His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama – India 2019 Transcript
March 28, 2019
Dharamsala, India
Maitri Project – Mount Madonna School
Dalai Lama: ’59 I reached India as a refugee, one year governor of India arranged my place at Mussoori one year. Then summer, 1960, come here. So now, 59 years here. Anyway, refugee, sad. But anyway, become refugee like the Indian government’s sort of guest. Free, so I can meet the various different kind of people and philosophers and religious leaders, and then scientists and educationists. So, I think becoming refugee. Anyway- (speaking Tibetan).
Translator: (speaker Tibetan). It’s been a blessing in disguise.
Dalai Lama: (can’t understand) meeting with people from different parts of the world. So now I develop full conviction, we seven billion human beings are the same, we really need sense of oneness of seven billion human beings. There are differences always there, even individual, the ideas in the morning, evening, some differences. So there is different language, different culture, including different faith. But all these secondary, the only important, we are same human being, we all live on this planet. So now today, the global economy and global warming teach us now entire seven billion human beings must work together. Isn’t it? So in that respect, if may I say so, you’re President when he- at the beginning, he mentioned America first, I’d say leader of leading nation of free world should think global level. Ok, now some questions?
Ward Mailliard: So, your Holiness, we have a gift for you. You want to show him?
Sage Turner: Yes.
Ward Mailliard: Explain to him what you’ve done.
Sage Turner: So Ethics for the New Millennium has been part of our curriculum for over a decade, so this year in our study, we created a graphic novel called A Snails Journey: A Path to Long-Lasting Happiness. And it’s inspired by your book, and all collectively-
Dalai Lama: Why you choose this snail?
Sage Turner: A snail-
Dalai Lama: Very slow.
Sage Turner: A snail is slow and a snail is patient.
Dalai Lama: Patient. (laughs)
Sage Turner: The snail represents each one of our journeys to happiness.
Dalai Lama: I see.
Sage Turner: Yes.
Dalai Lama: I see. Too slow.
Sage Turner: Too slow.
Ward Mailliard: Well we’re happy now, right?
Dalai Lama: (laughs) Yes.
Sage Turner: So this snail isn’t happy where he is, so he decides to go find happiness. So what we did for each chapter of your book is we took quotes that resonated with each one of us, and we visually represented them through the artist in our class. And we also include student reflections with things that touch us individually. You can see.
Dalai Lama: Thank you. Very good, very good. Now younger generation who really now begin to pay more attention about our inner value. Otherwise, they say (can’t understand), I think they very (can’t understand) modern education, very much pay attention for external thing, material value, not pay much attention about our inner world. So that’s why in spite materially highly develop including science and (can’t understand), but these bring more suffering, more problem. So now, only alternative is have to think inside, everybody they say ‘want… happiness… joyfulness.’ Joyfulness, part of mind, not matter. So that must develop within mind. If we, you see, shopping in New York or some big sort of city. If you express ‘I want to buy peace of mind,’ I think people may laugh or ‘that person might be something wrong.’ So obviously, peace of mind must develop within yourself. For that, now scientists- some scientists say basic human nature is more compassionate, there’s several reasons. Obviously, there’s seven billion human beings, we all come from our mother, we all received maximum affection from our mother. Without that, we can’t survive. And physical develop, also you see, at a young age, say I think at least two, three, four years, the mother’s milk, the mother’s affection, is key factor for development of this body, this brain. So that’s our life start through compassion.
Then again, the scientists, they say constant anger, stress, eating our immune system. So, everybody needs to concern healthy body. So therefore, these days, I’m expressing in kindergarten level- from kindergarten to university level, in education we should include besides hygiene of physical, we must include hygiene of emotion. How to tackle our emotion, destructive emotion such as anger. I think to children, they don’t care what different nationality, different religious faith, so long play together with smile, ok. Once we supposedly better education, then too much emphasis on differences. My nation, their nation; my religion, their religion. This, I feel, (can’t understand) new creation of existing modern education, lacking the inner value, like that. So you really showing genuine interest in this inner value. So now, I belong to 20th century. You, most of you, belongs to the 21st century. So to the 21st century… I think you: same, belongs to 20th century. So, I think you also.
So now, there is a real possibility to develop this 21st century, more peaceful, more compassionate century. Material development, meanwhile, through training, through awareness about our inner value, then, mentally very healthy one, physically also healthy. So then different religion, different nationality is secondary. We have too much emphasis on differences. Then look here, too many problems. Even religion teaches us practice of compassion, practice of love. But religion itself now causing division and killing. Very sad. So now we have to work so these young generation who belongs to the 21st century. Not like me, belongs 18th century. Now time comes; rest. It is our duty to share these generations to the 21st century. We notice 18th century: too many violence. First World War, Second World War, including use of nuclear weapons. I think nuclear weapon is I think a great achievement of scientific research. But that wonderful thing turned destructive. So some people say 20th century, around 200 millions of people killed through violence of war. Too many. If that amount of that sort of violence is to create a better world, better shape, then we may say ‘oh, tremendous violence, but creates better shape of world.’ That didn’t happen. So very beginning of the 21st century, they still leaders are concerning people, religious leader. They say the old concept whenever they find some disagreement, immediately they think how to solve it by force. That’s old thinking. Now, 21st century, say you should accept people different sort of view, different ideas, different concepts, you must respect them. If there’s some problems, discuss. Not use weapon. Talk, try to find mutual agreeable solution. So these days, I’m sort of expressing this 21st century should be century of dialogue, not century of war. So, for me, just to express these words, empty words, not much problem. You should implement these things, more difficult. But there’s no other alternative. If present situation remains continuously, I think 21st century also become miserable century. So there’s no other alternative. But you should use human common sense and long-sighted- (speaking Tibetan).
Translator: (speaking Tibetan).
Dalai Lama: -farsighted. Many problems, we see too much narrow mind. ‘I want this.’ And when they find some obstacle, then how to destroy that? That’s very short-sighted, and very narrow-minded. So, now some questions.
Samith Lakka: I’m Samith, and we know you have supported the idea of secular ethics in education for many years. With the upcoming launch next week of the social, emotional, and ethical learning curriculum, it seems like this is an idea whose time has come. Can you speak about secular ethics in education and why it is so important?
Dalai Lama: There’s an Indian tradition, the reality of India, there are so many different religions over 3,000 years. So, if the ethics based on religion, then there’s a problem, so therefore, secular ethics develop in this country. Whether believe religion or not, or believe this religion, or that religion, is secondary. Important is we should practice the thousand year old Indian tradition: Ahimsa; non-violence. Ahimsa must combine with Karuna: compassion. So I think India, because of this reality, the moral principle based on religion, then complication there. So the secular, that I think now today, out of 7 billion human beings, over 1 billion non-believers. And then suppose 6 billion believers at different traditions. So if these moral principles entirely based on religious belief, then complication there. So, secular means just simply, it is to emphasize basic human value. Ok, like that.
Samith Lakka: Thank you.
Priyanka Bharghavan: Hello, my name is Priyanka. In Ethics for the New Millennium, you explain how humans are compassionate by nature and how afflictive emotions work against our ability to be compassionate. If we are naturally inclined as humans to live in harmony, why is it so easy for us to give in to afflictive emotions?
Dalai Lama: I always blame modern education.
Ward Mailliard: Me too.
Dalai Lama: Thank you, I found one supporter, thank you. The existing modern education, I think when Europe previously, education mainly you see carried by monastery or nunnery, then Europe industrialization with development of science and technology, then they found we need separate education institution. So perhaps at that time, quite well balanced, moral education, ethics, these things, religious monastery, these, carry responsibility. The newly developed technology, science, mathematics, these things, newly developed education institution. Perhaps at that time, quite I think well-balanced. Now, gradually, I think 18th century, then 19th century, I think there’s too much emphasis on material development. And the lacking of paying attention of our inner value which religions- all religions carry this inner value. But then people I think want more education in science. People I think also raise questions: religion, the concept of God. So we Buddhists and also Jains, and also one part of Sangha philosophy, we are quite sinful, we have no concept of God, creator, but rather self-creation. So one occasion, you know, Bishop Tutu, my great friend, brother. I really respect, now I’m really missing him. Too old, cannot come here, I cannot go there. Both now getting older and older.
One occasion, we have a sort of serious discussion. When we met, he’s always teasing me: ‘you are mischievous Dalai Lama.’ And I told him ‘I consider you mischievous Bishop.’ So we always tease each other. We really love each other. And then, one occasion, I think three days serious discussion. Then one occasion he again tease me. He asked a Christian practitioner, when he die, ready to go to heaven, Dalai Lama go some different place. So that means non-believer saw Hell. Like that. So therefore, they- (speaking Tibetan)
Translator: (speaking Tibetan)
Dalai Lama: In ancient Indian tradition, I think generally speaking, I think very liberal, except different religion. So over 2,000 years in this country, several religions. Now modern India, all major world traditions live together here. We never heard (can’t understand). For example, India’s Muslim Sunni and Shia, I’d never heard problem, but in Afghanistan, in Iran, or other area, Sunni and Shia- it’s the same religion, same Allah, same Quran, same sort of five days prayer, but small name- different name, Shia and Sunni, killing each other. When we saw these things, I really feel ‘unthinkable.’ Religion is this source of the idea of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance- (speaking Tibetan)
Translator: (speaking Tibetan)
Dalai Lama: Self-discipline, these things, itself becomes source of complicated, source of violence, unthinkable. So one of my commitments is to try and promote religious harmony. So now all these, we – in education, you see if we- in the education field, without touching God or Buddha or Allah, there’s simply human good nature. And then, when they pay more attention of all religion, all religion carry the message of these basic human values. That’s ok. Now that- so then, next question.
Kaili Sullens: Hi, I’m Kaili. Today, in the midst of so much wealth and privilege, statistics show that young people are suffering from increasing rates of anxiety and depression. What do you think is the cause of this, and what needs to be done to counteract this trend?
Dalai Lama: (speaking Tibetan)
Translator: (speaking Tibetan)
Dalai Lama: Just the other day, I saw one sort of- one tv sort of discussion. Nowadays, in America, among the youth, too much stress, too much worry, too much competition. So now they’re- (speaking Tibetan)
Translator: (speaker Tibetan)– decreased.
Dalai Lama: So this now clearly shows we should pay more attention about our inner-value. So I always blame existing education system, not adequate. Education of human beings’ education. So human beings’ value- or good quality of human beings is compassion, love. We are social animals. Any social animal, their very existence is love. Like other social animal, the individual animal cannot sort of survive without their community. So we’re also social animal. So individual, firstly individual person for survival depends on the family. The family, their existence, or their survival, depends on the community. Isn’t it? If the community’s always fighting each other, then the family- it’s very difficult to survive. One of my Indian friends, you see, once told me in India, people in big cities, there’re more cases of suicide. In country side, much less. The answer I felt: in country side, farmers, their sense of community is more sort of alive when they’re working farm work, occasionally together. So sense of community there. So one family finds some difficulties in their mind, they feel ‘oh, I can ask for help.’ And people in big city, salary, otherwise no sense of community. So we are social animals, therefore, the compassion, compassion, loving kindness, bring together, anger; expel. So anger is part of our mind. When we face some problem, sometimes anger useful. But when anger come, our mind become mad. So best part of human brain is the analyze and without proper analyzation, your action often becomes unrealistic. So your wish alone, not fulfilled your desire. Method is key thing, for that you should know the reality. In order to see the reality, we have to look from various different angles. Strong attachment, strong anger, cannot see the different angles, just one angle, and frustration, and too much attachment, like that. So that’s the human brain. You see, can judge, analyze what’s useful, what’s harmful, these things. Human mind, human brain. For that, our mind more neutral is very important. Too much emotion, can’t utilize that human intelligence more properly. Ok, like that.
If we’re thinking more sort of wider perspective, then ecology and also you see about our inner world, all these come. Just sort of materialistic education, just everything depends on money like that, then our sort of way of thinking very narrow. That’s a problem, that’s a problem. I think 6-7 billion human beings, everyone want happy life. But due to lack of you see the wider perspective, long sighted- far-sighted, then you see many, their effort brings more suffering rather than happiness. Isn’t it? Next question?
Noah Kaplan: From my understanding, Buddhism teaches that inner peace can be reached by letting go of attachment to material things and attachment to the outcomes of our actions. In western society, we are taught that it is passion and detachment to outcomes that drive people to be successful. How do we find the motivation to accomplish our goals while keeping a sense of inner peace and non-attachment?
Dalai Lama: Detach-
Translator: Detachment.
Dalai Lama: I think desire, up to a certain sort of level, without desire, you can’t survive, isn’t it? I often say sometimes like last night, little disturbance with my sleep, so now what my desire is tonight my sleep, oh more sound asleep. That kind of desire is good for our survival, isn’t it? Now then desire, you see the kind of unrealistic desire then creates problem. So I think everything, as I mentioned early, analyze, analyze. One Buddhist master, you see he explained- or he expressed, when we’re passing through some difficulties, analyze the difficulties. If there is a way to overcome that difficulty, then no need worry, make effort. Through analyze the difficulties and see you cannot overcome, then no use too much worry. I think very practical. Now for example, my own sort of case. Too old, 84 year old, there’s some problems. No use to complain, cannot overcome, it’s a natural process. So these I think very realistic approach. If there’s a way to overcome, then no need too much frustration, make effort. If there’s no way to overcome, then no use complain, complain, complain. I think Americans, small things happens; complain, complain, complain. Even your President seems like that.
Thank you, thank you. I really enjoy meeting young Americans and a little bit education. Really wonderful. You have real opportunity and make effort with holistic view. Thank you.