(TibetanReview.net, Nov10’19) – The Dalai Lama on Nov 9 presided over an interfaith conference titled “The ik-noor Interfaith Conclave” at Guru Nanak Dev University in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar. The Conclave is a part of week-long celebrations marking the 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, organized by the Punjab Government.
The dialogue was chaired by leaders of different faith groups that included Swami Shuddhidananda, Ramakrishna Mission; Maulana Syed Athar Hussain Dehlavi, Founder of Anjumana Minhaj-e-Rasool; Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Former Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib; Bishop Samantha Roy, Church of North India; BK Usha, Brahma Kumari; Syed of Ahmadiya Mission; and Dr Monica Gupta, Shri Aurobindo Mission.
The state’s Finance Minister, Mr Manpreet Singh Badal, delivered an address on behalf of the Punjab Government.
The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet and the 1989 Nobel Peace laureate delivered his address on ‘Oneness of humanity and religious harmony’, touching upon his four major commitments. The university’s Vice Chancellor, Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu, informed the gathering that the Dalai Lama had earlier visited the University 25 years ago when he attended its convocation.
“India’s tradition of Ahimsa and Karuna is very relevant which is the means to promote the basic human values for warm-heartedness and that too through secular way”, the Dalai Lama said.
“I am 84 year old person. I had difficult life, lot of obstacles but because of thousand year old Indian tradition I can keep my peace of mind. Practice of Karuna and Ahimsa is very useful. These thousand-year-old Indian tradition is very helpful in day to day life for peace,” the Dalai Lama said.
He emphasized the need for promoting the hygiene of emotion along with the hygiene of the physical that he noted was already part of school curriculum.
Earlier in the morning, the Dalai Lama undertook a pilgrimage to the Golden Temple, the holiest site of the Sikh religion.
After lunch with the other faith leaders, the Dalai Lama left for Dharamsala.
