(TibetanReview.net, Aug31’19) – The Dalai Lama on Aug 30 addressed an audience of 1,000 at the 52nd National Convention of the All India Association of Catholic Schools (AINACS) held in the south Indian city of Mangaluru (formerly Mangalore). Sister Molly Cherian, Principal of the Sacred Heart School at Sidhpur in Dharamsala, introduced His Holiness to the gathering. And she quoted him as saying, “True joy is in serving others”. And she noted his commitment to promoting human values and encouraging inter-religious harmony.
“All our major religions convey a message of love and compassion. They adopt different philosophical approaches and different ways of life, but they all encourage love, tolerance and contentment,” he was quoted as saying in his address.
He has also said, “You Christian brothers and sisters believe in God the creator—that’s wonderful. If you see all human beings as children of God, how can you do them harm? Those of us who belong to non-theistic traditions, like Jains, Buddhists and some Samkhyas, believe instead in the power of our own actions. If you do good, happiness results.”
And he has emphasized, “Many years ago in Thailand, I met the Sangharaja, the leader of the monastic community. I mentioned to him that our Christian brothers and sisters were widely active in promoting health and education. I told him I felt we Buddhists should follow this example. He replied that it’s more proper for Buddhist monks to remain in isolation.”
He has observed that those who kill in the name of religion cannot be counted as sincere followers of their faith while reiterating that the primary purpose of religion was to develop loving-kindness in its adherents.
Asked by a student whose father is Buddhist and mother Catholic whether compassion or truth was more important, he has said compassion, noting that you don’t have to be Buddhist or Catholic to practise it.
The audience included 150 students from the Himalayan Region as well as Catholic educationists.
Earlier in the day, the Dalai Lama met with a group of about 250 young Tibetans studying and training in the city.