By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, May 27: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama while conferring Avalokiteshvara Empowerment said the main purpose of today’s gathering is to discipline and gain control of our mind.
During the empowerment of Avalokiteshvara (Tib. Chenresig Jigten Wang), the Dalai Lama advised his devotees to reduce negative emotions to attain happiness at the main temple in Dharamshala.
“In order to control our mind without touching any religion and for the benefit of the whole world, we must have a virtuous mindset based on secularism and nonviolence (ahimsa). Traditions practiced for over thousands of in India,” the Dalai Lama said.
Explaining how ahimsa needs to be understood in terms of our mental attitude, the Tibetan Nobel Laureate said, “We need to cultivate compassion in order to have a nonviolence mindset, a mindset which refrains us from harming others. Believers or nonbelievers, it should be our priority to work together to make this world a peaceful place.”
The renowned spiritual leader urged the devotees to be a 21st century Buddhist by examining the teachings Buddha to fully understand the knowledge and not to simply rely on what is being taught.
“It is imperative to have deeper understanding of Buddha’s teachings especially his teaching on Four Noble Truth and simply relying on it becomes similar to that of those traditions who believe in creator,” the octogenarian leader said, “We (Tibetans) being a 21st century Buddhist must cultivate better understanding. Having said that we are still lacking behind and many of us are still merely relying on the teachings without much examinations.”
As one of the foremost promoter of religious harmony, the Dalai Lama today reminded the people that despite having different belief system every major religion of the world promote and teach cultivation of compassion.
“Being a messenger of peace and harmony, we must all respect other religious practices as well,” the Nobel Peace Laureate said.
His Holiness has also advised other Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand who follow the Pali tradition to also examine the teaching of Buddha to become a 21st century Buddhist.
Over 9,000 devotees attended the one-off teaching organized by Gaden Phodrang, His Holiness’s private office.
