By SOURAV SANYAL
CHANDIGARH, October 5 – Interacting with a small group of Tibetans on Sunday afternoon, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said that the United States administration is “very supportive” of Tibet’s cause.
Dalai Lama, who is proceeding on a tour to four European nations, made a brief stopover while on his way to New Delhi, would be visiting the Czech Republic, Germany, France and Spain during the four-nation tour.
Interacting with the audience in the lawns of the Punjab Bhawan, the Dalai Lama drew a brief reference to his visit to the United States.
“During my meeting with President George W Bush, Secretary of State, Senators and Congressmen, it was evident that they are all every supportive of the Tibetan cause,” he said.
Urging the audience, comprising mainly of students, to take interest in studies of Buddhist traditions, he said, “It is important to take interest in studies in Buddhist traditions. Even among the Chinese, some people have started taking interest in Buddhism. Religion is not just reciting mantras and going to the temple. What matters is the practice of philosophy and virtues like compassion, love and ethical behaviour. The basic tenet of Buddhist philosophy revolves around how mind works as a result of which even scientists are taking interest in Buddhist philosophy.”
He also spoke about one of his recent meetings with scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, where the inter-relation between Buddhist philosophy and science came to light. To reiterate the point further he said that the Buddhist philosophy of ‘shunya’ (emptiness) for instance is common to the principles of quantum physics.
Urging the youth to become twenty-first century Buddhists, he said, “It is important to become a twenty-first century Buddhist. It is merely not enough to preserve Buddhist tradition but equally important to study Buddhists philosophy. Not only monks, but others to should study Buddhist philosophy. If the proper understanding is there, religion can be put into practice.”
The Dalai Lama also spoke of an ‘interesting meeting’ with a group of 38 Chinese students at Harvard University a few weeks ago.
“They were much more open and some even started criticising their own government. Earlier, we had met a few Chinese students at New Delhi and they started crying on hearing how much Tibetans have suffered under the Chinese.”
At the beginning of the session, he also spoke of his visit to Pathankot Gandhi Ashram on October 2 where he was “highly impressed by a great Gandhian” 95-year-old Sidh Raj Dada. “Gandhi’s concept of Ahimsa is akin to the Tibetan tradition of non violence,” he said.
Before proceeding on the four-nation tour, Dalai Lama would deliver a short discourse at the Buddha Jayanti Park at Delhi, and take part in a Chanting Festival where people from different religious faiths would participate.
Later, he would attend a meeting on ‘Spititual ways of sustainable and non-aggressive living’ at the India International Culture Centre where former President R Venkataraman and union minister Jagmohan would also be present among others.
