By Tendar Tsering
DHARAMSHALA, August 30: Over 5000 people including Chinese from mainland China are attending His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s three-day teachings at Tsug-la Khag, the main temple in the exile seat of Dharamshala, north India.
The Tibetan spiritual leader began the teachings on Shantideva’s “A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life” earlier this morning.
The teachings were requested by a group of Southeast Asians.
“Even the weather greets you today, other wise, lots of rain till yesterday,” laughed His Holiness as he began his discourse.
The 76-year old exiled Tibetan leader said that the purpose of the teachings and the gathering is to have a happy life.
“Material facilities provide us some happiness, some comfort but mainly at sensorial level. But ultimate happiness lies in our mental status,” His Holiness said.
“Mental level is more powerful and more important. It gives longer happiness and calm mind,” the Dalai Lama emphasised.
According to the Security Department of the Central Tibetan Administration, more than 5,000 people registered to attend the three-day teaching from 25 countries, mainly from Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and China.
Following the teachings, on September 5, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is scheduled to inaugurate a Centre for Tibetan Studies at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in Delhi.
Attending the 24th convocation ceremony of India’s largest distant learning education centre, the Dalai Lama will also receive a degree of doctor of letters (Honoris Causa) from the university.
The Centre for Tibetan Studies, first announced by IGNOU Vice Chancellor Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai in April last year will “help preserve the endangered Tibetan culture in India and Nepal”.
The Centre for Tibetan Studies will develop and launch B.A./M.A./M.Phil/Ph.D. programmes on Tibetan studies, Buddhist Philosophy and Theology with IGNOU and the Varanasi based Central University for Tibetan Studies jointly issuing the degrees.
Click here for live webcast of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings.
