Dalai Lama on Science, Spirituality & World Peace

Dharamsala, HP, India - Invited by the Bhaktivedanta Institute, a centre for advanced studies in science and Vedanta associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, His Holiness the Dalai Lama attended the inaugural session of a conference on Science, Spirituality & World Peace today. The event took place in the auditorium of the Government Degree College, Dharamsala.

His Holiness was welcomed to the stage and presented with a bouquet. All stood for the National Anthem. After a song of praise to Lord Krishna, the principal guests gathered to light the peace lamp. The Chairman for the occasion, Dr Sudipto Ghosh gave a welcome address, concluding with a quotation from His Holiness, “If you want others to be happy, practise compassion; if you want to be happy yourself, practise compassion”. In a subsequent address elaborating on the theme of the conference, Dr PB Sharma remarked that truth, the cardinal principle of religion, is also a principle of science. A message from Subhag Swami stressed the need to create a culture of peace and harmony.

When His Holiness was invited to speak, he wanted to greet his respected brothers and sisters on the stage, only to observe that there were no sisters. Turning to those in the audience, he began,

“Brothers and sisters, I’m extremely happy to participate in this meeting. Among this gathering of brothers and sisters, some of us, like me, belong to the 20th century. Others who are not more than twenty years old belong to the new generation of the 21st century.

“The 20th century has gone, but if we look back it was an era of war and violence as a result of short-sightedness, giving in to destructive emotions, a lack of moral principles, as well as a lack of concern for others’ well-being. This was compounded by a belief in the use of force to solve problems. These factors still prevail to some extent at the beginning of the 21st century. The news is filled with stories of killing. Corruption flourishes. Poor people suffer. And in many places religion is used as an excuse for violence, while scientific developments have provided more efficient ways to kill.

“We have to stop and think—if we go on like this, the 21st century will be an era of violence and suffering like the century that went before. For someone 82 years old like me there isn’t much to worry about, but those of you who belong to the younger generation today need to question whether you want to see killing, beating and cheating continue. Much of the suffering we face is of our own making. Climate change is something we human beings have brought about through negligence. We have to ask how we can reduce and counter the problems we have created.”

His Holiness reported that scientists cite evidence that basic human nature is compassionate. This is borne out by our common experience of being cared for by our mothers. Without that care we would die. Common sense also tells us that if one of our neighbours is friendly and smiling when we meet, but another frowns with anger and hostility, we feel more comfortable with the one who smiles.

If it is motivated by anger, science is likely to be destructive. His Holiness observed that we have marvellous brains—how sad it would be if we only use them to find ways to kill each other. He suggested that all 7 billion human beings alive today have the potential to develop compassion and can be guided to do so by adopting universal values that he likes to call secular ethics. He clarified that he uses the word secular in an Indian context of unbiased respect for all religions.

He noted that so far science has learned a great deal about the material world, but is now gradually beginning to explore the mind and human consciousness. He predicted that during this century science will learn much more about our inner world. His Holiness recalled nuclear scientist Raja Ramana’s telling him that quantum physics’ new observations that phenomena do not exist objectively had been anticipated long ago in Nagarjuna’s writings. He asserted that ancient Indian understanding of the workings of the mind and emotions also remains relevant today.

“We can change our minds. We don’t have to give in to anger and hatred. Since compassion and anger cannot co-exist, the more we cultivate compassion the more our anger will be reduced. Other animals seem to have a capacity for some sense of compassion, but they lack the intelligence we human beings possess to cultivate and develop it.

“Compassion brings peace of mind and if we have that we won’t be deflected when negative events occur. A Christian monk I met in Montserrat, Spain, spent five years as a hermit in the mountains living only bread and tea. I asked him what he practised and he told me he meditated on love. And as he said that I could see from the sparkle in his eyes that he experienced the real, deep and lasting happiness of peace of mind.

“Nowadays, whenever I can I tell Indians that you already have a thorough understanding of our inner world and the workings of our mind and emotions. However, in pursuit of material goals, many people neglect this ancient knowledge. One of my commitments is to encourage its revival here in India. I believe that India is a country where it is possible to combine the benefits of a modern education with the benefits of this ancient understanding of the mind. What’s more I believe that this is something India, the world’s greatest democracy, can contribute to the wider world. If we are to succeed, we have to make an effort and we have to start now. Please think seriously about this.”

In responding to several questions from the audience His Holiness expressed appreciation of the practice of vipashyana in the form of analytical meditation. He stated that the purpose of life is to find happiness and joy, observing that day to day we are sustained by hope. He repeated that cultivating a proper sense of secular ethics is a basis for developing compassion. This also has a bearing on world peace. He added that the goal should be the demilitarization of the world, asking “Is this an empty dream?”

Challenged to say how an individual can really help others he agreed that it can sometimes seem as if one person will not be very effective. However, he stressed that change in the world always begins with an individual who shares what he or she has learned and passes it on to others. He reiterated that human beings are intelligent. We are able to understand that compassion is a realistic state of mind, whereas anger is not. We can also understand and observe that anger destroys our own peace of mind as well as good family relations. Anger attracts no friends.

A student from Lower TCV asked about the role of suffering in our lives and His Holiness told him that it depends on your perspective. If you only focus on the hardship you undergo it’s tough, but if you can adopt a broader perspective it’s possible to recognise advantage and benefit even in great loss.

After seeking his host’s permission, His Holiness spoke briefly to the Tibetan students in the audience in their mother-tongue. He touched on the efforts Tibet’s kings made in the 7th and 8th centuries to develop Tibetan culture. Consequently, the Tibetan language is now the most accurate medium for expressing the essence of the Nalanda Tradition—something to be proud of.

He said that after 60 years of hardship, Tibetans have kept up their spirit and determination. Consequently, even Chinese hardliners need to question the effects of their policies.

His Holiness stated plainly that Tibetans need not be shy or modest about their culture. The logic and psychology that are part of the Nalanda Tradition have a positive contribution to make to the world. He encouraged Tibetan students to work to keep those traditions and their modern education alive. He quoted a friend who told him, “Today Tibet is physically occupied by China, but in the future Tibetan culture can occupy the Chinese mind.”

In his final words to the whole audience His Holiness noted that historically Tibetans have regarded Indians as their Gurus and themselves as the chelas or students. However, while the Gurus’ ancient knowledge has fallen into neglect, the chelas have kept it alive and so proved themselves reliable. He ended by repeating his sense of commitment to encourage Indians to revive their ancient heritage.

original link & photos https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/science-spirituality-world-peace

Dalai Lama on Universal Responsibility in the Modern World

Universal Responsibility in the Modern World

(Transcript of His Holiness's Public Talk at Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom, May 22, 2008)

Riki Hyde-Chambers (Chairman of Tibet Society): Ladies and gentlemen, it is my very great privilege to introduce you to His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Someone in audience: We love you.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Thank you.

Firstly, let me sit more comfortably. Don’t worry, I am not going to meditate in silence. Thank you very much. I am very very happy to be meeting with the public in this hall once more. I think it is the third time, or maybe the second. I don’t remember.

Dear brothers and sisters, I am extremely happy to sit here with you and interact. I will begin by speaking for about 30 or 40 minutes. When I talk, it is not for a precise time; it depends on my mood. If my mood is good I will speak for longer; if my mood is not that good the talk will be shorter. Whenever I give a talk I do not do any preparation or have any notes. I just express what I feel in a completely informal way. Then there will be some questions. That will be helpful to me, because sometimes there are unexpected questions, or points that I had never considered. That helps me to think about the point more seriously; so there is mutual benefit.

To begin, I want to thank the organisers, mainly I think the Tibet Society. I think that it is the oldest such society, formed when we became refugees, to support the Tibet cause. I remember the late Lord Ennals, and other very active members, who made a great contribution to the Tibetan cause. He is no longer with us, but, Riki was here on my first visit in 1973, and since then in his face there has not been much change. He is physically not very big, but he is full of energy and warm feeling. These people carry the original spirit, and make it even stronger. I want to thank the Tibet Society, and our other friends and supporters. Thank you very much. Among the parliamentarians, there are a number of people who show genuine concern. Thank you. I always believe that our supporters are not pro-Tibetan but rather pro-justice. I very much appreciate that.

I also want to thank the Tibetan musicians and dancers. I very much appreciated them. For nearly half a century they have been homeless; the generations change, but our people keep the Tibetan spirit alive. Here in England there are very few Tibetans, but they keep our spirit very much alive. Not only that, but those young children who were born here have received a transfer of the Tibetan spirit from their parents. A transfer from the older generation to the younger generation. That was our original aim. As soon as we became refugees, our main concern was to preserve the rich Tibetan Buddhist culture. In other words, a culture of peace, of compassion. Today, that is something very relevant to this world. Therefore, right from the beginning, our main effort has been to preserve the Tibetan culture. Nowadays our main discussions with the Chinese authorities are about how to protect Tibetan cultural heritage. That is our main concern. This small group here made an effort to preserve our spirit, our cultural heritage. Thank you very much.

Turning to my talk here, I think that most of you know that I have two main concerns. No. 1—now because of this light this is necessary [dons peaked cap]. This is not the red hat sect, the yellow hat sect or the blue hat sect. It is something very practical. My main interest, my main commitment on a voluntary basis, is to two things: No. 1, the promotion of human value and No. 2 the promotion of religious harmony. I am committed to those two things until my death. The third commitment is regarding Tibetan problem/struggle. It is not necessarily a voluntary commitment, because of historical facts. The most important thing is that the Tibetan people both inside and outside of Tibet trust me very much and pin a lot of hope on me, and so I have the moral responsibility to serve them as well as I can. Of course, my ability, knowledge and experience in various fields are very limited, but it is my moral responsibility to serve them in whatever way I can. But there will be a time limit. I am already in something like a semi-retired position, as we have had an elected political leadership since 2001. So, my position is something like that of senior adviser. In most cases, the political leadership listens to my view, but sometimes it doesn’t. That is good. Also, on my part, I have some reservations about some of his policy, but I always remain quiet. So, we are sincerely practising democracy.

In response to an invitation to visit, I generally talk about two things: the promotion of human value and the promotion of religious harmony. But my recent visits to America, Germany and now here, have become much more politicised because of the recent events in Tibet. Okay. So the theme of my talk here is universal responsibility in the modern world. Since my first visit to Europe in 1973, I carry this message of universal responsibility, of a sense of global responsibility. Since I went to India in 1959, I have had the opportunity to meet a variety of people—and my broken English is quite helpful for listening to the BBC World Service—and it seems to me that we are facing many, essentially man-made, problems. Of course, natural disasters are something different, but a major portion of our problems are essentially of our own creation. At the same time, nobody wants problems. There are a few thousand people in this hall, and I think that when you get up in the early, or late, morning, none of you hopes that you have more problems, more trouble that day. Nobody feels that. From early morning, as soon as I wake up, I think, hope or wish that it will be a pleasant day. A joyful day with no problems. That is human nature. Essentially, most troublemakers are not intentionally so, but their approach has become unrealistic and that causes unexpected problems. An unrealistic approach does not happen intentionally either, but comes about because of a lack of a holistic, comprehensive perspective, and in many cases short-sightedness. So, ultimately, that is a lack of a sense of global responsibility, which divides us into “us” and “them” and makes us feel that our interests are independent from others’. We consider our own interests as the most important ones and disregard others’ interests. So that creates a problem. In reality our interests and others’ interests are very much interconnected; we are part of the six billion human beings. Therefore, if six billion human beings are happy, one individual is bound to be happy. If six billion get trouble, you cannot escape. That is the reality. According to that reality, our centuries-old concept that “us” and “them” are independent is, I think, outdated. Now, particularly in these modern times, with the economic conditions, the environmental issues and the sheer size of the population, everything is interdependent. So, in those circumstances, a Buddhist concept is that you should consider all sentient beings as the mother sentient being, to whom you should develop the same sense of closeness as to your own mother. So, according to theological religion, all creation is created by God. So, we human beings, other sentient beings and the whole world were created by God. A Muslim friend told me that a true Muslim should love the whole of creation as much as they love God. So different words, a different approach, but the same meaning. Therefore, there is the idea that there is a sense of global responsibility, that we should develop a sense of concern for the whole of humanity, the whole world. That eventually develops. For more than 30 years that has been my concept, and it is still relevant. More and more people seem to agree with it.

So, how do you develop a sense of global responsibility? It is very much related to commitment to the promotion of religious harmony and human value. Firstly, I will touch on the promotion of human value.

What is human value? Money? Oh, yes. That is very important. In Tibetan we say Kunga Dhondup. That is a nickname for money, which literally means, “That which makes everybody happy and can accomplish everything”. That is true, without money you cannot do things. Money is important. Sometimes I make a joke to Buddhist audiences, particularly Tibetan: we usually recite a special sort of Tibetan mantra, “Om Mani Padme Hum”. Some of you know that, I think. We recite that, sometimes hurriedly, so it becomes: “Om Mani Padme Hum, Om Mani Padma Hum, Om Mani Padma Hum”, then it become “OmMani, OmMani, Mani, Mani, Mani” [spoken more and more quickly]. It sounds very much like, “money money money money”. Maybe, “dollar money dollar money”, or “pound money pound money”. So, money has value, and all these external facilities are valuable. Good. But they all provide physical not mental comfort. If you have plenty of money, you have some sort of satisfaction in your mental life: “Ah, I have a lot of money.” That is an illusion, because we notice that a billionaire has plenty of money but is a very unhappy person. We notice that. They have a lot of worry, anxiety, suspicion and jealousy. Money fails to bring them inner peace. More money brings more suspicion, discomfort and worry. To truly believe that if you have money everything can be sorted out, that you will get 100 per cent satisfaction, is an illusion. But, of course, you must be the judge of that, because I never say that the points that I make are 100 per cent correct. Please investigate for yourselves. I myself am trained in such a way that I am always investigating.

The Tibetan Buddhist tradition is actually the Nalanda tradition. Nalanda is, I think we can say, the oldest university, because it is more than 2,000 years old. It is not just a monastery, but a learning centre. The Tibetan Buddhist tradition was established by a great Indian philosopher, a logician, from that university. His name was Shantarakshita. In the 8th century he was invited to Tibet by the Tibetan emperor. He was aged 900, according to the Tibetan age system; according to an Indian friend he was around 75 years old. That friend teases that Tibetans add an extra zero, so that 90 became 900. Shantarakshita—his name sounds good, in Tibetan Shiwa Tso—was the person who established Buddhism in Tibet, with the help of the Tibetan emperor. Since he was a great scholar and logician, he was never satisfied. He said, “always investigate, always argue, always reason.” So that was his style. He introduced the Buddhist tradition in that way. Up to now, the major Tibetan Buddhist institution has always carried study in such a manner: investigation, investigation. I myself am also trained in investigation and experiment, and so I want to share with you, even regarding my own talks: “Please carry on investigating.” Do not just accept my word.

Real inner peace and inner satisfaction ultimately depends on our mental attitude. What kind of mental attitude? Firstly, we are social animals, so there must be an emotional factor that brings us together as a social group. There is also a biological factor. We are born from our mother’s womb, and at that moment are just like animals, tiny infants. Our survival totally depends on someone else’s care, usually our mother’s. If your mother abandons you for just one, two or three days, I think that you will die. Our survival totally depends on others’ care. Furthermore, the physical body survives with the nutrition of the mother’s milk. The survival of the youngsters of not only human beings, but of cats, dogs and even birds, entirely depends on others’ care. That is a fact. So, there must be an emotional factor that has developed that kind of determination on the part of the mother: the mother’s affection. That affection brings with it the determination of a mother to sacrifice her own comfort, or even her life, in order to protect and care.

Recently I was on an overnight flight, from I think Japan to America or from America to Europe. In the front seat there was a couple with two children. One was perhaps six or seven years old, and the other one year old. The younger one did not sleep the whole night; he was walking here and there and shouting. On one occasion, I offered him a sweet from my pocket. He took it and then carried on walking. At the beginning, the father was taking so much care of him, but after around midnight he suddenly lay down on the chair. Then the mother took care of the child through the whole night. The mother’s eyes became red due, I think, to lack of sleep. So that reaffirmed for me, that the mother is so, so kind. That kind of attitude does not come from religious teaching, but from nature. It is mainly a biological factor. That affection is ultimately the basis of our life.

There has been some scientific research. On one occasion, a scientist made a presentation about young monkeys, some of whom were with their mothers and some of whom were separated from their mothers. The monkeys who were with their mothers were always playful and very rarely fought. The monkeys who were separated from their mothers were always in a bad mood and often quarreled. We are the same. Therefore, a happy, peaceful life is ultimately very much related to affection. On another occasion, a medical scientist at a conference talked about how guinea pigs, or mice, licking each other had a very positive effect on the healing of wounds. That also indicates that affection has an effect on our physical selves and on our mental comfort. Therefore, we can say that human affection is the basic human value. From the time of birth until death, affection, or human compassion, plays a very important role.

Now immense crises have developed, compassion really makes a difference. My own case is the recent developments, since 10 March. On the afternoon of 10 March I received news from Lhasa that some Tibetans were now demonstrating. As soon as I heard that, I had the same experience as on 10 March 1959: a lot of anxiety and also fear. At the intelligence level, there was a lot of anxiety, fear, doubt and uncertainty. But underneath, on a more emotional level, it seemed quite okay. Usually I sleep for at least eight or nine hours. What do you think, is that too much? Fortunately, in spite of a lot of disturbances at the intelligence level, my sleep is never disturbed. So, underneath, there seems to be some calmness. The main factor is my training, and daily meditation. One particular sort of meditation is “take and give”, give and take”—the Tibetan word is Tonglen. I usually meditate on that, on altruism. Of course, my day starts at 3.30am every morning, when I do at least four hours’ meditation, mainly analytical meditation. One part of my meditation is to visualise those individuals who take decisions, and develop altruism. It is very important to make a distinction between the action and the person. As far as action is concerned, we have to oppose, to make a response. But the person who carried out the wrongdoing really deserves our compassion, our concern. It was their wrongdoing, so from the Buddhist viewpoint, from the non-theistic religious viewpoint according to the law of causality, they have to face the consequences. So there is more reason to feel concern about that troublemaker than about their victims. Visualise those things and then take their anger, hatred and suspicion and give them compassion, a spirit of forgiveness and patience. That kind of meditation practice looks silly because it is just imagination. Yes, it has no actual effect. But the practitioner’s emotional level gets immense benefit from it. That is my experience, but it is nothing special.

In the past I have also told the story of a Tibetan monk I knew well before 1959, who spent 18 years in a Chinese gulag. In the early 80s, the Chinese Government adopted a new policy allowing Tibetans to go to India, and allowing Tibetans outside of Tibet to go “home”, to their villages. So this monk then joined Dharamsala. So since we knew each other very well, one day we chatted. He told me that during 18 years in the Chinese gulag he had faced danger on a few occasions. I thought that maybe he meant that his life had been in danger. I asked him, “What kind of danger?” His answer was, “Danger of losing compassion towards the Chinese.” That is the kind of attitude I am talking about. A practitioner has a certain kind of inner peace through that practice, and this is an example.

In order to keep inner peace, compassion really makes a difference. That is very important. When I talk about compassion, I think it is worthwhile to be more precise. One kind of compassion is essentially low level and has a biological factor, it is low-level compassion mixed with attachment. That limited compassion, as a seed, can be strengthened with the help of reasoning and become a higher level of unlimited, unbiased compassion. We need that. To give an example, as I mentioned before, for my own happy and successful future as a social animal, as one of the six billion human beings, I have to take care of the other human beings, because my future depends on them, doesn’t it? If I create more enemies I will suffer. If I create more friends I will benefit. How do we create friends? Only through money? No. Money can bring friends, but they are essentially friends of money, not of you yourself. When your fortune grows and you become richer, richer, richer, you will find more friends. When your fortune goes, those friends will also disappear. Even if you phone them they may not answer. Those friends are not genuinely your friends, but friends of your money. Therefore, real friends come only out of a sense of concern or respect. Respect them. Develop a genuine sense of concern, of compassion, as even animals do. My main point is that a seed of happiness, of inner calmness, of inner strength, creates more inner strength, more self-confidence and less fear. That automatically causes some kind of close feeling towards other human beings to develop. A compassionate attitude opens our inner door, and as a result it is much easier to communicate with others. If there is too much self-centred attitude, then fear, doubt and suspicion come and as a result our inner door closes. Then it is very difficult to communicate with others.

There was a doctor at a conference in America who presented the data from an experiment he had done. He said that individuals who often use the words, “me’, “my” and “I”, are at a greater risk of a heart attack. Why was that? He didn’t explain. But I thought, “Ah, that could be true”, because a self-centred person is someone who cherishes him or herself, and only him or herself, and that feeling is reflected in their use of the word, “I”. There is nothing wrong with that word, but the attitude behind it is thinking of just oneself. If you think only of yourself, even a tiny problem appears unbearable. If you think more about others’ wellbeing—“others” is infinite—your mind opens wider and your own problem appears insignificant. The same problem, the same tragedy can appear very different. From one angle, you can see something as very bad; from another angle you can see it and say, “Oh, that’s okay.” That often happens, and therefore a compassionate attitude really widens your mind. One small problem is not very serious. That makes a difference to our inner peace. That is the way to promote human value, which is the basis of our inner peace. That is a very important factor for a happy life, including a healthy body.

A scientist told me that anger, hatred and fear are actually eating our immune system. Compassion strengthens our immune system. Therefore, from the point of view of physical health, and mental health—because of peace of mind—warm-heartedness is a key factor. That, as I mentioned earlier, does not necessarily come from religious faith, but from nature. Therefore I usually call it “secular ethics”. That is very very important for peace. Genuine, lasting world peace must be through inner peace. I sometimes call that “inner disarmament”. Through anger and hatred, genuine peace is very difficult. Even at the family level, if you are full of hatred and suspicion, how can you develop genuine peace in that family? Compassion brings real peace.

At the global level, we need external disarmament for genuine world peace. If there is first inner disarmament, there is a real possibility to achieve external disarmament, step by step. I usually talk about “my century”—the older generation, of more or less my age, 60 or 70, belongs to the 20th century. Our century, whether we like it or not, has become the century of bloodshed, war and violence. Our generation will now let the younger generation solve the problems that it started. Our younger generation, which belongs to this century, the 21st century, will hopefully have a peaceful century. Peace does not mean no more conflict among humanity. Conflict is bound to happen, so in order to keep peace in spite of conflict, the only realistic method is the spirit of dialogue, respecting the other side and understanding their viewpoint. We need to try to solve problems in a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood, in a spirit of reconciliation and compromise. I often share this with people: let us now try to make this century a century of dialogue. Then there will be a real possibility of peace.

So, that was about the promotion of human value. Now I will talk about the promotion of religious harmony. If you have a sense of global responsibility, all human beings, including non-believers and even those who criticise religion, who are anti-religion, are your brothers and sisters. Once we develop that, there is no problem with people having different religious faith. That is their right. If you look closely, all major religious traditions, as I mentioned briefly before, carry the same message of love, compassion and forgiveness. A different approach is necessary because of different locations, different times and different climates. People’s mentality is a little different. Therefore a different approach is necessary to promote these human values. All major religious traditions carry the message of love, and a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. So, it is a matter of a different approach. Some say that there is God, that God made all these things and that we are therefore brothers and sisters in a true sense. Some say it is the law of causality. Again, good experience comes from love and respect for others. Bad experience comes from harming others. That brings negative consequences. It is the same end but with a different approach. Therefore, if you understanding these things, you will see that there is no obstacle to bringing genuine harmony among religious traditions. It may be useful here to make a distinction between faith and respect. Faith is towards one’s own religion, respect is to all religions. That is one thing. Another thing is the concept of one religion, one truth and the concept of several truths, several religions. Those two things appear contradictory, but that is due to the different context. On an individual basis, the concept of one truth, one religion is very relevant in developing a single-pointed faith, but in terms of a group of people, the concept of several truths, several religions is relevant. That is a fact. That is reality. Therefore there is no contradiction between the concept of one truth, one religion and the concept of several truths, several religions. That is my way of promoting religious harmony. Full stop. Now the Questions and Answers.

Norman Baker MP: Your Holiness, thank you very much for a wonderfully warm and compassionate speech. You had the audience rapt, listening to every word here at the Royal Albert Hall. We are all delighted that you are in London, and to hear your address this afternoon. You are a beacon of hope and inspiration, not just to Tibetans but to many millions around the world. Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am Norman Baker MP, president of the Tibet Society. It is my tremendous privilege to conduct this question and answer session, which I am afraid necessarily will be a little truncated, because His Holiness has a very important engagement shortly after this engagement here. So straight on to the questions, if I may.

The first question is: “What are your opinions on the earthquake crisis in China?”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: I was very sad and very shocked, particularly when I saw the picture of the young student who perished under the rubble of the collapsed school. I immediately felt, “Oh, due to the one-child policy, many of the parents of these students have only one child.” One mother, one child. How much pain do those mothers, those parents feel? Their only child. That is very sad. But one really encouraging thing was the worldwide response, similar to when the tsunami happened. With the Burmese case also, although the military junta’s handling of the situation is very poor, I think that the response has been wonderful. The Chinese case is also very encouraging, including the response from those Tibetans who have recently suffered very much. For example, the monks in the Drepung monastery near Lhasa have suffered a lot recently. A lot of monks were arrested or missing, but, after the earthquake, monks from that monastery also raised funds for the victims. Another encouraging sign is the transparent way the Chinese Government has handled that problem. That is very, very encouraging. So, hopefully now there will be more transparency over a wider field.

Norman Baker: Thank you. The second question is rather different: “What makes you laugh?”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: In one word, Love; in another, I immediately laugh at others’ little mistakes. Once in London, we visited a place, I can’t remember where, where a young Tibetan was performing a dance or something like that. The child was wearing very big shoes, and as soon as I saw those big shoes I laughed and laughed. Sometimes people are too serious. Once in Mexico City at an interfaith service, there were a few representatives of different traditions, including a representative of Japanese Buddhism. As usual, he was quite stern—or very dignified—and as usual he did the rosary like this. Then somehow the string broke, and the beads scattered all over. But he still remained like that. I laughed a lot at that.

Norman Baker: The third question is: “What can we in the United Kingdom do to help in the struggle to keep Tibet and its wonderful traditions alive?”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Thank you for your concern. Our main aim, as everybody knows, is not to seek separation, because our interests remain within the Peoples’ Republic of China. We get much benefit from that, as far as material development is concerned, provided that we have meaningful autonomy, with the safeguard of preserving our culture. There is no time to explain in detail now, but recently the Chinese Government seems to be paying more attention to the Tibetan problem. Also, I think that the clear worldwide signal of concern definitely impacts on the leaders of the Chinese Government. So, please continue to express your solidarity and concern. It is really helpful. I particularly appreciate the sincere concern of the parliamentarians and their desire to help. That is really very helpful. Please continue. And then, wherever you find an opportunity to talk with Chinese brothers and sisters, then talk. Educate them, because some of the Chinese do not have the full information about the reality. Sometimes there is a feeling that there we Tibetans are anti-Chinese, but they are absolutely not. So it is important to educate them.

Norman Baker: Sadly, I have been told that I am only allowed one more question. I am very sorry about that. “Would you like to be reborn in London?”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: What do you mean by “reborn”?

Norman Baker: Reincarnated.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Yes, that’s possible. Since my childhood, we have described Englishmen as “big noses”. So my next reincarnation could be as a big nose! That is theoretically speaking. It is important that there is some usefulness. As I always pray, as long as sentient beings’ pain and suffering remains, I will remain in order to serve them. That is my favourite sort of prayer. I try to develop that kind of determination. So naturally, my next life will be wherever it would have some usefulness. That is for sure. So, if there is more usefulness here, then naturally I will be reborn here.

Norman Baker: We would love to have you here if you do that. Ladies and gentlemen, I was asked by the BBC this week, “Why Tibet?” It is not simply the wonderful culture and history of the country, nor the terrible human rights abuses that have occurred, nor the inspirational leadership of His Holiness. It is also because the Tibetan cause is our cause, a struggle for every person’s right to be free, to say what they want to say, without being subject to arrest, imprisonment or torture. It is a right to be able to demonstrate peacefully for causes in which they believe. It is the ability to follow one’s religion and culture, without being intimidated by the state or by others. Those are not simply Tibetan causes; they belong to us all. In your programme, you will have seen some of the action points that some of us are pursuing in parliament, and which the Tibet Society is pursuing as well. Please take a moment to look at those, and see if you can help in some way. If you are not a member of the Tibet Society, please do join us and help us in our campaign for justice so that we can await the day, not too far away I hope, when Tibet will once again be free, and we can meet in Lhasa.

Lastly, I want to tell you of an initiative, which I hope, Your Holiness, you will agree with. It is called is “Give Peace a Hand”. In a moment you will, I very much hope, shake my hand, and there are two Tibetan children outside who I will pass that handshake on to. There are also 2,000 people between here and the Chinese Embassy, and that handshake of peace will go from here to the Chinese Embassy. I hope very much that that will be a message of peace and reconciliation, and a constructive end to this very useful and wonderful occasion this afternoon. Thank you very much for coming.

original link: https://www.dalailama.com/messages/transcripts-and-interviews/universal-responsibility-modern-world

World Peace and Harmony through Interfaith Dialogue

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India - The drive across Mumbai today for His Holiness the Dalai Lama to attend a seminar on ‘World Peace and Harmony through Interfaith Dialogue’ at the National Sports Club of India Dome included traversing the spectacular Bandra-Worli Sealink. He was welcomed on arrival by his host Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni to a thunderous barrage of drums and horns.

As participants in the interfaith dialogue, led by Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni and accompanied by His Holiness and Swami Ramdev stepped out onto the stage they were met by enthusiastic applause. Together they lit a lamp to inaugurate the proceedings. Each of the guests was felicitated with a traditional shawl and a memento of the occasion.

Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal was first to speak in order that he could leave to attend the launch of the first phase of the National Cancer Institute in Nagpur later in the morning. He saluted His Holiness as a “world-renowned spiritual leader we all look up to”. He added that it is a matter of pride that Dr. Lokesh Muni-ji, who has dedicated his life to peace and harmony, was leading the gathering, observing that he has made a real commitment to bringing people together from across the country.

Goyal noted that climate change and terrorism are among the world’s greatest challenges at present. He remarked that India is taking steps to counter atmospheric pollution, but also needs to be aware of the damage intolerant thinking does to society. He ended with an aspiration for India to achieve the five ‘Ps’—power, prosperity, prestige, pleasure and position. Vivek Oberoi, present in his role as a peace ambassador, also left to attend the NCI function with the Minister.
     
First of the spiritual leaders to speak about peace and harmony among faiths, Maulana Dr. Kalbe Sadiq referred to the case of the Babri Masjid currently being heard by the Supreme Court. He said that if the judgement favours the Hindu community, his community should accept it, and if it favours the Muslim community they should offer land to the other party because making a gift is a way to resolve disputes. Giani Gurbachan Singh, Chief Jathedar of the Akal Takht stated that despite differences of appearance, there is a unity among all religions because they convey a common message.

Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado talked about the need for peace in our hearts if we seek to create peace in the world. What is required, he said, is unity and truth. Union Minister for Agriculture and Panchayat Raj saluted the spiritual leaders. Union Minister for Science & Technology;  Environment, Forest and Climate Change; as well as Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan told the audience of more than 4000 that the government is determined to do what it can to take India forward, but needs the people’s support and participation.

Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni paid tribute to Swami Ramdev for sparking a widespread interest in yoga. Observing the need to include instruction on peace and non-violence, as recommended by His Holiness, in the school curriculum, he also suggested taking His Holiness’s message about resisting the urge to resort to violence to places of conflict.

Swami Ramdev began with a characteristic declamation—“Bharat Mata ki Jai”. In the course of an extensive oration he suggested that China should be aware that all major religions are about peace and non-violence. Consequently, India, which is a religious country, is ready to engage in dialogue, but if her opponent wants war, she’s ready for that too. Jainacharya Namra Muni said he didn’t want to delay His Holiness since it was nearly time for lunch.

His Holiness was helped to his feet and took his place at the lectern. He opened his address in his customary way:

“Respected spiritual brothers and ... oh, no sisters?

“I am very happy to participate in this wonderful meeting, among spiritual leaders who not only carry out their own practice sincerely, but also take action to solve problems they encounter in a non-violent way. Usually I tell people that I don’t consider myself as anything other than another of the 7 billion human beings alive today. Mentally, emotionally and physically we are the same. Some of my friends here have a lot of hair on their faces, which I don’t, but basically we are the same.

“The entire 7 billion human beings want happiness and joy, but instead are faced by a multitude of problems—many of which are man-made. So, there’s a contradiction; no one wants problems and yet we seem to bring them on ourselves. How does this come about? As a result of our emotions, especially our destructive emotions.

“Anger and jealousy are related to our sense of self-centredness and our disregard for others. Self-centredness easily gives rise to fear, which fosters irritation, which, when it blazes into anger, can provoke violence. The time has come to accept that if we’re talking about peace in the world, we have to consider peace within ourselves.

“In this country, ahimsa has, for thousands of years, characterized the path of action, but it is related to being motivated by karuna or compassion. On the one hand, if we have a self-centred attitude, an artificial smile and seek to deceive others with sweet words—that’s a kind of violence. On the other, when a parent or teacher, like my tutor, uses harsh words entirely out of concern for a child’s welfare, that’s non-violent.

“So, the demarcation between violence and non-violence isn’t just about the nature of the action, it’s about motivation. That’s why we need to pay more attention to karuna or compassion, which scientists say is our basic human nature. They also say that constant fear, anger and suspicion undermine our immune system, whereas compassion has the effect of strengthening our health.”

His Holiness talked about our common human experience of being born and nurtured by our mothers. He remarked that some scientists have suggested that a mother’s physical touch is crucial to the proper development of our brains. We all grow up appreciating love and affection. We learn that jealousy doesn’t make us happy, whereas if we deal with each other honestly, truthfully and transparently, we’ll be content.

He went on to observe that common sense tells us that the family next door may be rich, but if they don’t trust each other, they won’t be happy. Meanwhile, the poor family down the road have very little, but because they have trust and affection for each other, they are full of joy. He suggested that the education system, oriented as it is to material goals rather inner values, contributes to our unease.

“If education paid more attention to the ancient Indian knowledge of the workings of the mind and emotions, we’d learn how to achieve peace of mind. We’ve been working with education experts and scientists to draw up a curriculum to implement this from kindergarten to university. We propose to do this on a secular basis—secular meaning not only respect for all religious traditions without bias, but even respect for the views of those who have no belief. If India can combine modern education with ancient Indian knowledge, she can make a significant contribution to the well-being of all 7 billion human beings.”

His Holiness mentioned that he is committed to raising awareness of how to bring about a happier, more peaceful world through education and common sense. Having spent 58 years in this country he has observed with admiration how religious traditions that originated here live side by side with those that came from outside. In this India is an example to the world. He said it’s unthinkable that religious faith should be a source of conflict. However, there are places now where conflict takes place within the same faith—between Sunni and Shia traditions for example—something not seen in India.

“Wherever I go, I tell people that with regard to religious harmony, India is a living example that religious traditions can live together in peace and respect.

“As a Tibetan I am also concerned to preserve the knowledge that was first brought to Tibet in the 8th century by the master Shantarakshita. It reflects the traditions of Nalanda University that we have preserved and which Buddhists in the People’s Republic of China are increasingly coming to appreciate. India is our guru, and we have proved ourselves reliable chelas, because we have kept these traditions of philosophy, logic and understanding of the mind alive. Now, I’ve made a commitment to trying to revive this ancient knowledge in India, which I consider is the only country that could combine it with a modern approach to education.”

His Holiness and the several spiritual leaders ate lunch together in a cordial display of friendship before departing and going their own ways.

original link & photos: https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/world-peace-and-harmony-through-interfaith-dialogue

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 on Disarmament for World Peace

By the Dalai Lama

Through history, mankind has pursued peace one way or another. It is too optimistic to imagine that world peace may finally be within our grasp? I do not believe that there has been an increase in the amount of people's hatred, only in their ability to manifest it in vastly destructive weapons. On the other hand, bearing witness to the tragic evidence of the mass slaughter caused by such weapons in our country has given us the opportunity to control war. To do so, it is clear we must disarm.

Disarmament can occur only within the context of new political and economic relationships. Before we consider this issue in detail, it is worth imagining the kind of peace process from which we would benefit most. This is fairly self - evident. First we should work on eliminating nuclear weapons, next, biological and chemical ones, then offensive arms, and finally, defensive ones. At the same time, to safeguard the peace, we should start developing in one or more global regions an international police force made up of equal number of members from each nation under a collective command. Eventually this force would cover the whole world.

Because the dual process of disarmament and development of a joint force would be both multilateral and democratic, the right of majority to criticize or even intervene in the event of one nation violating the basic rules would be ensured. Moreover, with all large armies eliminated and all conflict such as border disputes subject to the control of the joint international force, large and small nations would be truly equal. Such reforms would result in a stable international environment.

Of course, the immense financial dividend reaped from the cessation of arms production would also provide a fantastic windfall for global development. Today, the nations of the world spend trillions of dollars annually on upkeep of the military. Can you imagine how many hospital beds, schools and homes this money could fund? In addition, as I mentioned above, the awesome proportion of scarce resources squandered on military development not only prevents the elimination of poverty, illiteracy and disease, but also requires the sacrifice of precious human intelligence. Our scientists are extremely bright. Why should their brilliance be wasted on such dreadful endeavors when it could be used for positive global development?

The great deserts of the world such as the Sahara and Gobi could be cultivated to increase food production and ease over-crowding. Many countries now face years of severe drought. New, less expensive methods of desalinization could be developed to render seawater suitable for human consumption and other uses. There are many pressing issues in the fields of energy and health to which our scientist could more usefully address themselves. Since the world economy would grow more rapidly as a result of their efforts, they could even be paid more!

Our planet is blessed with vast natural treasures. If we use them properly, beginning with elimination of militarism and war, truly, every human being will be able to live a wealthy, well-cared-for life.

Naturally, global peace cannot occur all at once. Since conditions around the world are varied, its spread will have to be incremental. But there is no reason why it cannot begin in one region and then spread gradually from one continent to another.

I would like to propose that regional communities like the European Community be established as an integral part of the more peaceful world we are trying to create. Looking at the post Cold War environment objectively, such communities are plainly the most natural and desirable components of a new world order. As we can see, the almost gravitational pull of our growing interdependence necessitates new, more cooperative structures. The European Community is pioneering the way in this endeavor, negotiating the delicate balance between economic, military and political collectively on the one hand and the sovereign rights of member states on the other. I am greatly inspired by this work. I also believe that the new Commonwealth of Independent Sates is grappling with similar issues and that the seeds of such a community are already present in the minds of many of its constituent republics. In this context, I would briefly like to talk about the future of my own country, Tibet, and China.

Like the former Soviet Union, Communist China is a multinational state, artificially constructed under the impetus of an expansionist ideology and up to now administered by force in colonial fashion. A peaceful, prosperous and above all politically stable future for china lies in its successfully fulfilling not only its own people's wishes for a more open, democratic system, but also of its eighty million so-called "national minorities", who want to regain their freedom. For real happiness to return to the heart of Asia - home to one-fifth of the human race - a pluralistic, democratic, mutually cooperative community of sovereign states must replace what is currently called the People's Republic of China.

Of course, such a community need not be limited to those presently under Chinese Communist Domination, such as Tibetans, Mongols, and Uighurs. The people of Hong Kong, those seeking an independent Taiwan, and even those suffering under other communist governments in North Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia might also be interested in building an Asian Community. However, it is especially urgent that those ruled by the Chinese Communist consider doing so. Properly pursued, it could help save China from violent dissolution; regionalism and a return to the chaotic turmoil that has so afflicted this great nation throughout the twentieth century. Currently China's political life is so polarized that there is every reason to fear an early recurrence of bloodshed and tragedy. Each of us- every member of the world community - has a moral responsibility to help avert the immense suffering that civil strife would bring to China's vast population.

I believe that the very process of dialogue, modernization and compromise involved in building a community of Asian states would itself give real hope of peaceful evolution to a new order in China. From the very start, the member states of such a community might agree to decide its defense and international relations policies together. There would be many opportunities for cooperation. The critical point is that we find a peaceful, nonviolent way for the forces of freedom, democracy and moderation to emerge successfully from the current atmosphere of unjust repression.

The Dalai Lama ~ Compassion as a Pillar of World Peace

Discussions about Secular Ethics in Education and a Public Talk - Compassion as a Pillar of World Peace

Indianapolis, IN, USA, 25 June 2016 - A number of experts were invited to join members of the Emory-Tibet Partnership to discuss draft guidelines for Secular Ethics in Education (SEE) this morning. Among them Daniel Goleman, Linda Lantieri, Mark Greenberg and Kimberly Schonert-Reichl have done pioneering work in Social and Emotional Learning.

In his opening remarks, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said:
“We need to implement a program that encourages warm-heartedness—an appreciation that if you are warm-hearted your health will be better and both you and your relations will be happier. If on the other hand you are full of fear and anxiety none of these benefits will arise. This is about here and now, not the next life. If your mind is at ease, education will be more effective.”

Geshe Lobsang Tenzin explained that in trying to reflect His Holiness’s vision, the proposed Secular Ethics in Education framework, whose guiding principle is compassion, covers three sets of skills: self-cultivation, which includes: calming the body and mind; learning to attend; emotional literacy and self-care. The second set involves relating to others, and includes appreciating others; empathy; recognizing our common humanity and social skills. The third set, responsible decision-making, involves: appreciating interdependence and applying critical thinking.

Daniel Goleman observed that the SEE framework addresses problems of lack of attention, scant focus on compassion and little understanding of interdependence not tackled in existing programs. He challenged the use of the word secular, which can have problematic connotations, and asked His Holiness if he had any attachment to the term. He said he hadn’t but that he always clarifies his use of secular as it has been understood in India—meaning unbiased respect for all religious traditions and even the views of those with no faith. Mark Greenberg suggested that referring to ethics alone sounds too much like abstract philosophy.

Linda Lantieri agreed with much that had been said and expressed an appreciation of the focus in the SEE framework on compassion and interdependence.

Asked, as the conversations came to an end, if there was anything he’d like to add, His Holiness said it would be useful to include a simple explanation of the workings of the mind and emotions. Envisaging the benefits the program could eventually bring to China, he contrasted the destructiveness of Mao’s Cultural Revolution with the potential creativity of the Cultural Revolution in education yet to come.

After lunch, at the Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Congresswoman Susan Brooks introduced His Holiness to an audience of 6,500 as a man of peace and integrity who has shared his message of compassion for decades.

Saying: “Brothers and sisters, I’m very happy to be here. It’s a great honour for me to address such a large group of people, which I’m glad to see includes people of different faiths,” His Holiness began his talk. He continued:

“For the last 57 years India has been my second home and I’ve been impressed to see there how religious traditions from abroad—Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam—flourish alongside indigenous traditions like the Samkhya, Jain and Buddhist traditions. India shows that inter-religious harmony is feasible. All these traditions convey the same message of love, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and simplicity. Self-discipline is another part of that message. Although the philosophical views they propound may differ, they share a common goal of strengthening practices such as compassion.

“In today’s world we need a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood, because we are all the same as human beings. If we were more aware of the oneness of all human beings, there’d be no basis for killing each other, for the gap between rich and poor, or for discrimination on the basis of colour, class or caste. Killing in the name of religion is unthinkable. Whether you accept religion is up to you, but if you do, you should do so sincerely.

“This is why I think it’s wrong to use terms like ‘Muslim terrorist’ or ‘Buddhist terrorist’. Someone who commits a terrorist act is no longer a genuine Muslim or Buddhist. As far as the monks in Burma who are reported to be harassing Muslims, I’ve appealed to them to remember the face of the Buddha, for the Buddha would have offered them protection.

“When I was on my way to the USA, at Heathrow airport, someone told me that although I’m now 81, my face looks only that of a 60 year old and asked what’s the secret? I first teasingly said, ‘It’s my secret and I don’t want to tell you’, but then explained that it’s to do with having peace of mind.”

His Holiness observed that today, when factors like climate change and the global economy are not confined within national boundaries, reality tells us we are interdependent. He said we need to find ways to introduce warm-heartedness into the education system without necessarily relying on religion. This involves a universal appeal to common human values, as he was discussing with experts and concerned people in the morning. He asked,

“How shall we start? By looking to the UN or the White House? No—the important thing is to develop inner peace within ourselves. If we can be warm-hearted and share it with 10 people and they each share it with 10 more and so on, we’ll make a difference. If, in the early years of the 21st century we just follow the pattern of the past and seek to solve our problems by use of force, this century will be as miserable as the last.

“Once I attended a meeting of Nobel Peace Laureates in Hiroshima and someone suggested that with God’s blessing peace would prevail. When it came to my turn to speak, I said it would take more than blessings to bring about peace; we have to take action. Since it’s human beings who engage in violence and war, it’s human beings who must take action to create peace.”

Among many questions from the audience that followed, several were simple requests to be able to shake His Holiness’s hand. In answering others he touched on Aaron Beck’s judgement that when we are angry and feel the object of our anger is entirely negative, 90% of that feeling is mental projection. About non-violence he said that the real demarcation between violence and non-violence lies in the motivation and that compassion never gives rise to violence.

When a questioner told His Holiness he was the one person in the world that many people would like to meet and asked who he’d like to meet, he mentioned admiring Stephen Hawking’s sharp brain and steadfastness in face of adversity. Although he has met his widow, he would have liked to have met Martin Luther King Jr. Two people he is pleased to have met are his friend Bishop Desmond Tutu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who he notes has several times used the word compassion in relation to the refugee crisis in Europe.

Asked about his own life, His Holiness said:

“I’m nothing special. As human beings we’re all the same mentally, physically and emotionally. We all want to live a happy life and we all have a right to do so.”

And when a mother asked how to protect the naturally good qualities children have when they’re young, His Holiness advised spending time with them and enveloping them with love and affection. “My own first teacher of loving-kindness,” he said, “was my mother.”

When time ran out he apologised to everyone still waiting to ask questions for being unable to answer them. As at other public events in which he has taken part, a representative of the organizers made a brief financial statement explaining that remaining funds would be given to local charitable causes. After appealing to his listeners to think about what he had said and if it made sense to act on it, His Holiness came down from the stage and slowly made his way along the front row of the audience, shaking hands, exchanging words, signing books and stopping while thrilled individuals took selfies with him.

Tomorrow His Holiness will begin his journey back to India.

Original link & photos: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1415-discussions-about-secular-ethics-in-education-and-a-public-talk---compassion-as-a-pillar-of-world-peace

His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Glastonbury Festival

Glastonbury, Somerset, UK, 28 June 2015 - It was raining when the helicopter carrying His Holiness the Dalai Lama from London landed on a high field near the village of Pilton, site of the Glastonbury Festival. He was welcomed on arrival by Michael Eavis, the founder of the Festival and owner of Worthy Farm on which it takes place, and his third wife, Liz. The two men soon discovered that they are both 80 years old this year.

Robert Richards, principal organizer of the Festival led His Holiness to his car. They drove to the Festival Viewing point from where there is a clear view over the Festival area, the main stages, including the Pyramid stage, and camping grounds. This year 203,000 people are attending the event.

His Holiness and his party drove through the main Festival area to the King’s Meadow, site of a modern megalithic stone circle, now also adorned with a Tibetan style chörten or stupa. The BBC’s Alan Yentob met him and escorted him to a small wooden stage from where he introduced him to an audience of about 8500.

“Brothers and sisters,” His Holiness began, “I can see you’re enjoying this Festival, on my way here, I noticed that everyone seems to be full of joy. I’m happy to have been invited to this Festival of people. As I always say, the purpose of life is to be happy. Who knows what tomorrow may bring, but we live in hope. Without hope our lives have no direction. The 7 billion human beings like us alive today all have a right to be happy. And it’s sad to note that while you are here enjoying yourselves, in other parts of the world like Syria, Iraq and Nigeria, people are killing each other. Therefore, we need to promote a greater awareness that we are all human brothers and sisters, that we belong to one human family.”

He remarked that in the past inhabitants of the British Isles had been content in isolation and later embarked on a period of imperialism governed largely by self-interest. Now, however, we live in a globalized world. We exist in a global economy. Climate change is something that affects us all. For this reason we have to think about the well-being of the whole of humanity. Nature is telling us we have to find ways to protect the world.

Noting that a lot of the problems we face are our own creation, he said that one of the worst things happening today was people killing each other in the name of religion. Why is this? Because people lack moral principles. We neglect the sense that we are all the same as human beings.

“I speak to you now just as another human being. Like you, I too am subject to mental disturbances. Like you I love my life, in fact everyone loves their own lives and everyone has a right live a happy life. And yet, we tend to make problems for ourselves. What we need to do instead is to promote greater human affection. Problems like killing, cheating and exploitation arise when we only think in the short term. Our education systems are oriented towards materialism. We need to change this to a greater focus on the long term and teaching about inner values, secular ethics. This entails simple warm-heartedness and a real sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. On such a basis we could demilitarise the world and use the money saved to close the gap between rich and poor.

“I don’t expect to see real change in my lifetime, but if you young people, people who belong to the 21st century start to make efforts now, the later parts of the century could see a happier more peaceful world. Please think seriously about this. This is something I am committed to, just as I am committed, as a Buddhist monk to promoting religious harmony and as a Tibetan to the preservation of Tibetan religion, culture and language. Tibetan culture is characterized by peace and compassion, which makes it something worth preserving.”

Alan Yentob put several questions submitted by members of the audience to His Holiness. He asked him about the secret of his good humour and he replied:

“Faced with difficulties I take the advice of Shantideva, an 8th century Indian master who said ‘Think carefully about difficulties you face - if they can be overcome, there is no need to worry. What you need to do is make effort. If they can’t be overcome, worry is of no use.’ This is practical advice that I follow myself. My other secret is that I get nine hours sleep.”

Yentob asked when he gets up.

“I get up at 3am and I do about 5 hours mediation, mostly analytical meditation. I analyse who I am, and what the world is; the idea of interdependence.

“The real meaning of the word ‘jihad’ is not doing harm to others, but engaging in combat with your disturbing emotions. Every day I try to do this. Whether we are angry about some things or attached to others, our feelings about them are exaggerated. As an American psychiatrist told me, our feelings like this are 90% our own mental projection.”

Asked if he had greater faith in basic human nature than in religion, His Holiness said that society is the basis of our happy future. Out of concern for ourselves we are better to be concerned about others. He said, friendship is important in a happy society and that friendship is based on trust. And building trust is not something we can expect the UN or local government to do. It’s something we have to do ourselves as individuals.

His Holiness enjoyed a wholesome lunch at the Greenpeace Field, provided by Greenpeace volunteers, in the company of several of the Festival organizers. Afterwards, at William’s Green, he joined Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner, Guardian columnist George Monbiot and director of 350.org May Boeve for a panel discussion about who can fix climate change moderated by James Randerson.

Randerson asked the panel what gave them hope and Viner replied, “The Pope”. Monbiot cited public awareness and His Holiness mentioned inner peace. As to what the UN discussions on climate change need to tackle, His Holiness said that countries tend to put their national interests first and ignore what is in the global interest. However, he said that national interest actually depends on global interest. Monbiot stressed that the onus should not be on consumption, but on keeping fossil fuels in the ground. May Boeve advocated divestment from fossil fuels, citing the examples set by Stanford University and the Guardian Media Group.

His Holiness expressed his agreement with the Pope’s recent aspirations to stem climate change. He pointed out how, despite the existence of a global economy, we think too much in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’, when what we should be doing is considering everyone as part of ‘us’.

“At the recent Nobel Peace Laureates’ meeting in Rome we declared the need to address the elimination of nuclear weapons. We agreed that the time for just talking is over; we need to set deadlines for action and meet them. World peace likewise cannot be achieved by prayer alone, we have to take action. And we need to think about the world as our only home. We can’t escape to the moon. This planet is our only home and we have to take much more serious care of it.”

Arriving at the Pyramid Stage, Robert Richards explained to His Holiness that whatever profits Glastonbury Festival makes go to charities such as: WaterAid, Oxfam and Greenpeace. When Patti Smith, who has played benefits in support of the cause of Tibet for sixteen years, met His Holiness backstage she told him that she’d been a 12 year old girl in 1959 when Tibet was in upheaval and His Holiness escaped. One of her prime concerns was his safety and welfare. She went back out on stage to perform and shortly afterwards His Holiness came up to watch and listen.

Between songs Patti Smith announced His Holiness’s presence to the 120,000 strong crowd and suggested it would be nice if they welcomed him and sang to celebrate his approaching 80th birthday. She read a poem in his honour and then led him out onto the stage to cheering approval. The crowd sang ‘Happy Birthday’ as a gorgeous cake bedecked with fruit and a single candle was presented to him. He addressed the audience:

“Dear sisters and brothers, I really appreciate it when so many of you express your warm feelings to me and I reciprocate. Every day I dedicate my actions of body, speech and mind to the benefit of others. When you show me such warm affection it strengthens my enthusiasm.

“I’ve watched you musicians here and see that although your hair is white, your voices and physical actions are youthful. That encourages me in turn, although I’m now 80, to be more active like you.

‘We are all the same as human beings. We all want to lead a happy life. We can think of every day as a new day, as a birthday. When we wake up we can remind ourselves - ‘I need to be happy, I need to have warm feelings towards others. This will build self-confidence, honesty, transparency, which leads to trust. And trust is the basis of friendship. We are social animals and we need friends. This is a source of happiness that I wish to share with you. Thank you”

The response was a great roar of applause. Patti Smith resumed her set. His Holiness left the stage and drove back to the helipad where he boarded a helicopter to return to where he’s staying in London. Tomorrow he has been invited to visit Aldershot in Hampshire.

original link with photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1289-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-at-the-glastonbury-festival

Dalai Lama: Explaining a Human Approach to World Peace

Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 13 January 2015 - This morning, Ms Anuradha Lohia, Vice Chancellor of the Presidency University, and Mr Debajyoti Konar, the Registrar, received His Holiness the Dalai Lama as he arrived at the University and escorted him to the University's Derozio Hall. The West Bengal Minister of State for Education, Mr Partha Chatterjee joined His Holiness and the Vice Chancellor on the stage.

The Vice Chancellor offered both guests a bouquet of flowers, a shawl and a framed photograph of the University before introducing His Holiness to the faculty, students and other guests in the audience. She began by remarking:

“We have an epitome of peace amongst us today."

She recounted the University's proud contribution to education in India since its foundation nearly 200 years ago and mentioned the thinkers, freedom fighters and leaders numbered amongst its alumni. Before inviting him to address the gathering she described His Holiness as being extraordinarily human while at the same time an evident embodiment of wisdom and compassion.

“Elder brothers and sisters, and younger brothers and sisters,” he began, “it is indeed a great honour for me to speak here at the oldest of modern Indian educational institutions”

He mentioned that as he was on his way to the University this morning he was thinking about what he might say about ‘A Human Approach to World Peace’. It struck him that thousands of years ago human beings must have had various ways of solving problems and conflicts among themselves. Then they developed weapons, beginning perhaps with knives and arrows. This trend has culminated today in weapons of immense destructive potential. They were developed by scientists with the finest brains and the highest education, which, while it may not have been their intention, is focussed on refining the means to kill.

“We must change this inclination to resort to the use of force, employing weapons, to solve problems. Differences are bound to arise between us, but we must find ways of resolving that are peaceful and not destructive. Even on an individual level from time to time we encounter conflicts with others, but we have to try to find ways of resolving them through dialogue. In the same way, we need to find ways of solving problems on family, community, national and global levels by talking them through. By implementing ahimsa, non-violence, we have the opportunity to avoid violence and develop a more human approach to resolving conflicts peacefully.”

He chuckled and said that while the core of his talk might be the ancient concept of ahimsa, it remains keenly relevant today and there is something appropriate about an elderly person, nearly eighty years old, speaking about something ancient at this oldest of universities.

“I am one of you,” he continued. “Mentally, emotionally and physically we are the same. We all wish to live a happy life. In addition, we all have the same right to fulfil this goal. And we all have the potential to do so for the simple reason that future is not fixed, it can be changed. Therefore, we should live in hope that we really can overcome whatever problems we face.”

His Holiness explained that hope is fundamental to our lives. When we lose hope it can shorten our lives and in the worst case induce us to commit suicide, which is a terrible outcome. He suggested that when we face problems we should assess the situation from a wider perspective, because there is always a hopeful aspect to be found, no matter how desperate things may seem. He remarked that even religion is intended to make us happy. Nobody is religious in order to be miserable.

In the warm conditions that prevailed on the stage, His Holiness reached for the ceremonial shawl he had been offered earlier to mop his brow, observing to the audience:

“I have no interest formality!”

The hall resounded with laughter and His Holiness resumed what he was saying.

“Because we are social animals, we need affection. This begins with the unconditional love of the mother-child relationship. When there is love and respect between us it naturally reduces the suspicion that ruins our peace of mind. Today, psychologists and other scientists confirm this. They have found that constant fear and anxiety destroys our immune system. As the Vice Chancellor told you earlier, this old person studied Buddhist philosophy back in Tibet, but becoming a refugee has given me the opportunity to hold discussions with scientists over the last thirty years and more. As a result we have learned that if we can combine traditional values with scientific findings it can be of great benefit to humanity at large.”

His Holiness observed that to address the moral crises the world faces today, we cannot rely on religious tradition alone because this will not appeal to all 7 billion people alive today. We need instead an approach to moral values that appeals to believers and non-believers alike.

“For example, a religious approach to ethical values is not suitable in a secular education system. Therefore, what we need today is to adopt an approach akin to India's more than three thousand year tradition of secular practice that views those with religious faith and those with none with equal respect.”

His Holiness noted that he often refers to himself as a messenger of India because of the efforts he makes to promote inter-religious harmony and non-violence, both of which are ancient Indian traditions, in the wider world.

“Today, the world is being torn apart by religious intolerance and even people of same faith, such as Shia and Sunni Muslims or Christians of one denomination or another, attack each other in the name of religion. At such a time, India’s living tradition of religious co-existence can be a beacon to the rest of the world. As a student of the ancient Nalanda tradition, I am quite actively engaged in spreading this message. But isn’t it time for you Indians to be active too in promoting your age old traditions?”

He referred to the great Abbot Shantarakshita from the 8th century CE and Atisha Dipamkara Shrijnana from the 10th-11th centuries, both of them Bengalis who accepted the invitations of Tibetan kings to come to Tibet. His Holiness called on today’s Bengalis to emulate these ancient masters in working for the wider benefit of humanity. He suggested conducting programmes to raise awareness of the role the traditional Indian values of non-violence, religious pluralism and secular ethics can make in building a more peaceful world. Key to this is the development of compassion, which we are all shown at the start of our lives by our mother.

His Holiness elaborated on the importance of cultivating constructive emotions while reducing destructive emotions. Positive emotions are conducive to good health, while negative emotions undermine it.

“I sometimes feel my body seems to tell me ‘Because your mind is calm, I can survive longer!’ If I were full of anger, jealousy and hatred my body might complain, ‘I can’t support you because of your emotional ups and downs.’ However, unfortunately, when it comes to my knees there doesn't seem to be any link to the mind of compassion. Perhaps, I should ask scientists to seek out such a link.”

Once again, laughter filled the hall. His Holiness reiterated that peace of mind is the key to good health. And the key to peace of mind today is not necessarily religion but secular ethics. He told the audience he is looking forward to meeting scientists in the US next month to finalise a draft curriculum for introducing secular ethics into the secular school system.

When a member of the audience asked if world peace could be achieved by all human beings at the same time, His Holiness’s answer was:

“At the same time - impossible!”

He mentioned the final statement of the recent Nobel Peace Laureates' Summit he attended in Rome in which the laureates set a goal for the elimination of nuclear weapons as soon as possible. By their very existence they pose a great danger. He emphasised that mass destruction means destroying not only soldiers, but innumerable innocent people too, children among them. He repeated again that the only genuine option for creating peace is dialogue. The ground can be laid for this and for countering discrimination against women and the poor by educating the population in warm-heartedness. His Holiness encouraged the young people in the audience, who belong to the generation of the 21st century, to cultivate vision, determination and patience in resolving the problems bequeathed them by the generation that belonged to the 20th century - among whom His Holiness included himself, the Vice Chancellor and the Minister of Education.

The Vice Chancellor expressed profuse thanks to His Holiness for his talk and the event concluded with the University Choir singing ‘We shall Overcome’ in Bengali interspersed with English and Hindi.

In the afternoon, His Holiness addressed members and guests of the Merchants Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (MCC) Kolkata chapter, on the Meaning and Purpose of Education. The West Bengal Minister of State for Education, Mr Partha Chatterjee was again among the guests, who also included students from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. His Holiness emphasised the importance of education in combining modern knowledge and understanding with traditional values to produce people who will take a responsible role in society. He again stressed the need for vision, determination and not losing sight of the goal:

“Sustaining your hope is crucial to keeping yourselves going and fulfilling the goal of your education.”

original link and photos http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1223-explaining-a-human-approach-to-world-peace-at-presidency-university