By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 15: The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, undergoing precautionary treatment at Rochester, MN in the United States, earlier last week met with three Mayors and their colleagues to discuss the need for secular ethics and its incorporation in the education system.
His Holiness lauded the effort by Anaheim city to adopt the name ‘City of Kindness’ and Louisville to adopt the name ‘City of Compassion’ during his meeting with Mayor Tom Tait of Anaheim, CA, Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, KY and Mayor Ardell Brede of Rochester, MN and other “like minded” people in the particular field.
He said, “We are witnessing lots of suffering in today’s world, including the recent refugee problem. We must question what is wrong in today’s world. I feel we are lacking a sense of respect for other’s life, a sense of concern for other’s well being, which is kindness. We only think of me, me, me! That is the seed of today’s problem”.
On secular ethics as being an instinctive facet, he mentioned, “All children receive immense affection and love from their mothers. This is a biological factor, not based on religion. We should be able to find a way to promote these values on this level, not based on religious faith. This is what I call secular ethics. Secular in the Indian context of respecting not only religious believers but also those who do not believe in religion.”
The 80 year old Tibetan leader also mentioned that a “draft curriculum on secular ethics” based on “scientific education in combination with our common sense and experiences” has been developed in collaboration with Emory University.
Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville who used the term “universal ethics” for the secular ethics said that his administration has implemented teaching young children in three different schools, social and emotional behavior centered around kindness, love and compassion, and mindfulness and meditation. He also added that expansion of the idea is underway with University of Virginia collaborating on research work.
The Tibetan leader said prominent scientists and educationists whom he spoke with “agreed that the existing educational system was not adequate enough as it was focused on material values. “So there was a need to add education on warm-heartedness. However, in the beginning stages this needed to be done on a small-scale level and once the positive results became clear, then it could be expanded to include more schools and places.”
His Holiness envisions that children who are taught secular and universal ethics will grow to solve a future problem in a holistic manner. He said, “Political leaders were too busy in today’s existing problems. But this effort was the solution for future problems. I am confident that leaders in the latter part of the century who grows up with a human value based education system will be more compassionate. Then the 21st century can be one of peace and compassion.”
