![]() ![]() ![]() I hope that in my lifetime we can create a genuinely peaceful world free of weapons and violent conflict. We’re all born the same way and we all die the same way. We have to remind ourselves of what we have in common. “If we think in terms of the oneness of humanity, we can dispense with weapons and solve any differences between us through dialogue and discussion. Particularly sad is fighting in the name of religion, because at their core all religions teach compassion and loving-kindness. Relying on weapons to fight and kill brings nothing but destruction. “Since we are all human beings, we need to view each other as brothers and sisters. That’s something we learn to do later when we go to school, which can lead us to discriminate on the basis of ‘us’ and ‘them’. We don’t seek to identify differences between us. Then, as young children we accept others as they are. When we’re born, we survive and find peace in our mother’s care and attention. “All eight billion human beings alive today want to live in peace. Science would be better used in pursuit of peace. It’s a mistake, for example, to direct technological prowess primarily into the development of more sophisticated weapons. I am convinced that if we are able to combine a command of technological development with a better understanding of the mind, we’ll be able to employ technology in a proper, healthy way. “Since I came to live in India, I’ve been able to meet all kinds of people, including scholars and scientists, who are interested in the methods for achieving peace of mind we have kept alive. His Holiness mentioned that this was how he was brought up, beginning to learn about the workings of the mind and emotions when he was only four or five years old. In declaring the Indian scholar the winner, he gave his approval to his studious investigative and analytical approach. King Trisong Detsen organized a debate between the Chinese monk Hashang and Shantarakshita’s disciple Kamalashila. ![]() At the same time there were Chinese monks in Tibet who taught that quietist meditation was a more effective approach. His Holiness further explained that, as a philosopher and logician, Shantarakshita’s approach to Buddhism was based on developing a gradual understanding founded on reason and logic. It’s because I practise karuna,” and he laughed, “that I always smile.” Karuna brings inner strength leading to inner peace, greater self-confidence and the ability to smile. Mind you, although we value karuna and ahimsa, we Tibetans remain powerful and strong. Essentially this involves karuna and ahimsa, compassion and non-harming or non-violence. “Sometimes I jokingly say that in times past we Tibetans were the students and you Indians were the teachers, but now, when Indian has come so much under the influence of western thought, it is we Tibetans who have kept ancient Indian knowledge and values alive. Shantarakshita introduced the vast knowledge of the Buddha-dharma that encompassed an understanding of everything from the smallest particle, to space and the workings of the mind. “A century later, another Tibetan king, Trisong Detsen invited one of the foremost scholars of Nalanda University to Tibet. However, once he’d decided that Tibetans needed to learn to write, he chose to model the new Tibetan script on the Indian Devanagari alphabet rather than on Chinese characters. “In the seventh century, the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo married a Chinese princess and I’m sure enjoyed Chinese food. But in addition to that, we Tibetans have long-standing special relations with India. “As human beings we are all brothers and sisters. Invited to address the gathering, His Holiness declared: Indicating five cows with their calves tethered nearby, he informed His Holiness that four are to be given to widows and one to a local school. Once His Holiness had taken his seat, the Chairman of M3M gave him a traditional Himachali welcome, offering him a cap and a shawl. The foundation fosters life skills in the students under its care, encouraging them to value equality, empathy, inclusion, collaboration and trust. It aims to introduce sustainable development and empower marginalized communities by focussing on education, health, livelihood and conservation of the environment. The M3M Foundation, founded by the M3M India group, is working on equitable development to create a brighter India. Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India - This morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama greeted 120 recently graduated Indian college students and members of the M3M Foundation in the yard of the Tsuglagkhang, the Main Tibetan Temple, adjacent to his residence. ![]()
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