Dalai Lama Attends Interfaith Conclave on Peace and Religious Harmony in Assam

Despite the early morning fog in Delhi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s flight took off on time this morning and duly landed punctually in Guwahati, capital of Assam. His host, Bhaskar Dutta-Baruah, of the Lawyer’s Book Stall (LBS), a well-established Assamese publisher and bookseller, was there to receive him. Tibetans and Assamese were gathered outside his hotel on the banks of the stately flowing Brahmaputra to greet His Holiness and he was offered a traditional welcome by both communities.

After lunch, a short drive brought His Holiness to Rabindra Bhawan, venue of an Interfaith Conclave on Peace and Religious Harmony. He met the spiritual representatives with whom he was to share the platform for some minutes before they all took their seats on the stage. Prof Ranjit Dev Goswami gave a welcome address in which he introduced them to the audience, before inviting them to join together to light the lamp inaugurating the occasion.

Swami Sumanasananda Maharaj of the Ramakrishna Mission, Cherrapunjee, gave the first presentation. He referred to the Sanatana Dharma or Eternal Dharma, comparing it to a great banyan tree that provides shelter for many, while its manifold roots and branches represent many paths to god. He quoted Sri Ramakrishna, who realized that all spiritual paths lead to the same goal, declaring "As many faiths, so many paths."

Buddhist bhikku, Ven. Bimalankur Mahathera of Jorhat Buddha Vihar spoke in Assamese, but remarked in English that Buddhism had never interfered with or damaged any other spiritual tradition. He was followed by Sri Narayan Chandra Goswami, Satradhikar of the Natun Kamalabari Satra, a local Vaishnav tradition, who is a noted literary scholar, who also spoke only in Assamese.

Father Thomas Menamparampil, Archbishop Emeritus of Guwahati thanked God for bringing together this group of people of different faiths. He acknowledged His Holiness’s efforts to encourage people to cultivate compassion, which he views as the common ground between our various spiritual traditions. Dr. Taufiqur Rahman Borbora, an Islamic scholar spoke of Islam as a religion of peace and outlined the five articles and six principles of Muslim practice. Gyani Swaran Singh for the Sikh tradition, after a stirring chant from the scriptures spoke in Punjabi and described a path to God not through intelligence but through surrender. He also remarked the importance of living in society without disturbing others. After him, Sri Kapoor Chand Jain, a Jain scholar suggested that Jainism has roots in pre-Vedic India. It is concerned with the purification with regard to self and ahimsa or non-violence in relation to others, based on the determination not to do others harm.

After addressing him as Mahapurush or a ‘great man’, Prof Goswami request His Holiness to speak. He began by saluting his religious brothers on the platform and greeting his brothers and sisters in the audience. He continued:

“Although I have passed through Guwahati airport many times on my way elsewhere, this is the first time I’ve come back to visit the city formally since I left Tibet nearly 55 years ago. It’s appropriate that the occasion should involve an interfaith event like this and I’d like to thank the organizers for arranging it. I’d also like to thank each of the previous speakers for giving us a sense of their faith.

“The main practice of all major religions is love and to defend it against obstacles we need tolerance and forgiveness. Consequently, all major religions talk about compassion, tolerance, contentment, and self-discipline. The masters of our various traditions have been realistic in their teaching. Because self-centredness often leads to greed, they all advised cultivating contentment and simplicity in our lives. Over the last 40 years or so, I’ve had many opportunities to meet with teachers of many traditions and learned that we all talk about love. If we had really put it into practice, there’d be no barriers between us, and the cancer of corruption would not have arisen. And frankly, we have enough problems in the world without adding religious conflict to them.”

His Holiness clarified that while in terms of an individual’s own practice the idea of one truth, one faith makes a great deal of sense, the reality in society at large is that there are several truths and many faiths. There are people living in many parts of the world who don’t have much contact with other religions. However, India is a pluralistic, multi-religious society, in which home grown religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism flourish alongside religions that have come from outside like Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. All these faiths live peaceably together in harmony.

“I consider myself a messenger of ancient Indian thought,” His Holiness said to some applause, “wherever I go I speak about ahimsa and inter-religious harmony. Although there are clearly philosophical differences between them, all religious traditions have a similar message. I often observe that the Hindu and Buddhist traditions are like brothers, but from a philosophical viewpoint we take different stands. Where Hindus believe in the existence of atman, Buddhists argue for its opposite, anatma or selflessness. I have discussed these differences closely. Although there are some Swamis and sadhus more concerned with performing elaborate rituals, there are others well-read and deeply knowledgeable. I met such a Swami in Mathura a couple of years ago and we had illuminating discussions. He shed a lot of light on the branches of the Samkhya tradition that don’t assert the existence of a creator. But when it came to the contradiction between atman and anatma, I said, “Theories about the soul, or atman, are your business; selflessness, or anatma, is mine.”“

His Holiness explained that just as the Buddha appears to have taught different things to different people at different times and in different places because people are of different dispositions, so we may think of our various religious traditions as having arisen at different times, in different places, appealing to people of different dispositions. He pointed out that once we take such variations into account, we must also remember that among the 7 billion human beings alive today, 1 billion say they have no faith or interest in religion.

“If we talk to such people about heaven and hell, or about God or the Buddha, they are likely just to say, ‘We don’t care about that.’ To appeal to them and introduce them to the sound source of human happiness, we need to present a sense of ethics that does not draw on any particular religious tradition. This I refer to as secular ethics. And to support this I suggest that just as we teach about physical hygiene in the interest of good health, we now need to teach about mental or emotional hygiene too.”

His Holiness stressed that when he speaks about secular ethics he is not decrying religious tradition. Rather he uses the word in the way it is used in India to indicate not disdain, but respect for all religions and for those who follow none. He said:

“This has been just a report to my spiritual brothers about my concern to ensure the flourishing of human happiness and the fostering of harmony between our religious traditions. I am very happy we could meet together like this.”

As the audience expressed its appreciation with warm applause, His Holiness offered a kata, a white silk scarf to each of the participants. Sri Jatin Hazarika offered a vote of thanks. He expressed gratitude to His Holiness for gracing the occasion; gratitude to the Government of Assam for their help and support and to the LBS Foundation for taking the initiative.

Original link to article: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1075-interfaith-conclave-on-peace-and-religious-harmony-in-assam

Dalai Lama Chats with Scientists in Tokyo

DHARAMSHALA, November 18: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama who is currently in Japan took part in a dialogue with Japanese scientists on ‘Universe, Life and Education’ in Tokyo. The Tibetan leader was escorted into the hall by the Abbot of Koyasan, headquarters of the Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism.

The Tibetan leader said that everybody has the capability to attain what Buddha has achieved but that we must bring it to fruition through our own efforts. "Buddha nature is our subtle mind and mind is perfected by employing the mind.

He also said that in order to understand the way our brains behave, we have to study our emotions and their effects.

“In the past, it seemed as though science and spirituality were opposed to each other. However, it’s not a useful division to maintain, because the one tradition deals with knowledge of the material world and the other with the inner world of the mind; we need to know about both,” he added.

The 78-year-old Tibetan Nobel laureate further noted that the Buddha’s advice to his followers not to accept what he said at face value, but to experiment with it, to examine and investigate it, contains a healthy skepticism in common with a scientific approach.

Asked how His Holiness would summarize Buddhism, he answered, “All major religions carry the same message about seeking to live a happy life. What is unique about Buddhism is that not only is there no concept of a creator, but also no concept of an inherently existent self. Its basic philosophical view is that all things are interdependent, that they come about in dependence on other factors, and its conduct, non-violence, is of universal benefit.”

Scientists present at the dialogue also spoke on various topics and gave their presentations. Moriya Okano, Director of the Samgraha Institute for Educational, Psychological and Spiritual Studies spoke about cosmos therapy; Susumu Sakurai, a Master of Science at Tokyo Institute of Technology gave a presentation about Mathematics in relation to humanity; Akiko Katsumata, Assistant Professor at Suzuka spoke on the importance and educational value of putting yourself in someone else’s place.

Original link: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=34246

The Dalai Lama on Reincarnation, Part 2

By The Dalai Lama

Continued from The Dalai Lama on Reincarnation, Part 1

How Rebirth Takes Place

There are two ways in which someone can take rebirth after death: rebirth under the sway of karma and destructive emotions and rebirth through the power of compassion and prayer. Regarding the first, due to ignorance negative and positive karma are created and their imprints remain on the consciousness. These are reactivated through craving and grasping, propelling us into the next life. We then take rebirth involuntarily in higher or lower realms. This is the way ordinary beings circle incessantly through existence like the turning of a wheel. Even under such circumstances ordinary beings can engage diligently with a positive aspiration in virtuous practices in their day-to-day lives. They familiarise themselves with virtue that at the time of death can be reactivated providing the means for them to take rebirth in a higher realm of existence. On the other hand, superior Bodhisattvas, who have attained the path of seeing, are not reborn through the force of their karma and destructive emotions, but due to the power of their compassion for sentient beings and based on their prayers to benefit others. They are able to choose their place and time of birth as well as their future parents. Such a rebirth, which is solely for the benefit of others, is rebirth through the force of compassion and prayer.

The meaning of Tulku

It seems the Tibetan custom of applying the epithet ‘Tulku’ (Buddha’s Emanation Body) to recognized reincarnations began when devotees used it as an honorary title, but it has since become a common expression. In general, the term Tulku refers to a particular aspect of the Buddha, one of the three or four described in the Sutra Vehicle. According to this explanation of these aspects of the Buddha, a person who is totally bound by destructive emotions and karma has the potential to achieve the Truth Body (Dharmakaya), comprising the Wisdom Truth Body and Nature Truth Body. The former refers to the enlightened mind of a Buddha, which sees everything directly and precisely, as it is, in an instant. It has been cleared of all destructive emotions, as well as their imprints, through the accumulation of merit and wisdom over a long period of time. The latter, the Nature Truth Body, refers to the empty nature of that all-knowing enlightened mind. These two together are aspects of the Buddhas for themselves. However, as they are not directly accessible to others, but only amongst the Buddhas themselves, it is imperative that the Buddhas manifest in physical forms that are accessible to sentient beings in order to help them. Hence, the ultimate physical aspect of a Buddha is the Body of Complete Enjoyment (Sambhogakaya), which is accessible to superior Bodhisattvas, and has five definite qualifications such as residing in the Akanishta Heaven. And from the Body of Complete Enjoyment are manifested the myriad Emanation Bodies or Tulkus (Nirmanakaya), of the Buddhas, which appear as gods or humans and are accessible even to ordinary beings. These two physical aspects of the Buddha are termed Form Bodies, which are meant for others.

The Emanation Body is three-fold: a) the Supreme Emanation Body like Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical Buddha, who manifested the twelve deeds of a Buddha such as being born in the place he chose and so forth; b) the Artistic Emanation Body which serves others by appearing as craftsmen, artists and so on; and c) the Incarnate Emanation Body, according to which Buddhas appear in various forms such as human beings, deities, rivers, bridges, medicinal plants, and trees to help sentient beings. Of these three types of Emanation Body, the reincarnations of spiritual masters recognized and known as ‘Tulkus’ in Tibet come under the third category. Among these Tulkus there may be many who are truly qualified Incarnate Emanation Bodies of the Buddhas, but this does not necessarily apply to all of them. Amongst the Tulkus of Tibet there may be those who are reincarnations of superior Bodhisattvas, Bodhisattvas on the paths of accumulation and preparation, as well as masters who are evidently yet to enter these Bodhisattva paths. Therefore, the title of Tulku is given to reincarnate Lamas either on the grounds of their resembling enlightened beings or through their connection to certain qualities of enlightened beings. 

As Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo said: “Reincarnation is what happens when someone takes rebirth after the predecessor’s passing away; emanation is when manifestations take place without the source’s passing away.”

Recognition of Reincarnations

The practice of recognizing who is who by identifying someone’s previous life occurred even when Shakyamuni Buddha himself was alive. Many accounts are found in the four Agama Sections of the Vinaya Pitaka, the Jataka Stories, the Sutra of the Wise and Foolish, the Sutra of One Hundred Karmas and so on, in which the Tathagata revealed the workings of karma, recounting innumerable stories about how the effects of certain karmas created in a past life are experienced by a person in his or her present life. Also, in the life stories of Indian masters, who lived after the Buddha, many reveal their previous places of birth. There are many such stories, but the system of recognizing and numbering their reincarnations did not occur in India.

Part 3 will delve further in recognizing reincarnations in Tibet

Dalai Lama Calls for Secular Ethics

The Dalai Lama doesn't find bright-coloured eyeshadow attractive, he's interested in the mechanics of desalination and thinks small dinners are good for weightloss.

These were just some of the diverse topics the Tibetan spiritual leader broached when he addressed more than 10,000 people at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on Sunday.

The 77-year-old moved from global warming to the state of the news media, Marxism and reincarnation during his sold-out public address on the "ethical mindfulness of everyday life".

One of the key messages of the talk, which was part of his 10-day tour in Australia, was the need for "secular ethics" – a human value system that is not grounded in religious teachings.

"Ethics can be universal," the Dalai Lama said.

"Secular ethics respect all religions and non-religions.

"They are taught not through prayer, not through meditation, not through teaching in church but through education."

His argument for "secular ethics" is grounded in the belief that humans are by nature compassionate.

"Our lives start with much immense affection from our mothers so everyone who experiences that is then equipped with the potential to show that affection," he said.

It wasn't all serious. The Dalai Lama, who has toured Australia eight times, generated much laughter and applause during his two-hour talk.

When asked by an eight-year-old what it felt like to be a Buddha, the Dalai Lama responded: "Buddha? Me? Nonsense, unrealistic".

When asked about love, he related an anecdote about meeting an official's wife who was "not very attractive" but wonderful "on the inside".

Ben McDade, 26, who travelled from Queensland for the address, said he was surprised at how funny the Dalai Lama was.

"His message is really simple and easy to comprehend. It's for everyone," he said.

"The thing I've taken away from today is probably just to relax a little about everything."

Rose Levin, 32, of Darlinghurst, brought her three-and-a-half-week-old daughter to the address.

"We thought it would be really lovely to tell her one day that she'd seen the Dalai Lama," Ms Levin said. "She's got to be the youngest person here."

Yoga teachers Jacki Murray, of Gosford, and Michelle Mulliet, of Seven Hills, said they plan to use the Dalai Lama's messages in their classes.

"I first probably heard about his messages five years ago and it has led me to have a massive lifestyle change," Ms Murray said. "It helps me to stay calm and deal with the stress in my life."

The Dalai Lama will make his next public talk in Melbourne on Tuesday. He is also due to visit Adelaide and for the first time Darwin.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/dalai-lama-calls-for-secular-ethics-20130616-2ocov.html#ixzz2WWi8eINn

Interview with The Dalai Lama

by Edie Weinstein-Moser

The rising temperature on a mid-July early morn, couldn’t come close to matching the warmth in the hearts of those gathered in the courtyard of the Kalmyk Temple of Saint Zokava at the Kalmyk Brotherhood Society in a working class neighborhood in Philadelphia. The radiance of the sun was eclipsed by that of the sparkle in the eyes of the man for whom several hundred people waited hours to catch a glimpse. An eclectic blend of humanity ranged from infants held in laps to elders sitting in the shade, dressed in rainbow-hued Tibetan and Kalmyk attire and Western garb.

Kalmyks are ethnic Mongolians who are in alignment with Tibetan Buddhism. It was they who issued the invitation for His Holiness to come to Philadelphia for the first time in 18 or so years.

Multi-colored Tibetan prayer flags draped the back of the courtyard and a vine encrusted brick wall bore a yellow and teal colored banner that read in Tibetan "The Philadelphia Tibetan Association Welcomes His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, the Reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara ("Embodiment of Compassion" in Tibetan Buddhism) We Are Very Blessed For Your Visit." This was translated for me by a young IT consultant named Dorjee who had traveled from Texas for the occasion. Visitors arrived from all corners of the globe to celebrate the arrival of this human symbol of grace in the midst of turmoil.

The 73 year old political and spiritual leader of a government in exile, now resides in Dharamsala, India, since the 1959 takeover of his mother-land of Tibet by the Chinese government. He seems to view the world as his home.

The aroma of sweet incense wafted through the air, mirrored only by the sounds of lilting music that filled the courtyard, creating the atmosphere for what was to transpire shortly. There was a sense of respectful anticipation and when His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama stepped out of the limousine, a sharp intake of breath was audible and a reverent sense of welcome palpable. In a presentation before those gathered, His Holiness spoke of the Kalmyk culture needing to continue through education of the next generation, since many of their elders were moving on to their next incarnation. Listening with rapt attention, mala (prayer beads) ran through the fingers of those in the seats inside the temple as well as those still standing in the courtyard, His Holiness’ message being transmitted through speakers so all could hear. At the completion of the morning’s event, a red prayer cord and Borstk, which is a traditional Kalmyk pastry, was blessed by His Holiness and offered to the departing crowd.

Later in the day, in the elegant Verizon Hall in the Kimmel Center, a capacity crowd filled the seats as they enjoyed elaborately costumed and choreographed Kalmyk and Tibetan folk music and dances, as well as mono-tonal Tibetan chanting offered by the Drepung Gomang monks who travel the world to create exquisite sand mandalas, which when complete, are disassembled to represent the Buddhist concept of impermanence.

To the sound of thundering applause, His Holiness walked on stage, bowed three times and then prostrated himself before the image of the Buddha emblazoned on a 50 foot tall tapestry, known as a thangka. Taking off his sandals, he nestled cross legged in a radiantly orange chair to begin his teachings on "Buddhism in the 21st Century." His first words indicated that he was "Very happy to be here once more in this famous city," and then he made reference to the Liberty Bell and encouraged people to "fill up the crack with our own efforts."

The Dalai Lama indicated that Buddhism reflects three components "Science, philosophy and religion, but the top priority is unity, to minimize fear and hatred and increase love, compassion and forgiveness."

After the presentation, His Holiness was surprised by a large sheet cake in celebration of his 73rd birthday on July 6th. A delighted smile spread across his face, as he seemed not to be aware of the ritual of blowing out the candle. He then cut a large piece from the middle of the cake and ate with great enthusiasm. There was plenty left to share with his guests in the lobby as they exited the building, enjoying what seemed like manna from heaven.

Greg Schultz, of Glenside, PA who was the manager of the event at the Kimmel Center , describes himself as " a practicing Tibetan Buddhist and close friend of the Tibetan people. His Holiness’ message of peace and non-violence as being internal rather than external resonates deep within my very being. There was a moment when he greeted me with a gentle embrace with his head nestled on my shoulder and mine on his. This lasted for what seemed several minutes and left me feeling infinite joy and deep gratitude for all humanity."

For this journalist, what occurred the next day, fulfilled a twenty- year long dream, that of interviewing His Holiness. Ushered into a hotel room past a gauntlet of Philadelphia police officers and secret service agents, I found myself face to face with a man whose image had surrounded me, for the interceding years, as I had set intention for this day to occur. Immersing myself in the manifestation process, his photo is in my car, on a wall in my office and on several vision boards I had created over the years; the seed planting had blossomed into an exquisite garden. A delightful twinkle appeared in his eyes as he made contact with mine, which at that moment, were filling with tears. I approached him, katah ( a traditional white silk scarf) in hand, to complete a ritual which involved holding it in prayer pose across my hands. He bowed, took it from me, blessed it, draped it around my neck and then drew me into a hug. He then motioned for me to sit nearby to begin our conversation. Periodically, His Holiness would reach over to touch my arm, to make a point. Despite speaking fluent English, a translator was nearby to offer assistance when His Holiness searched for the occasional word. His speech is lilting and not always in keeping with grammatic flow. I have maintained the form of communication he used, for authenticity and to offer the flavor of the conversation. My intention is for readers to see the man behind the icon. He shared that he sleeps 8 or 9 hours per night, completes work at 4:30 p.m. each day, eats no dinner and then arises at 3:30 a.m. for several hours of meditation. Much of his work now is teaching, less the political leader and more in the professorial and spiritual roles.

Edie: How do you, as a human being, embody the spiritual and as a spiritual being, embody the human?


Dalai Lama: I’m nothing special, just an ordinary human being. That’s why I always describe myself as a simple Buddhist monk. Different people describe me in a different ways. Some describe me as the living Buddha. Nonsense. Some describe me as ‘God-king.’ Nonsense. Some consider me as a demon or a wolf in Buddhist robes. That also, I think nonsense. I am simply just one monk. That’s all. Then here, the certain temple rule, this seems to me to have a certain responsibility to look after the well-being of society and look after Buddhism and culture. I consider these part of the practice of spirituality. There is no competition between spiritual practice and party politics. That is outdated. We already, since 2001, have elected political position. My position is semi-retired. I am looking forward to complete retirement.


Edie: What would complete retirement look like for you?


Dalai Lama: More time to meditate and preparation for next life. I have three commitments. Number one commitment is promotion of human value. Number two commitment is promotion of race harmony. Number three commitment is about Tibet. My retirement is the third commitment. The previous two commitments, to my death, I have committed.


Edie: What brings you joy?


Dalai Lama: Joy, I think, talking with people and my own motivation is sincere. I consider others as just brothers and sisters. Nothing barrier. I think you notice, like yesterday, when I talk to a few thousand people, I just feel I am talking to an old friend. Like that. I never felt some kind of distance, so therefore, I feel one source of happiness. In that kind of atmosphere, my experience seems some benefit to some people. I feel like my life is something purposeful. Many people have told me that after they listen to my talk, some point which I made, they got certain ideas and their whole life is changed. They are happier. One scientist had discussions about love and compassion. Usually, he felt irritation. After our meeting, for some months, anger never come.


Edie: You speak a great deal about compassion. It seems easy to have compassion for those we feel are like ourselves. When faced with those whose values feel different or even threatening, how can we allow for that same type of understanding?


Dalai Lama: Basically, there are not much differences. They also want happy life. Their method is different. On secondary level, always differences. Faith differences, culture differences, racial differences. Even within one person, yesterday and today, there are differences. We must look at a deeper level. I feel many problems that we are facing, are man-made problems, we have too much emphasis on this secondary thing, forgetting our foundation. At foundation, we are the same human being and we are sharing the same planet. Six billion human beings’ future is my future and my future is never separate from the future of six billion human beings. Those people, whose early life, due to lack of affection, always have suspicion and distrust and always remain distant. They never open their heart to other people. I met an American lady many years ago, much distant. Then I told her about my own difficult experiences and I showed some genuine concern. She responded, "Why are you so concerned about me?" We need more patience. At a fundamental level, we are the same human brothers and sisters. Then forget it. The human mind is very strange. Like that.


Edie: How can we communicate that affection to those who cross our paths and so create a more peaceful planet?


Dalai Lama: Real affection comes from the face. Those political leaders, when they meet, they are always hugging, but not very genuine. Deep, sincerity comes from face and eye. When you entered, you showed that face. I thought, "This is sincere. Not political hugging."


Edie: No, definitely not political hugging. As you recently celebrated your 73rd birthday, I wonder what legacy you want to leave.


Dalai Lama: No, no, no. Many years ago, a New York Times journalist asked me that question. I told her, as a Buddhist practitioner, not allowed. If I take serious my legacy, that means self centered. So, I answer that and then again that lady asked a second time and I answered same way and then a third time and then I lost my temper. If you ask, I may lose my temper. ( Laughter followed.) Your motivation should be sincere and your life should be of benefit to some people. That is the main thing. Don’t care after my death.


Edie: The question wasn’t referring to you as an important figure, but about making a difference in people’s lives every day, that one among six billion. I won’t ask you again. We’re friends, I don’t want to spoil that.


Although the photographers’ camera shutters were clicking away throughout the entire interview, a memorable moment came near the end, when, seemingly posing playfully for the camera, His Holiness leaned back in his chair and with arms behind his head, allowed a last peal of joyous laughter to echo forth, with such gusto that the ripples could reach the homeland that he envisions awaiting his peoples’ return.


To learn more, visit www.dalailama.com


Edie Weinstein-Moser is a journalist, speaker, interfaith minister, therapist and firm believer in dreams come true. Her website is www.liveinjoy.org

Training the Mind: Verse 2

Whenever I interact with someone,

May I view myself as the lowest amongst all,

And, from the very depths of my heart,

Respectfully hold others as superior.

The first verse pointed to the need to cultivate the thought of regarding all other sentient beings as precious. In the second verse, the point being made is that the recognition of the preciousness of other sentient beings, and the sense of caring that you develop on that basis, should not be grounded on a feeling of pity toward other sentient beings, that is, on the thought that they are inferior. Rather, what is being emphasized is a sense of caring for other sentient beings and a recognition of their preciousness based on reverence and respect, as superior beings. I would like to emphasize here how we should understand compassion in the Buddhist context. Generally speaking, in the Buddhist tradition, compassion and loving kindness are seen as two sides of same thing. Compassion is said to be the empathetic wish that aspires to see the object of compassion, the sentient being, free from suffering. Loving kindness is the aspiration that wishes happiness upon others. In this context, love and compassion should not be confused with love and compassion in the conventional sense. For example, we experience a sense of closeness toward people who are dear to us. We feel a sense of compassion and empathy for them. We also have strong love for these people, but often this love or compassion is grounded in self-referential considerations: "So-and-so is my friend," "my spouse," "my child," and so on. What happens with this kind of love or compassion, which may be strong, is that it is tinged with attachment because it involves self-referential considerations. Once there is attachment there is also the potential for anger and hatred to arise. Attachment goes hand in hand with anger and hatred. For example, if one's compassion toward someone is tinged with attachment, it can easily turn into its emotional opposite due to the slightest incident. Then instead of wishing that person to be happy, you might wish that person to be miserable.

True compassion and love in the context of training of the mind is based on the simple recognition that others, just like myself, naturally aspire to be happy and to overcome suffering, and that others, just like myself, have the natural right to fulfill that basic aspiration. The empathy you develop toward a person based on recognition of this basic fact is universal compassion. There is no element of prejudice, no element of discrimination. This compassion is able to be extended to all sentient beings, so long as they are capable of experiencing pain and happiness. Thus, the essential feature of true compassion is that it is universal and not discriminatory. As such, training the mind in cultivating compassion in the Buddhist tradition first involves cultivating a thought of even-mindedness, or equanimity, toward all sentient beings. For example, you may reflect upon the fact that such-and-such a person may be your friend, your relative, and so forth in this life, but that this person may have been, from a Buddhist point of view, your worst enemy in a past life. Similarly, you apply the same sort of reasoning to someone you consider an enemy: although this person may be negative toward you and is your enemy in this life, he or she could have been your best friend in a past life, or could have been related to you, and so on. By reflecting upon the fluctuating nature of one's relationships with others and also on the potential that exists in all sentient beings to be friends and enemies, you develop this even-mindedness or equanimity.

The practice of developing or cultivating equanimity involves a form of detachment, but it is important to understand what detachment means. Sometimes when people hear about the Buddhist practice of detachment, they think that Buddhism is advocating indifference toward all things, but that is not the case. First, cultivating detachment, one could say, takes the sting out of discriminatory emotions toward others that are based on considerations of distance or closeness. You lay the groundwork on which you can cultivate genuine compassion extending to all other sentient beings. The Buddhist teaching on detachment does not imply developing an attitude of disengagement from or indifference to the world or life.

Moving on to another line of the verse, I think it is important to understand the expression "May I see myself lower than all others" in the right context. Certainly it is not saying that you should engage in thoughts that would lead to lower self-esteem, or that you should lose all sense of hope and feel dejected, thinking, "I'm the lowest of all. I have no capacity, I cannot do anything and have no power." This is not the kind of consideration of lowness that is being referred to here. The regarding of oneself as lower than others really has to be understood in relative terms. Generally speaking, human beings are superior to animals. We are equipped with the ability to judge between right and wrong and to think in terms of the future and so on. However, one could also argue that in other respects human beings are inferior to animals. For example, animals may not have the ability to judge between right and wrong in a moral sense, and they might not have the ability to see the long-term consequences of their actions, but within the animal realm there is at least a certain sense of order. If you look at the African savannah, for example, predators prey on other animals only out of necessity when they are hungry. When they are not hungry, you can see them coexisting quite peacefully. But we human beings, despite our ability to judge between right and wrong, sometimes act out of pure greed. Sometimes we engage in actions purely out of indulgence--we kill out of a sense of "sport," say, when we go hunting or fishing. So, in a sense, one could argue that human beings have proven to be inferior to animals. It is in such relativistic terms that we can regard ourselves as lower than others. One of the reasons for using the word "lower" is to emphasize that normally when we give in to ordinary emotions of anger, hatred, strong attachment, and greed, we do so without any sense of restraint. Often we are totally oblivious to the impact our behavior has on other sentient beings. But by deliberately cultivating the thought of regarding others as superior and worthy of your reverence, you provide yourself with a restraining factor. Then, when emotions arise, they will not be so powerful as to cause you to disregard the impact of your actions upon other sentient beings. It is on these grounds that recognition of others as superior to yourself is suggested.

From the DalaiLama.com website. Next week Verse 3.

Dialogue Between His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Fr Laurence Freeman About the Teacher & Disciple in Sarnath, Varanasi

Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India - January 14, 2013 at WebWire.com

Today was dedicated to a conversation between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his longstanding spiritual friend Fr Laurence Freeman, Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation. The theme was seeing Jesus and the Buddha as teachers and the role of the disciple. The venue was the Atisha Hall of the Central University of Tibetan Studies in Sarnath.

The conversation began during a private meeting between His Holiness and Fr Laurence and some of his friends and benefactors. One of them asked about truth and His Holiness replied, “Once you are familiar with the truth, it has an effect on your mind. In his own teachings the Buddha described reality in different ways because of different dispositions and temperaments among his followers. When Christians and Buddhists come together we can say we have two versions of the truth, if a Muslim joins us there are three.”

Asked whether religion is necessary he said,

“Religion is a kind of instrument for transforming our minds into something positive. Everyone wants to be happy and here in the twenty-first century material facilities are highly developed. Indeed since there are still so many poor people we need to have material development. However, a great deal depends on our becoming aware of the limits of material values and our beginning to look inward. So far material development by itself has failed to produce a happy society. “

Before an audience of about 250 in the larger hall, Fr Laurence opened the conversation by recalling an earlier occasion when he invited His Holiness to comment on passages from the gospels,

“We were deeply touched by your handling of our sacred words and your insight into the truth of the gospels. It took a lot of courage.”

His Holiness replied,

“I found there were ideas in common with Buddhist teaching and it made for a very good meeting. After that you came with friends to Bodhgaya, and for the first time Buddhists and Christians prayed together under the Bodhi tree.”

Fr Laurence explained that he would speak about Jesus and how he relates to him as a teacher and then His Holiness would speak about how he views the Buddha. He invited His Holiness to interrupt him if he liked, which drew the following response:

“We are all human beings. When I meet someone I think, ‘Here’s another human being who like me wants to be happy.’ Formality just creates unnecessary barriers between us. As members of one human family we don’t need formality between us, so if I have something to say I’ll do so.”

Fr Laurence began to share his thoughts:

“I think of Jesus as a human being, a historical person later understood as the Son of God. I relate to him as a natural Jesus, an extraordinary human being, one of the few who have become universal teachers. We know little about his early life, but we know that he had an awakening when he was baptised by John the Baptist and that the spirit of it led him into the desert for forty days. Jesus taught by example, so his life is consistent with his teaching. I asked you years ago how you remain so calm and peaceful and you replied ‘I try to be the same on my own as when I’m with close friends or in public.’

“Jesus is a model for how to live my life. I consider him a universal teacher, a person of integrity with natural authority who embodies the truth. He’s someone in whom I can take refuge with trust and confidence. My relationship with Jesus straightens me out.”

He remarked that there seems to be a correspondence between the Christian idea that everyone is created in the image of God and Buddha nature. When he experiences Christ within, he sees him reflected in other people he meets.

“Jesus is a medicine, a physician, not a judge; someone who brings healing to the world. He’s a teacher, a leader and a way. Because of that I feel I can live my life with meaning.”

“Wonderful, wonderful, that’s really my own understanding of Jesus,” His Holiness responded. “Through your own intelligent analysis you have reached an understanding that affects your life.”

“All Buddhists accept that the Buddha was the son of a local king. When he realized that even for a prince life is full of problems and difficulties he sought a deeper meaning of life and an understanding of reality. He left the palace and spent six years meditating, fasting and living in hardship. In his own life he observed morality, concentration and wisdom. He attained enlightenment and came here to Sarnath to begin his teaching. He had no regard for social status, considering kings and beggars as equal; the important thing was practice.

“After leaving the palace, he cut his hair and removed his royal attire, donning the saffron robes of a monk. Apart from the principal precepts, the vows of the monks came about whenever the Buddha corrected mistakes the monks had made, he didn’t declare a pre-existing set of rules. He explained that there is no independent self, but that the self is a mere designation on the basis of the body and mind. The very purpose of the teaching of the lack of an independent self is to reduce self-centredness, which single-pointed faith in God can do too. All our religions have the same message of love, compassion, tolerance and forgiveness, although their philosophical views are different.”

Everyone took lunch together under a shamiana in the University grounds and discussions continued as people ate. On his way back to the meeting hall, His Holiness greeted several friends who had come to meet him, including visually challenged girls from the nearby Jeevan Jyoti Institute for the Disabled and their teachers, in whose welfare he takes a close interest. In the afternoon session, the focus was on what it means to be a disciple. Fr Laurence began again, noting that Jesus gathered his disciples together calling on them “Follow me.” He said this image of a disciple is essential to Christian meaning and identity, but it also has a universal quality. A disciple has to be open, trusting and to tell the truth. The teacher is faithful to the disciple. This fidelity marks the teacher-disciple relationship. He affirmed that an authentic relationship with your teacher is the guiding light of your life.

His Holiness said that a teacher must have experience, especially inner spiritual experience. The important thing is that in following a teacher you become a calmer person. Both parties to the relationship have a responsibility, the teacher’s is to take care of the student, and the student’s is to act with respect.

He remarked that we too often pay attention to appearances, like young women enhancing their external beauty with cosmetics, when what is important in our relationships is inner beauty. What follows from this is the inner peace that gives rise to happiness as individuals, as families and as communities. If we have that, when we face problems we can easily work them out between us. Inner peace brings strength.

A questioner asked if it is possible to be a follower of both Jesus and the Buddha. Fr Laurence commented that the Bible says we should take advice from every wise person, suggesting we accept truth wherever we find it. He quoted His Holiness as saying that it may be possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian for a while, but eventually you find yourself gravitating to one or the other. His Holiness concurred.

Someone else asked about Christians practising Buddhist meditation. His Holiness replied that there are many different methods for training the mind and it’s possible to adopt such practices. You need to see what is most effective for you.

To a question about what happens to human beings after death, His Holiness said,

“The simple thing is that while we are still alive, we should lead a meaningful life from day to day. That means helping others wherever we can, but at least avoiding doing them harm. Then when death comes we will have no regret and can feel confident of going to heaven or to a good rebirth. This is what I do myself. Even in my dreams I remember that I am a Buddhist monk, never the Dalai Lama. If death comes tonight, I’ll have no regrets and I hope this confidence will continue to prevail.”

Photographs were taken together, words of thanks were said and all the participants looked forward to when they will meet again.

The Dalai Lama on Religious Harmony

A Biased Mind Cannot Grasp Reality

I am extremely delighted to attend this inter faith seminar on the Preservation of Religious Harmony, Co­existence and Universal Peace organised by the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF), Ladakh group. Thank you very much for the detailed explanation of the association's history, activities, objectives and their relevance in the present century. I have nothing to add on what the speakers said earlier. But I would like to say a few things.

We are now in the twenty ­first century. The quality of research on both the inner and physical world has reached quite high levels, thanks to the tremendous stride in technological advancement and human intelligence. However, as some of the speakers said before, the world is also facing a lot of new problems, most of which are man­-made. The root cause of these man­-made problems is the inability of human beings to control their agitated minds. How to control such a state of mind is taught by the various religions of this world.

I am a religious practitioner, who follows Buddhism. More than a thousand years have passed since the great religions of the world flourished, including Buddhism. During those years, the world had witnessed a lot of conflicts, in which followers of different religions were also involved. As a religious practitioner, I acknowledge the fact that different religions of the world have provided many solutions about how to control an agitated mind. In spite of this, I still feel we have not been able to realise our full potential.

I always say that every person on this earth has the freedom to practice or not practice religion. It is all right to do either. But once you accept religion, it is extremely important to be able to focus your mind on it and sincerely practice the teachings in your daily life. All of us can see that we tend to indulge in religious favouritism by saying, "I belong to this or that religion", rather than making effort to control our agitated minds. This misuse of religion, due to our disturbed minds, also sometimes creates problems.

I know a physicist from Chile who told me that it is not appropriate for a scientist to be biased towards science because of his love and passion for it. I am a Buddhist practitioner and have a lot of faith and respect in the teachings of the Buddha. However, if I mix up my love for and attachment to Buddhism, then my mind shall be biased towards it. A biased mind, which never sees the complete picture, cannot grasp the reality. And any action that results from such a state of mind will not be in tune with reality. As such it causes a lot of problems.

According to Buddhist philosophy, happiness is the result of an enlightened mind whereas suffering is caused by a distorted mind. This is very important. A distorted mind, in contrast to an enlightened mind, is one that is not in tune with reality.

Any issue, including political, economic and religious activities human beings pursue in this world, should be fully understood before we pass our judgement. Therefore, it is very important to know the causes. Whatever the issue, we should be able to see the complete picture. This will enable us to comprehend the whole story. The teachings offered in Buddhism are based on rationality, and I think are very fruitful.

Today, a lot of people from different religious backgrounds are present here. In every religion, there are transcendent things that are beyond the grasp of our mind and speech. For example, the concept of God in Christianity and Islam and that of wisdom truth body in Buddhism are metaphysical, which is not possible for an ordinary person like us to realise. This is a common difficulty faced by every religion. It is taught in every ­religion, including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, that the ultimate truth is driven by faith.

I want to emphasise that it is extremely important for practitioners to sincerely believe in their respective religions. Usually, I say that it is very important to distinguish between "belief in one religion" and "belief in many religions". The former directly contradicts the latter. Therefore, we should resolutely resolve these contradictions. This is possible only by thinking in contextual terms. A contradiction in one context might not be the same in the other. In the context of one person, a single truth is closely associated with a single source of refuge. This is of extreme necessity. However, in the context of society or more than one person it is necessary to have different sources of refuge, religions and truths.

In the past it was not a major problem because nations remained aloof from each other with their own distinct religion. However, in today's close and inter-connected world there are so many differences amongst various religions. We must obviously resolve these problems. For example, there have been a lot of religions in India for the past thousand years. Some of them were imported from outside whereas some have grown in India itself. Despite this, the fact is that these religions have been able to coexist with each other, and the principle of Ahimsa has really flourished in this country. Even today, this principle has a strong bearing on every religion. This is very precious and India should really take pride in it.

Ladakh has been a predominantly Buddhist area 'for so many centuries. But other religions such as Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism have also flourished here. Although it is natural for the people of Ladakh to have attachment to and love for their own religions, yet this place has a very peaceful environment with no major problems of religious intolerance. During my maiden visit to Ladakh, I heard elderly Muslims using the phrase "community of sangha" in their speeches. Although such phrases are not found in Islam, yet a reference of this kind invokes a lot of trust amongst the Buddhists. Therefore, people from different religious background in Ladakh are very close to each other and live in harmony.

As far as the Muslims are concerned it is appropriate for them to have complete devotion to Allah while praying in the mosques. This is also the same with Buddhists who are completely devoted to the Buddha when they pray in Buddhist temples. A society, which has many religions should also have many prophets and sources of refuge. In such a society it is very important to have harmony and respect amongst the different religions and their practitioners. We must distinguish between belief and respect. Belief refers to total faith, which you must have in your own religion. At the same time you should have respect for all other religions. This tradition of believing in one's own religion and having respect for others is in existence in Ladakh since your forefathers. Therefore you do not have to invent it. The most important thing at the moment is to preserve and promote this tradition. I would like to thank all of you for working hard regarding this and request you to continue to do so in the future.

If a harmonious relationship is established amongst societies and religious beliefs in today's multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural world, then it will surely set a very good example for others. However, if all the sides become careless, then there is a danger of imminent problems. In a multi­ethnic  society  the biggest problem is that of between the majority and the minority. For instance, in the capital Leh, Buddhists constitute the majority of the population whereas Muslims belong to the minority community. The majority must consider the minority as their invited guests. The minority, on the other hand, should be able to sensitise with the majority. In other words, both sides should live in harmony. In order to sustain this harmony, both sides should not take lightly the sensitive issues between themselves. Indeed, the majority should pay attention to and appreciate the views and opinion of the minority. Both sides should discuss and clearly express what they think about the other's view and opinion. The minority, on the other hand, should be careful about where the sensitive issues of the majority lies and express whatever doubts they have in their minds. If problems are resolved in such a friendly manner; then both sides will gain. Suspicion of each other will only harm both communities. Therefore, it is very important to live in harmony and analyse where the opinion of the other lies. The best way to do this is to engage in dialogue, dialogue and dialogue.

Excerpts from His Holiness the Dalai Lama's address to the inter-faith seminar organised by the International Association for Religious Freedom, Ladakh Group, in Leh on 25 August.