Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said sufferings caused by war sadden him, and asked people to see even their “so-called enemies” as human beings, as such compassion can peacefully resolve even the most intractable conflicts.
The 14th Dalai Lama, who turned 90 on July 6, said this in a written message which was read out by a venerable monk from Dharamshala, at a commemorative event held here on Sunday.
Scholars, researchers and eminent spiritual leaders from India and various other parts of the world gathered here for a day-long conference to mark the 90th birth anniversary of the 14th Dalai Lama, during which the relevance of Buddha Dharma and the relationship between traditional practices and scientific evidence were among the subjects of discussion.
A film celebrating the legacy of the 14th Dalai Lama was screened, while a special temporary exhibition of photographs, including rare black and white photos of his childhood, his meeting with first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the then President Rajendra Prasad in 1950s, and other milestone occasions of his life, was put up in the venue hall.
An exhibition on the life of Buddha and various sites associated with him was also hosted at the venue.
At the opening session of the conference hosted by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), a written message dated July 8 for the event was read out by Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche.
“As a simple Buddhist monk, I do not generally pay much attention to birthday celebrations. However, since you are taking this as an opportunity to highlight the importance of compassion, warm-heartedness and altruism in our world, I would like to express my appreciation,” the Dalai Lama said.
It is now more than 66 years since a large number of Tibetans, including himself, managed to flee to India following the “Chinese Communist invasion of Tibet,” he said in his message.
The Tibetan spiritual leader said that since then, he has enjoyed the “freedom and opportunity to continue” his studies of ancient Indian wisdom.
“I feel a special closeness to this country,” the Dalai Lama said.
He emphasised that if aspects of India’s ancient wisdom, of which the Buddha’s teachings are a part, are combined with modern education, they can make a beneficial contribution to “greater peace and happiness” in the world.
“I pray fervently for greater peace and understanding in our world. It saddens me to see so many people suffering as a result of war,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said.
His remarks come against the backdrop of many ongoing conflicts in different parts of the world.
“If we were to accept our shared humanity, recognising that even those we think of as so-called enemies are also human beings, I truly believe we could find a peaceful resolution to even the most intractable conflicts. But to do so requires a willingness to enter into dialogue and negotiation,” he underlined.
“Therefore, I pray that concerted efforts will be made to create a peaceful, more compassionate world free from violence,” said the 14th Dalai Lama, revered by Buddhist followers across the world.
At the present time, there is “growing interest in Buddhism among Chinese people”, including those from mainland China, which is part of their “cultural inheritance”, he added.
Scientists, too, are interested in knowing more about Buddhist philosophy and the Buddhist explanation of the workings of the mind and emotions, the Dalai Lama said.
In his message, he also conveyed that the Tibetans are “deeply indebted” to the government and people of India for the “warm hospitality they have shown us since 1959”.
“In conclusion, I feel my life has been of some benefit to people across the world, and I dedicate the rest of my time to the service of others,” the Dalai Lama said.
The conference held at the Ashoka Hotel was also attended by the supreme hierarchy of international and national Buddhist monks, including those from Thailand, Malaysia and other Buddhist countries.
Buddhist scholars from the US, Indonesia, and the UK also took part in the event.
The conference was held days after the 90th birth anniversary of the 14th Dalai Lama was celebrated on July 6 in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala.
“His Holiness is a great student of Buddha, and he is a living Buddha. On his 90th birthday anniversary, I can only say, he creates love and spreads it with humility,” Noida-based Buddhist practitioner Shantum Seth told PTI on the sidelines of the conference.
Seth, who has embraced the Buddhist ethos for the past nearly four decades, and done ‘pilgrimage walks’ for groups of people belonging to different walks of life, emphasised the value of mindfulness in the age of shrinking attention spans and a growing materialistic lifestyle.
Many scholars emphasised the growing influence of China in the region and its uneasy past with the Tibetans and their homeland.
At the end of the conference, a declaration was announced that prayed for his health, and made a reference to his recent announcement on the succession plan for the Dalai Lama.
His announcement is a “testament” to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism and the culture, the declaration says.
Ahead of his 90th birth anniversary, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, had affirmed that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the sole authority to recognise his future “reincarnation”, declaring no one else can “interfere” in his succession plan. (PTI)
