Out LOOK Tibet

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is still optimistic about Tibet’s eventual autonomy, even if it’s proven to be a trying task, reported the India Blooms News Service relating his remarks from Sunday, 10 Jan, to the Ladies Study Group Charitable Trust and other NGOs.  

“Tibetan spirit is very strong, and basically I think things are really changing,” His Holiness said. “I have a strong feeling that over a billion people in China have the right to know the reality,” he continued, alluding to the recent turmoil over the six-year prison sentence handed over to filmmaker, Dhondup Wangchen, for producing his latest documentary depicting Tibet’s historical struggle.

His Holiness commented that transparency is “very, very important” for the Tibetan issue, and he applauded the Chinese artists brave enough to express interest in Tibetan Buddhism and culture, seemingly an upcoming trend in China.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, whose recent trip to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, India, renewed tensions between India and China, said India is showing the world the true spiritual path.

“I go everywhere as an ambassador of India to spread its message of religious harmony,” he said. He continued in saying that India’s ideals of ahimsa (nonviolence) and karuna (compassion and kindness) is what the world needs to pursue happiness. “India is our guru (teacher), and we are chelas (followers),” he said.

On that note of compassion, His Holiness told the group that it was more important to build hospitals and schools – a principle aim of the attending NGOs – than temples, if spiritual goals were to be pursued in right earnest. He then presented an award to the Disha, a non-profit that looks after the impoverished community of Gujarat, India, for its educational work with underprivileged children.   

He asked all to fight the forces of hatred and jealousy and instead to focus our energies to work for the poor.  

“Buddha says ultimate happiness is within yourself,” he said.