By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, July 29: Exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama discussed compassion, Covid-19 and Indian secular knowledge with students from several Indian educational institutions virtually on Wednesday from his residence here in Dharamshala, India.
The Tibetan spiritual leader expressed sadness over the increasing number of COVID-19 patients in India, but noted that the illness will also come to an end eventually. He remarked that the idea of a beginning and an end in the Nalanda tradition teaches impermanence as a state of mind, “Even galaxies have a beginning and an end.”
He praised the Ayurvedic medicinal knowledge of India which shared medical history with both China and Tibet. He mentioned that the Tibetan king Trisong Detsen held a semi-international conference on the medical knowledge system in 8th century.
He reiterated that India’s struggle for non-violence has altered the political landscape through leaders including Desmund Tutu, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. who were influenced by India’s non-violent struggle. He commended India for being the largest democracy in the world.
The 85-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader noted that international organizations like the European Union (EU) maintained peace after the first and second world wars. He said that concepts like Ahimsa (peace) could make significant contributions to peace in Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. He urged the students and the public to participate in these movements to revive Indian secular knowledge in modern India.
