New Delhi: Tibetan spiritual leader the
Dalai Lama on Sunday advocated a return to Gautam Buddha's
teachings of non-violence and belief in the oneness of
humanity, contending that many of the world's problems and
conflicts arise because man has left those basic tenets
behind.
He said, as the world increasingly grows interdependent
and is beset by conflicts, Buddha's philosophies will only
grow more relevant.
"Many of our world's problems and conflicts arise because
we have lost sight of the basic humanity that binds us all
together as a human family," the Dalai Lama said in a message
to the global Buddhist congregation that opened here on Sunday.
"Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya
about 2600 years ago, yet I believe his teachings remain
refreshing and relevant today," he said.
The Dalai Lama will himself attend the four-day
conference on Wednesday and will lead an all-faith prayer
meet.
Referring to the story of Prince Siddhartha, the Dalai
Lama said the renunciation adopted and practised by him
symbolises the practice of training in morality.
"Both his view of dependent arising and his advice not to
harm anyone, but to help whoever you can, emphasise the
practice of non-violence is to be of service to our fellow
beings," he said at the congregation organised on the
occasion of the 2600th anniversary of Buddha's attainment of
enlightenment.
He said while the 20th century was a century of war and
violence, it was the work of the humanity to ensure the 21st
century goes on the way of peace and dialogue.
"I believe Buddhism does have a special role to play in
our modern world. This is because, unlike other religious
traditions, Buddhism uniquely propounds the concept of
interdependence, which accords closely with fundamental
notions of modern science," he said.
He said as a Tibetan monk, he considered himself a
student of the Nalanda tradition.
"The way Buddhism was taught and studied at Nalanda
University represents the zenith of its development in India.
"However, in today's increasingly complex and
interdependent world, we have to acknowledge the existence of
other cultures, different ethnic groups and of course other
religious faiths. Whether we know it or not most of us
experience this diversity on a daily basis," he said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, November 27, 2011, 23:34