Bloomington, Indiana, September 7 – The Dalai Lama today urged several thousand people gathered to dedicate an interfaith temple to be religious and choose a faith.
“Religion should implement. The teachings should be part of our life,” the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said.
The Dalai Lama, making his second stop on a 16-day U.S. tour and his fourth visit to the central Indiana college town of Bloomington, reached out to peoples of all spiritual paths — even those who don’t follow a particular religion.
“If there are people who don’t have much interest in religion, they will see negatives,” he said.
The Dalai Lama visited to dedicate a temple at the Tibetan Cultural Center in a wooded area outside of Bloomington, about 50 miles south of Indianapolis. The Chamtse Ling Temple — the name translates as “Fields of Compassion” — is a $1.2 million, 10,000-square-foot center dedicated to promoting world peace and harmony.
The cultural center has been directed since 1979 by the Dalai Lama’s brother, retired Indiana University professor Thubten Norbu.
The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan monks who live at the cultural center held the consecration ceremony inside the building, with the Dalai Lama making most of his remarks in Tibetan. The 20-minute ceremony was broadcast with English translations via closed-circuit television to thousands gathered outside beneath open-air tents.
Among the guests inside the ceremony were the boxing legend Muhammad Ali, a Muslim. Following the consecration, during which the Dalai Lama sat cross-legged on a platform, he thanked the former heavyweight champion for attending.
“It has been a great pleasure for me to see Muhammad Ali in person,” the Dalai Lama said. “I have seen his boxing matches.
“In my own case, if I were to step into the ring, I would be knocked down with the first punch,” he said, giggling and drawing loud laughter from the audience.
The guest list also included two Democratic members of Indiana’s congressional delegation, Reps. Baron Hill and Julia Carson.
Also on hand were representatives of 15 world faiths, who recited prayers in their own languages and presented gifts reflecting their religious beliefs. A Muslim representative presented a small book titled, “The Meaning of the Quran,” while a Jewish rabbi offered a ram’s horn. A Navajo religious leader gave a seashell filled with sage, representing the land and the water. The Dalai Lama responded by offering symbolic white scarves.
Later this afternoon, the Dalai Lama was scheduled to attend a panel discussion on youth issues, and was also to join Ali in planting a beech tree at the site of the new temple.
The Dalai Lama’s U.S. tour opened Saturday in California, where he received an honorary degree at the Jesuit-run University of San Francisco.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his nonviolent struggle against Chinese rule of his home nation of Tibet.
The Dalai Lama said it was an honor to visit Bloomington to see the completion of his older brother’s life work.
He said he and his brother largely are fighting for the same cause: a peaceful world free from injustice.
But he said he disagrees with his brother on one matter. The Dalai Lama said through a translator that he believes Tibet should be free of Chinese rule, with a “meaningful state of autonomy.” He said his brother believes Tibet should be completely separate from Chinese control.
