DHARAMSHALA, February 6: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that Chinese suppression has helped reinforce the sense of unity amongst Tibetan. The Tibetan leader was speaking to around a thousand Tibetans living in Shillong, Meghalaya on the last day of his northeast India tour.
Speaking about his devolution of authority to the elected leadership, he said, “I didn’t do it reluctantly, but gladly and deliberately.”
“This boy from Amdo may not have been very effective, but at least he had not proved to be a disgrace. The Ganden Phodrang Government set up by the 5th Dalai Lama nearly 400 years ago, came to an end under the 14th Dalai Lama, while the people still had confidence in it.”
He also said he earlier had apprehensions about Tibet’s cause if something happened to him but that he was no longer worried.
His Holiness further noted that if any action is taken that “angers” the Chinese, it is the Tibetans inside Tibet who have to “suffer”, instead we should get the Chinese people on our side to help us.
“If we make enemies of them it doesn’t do any good, but if we can get the Chinese people on our side it will help us.”
Regarding the new Chinese leader Xi Jinping as more realistic than other Chinese leaders, the Tibetan spiritual leader said, “we should not lose hope, the power of truth will ultimately prevail.”
Later in the day, His Holiness addressed a press conference where he encouraged the media to take responsibility for informing the public of the importance of inner values and foster inter-religious harmony.
He then appealed the Indians to take secular interest in the ancient heritage of India with its knowledge and experience of consciousness and emotions. “….Science has great knowledge of the workings of the physical world; this ancient Indian tradition has immense knowledge of the workings of the mind.”
