The day of 12 September has been very busy to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet. In the morning he gave an interview to correspondent of BBC News on prospective Chinese leadership changes in regards to Tibet’s situation. He mentioned that it is still too early to make any judgment but if new leaders would take a realistic view, dim situation of Tibet should change.
His Holiness also told the reporter that people of the world who seeks truth should be concerned about Tibet as «respect for truth is in our blood. Many countries have expressed their support for Tibetans, even when it was politically sensitive to do so. At present the Tibetan struggle is between the power of truth and the power of the gun. In the short term the gun seems more powerful, but in the long run truth is more important and more effective.»
Following the interview, His Holiness met with the editors of three Urdu language newspapers. They discussed the areas of human values and the ways to reach happiness and peace in lives. He also encouraged people to «foster inter-religious harmony».
After lunch, Buddhist leader was invited to give a talk on the Importance of Non-Violence and Ethical Values at the Jamia Millia Islamia University. After greeting the audience as brothers and sisters, he reminded everyone that we are all human beings with the same needs, wants and passions regardless of the wealth of the family we were born in. «Similarly we all want happiness and avoid trouble, and what’s more, we all have a right to be happy», stated His Holiness at the meeting.
All problems apart from natural disasters are man-made. However, none of us want suffering and therefore, people need to look for the ways to deal with their daily problems. The speaker said that those who grew up in loving atmosphere tend to have greater sense of security and therefore solve problems easier.
«To be contented human beings we need trust and friendship, which tends to develop much better once we realise that all beings have a right to happiness, just as we do. Taking others’ interests into account not only helps them, it also helps us. Warm-heartedness and concern for others are a part of human nature and are at the core of positive human values.»
Speaking further on non-violence theme, His Holiness emphasized that genuine non-violence is not the mere absence of violence. The difference depends less on actions but more on motivations and attitudes that influence our actions. As an example, he referred on 20th century as a century of the bloodshed, however to learn from the past mistakes «we need to make this a century of dialogue».
Later, the audience was given opportunity to ask questions. Among those, His Holiness was asked about appropriateness of non-violence concept for the future generations. To this, he said that «non-violence doesn’t mean we have to passively accept injustice. We have to fight for our rights. We have to oppose injustice, because not to do so would be a form of violence. Gandhi-ji fervently promoted non-violence, but that didn’t mean he was complacently accepting of the status quo; he resisted, but he did so without doing harm.»
To the question about Dalai Lama’s permanent calmness and happiness, he gave the secret that everyone is able to solve their problems in this way, however, one has to recognise it and put it in practice.
«At 16 years old I lost my freedom, at 24 I lost my country, so over the last 60 years my life has been difficult. However, the challenges I faced have given me the opportunity to become stronger», looking back at his life stated the Dalai Lama.
Concluding the session, he said that «determination, will-power and a sense of self confidence based on a clear understanding of reality are essential»
His Holiness Teaches Students About Non-Violence And Ethical Values.