By DANIEL GIRARD
VANCOUVER — The Dalai Lama begins a two-week Ontario visit today in Ottawa, where his spiritual trip will take a decidedly political tone.
But before leaving British Columbia yesterday, the smiling, giggling exiled spiritual leader of Tibet made humanity’s need for “a warm heart” the central theme of his teaching, as he has during four days of events that have wowed capacity crowds.
In an afternoon-long session entitled “Balancing Educating the Mind with Educating the Heart,” the Dalai Lama at times used humour to convey a simple message — a sharp mind is not enough to better society if it is not accompanied by a compassionate and caring spirit.
“Education alone sometimes creates more problems,” the Buddhist monk said to laughter from a University of B.C. audience that included municipal politicians, academics, actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and people of all faiths.
Noting history’s “troublemakers,” including today’s terrorists, are clever, calculating people, the Dalai Lama said his belief in the need for so-called “secular ethics” means a person has basic human values of goodness, regardless of their faith.
“If you have religion, very good,” said the Dalai Lama, 68, who won the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for advocating non-violent struggle to resolve conflicts, including Tibet’s struggle for recognition of its religion, language and culture by China.
“If not, okay. Still, be a nice person. Be a sensitive person. Be a warm-hearted person.”
Prime Minister Paul Martin is due to meet the Dalai Lama on Friday. Though the meeting’s of a spiritual nature, advocates of Tibetan autonomy attach greater political importance to it.
