Dalai Lama Says "We are One Family"

One - We are One Family

Tokyo, Japan - This morning, under bright sunshine and a high blue sky scattered with thin clouds, His Holiness the Dalai Lama left Yokohama. He drove directly to the Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall in Tokyo, a ninety year old theatre surrounded by trees. Half the 2800 strong audience sat in the sun, the other half in the shade.

The event was presented as an opportunity for young Japanese to get to know His Holiness better and to hear what he has to say. Two other special guests were introduced. Actor, film director and event producer Kenji Kohashi told the audience how moved he had been by a visit to Tibet. It compelled him to visit Dharamsala and meet His Holiness. He declared that he feels he must have been a Tibetan in a previous life.

Ai Tominaga started her career as a model at the age of 17 in New York and worked there for the next ten years. She returned to Tokyo and participates in activities that contribute to social welfare and convey the traditional culture of Japan. She has visited Mongolia. She told the audience how struck she had been by His Holiness’s warmth.

“Brothers and sisters,” His Holiness began, “it’s a great honour for me to have the opportunity to share my views and experiences with you. Wherever I go I emphasize that all 7 billion human beings are physically, mentally and emotionally the same. Everybody wants to live a happy life free from problems. Even insects, birds and animals want to be happy.

“What distinguishes us human beings is our intelligence. However, there are occasions when we use it improperly, as, for example, when we use it to design weapons. Animals like lions and tigers that live by attacking and eating other animals have sharp teeth and claws, but human beings’ nature and teeth are more like those of a deer. We use our intelligence to fulfil our desires, to which, compared to those of other animals, there seems to be no limit.

“Right here and now we are sitting together in peace and pleasure, but at this very moment, in other parts of the world people are killing each other.

“As I said, devising ever more lethal arms is a poor use of human intelligence and the worst are nuclear weapons. You Japanese have actually been victims of nuclear attack and know what the consequent suffering is like. I’ve been to both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On my first visit to Hiroshima I met a woman who had been through it and survived and I saw the watch in the museum that had stopped at the instant of the explosion and was half melted by the heat. So, instead of using our intelligence to create joy, the result has sometimes been fear.

“Here in the 21st century we should make an effort not to repeat the errors of the last century with its endless series of wars. Historians suggest that 200 million people died of violence during this period. It’s time to say, ‘Enough’. Let’s make the 21st a century of peace and compassion on the basis of the oneness of all 7 billion human beings alive today.

“Over-emphasizing difference of nationality, religion or race culminates in feelings of ‘us’ and ‘them’—division. We must remind ourselves that at a deeper level all human beings are the same. We all want to live a happy life and to be happy is our right. Throughout the universe are sentient beings seeking peace and happiness. What distinguishes the human beings on our planet is that we can communicate with each other—we can convey a sense of the oneness of humanity. If we develop peace of mind within ourselves, I believe we can make the 21st century an era of peace. We must heed the ways of achieving inner peace.

“There are no natural boundaries between human beings on this earth, we are one family. At a time of increasing natural disasters, climate change and global warming affect us all. We have to learn to live together, to work together and to share what we have together. The way we make problems for ourselves is senseless. We will achieve genuine peace in the world if we pursue demilitarization, but we need a sense of inner disarmament, a reduction of hostility and anger, to start with.

“A mother gave birth to each one of us and lavished us with care and affection, but once we go to school our education system fails to nurture this sense of loving-kindness. It’s aimed instead at fulfilling material goals. We need to re-introduce to education such inner values as warm-heartedness. If we could be more warm-hearted we’d be happier as individuals, contributing to happier families and wider communities too.

“Human beings are social animals. What brings us together is love and affection—anger drives us apart. Just as we employ physical hygiene to protect our health, we need emotional hygiene, the means to tackle our destructive emotions, if we are to achieve peace of mind.

“I belong to the 20th century, an era that is past. But this is what I want to share with you young people—if you start to collect the causes now, you’ll live to see a happier, more peaceful world. Don’t be content with the present circumstances, take a more far-sighted view.”

His Holiness added that when the heart is closed it leads to fear, stress and anger. Nurturing the idea of the oneness of humanity has the effect of opening the heart. When you think of all other human beings as your brothers and sisters it’s easy to communicate with them all. It makes it easier to smile, to be warm and friendly. He said this is what he tries to do. For him, whether they are beggars or leaders, all human beings are the same. If he tells himself he’s a Buddhist, a Tibetan, the Dalai Lama, it just increases his sense of isolation.

He observed that Japan has historically been a Buddhist country, yet all religions convey a message of love, compassion and self-discipline. Their philosophical differences arose to suit people of different dispositions, at different times and in different places and conditions. The fundamental message of love remains the same. Buddhism, especially the Nalanda Tradition, with its emphasis on reasoned investigation, takes a realistic stance that accords with the approach of science. His Holiness recommended that to become a 21st century Buddhist, simply having faith and reciting the sutras is not enough, far more important is understanding and implementing what the Buddha taught.

Ai Tominaga told His Holiness that in her experience young people today have a desire for fashion, but it’s in the context of a concern for freedom, human rights and protecting the environment. She thanked him for giving encouraging advice to the next generation.

Kenji Kohashi told him that when he plans musical and other events he wants young people to develop greater self-awareness. “We have to take the initiative to connect with each other, otherwise we remain apart. For me, a near death experience while mountain climbing and meditation have been a source of inspiration.”

A young man who works for a NGO caring for orphans asked His Holiness to comment on leadership and optimism.

“According to my observation,” His Holiness replied, “NGOs are sometimes more effective than governments agencies, so I appreciate their contribution. Since our existing culture tends to be materialistic, we look to external sources for fulfilment. But that can change. Look at how popular attitudes to war have changed. In the early 20th century if a nation declared war, people joined up proudly without question. Compare that to resistance in America to the Vietnam War or to the millions of people around the world who marched to protest against going to war with Iraq.

“Certainly I’m optimistic, because giving in to pessimism leads to defeat. I’m committed to trying to revive interest in what ancient Indian knowledge has to tell us about the workings of our minds and emotions—the goal is to achieve peace of mind.”

As words of thanks were pronounced, the organizers of the event from Sherab Kyetsel Ling Institute presented bouquets of flowers to His Holiness and the other guests. A member of the audience ran to the front of the stage and offered His Holiness a knitted hat resembling a sunflower. With a look of amusement he put it on.

Tomorrow, he will visit Sherab Kyetsel Ling Institute where he will teach the ‘Eight Verses for Training the Mind’.

link & photos: https://www.dalailama.com/news/2018/one-we-are-one-family

Dalai Lama: The Potential of Today, The Potential of Tomorrow

Tokyo, Japan, 16 November 2016 - Long lines of junior high-school boys, immaculate in their formal, dark-blue uniforms, and visibly excited, had formed to greet His Holiness as he arrived at the Setagaya Junior High School in Tokyo on a cool, grey morning. The Tibetan flag was flying on every side, and a banner in English above the school’s entrance read, “We are Honored to Welcome H.H. Dalai Lama the 14th to Setagaya Gakuen.” Teachers watched the arrival from a third-floor walkway, under the school’s more than apt motto, “Think and Share.”

His Holiness took pains to greet almost every boy in the lines, tickling some, pulling the earlobes of others, leaning down to hold a small boy on crutches and to ask him what was wrong. Later he would say, “Your young, fresh, bright faces make me feel young again!”

After meeting some of the school’s officials—with three little boys in monks’ robes bringing him tea and cookies—His Holiness stepped into a jampacked wooden gymnasium in which—as on his previous trip to the school, some years before—every last seat in thirty long rows was occupied by silent, attentive young boys. “My English is very poor,” he began, “but I’m often suggesting that Japanese students should try to learn English. That way you can make an even greater contribution for the benefit of other people. And you can get more self-confidence. Traveling, you can realize that your own country’s conditions are really very good.”

Then he said simply, “You are the basis of our hope. Past is past; no one can change what happened. But in the future there is still hope, possibility.” Recalling the wars that had broken out throughout his life—since the rise of Nazi Germany and the Sino-Japanese Conflict in his earliest years—His Holiness explained how we can work for peace in an active, concrete way, instead of perpetuating the cycle of violence. “Many of my elder brothers and sisters here and I,” he said, “may not see a more peaceful and happier world. It’s not easily achieved. But in the next thirty or forty years, yours is the generation that can make a significant contribution to a more harmonious world.”

As his answers were translated, His Holiness peered intently into the crowd, making eye contact with some students, smiling at others, observing responses in every corner. “Violence always destroys lives,” he says. “The people who indulge in violence may get some temporary satisfaction; but deep inside they won’t be happy. Perhaps at the end of their lives, they will feel uncomfortable. Nobody wants problems, but we create many problems. Why? Because we can be short-sighted and narrow-minded.” Even trouble-makers, after all, are born to mothers and “raised with the seed of compassion.” Schools should therefore attend not just to material values but to inner values. “Not through religion, but through common sense, common experience and scientific findings.”

When His Holiness opened the session up to questions, the students were shy for a second, and then, almost instantly, lines of forty or more clamorously formed on each side of the gymnasium, reaching almost to the back of the large space. The boys’ questions cut to the heart of things: how can one cure aggression and anger? Must religion involve strictness? What is the meaning of life? His Holiness gave crisp direct answers, handling many questions from both sides of the hall. He stressed motivation—the difference between aspiring to succeed and hoping that others fail. He pointed out, in answer to a question about “destiny,” that “Karma means action. So, till yesterday, you had a certain destiny due to prior karma. Today you’re creating new karma, more forcibly, that can change your destiny.”

And in answer to a question about how a young student can hope to change the world, he said that it was more than possible. “The first thing is to develop peace of mind. And then spread it among your friends and family. And then, slowly and steadily as you grow in your profession, whatever that might be, it will help. Even in politics!”

Having spoken for more than two hours, His Holiness came down off the stage, taking care to greet many of the students in the front rows individually before taking lunch with the leaders of the school. Then he went straight to the Japanese parliament, to deal with real-life politicians. It was as if, having worked to bring meaning and wisdom to the leaders of tomorrow, he was now bringing his vision to the power-brokers of today.

As soon as he got out of his car at the gleaming, glassy, nine-story Front Office Building for the Japanese House of Representatives, in the heart of skyscraper Tokyo, His Holiness was greeted by loud applause from a large group of formally dressed politicians. Members of five different parties had gathered to welcome him, and when he stepped into a meeting hall, it was to be greeted again by spontaneous clapping, and a thronged audience of more than 200 policy-makers, part of the Japan-Tibet Parliament Group. It was the third time His Holiness had addressed Japan’s parliamentarians officially, and, according to a speech from one, each time saw more and more people in attendance.

A few Japanese politicians opened the event by speaking about how the Tibetan leader had touched their hearts, about visiting him in Dharamsala, about how Japan as a whole can and should work to help bring peace to the world and to think about religion and humanity, especially given the many age-old ties between the cultures.

Then His Holiness, speaking from a podium, spoke more about those ties and about his lifelong commitment to democracy. As a human being, he was fully committed to his 7 billion fellow humans. As a Buddhist monk, he was committed to a universal message of love, of tolerance, of forgiveness. And as a Tibetan, though he had retired from political life, he was committed to trying to preserve one of the world’s ancient cultures, a rich heritage of knowledge and the environment.

“Politically,” he stressed, “we are not looking for independence. For economic and other reasons, we want to stay within China.” But the Tibetan issue was not just political. It was about the preservation of Tibetan culture, language and the environment. In answer to a series of questions, he emphasized, as ever, “The Chinese people we really admire, we really respect. They have a 5000 year-old culture, they are a very cultured people, hard-working, realistic.” The fact of so many people attending a Japan-Tibet Parliamentary Group, His Holiness concluded, was part of an almost universal commitment not just to Tibet, but to justice and truth.

As he left the hall, one formal-looking politician after another pushed forwards to say hello, to shake his hand, to thank him for his presence in the world and in the room.

original link and photos: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1490-the-potential-of-today-the-potential-of-tomorrow

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

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Talks to the Japan Doctors Association

Tokyo, Japan, 4 April 2015 - Having returned to Tokyo from Sapporo this morning, this afternoon His Holiness the Dalai Lama was invited to address not only the live audience in the Japan Doctors Association Hall, but also another 166,000 members across the country online. Moved by the formality of the 500 grave-faced, besuited physicians before him, His Holiness declared that while he usually speaks in English, he would begin in his own Tibetan language. He told them how happy he was to be with them and remarked that although the President of the Japan Doctors Association (JDA) had referred in his introduction to the Dalai Lamas being bodhisattvas, he prefers to think of himself as just a human being. Switching to English, he continued:

“It’s a great honour for me to address such a gathering of people from the field of medicine, because, while almost every human activity can contribute to people’s welfare, doctors and nurses are often able to give people new life. When someone comes to a hospital they don’t come for a picnic, but because they are seeking help for some sort of trouble. And you doctors and nurses are often able to give them a new lease of life.”

He mentioned that there are a variety of medical systems in the world some with origins several thousand years old. Tibetan history records an international conference being held in Lhasa in the 8th century under the auspices of the Tibetan Emperor. It was attended by representatives of the Yunani system from Persia and Afghanistan, of Ayurveda from India and of the Chinese and Tibetan systems. The modern Tibetan medical system seems to have emerged from this event.

His Holiness noted that some ailments respond best to allopathic treatment, but for others Ayurvedic, Tibetan and Chinese treatments may be more effective. He wondered whether a conference of physicians experienced in these different systems today might contribute to human progress.

Despite the earlier formal introduction, His Holiness said he’d like to introduce himself.

“As I said before, I consider myself to be one of the 7 billion human beings alive today. We are physically, mentally and emotionally the same. We all want to live a happy life. While we don’t wish for them we face problems, many of which we have created for ourselves. Why? because we take a narrow rather than a holistic view and because we lack a sense of the oneness of the human family. We are social animals. We all have the potential to develop love and compassion for each other, but we are self-centred. We see others in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’, taking secondary differences of faith, nationality or race as an excuse. Instead, we need to promote a sense of the oneness of the 7 billion human beings.

“In the past we may have been more or less self-sufficient, but today we are interdependent. Now, the destruction of our neighbours means our destruction too. If we make the interests of the 7 billion human beings our concern, our own interests will naturally be fulfilled.”

His Holiness pointed out that when someone comes to a hospital in search of help, we don’t ask them their faith, nationality or other background, we regard them as human beings in need of help, as patients in need of treatment. He said that we all have this potential to develop unbiased love and concern for other human beings and trying to make people aware of it is his first commitment.

He mentioned that he is also a Buddhist monk who believes that all religious traditions convey a message of love, tolerance and self-discipline. As such they all have the potential to serve humanity. They may adopt different philosophical positions, but even these are directed towards the promotion of love. Therefore, he said, his second commitment is to encouraging inter-religious harmony, something needed more than ever now that increasing numbers of people are killing others in the name of religion.

His Holiness said that his third commitment derives from his being a Tibetan.

“We Tibetans have our own language and system of writing. It happens that today Tibetan is the most accurate language for explaining the Buddhist traditions taught at the great Nalanda University in India. These included philosophy and logic, beside knowledge of the mind and emotions. It’s on the basis of my studies in these traditions that I have been able to engage in conversations with modern scientists over the last 30 years or so. And one result has been that today, many scientists are interested in what the ancient Indian texts have to teach about the mind.”

The first question from the audience asked how we can deal with difficulties we will face in the future. In his reply His Holiness acknowledged that since 1 billion among the 7 billion human beings alive today assert that they adhere to no religious faith, we need to look for new ways to promote a sense of love and affection. All of us, even those who eventually become terrorists, grow up under our mother’s care and affection. But as we grow our natural sense of affection seems to decline. He suggested following the Indian example of taking a secular approach to ethics. This is an approach that respects religious traditions and even the views of those who have no faith, without depending on any of them. He told his listeners that curriculums are being developed with a view to introducing ethics with a secular, universal appeal into our general education systems.

Another physician wanted to know how to cope with emotions and how to decide ethically challenging questions. His Holiness told him that to reduce destructive emotions we need to strengthen constructive emotions. For example, to counter anger we cultivate love and compassion. Reason and common sense will help, but an additional result of developing compassion is an increase in inner strength.

With regard to challenging questions of medical ethics, the important factor is motivation. His Holiness said that he has teased his own doctors about surgery being a form of violence, but we accept it because the motivation is good. He suggested that while it is generally better to avoid abortion, there are occasions when it is the better course of action. He recommended exercising not only compassion in such cases, but wisdom and plain common sense too.

When a psychiatrist asked for advice to prevent suicide, His Holiness quoted a Tibetan master who remarked that the circumstances of some people’s lives are such that it may sometimes be better if their lives are short. He remarked that what makes our human life precious is our marvellous brain. We have an ability to cultivate compassion in a way no other beings can do and this is why suicide seems such a loss.

He pointed out that modern urban life is lonelier than, for example, life in an Indian village. In the village a suicidal person would likely find more community support and understanding. He recalled a conference he attended about 15 years ago in San Francisco that discussed crime amongst youth. The unanimous consensus was that a root cause was a general lack of affection in society. Perhaps the same applies to the incidence of suicide. He suggested that unfulfilled desire, competition and stress may be contributory factors too.

Senior doctors sought His Holiness’s advice about the impending crisis over the imbalance in numbers of elderly retired over young working members of society. He told them of a project he’d heard about in Sweden in which the elderly have a role looking after children. It results in mutual benefit. The children learn from the older people’s experience while their parents are working, and the stimulus the young provide to the old offsets the mental decline that would otherwise take place.

Coming back to the importance of secular ethics, His Holiness mentioned that it is important to teach young people at school that violence is a fruitless approach to solving problems. The use of violence and force inevitably entails unanticipated consequences and rarely a solution. It would be much better if children grew up accustomed to the idea that the proper way to resolve problems is through dialogue, through reaching a mutually agreeable solution.

Finally, His Holiness quoted the Tibetan saying about the well-qualified doctor whose treatment is less effective because he’s aloof compared to the less-qualified doctor whose treatment is more successful because he is warm-hearted. He cited his own experience of feeling more confident and likely to recover quickly when doctors and nurses engage with warm-heartedness, as opposed to those who make him feel like they are just repairing a machine.

“But,” he added, “just as we say we don’t teach the alphabet to the Buddha, you are the doctors and I’m sure this is something you already know.”

There were words of thanks and His Holiness offered all the participants on the stage a silk scarf. Outside, in the forecourt, His Holiness and the President of the JDA planted a tree to commemorate his visit.

original link with photos http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1258-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-talks-to-the-japan-doctors-association