By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 7: His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his views on the much debated issue of ‘tolerance’ by saying it does not mean accepting and bearing wrongs committed by others but rather showing restraint to the people who do it. “Tolerance does not mean accepting the wrong, but showing compassion to the person who did it”, the Tibetan spiritual Leader said at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) campus in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India on December 6, 2015.
The Tibetan leader made an appearance later at an event organized by the Diplomatic Consular Corps of Karnataka, attended by dignitaries and diplomats from nearly twenty countries such as Ambassador Sabit Subasic, of Bosnia & Herzegovina who introduced His Holiness to the gathering.
His Holiness said, “Many of the problems we face result from short-sighted and narrow-minded attitudes, from bias and prejudice. I reflected too that I am a Buddhist, but that I shouldn’t become attached to Buddhism, which would introduce a sense of bias.”
The day before on Dec.5, His Holiness attended the fourth meeting of the Indian Philanthropy Initiative at the behest of Indian IT tycoon and philanthropist and Chairman of Wipro Ltd, Azim Premji. Deliberating on one of his three commitments to promote secular human values, he said, “We’re born the same way and whether we are religious leaders, kings and queens or beggars and AIDs patients we all go the same way. We all want to live a happy life.”
On bridging the gap between the ‘haves and have-nots’ and giving back to the community, he pointed to the Wipro Chairman and remarked humorously, “He is already taking such practical steps through his educational foundations, while I only talk.” Premji’s personal net worth is more than 17.5 billion USD, in 2013 he gave away 25 percent of his wealth to charity and pledged to give another quarter of his wealth to the needy by 2019.
The 80 year old Tibetan leader also expounded on the need and relevance of secular models whether it was how a government is operated or how education is provided in the current times.
His Holiness said, “In the past we relied on religious faith for ethical guidelines and human values. As a multi-religious nation, India drew up a secular constitution, secular in the sense of respecting all religions equally and even according respect to the views of those who have no faith. This is very relevant today, when out of 7 billion human beings, 1 billion declare they have no faith. They need ethical principles too. So we need to find ways of providing education and training in ethics that accord with scientific findings, common sense and common experience.”
His Holiness will travel to Mungod Tibetan settlement tomorrow to consecrate the Gaden Trithok, the need for which was expressed by the Tibetan leader during his Lamrim teachings there last year. He will leave for Hunsur Tibetan Settlement in Karnataka where teachings from Dec. 9-13, 2015, are scheduled.
