Dalai Lama for promotion of secular ethics among youths

Guwahati: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Saturday urged spiritual leaders of all religions to remind the younger generation the importance of India`s tradition of secular ethics. "Modern India has become a little bit materialistic and the younger generation talks more about money than spirituality, but spiritual leaders must remind them material development provides only physical comfort and not mental comfort," he said while addressing an Interfaith Conclave on Peace and Religious Harmony here.

"There is too much of me ... Me ... Me and this leads to exploitation, bullying and cheating. It is in our interest that we should pay more attention to others, including non- believers," the Dalai Lama said. "We have to work more seriously for religious harmony by promotion of human values and secular ethics through education," he said, adding that the younger generation must be reminded of India`s thousand-year tradition that material development with spiritual knowledge was very important. He said, "Schools educate on hygiene which is not adequate by itself. There must be teaching on both physical and emotional hygiene." "The secular concept is very important to India and its constitution is based on secularism for its multi-religious community. We really need the effort to educate people on this aspect as it is very relevant in today`s world," the Tibetan spiritual leader said. Stating that India was truly an example of secularism where people of world`s major religions lived together, he said, "This is truly a precious thing and is a good example to show the world. In my lectures abroad, people call me a messenger of India as I always talk of `ahimsa (non-violence) and harmony." The Dalai Lama said that though all religions taught the message of love and compassion, political power and economic interest corrupted people. He said though the world`s major religions had a common message there might be vast differences in theory and philosophy. "The Buddha himself stated contradictory philosophy and the reason he gave was that it was necessary to teach different philosophy according to different mental disposition. We need a variety of philosophy, but must carry the message of love," he said.