathering.

“I’ve been busy visiting the settlements here in Karnataka,” he told them. “I caught a cold which left me feeling tired, but now I’m here in Bengaluru and very happy to meet you all.

“Tibetans faced great hardship in their own land. However much we tried to accommodate ourselves to the problems that arose, we were ultimately unable to reconcile the conflicts we encountered and fled instead into exile. Indian Prime Minister Nehru took great personal responsibility for helping Tibetans. I met him first in Peking in 1954, then again in India in 1956, before coming into exile in 1959. At his instigation the Government of India did whatever it could to help us. Here in Karnataka, Chief Minister Nijalingappa went out of his way to offer us support.

“Tibetans in Tibet have an undaunted spirit and an unswerving devotion to our religion and culture. Wherever we’ve ended up in the world, whether it’s in India, Europe, the USA, Canada, or Australia, we haven’t forgotten that we are Tibetans. It’s in our blood. The 150,000 Tibetans who live freely in exile are a source of hope to their brothers and sisters in Tibet. We have been successful in keeping our heritage alive. Since we came into exile, many people who weren’t acquainted with them before have taken interest in our religion and culture. Scientists in particular are taking a growing interest in what we know about the mind.

“In the past, study of philosophy and logic, as well as learning about the mind, were largely the preserve of monks in the centres of learning. It wasn’t something people in the ritual monasteries or nunneries paid attention to. However, in exile monks in those monasteries and nuns in their nunneries have taken up the study of logic and philosophy. Throughout the Himalayan Region from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh lay people too are becoming 21st century Buddhists by studying what Buddhism is about.

“How many of you can recite the ‘Heart Sutra’ from memory? The main thrust of the teaching is emptiness. It shows that things exist in dependence on other factors, therefore they don’t have any independent existence of their own. Experts in quantum physics have told me that what are new insights for them today find resonance in what Nagarjuna wrote about dependent arising long ago.

“Modern science is new to us. We had no acquaintance with it in Tibet. More than 30 years ago, to satisfy my own curiosity I entered into discussions with scientists. What I learned led me to believe that science could complement what we already know. Some old Abbots were not easily convinced, but eventually they came round. I explained that I could find no contradiction in combining our two approaches to knowledge.”

His Holiness explained that as far as political affairs are concerned, he has retired. He semi-retired after the leadership election in 2001 and fully retired after the election of 2011.

He recalled Nehru advising him that the USA was never going to go to war with China over Tibet. Subsequently, in 1974 it was decided not to seek independence for Tibet, nor to make further appeals to the UN. Nehru stressed that sooner of later we would have to negotiate with the Chinese authorities. The Chinese constitution includes provisions for the autonomy of Tibet, which should be implemented. Tibetans in Central Tibet, Kham and Amdo need to be able to protect their identity and culture. His Holiness pointed out that the Middle Way Approach developed once Deng Xiaoping began to relax restrictions and expressed a willingness to talk. After the craziness of the ‘cultural revolution’, he hoped that common sense would prevail.

His Holiness remarked that the undaunted and unwavering spirit of Tibetans in Tibet and the efforts of those in exile have ensured that the Tibet issue is not forgotten. He reiterated the necessity of keeping Tibetan culture and language alive.

His Holiness lamented the huge loss of life in war over the last century and that violence is still going on. He observed that when Mahatma Gandhi put engaged in ahimsa, non-violent resistance his opponents regarded it as a sign of weakness. And yet in the end he was successful.

His Holiness told the students that he is convinced that if ancient Indian knowledge of the workings of the mind and emotions can be combined with modern education, it will make a significant contribution towards peace in the world.   

In answering questions from the audience he advised that death is a natural process and that everyone who’s born will die. What can help at that moment is to have a peaceful state of mind and a warm heart. He stated that women can become religious leaders and mentioned the examples of Shugseb Jetsun and Samdhing Dorje Phagmo. He added that after pursuing a rigorous program of study, 20 nuns were last year awarded the first Geshe-ma degrees.

A girl from Ladakh acknowledged that His Holiness regularly refers to himself as a simple Buddhist monk, but Tibetans and Himalayan people also know him as Chenrezig. She asked if he had anything to say about that.

“This year in Ladakh, a young girl asked me straight out, ‘Are you a God?’ and I told her ‘No’,” His Holiness reported, laughing. “The First Dalai Lama, Gendun Drup had visions of Avalokiteshvara and Tara and the Dalai Lamas from the 2nd until the 13th all had visions. I was born in a very remote village near Kumbum Monastery in Amdo. The search party was sent there as a result of visions the Regent saw in the surface of Lhamo Latso Lake, a lake activated by Gendun Gyatso, so you might say this Dalai Lama was recognised by Palden Lhamo. I have a strong karmic connection to the previous Dalai Lamas, so she helps me.

“I’ve had several dreams indicative of the past. In one I had been held as a prisoner in ancient Egypt and was released by order of the Pharoh. I’ve also had dreams indicative of my close connection to the Indian adept Krishnacharya and to the founder of Drepung Monastery Jamyang Chöjey.

“Be that as it may, every one of us has had a previous rebirth. The important thing is to lead a meaningful life here and now.”

His Holiness gave transmission of the mantras of Buddha Shakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri and Arya Tara, as well as the four line verse for taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and generating the awakening mind. In a final piece of advice he asked the young people to help others if they can, but if they can’t, that to avoid doing them any harm.

original link & photos https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/meeting-tibetans-and-people-from-the-himalayan-region

From Sadness to Hope - the Power of Compassion

Tokyo, Japan, 19 November 2013 - A short drive through Tokyo’s busy streets brought His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Zojoji Temple today. This grand institution belongs to the Jodo shu, one of the Pure Land traditions of Japanese Buddhism, dedicated to the single-minded recitation of the Nembutsu, a prayer to Amitabha Buddha. A Zojoji Temple has stood on this site for more than 500 years, but was badly damaged during the last war. The Daiden (Hondo), that His Holiness visited was rebuilt, combining ancient and modern traditions, in 1974. He was received at the steps to the temple by the Chief Abbot Yagi and escorted inside to a seat from which he could observe the prayers led by the Abbot to poignant musical accompaniment.

His Holiness was invited on this occasion at the behest of ‘Live On’ a non-profit organisation begun by Terumi Okaku to help prevent suicide and support children, who have lost parents as a result of disease, disaster, suicide, terrorism and war, through the grieving process. She explained that she was inspired to do this by her own experience of grief after her mother took her own life and she lost a brother in an accident. Her goal is to help people find hope as a way out of grief.

“I am very happy to be here in this magnificent temple, where monks have just performed prayers to Amitabha,” His Holiness began when it came to his turn to speak. “And I am impressed by the experiences of Ms Okaku, who works so hard to relieve the bereaved of their grief and depression. Working to allay the suffering of others on the basis of your own experience is particularly effective. I am reminded of the well-known verse of dedication:

May the supreme and precious awakening mind
Arise where it has not yet arisen.
And where it has declined or does not exist,
May it flourish and keep growing.

“It is clear that the greater your sense of altruism, the more you work for the welfare of others, the greater will be your own satisfaction. And when you come to die you’ll be able to go with confidence. As you dedicate yourself to working for others, your own interests will incidentally be fulfilled. Selfishness and self-centredness, on the other hand, lead to anxiety and suspicion, poor health and a decline in well-being.”

He commented that all the major religious traditions talk about love and compassion, although they differ in their philosophical approach because of the differences of time and place in which they arose. In Buddhist literature there is no mention of a pure and eternal god, nor of an intrinsically existent self. Everything is described as existing in dependence on other factors.

Although the Buddha had spoken about suffering when he taught the Four Noble Truths, that is no grounds for feeling depressed. Rather we should examine what gives rise to suffering and take on the challenge of overcoming it. He said that helping others who suffer to cope and overcome their grief as Ms Okaku had earlier described is a great gift of kindness.

His Holiness clarified that we experience two levels of pain, physical and mental, and that while physical pain tends to have a physical cause, mental suffering usually derives from our own way of thinking. For this the 8th century Indian master, Shantideva, offers practical advice:

Why be unhappy about something
If it can be remedied?
And what is the use of being unhappy about something
If it cannot be remedied?

Among the prepared questions was one that asked whether in the context of non-violence it is acceptable to fight back in the face of danger. His Holiness replied:

“Try to take the short and long-term benefit into account. But also keep in mind that the difference between non-violence and violence is not necessarily in the quality of the action you take, but in the motivation with which you do it. Seeking to deceive others with sweet words out of a selfish motivation is a form of violence, whereas forceful action with an altruistic motivation is non-violent.”

This prompted another questioner to ask about the self-immolations that have recently taken place in Tibet. His Holiness recalled that during the Cultural Revolution a Chinese Abbot had taken such action to protect his monastery and other monks had protested similarly against the Vietnam War. He pointed out that, very sad as such events have been, people with such courage could have sought to harm others and deliberately avoided doing so.

When he invited questions from the public, a young man wanted to know the proper attitude for falling in love. His Holiness told him he had no experience, but reflected that while physical beauty is good, inner beauty is much more important to the creation of a lasting relationship with someone.

“When you find a potential partner,” he added, “don’t be in a hurry to settle down, get to know each other first.”

To an enquiry about developing moral integrity, His Holiness replied that the world over, modern education is aimed at material progress and development. However, we all receive the seed of affection and respect for others when our mothers shower affection on us as infants. What we have to do is cultivate that seed because affection and warm-heartedness are the foundation of moral integrity. Scientific findings bear out the positive consequences of fostering such values. His Holiness cautioned that just as it is much harder to cure cancer when it is fully developed, if we wish to effect change through education we need to start training children early.

Someone asked His Holiness what is the most important point if we want to help each other and he answered simply: “Love and compassion.” To a question about emptiness he said:

“To understand what ‘form is emptiness, emptiness is form’ means, you have to know that it doesn’t mean that form does not exist. Rather it is not intrinsically existent; it depends on and is designated on other factors. Nagarjuna declared that the instruction about dependent origination is the treasure of the Buddha’s teaching. The purpose of the teaching of emptiness is to undermine our tendency to reify things, which gives rise to anger and attachment, which leads to suffering.”

In the afternoon, His Holiness opened a meeting with Japanese scholars of Tibetan studies by telling them that depending on where people are in the world and what the natural environment is like, different kinds of culture come about. By some accounts there have been Tibetans in Tibet for 30-40,000 years. They were mostly nomads, who, if they had a good horse and a sword, would roam at will and if they came up against opposition would crush it. But with the coming of Buddhism, Tibetans became gentler and more peaceful. He said:

“Usually I describe Tibetan culture as a culture of non-violence, a culture of peace, ultimately derived from compassion. Although we eat meat, we respect all forms of life. Such values, in the light of the violence we see in the world today are worth preserving. I want to express my appreciation to you for the interest you take in Tibetan affairs.”

Among questions that were asked, an historian wanted to know about a thangka of Palden Lhamo belonging to the Dalai Lamas and the whereabouts of a seal associated with their rule, which he said he did not know. An anthropologist from Hiroshima wanted to know about the apparent contradiction he saw between the Buddhist teaching of impermanence and sustainable development. His Holiness agreed that there has to be change. And the representative of a group of young Tibetologists expressed a strong interest in the prospect of creating Japanese links to the Mind & Life Institute. His Holiness approved of their enthusiasm saying:

“In the modern world more people have faith in science than in spiritual paths, but we need to find ways for people in general to learn to deal with their destructive emotions. The Mind & Life Institute is indeed doing good work in this direction in exploring and implementing secular ethics in the USA, in Europe, Thailand, Hong Kong and, next April, here in Japan.”

original link with photos http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1034-from-sadness-to-hope---the-power-of-compassion