(TibetanReview.net, Dec08, 2015) – Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, was on Dec 6 the guest at a gathering of the Diplomatic Consular Corps of Karnataka in Bangaluru City attended by representatives of some 20 countries. He was welcomed to the stage by Mr Anatole Kuschpeta of France and introduced to the audience by Sabit Subasic, Ambassador of Bosnia & Herzegovina who referred to him as a symbol of hope, brightness, justice and humanity. He also delivered the first Distinguished Fellow Lecture at the National Institute of Advanced Studies and attended the fourth meeting of the Indian Philanthropy Initiative while in the city before proceeding on nearly a month-long series of religious teachings in the Tibetan settlements in the state.
The theme of the Diplomatic Consular Corps gathering was ‘Peace for Economy’. The Dalai Lama said while he could speak on the subject of peace, he was ignorant about economy.
Asked whether there was a solution to growing intolerance, the Dalai Lama suggested secularism, which in India meant respect for all religious traditions and even the views of those who have no faith.
Asked for the meaning of the Buddha’s statement, ‘Be a light unto yourself’, he said that the ultimate source of peace and happiness, which we all seek, was inner peace.
The Dalai Lama also said that while prayer had a role in the cultivation of inner peace, what was needed all the more was action, especially when it came to the issue of peace in the world.
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Later in the afternoon, the Dalai Lama delivered the first Distinguished Fellow Lecture at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), a centre of higher learning in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research in natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.
Asked why if all religions convey a common positive message of compassion and forgiveness so many bad things were being done in the name of religion, the Dalai Lama said it may seem like that when one mixes faith with attachment.
Asked for a message for people in the modern world, the Dalai Lama said that India had long upheld traditions of ahimsa, non-violence, and inter-religious harmony, and that today what was important was to combine these traditions with modern technology to further positive development.
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Earlier, on Dec 5, the Dalai Lama attended the fourth meeting of the Indian Philanthropy Initiative at the invitation of Azim Premji, the founder of India’s compute giant Wipro. The theme of the gathering was “empathy and kindness”.
The Dalai Lama suggested that to help the poor, the wealthy should create opportunities, providing educational facilities and equipment, while the poor should, in their turn, work hard and develop self-confidence. He praised Azim Premji for “already taking such practical steps through his educational foundations, while I only talk.”
