IILM Founder's Day Lecture in memory of Smt. Indira Gandhi-2005
By His Holiness the Dalai Lama
His Highness I.K. Gujral, former Indian Prime Minister, former Ambassador Shri K.V. Rajan, scholars and students. First of all, let me express my sincere appreciation to all of you for inviting me to this prestigious gathering to give the first lecture for IILM. I would like to thank all of you for giving me this opportunity. When I use my broken English, the listener should be very careful! Sometimes, I may use wrong word, so be careful. Indeed, it is a great honour to share some of my views and experiences with scholars as well as young students.
Please don’t think of me as someone very special, who knows everything. That kind of attitude is unrealistic. My knowledge is very limited. However, I am a person who has studied Buddhist philosophy, which is one of ancient Indian thought. I always tell my Indian friends that you are my gurus. We, Tibetans, are students of India, particularly the Tibetan tradition which has a pure unbroken lineage with the tradition of of Nalanda University. Therefore, I think, in a true sense, our relationship is like the relationship between guru and chela. So, ancient Indian thought is, I think, not only one of the ancient human ways of thinking but also very relevant in the modern world. So, a student who studies ancient Indian thought looks at this world from that angle. It is very useful and helpful. Firstly, look at the world from the angle of compassionate attitude so that we can see things more clearly. We can see some kind of closeness. If we look at objects through anger, through hatred, that kind of mental attitude itself creates distance. So, a compassionate attitude not only brings some kind of inner peace but also, I think, it is very helpful to see the picture more clearly.
I think another reason (even some scientists have this view), is that when you develop anger, hatred, the object against which you feel hatred appears as something very negative. Actually, the negative-ness of that object is 90 per cent mental exaggeration. One scientist told me that this is very similar to ancient Indian thought. When negative emotions are developed, then you can’t see the reality. One of the opposite forces of this negative emotion is compassion. Therefore, logically, if you have a more compassionate attitude there is no ground to develop exaggeration. Secondly, this is the one which has the unique position, i.e. the Patyasampath way of thinking. This concept enables you to see every event from a wider perspective. You have to conceptualize everything as interconnected. Today’s events are much related with previous events. So, actually, much of today’s problems are the result of our negligence in the past. So, the concept of Patyasampath is very helpful as you immediately get a wider perspective. So, for students who study and practice these things, you may have different views. Perhaps you might have some new way to look at some of my views about current problems. On current events, you might even have better knowledge than me. So, this being the case, through this lecture you may even get bored!
I believe, fundamentally, we human beings love growth. We love something fresh. Obviously, at spring time, everything is growing, everything is fresh, so we love it. In autumn, leaves fall, colour changes and grassland becomes dry and that is comparatively not so happy a moment. Also at sunrise, everything is fresh. Some people love to see a sunset, but basically it does not have that kind of freshness. On a birthday, everybody is happy, but on death day everybody has sorrow. There may be a few exceptions. Generally speaking, growing or blossoming is good. Decaying or dying is not happy. So, what is the demarcation between violence and non-violence? We can’t divide easily on the basis of action or experience. In order to make a distinction between violence and non-violence definitely depends on our motivation. Motivation could be to harm another, to cheat or exploit. With death, the motivation for verbal as well as physical action is essentially for violence. However, with a sense of concern, compassion and care, with death the motivation for verbal and physical action essentially is non-violent because the sense of concern is helping one to grow. Hatred or the sense of harming, the sense of elimination, the sense of defeat does not do this. So, basically we human beings, as I mentioned earlier, from the first day of our birth, I think, have some kind of spirit of compassion.
This feeling comes not from teaching, not from religion but by nature alone, biologically. For example, according to modern medical scientists, after birth the mother’s physical touch is very important and crucial for the enlargement of the brain of the child. So, biologically speaking, affection is immensely an important factor for survival and growth. So, by nature, affection, wholeheartedness, the feeling of closeness from the first day after birth is necessary till our death. This human affection always remains an important element for a better life. Anger and hatred comes, of course, as part of our mind but it is not as a permanent feature. Thus, a negative mind is actually harmful. Mentally harmful because when hatred, anger, strong anger comes, peace of mind is no longer there. As I mentioned before, hatred, anger, etc, are obstacles to see reality. If anger and hatred continuously remain in one’s mind or emotions, your digestion will suffer, your sleep will suffer. That way, your physical body eventually will suffer. On the other hand, positive emotions such as a sense of compassion and care bring benefits. Negative emotions bring only harm. Somebody’s emotions are harmful, not only harmful for others but for themselves as well. These are bad. So, once you realize this, you will not be negligent about these harmful emotions. Usually, we consider these emotions as just a part of our life. We think it is something normal. I think this is a mistake. Once we realize that some of our emotions are harmful, that some of our emotions are useful, they can be controlled. Negative emotions like sex, violence are harmful to us. Positive emotions are beneficial to us.
So, simply through realizing, you rationally have a closer inclination towards positive emotions and will go farther away from negative emotions. So, in order to work for the promotion of non-violence, I think, knowing this is important. According to today’s reality, again as I mentioned before, the interdependence of nations is very evident. Economically, the global economy, environment and so on is highly interdependent not only nation to nation but also from continent to continent. Now, the whole world is interdependent. Environmental issues are very much related with the whole world. This is a new reality. So, the very concept of violence, a little violence, I think, is part of human nature. If there is no violence, the concept of non-violence will not come. So long as human beings are there, some sort of problems will always be there. But organized or mobilized or legalized violence is called war. I think that some animals, maybe monkeys, have war. Some beasts, when they are disturbed by enemies, will concentrate on attack. This is also some kind of warfare. But in human history, the concept of war was mobilized in some early period, when the entire community attacked another community. Now today, the new reality is that everything is interdependent. The whole world is something like an extension, a part of your own body. So, according to this new reality, war is no longer relevant.
Destruction of your neighbour is destruction of yourself. So, according to the new reality, I think, war is obsolete. I think we must have that kind of understanding that violent methods, no matter the motivation, good or bad, no matter the goal, often create a chain reaction. The side-effect of violent methods is immense. Even if there are some achievements, it only leads to more problems. Achievements through non-violent methods do not have much side effects. So, from a wider perspective, non-violence is very relevant in today’s world. Not only morally speaking is it right, but also practically non-violence is very important.
Now, India is a great nation. For the last thousand years, it developed the concept of Ahimsa. Generally, religious faith is very much related to emotion. In this country, religious tolerance is there for the last thousand years. Today sometimes, I think, due to certain local circumstances or due to some individuals, some problems occur here and there. I noticed, in Kerala, Christian families, Hindu families, Muslim families, and Jewish families remain good neighbours and they follow their own traditions. There is no problem.
I observed that different regions of India are normal. I saw the problem in Northern Ireland, and also I heard, among Muslim countries like Indonesia, there is a problem. But in India, there is tolerance. It is really great. Firstly, I was a student of ancient Indian thought and I have spent most of my life in this country. So, when I hear and see some conflicts in some regions, it surprises me. The tolerance in India is traditionally very strong. Of course, there is some minor violence among the Muslim/ Hindu communities. Buddhists also may have destroyed some other traditions. I think in Tibet, sometimes among the Buddhists, one Lama becomes stronger or becomes a bully and quarrels with the other, it is natural. I think, in this country, religious tolerance is really remarkable.
In modern times, Mahatma Gandhiji lead a freedom struggle through non-violence. Of course, there were some other factors involved, but I think one of the major factors was India’s thousand year-old Ahimsa principle. He implemented this principle in the 20th century for the freedom struggle. I think it is wonderful. So, sometimes I jokingly tell my Indian friends that non-violence or Ahimsa was there till the early part of 20th century in this country, or when Mahatma Gandhiji started the freedom struggle in South Africa. Within India, of course, the struggle achieved your goal. That time, the outside world looked at Gandhiji’s non-violent approach with a difference. Later, many outsiders like Nelson Mandela followed Gandhiji’s non-violent method -- he implemented it and succeeded. So, more and more people outside are showing interest about India’s thousand year-old tradition of Ahimsa.
Here in India, you must produce more non-violence and export non-violence. By exporting more and more non-violent principles, non-violent concepts, non-violent methods, there would be lesser mistakes in the world. This is very important. Look from a wider perspective without forgetting India’s century-old non-violent principle. You should be proud about it. India is a huge country, a very complicated country, and naturally has more problems.
Since India’s Independence, no military coup has happened, and even during Indira Gandhi’s (I had close friendship feeling and respect for her) Emergency period, there were a lot of problems but immediately after the elections, when the results came, the transfer of power was very smooth. India has a deep democracy and rule of law, although there are some faults here and there. Also, India’s freedom of speech, freedom of information, I think, is very healthy. All the great world leaders or politicians who follow and implement these principles are much influenced by India’s thousand year-old Ahimsa principles. Then, there is also non-alignment.
For the last more than 50 years, you have democracy, religious freedom, freedom of information and freedom of speech. All these you kept very well compared to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or Burma. India is a great nation, and has really proved itself in spite of many difficulties and preserved these great principles.
So, now I want to share with you that sometimes this great nation has the potential, but some times you simply react when something happens. Now it is the 21st century, and you have a reputation in many parts of the world. In reality, perhaps, there may be some very positive potential. You should have more courage. Assertive steps, I think, are needed.
I want to tell the younger generation that, firstly, you need self-confidence with determination and the will-power, and of course the instrument of modernization and your own traditional values. These must go together. And with self-confidence and determination, I think, you can a make great contribution not only for betterment of India but also to the whole of Asia and the whole world. The future is open, unpredictable, and uncertain but it is looking at you for your contribution. So, keep this in mind and think of your long future. Think about India, think about humanity and think about your potential of contribution and work hard. So do not be lazy. Many of my Indian friends, compared with Chinese friends, I think, are more lazy. You should not be like that. Work hard. Thank you.
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