By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, MARCH 14: His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the last day of his teachings bestowed the empowerment of Avalokiteshvara (Chenresig ki Wang) for devotees from various parts of the world, especially for those from Tibet, at Tsuglagkhang temple today. The Tibetan leader said that being compassionate towards others is the source of one’s own happiness.
“Lack of compassion is the root cause of all the major problems in today’s world and having just knowledge or power does not solve these problems. So the best option is to practice compassion,” the Dalai Lama said while adding that knowledge and power on the wrong path without compassion lead to more chaos.
“Bodhisattvas are said to have great qualities of body speech and mind and the root of all these great qualities are compassion,” he added.
The octogenarian Tibetan leader, recalling his own first Avalokiteshvara empowerment (Chenrezig wang) from Tadrag Rinpoche and his late tutor Ling Rinpoche said that while receiving the empowerment the devotees must have a virtuous motivation without self centered goals. “Receiving the empowerment with a self-centered motivation of long prosperous and healthy life is completely wrong. Coming with an aim of just collecting merits for higher rebirth is also wrong. So our motivation should be of seeking enlightenment for the benefit for all sentient beings,” the Dalai Lama advised.
During the course of the empowerment the spiritual leader gave the lay persons’ upasaka vows including abstaining from killing, lying, drinking, stealing and sexual misconduct.
His Holiness, on a lighter note, told the devotees that whether they take the vows or not killing, stealing and other offenses would definitely lead them to trouble.
“For lay people abstaining from drinking may be hard. So my advice is that you drink but in a limit and not till you are totally intoxicated,” the Dalai Lama said.
The Tibetan leader greeted the Tibetans from Tibet before a photo op as well. Tomorrow, former members of the Tibetan leader’s security staff will offer a long life prayer to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Gaden Phodrang, the private office of the Dalai Lama.
