Dharamshala: Some 3,500 Tibetan youth thronged the auditorium of the Tibetan Children’s Village School here to learn more about their rich cultural roots from none other than His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Beginning 1 June, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give daily two hour-long talks on why the Tibetan youth today should inculcate the values of Tibetan religion and culture, for three days.
The event is an initiative of the Buddhism Introductory Committee, headed by a member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, and former Tibetan Welfare Officer of this town, Dawa Tsering.
The cultural heritage of Tibetan people has always been something that we must take pride in, and so shall it remain, His Holiness said.
Our cultural heritage is robust enough to see that our path of freedom, truth and justice takes its course to a meaningful goal, His Holiness said.
The world is in a state of flux; the authoritarian regimes that suppress basic human freedoms are steadily on decline; and the forces of freedom and democracy are spreading like a prairie fire.
In an atmosphere of freedom, truth and the rule of law, the Tibetan cause stands a far greater chance of resolution by means of dialogue, His Holiness said.
His Holiness further said that “One of the greatest deficiencies of Tibet has been in the field of modern education.”
At the turn of 20th century, when Tibet was being sandwiched between the forces of British India and China, the fact that the 13th Dalai Lama’s initiative of sending students to study in England was not continued has been a cause of immense regret, His Holiness said.
In fact, this is precisely why as soon as the Tibetans escaped into exile, the first priority was the inception of schools, where our children could not only learn about Tibetan civilization, but also get proper modern education, His Holiness said.
People of my generation, the people of 20th century, is coming to an end, while you people, the 21st centurions, must demonstrate your competency in this century, His Holiness said.
(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.)
