September 15, 2016 – Media
Dalai Lama visit highlights need for “love, tolerance, forgiveness and self-discipline”
Earlier today, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, addressed a message of peace, understanding and mutual respect to diplomats and officials of the Council of Europe.
He warned that the world’s seven billion people were too concerned by their “secondary level” differences, such as religion, nationality and income and not their common humanity.
As a result, “we are facing a lot of problems,” the 14th Dalai Lama said. When people are killing each other, “how can we remain indifferent?” the Buddhist leader asked, before admitting that at 81 years of age, he did not expect to see “a happier humanity” within his lifetime.
His Holiness urged his audience and those watching on webcast to see others as they saw themselves – “the whole world is part of us, part of me.”
He said religions should offer “more compassion” and promote a message of love, tolerance, forgiveness and self-discipline.
There was also a nod to the European Union for its support, confirmation that Tibet was not seeking independence and a recogniotion of the value of human rights, which he said were the “reaction through centuries to total control.”
As his speech drew to its close and amid great good humour and smiles, His Holiness urged a greater moral, ethical and common sense emphasis in an education system, which he described as “inadequate” and too closely anchored in a materialist life and culture.
He also endorsed the Council of Europe’s No Hate Speech campaign values and celebrated the genius of mankind as the sole force for decisive intervention and change.
The Dalai Lama declared: “We must use this potential to serve others, the environment and other species of mammal. We have this ability.”
Video: Speech of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
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