NOBEL LAUREATE PRAISES GOVT FOR HOSTING NAMAMI BRAHMAPUTRA
Guwahati, April 2: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today suggested the introduction of secular ethics in the school curriculum in Assam.
"Introduce secular ethics in one or two schools and watch. After a few years, you will feel that all schools should introduce it," the Dalai Lama said to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the ITA cultural complex at Machkhowa here.
He said during his next visit he will discuss with the Assam government how secular ethics can be introduced from kindergarten to university level. But he did not say when he will visit again.
The event began by chanting of prayers by Buddhist monks from Shillong.
The Dalai Lama was supposed to speak at the Namami Brahmaputra festival venue at Kasomari Ghat but anticipating rain, the administration changed the venue. He, however, visited the festival venue for some time before going to Machkhowa.
The Dalai Lama praised the Assam government for holding the festival.
Besides Sonowal, governor Banwarilal Purohit, education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and industry minister Chandra Mohan Patowary were also present.
At Gauhati University, when the emcee asked what was the secret to his "beautiful skin" despite his advancing age, the Dalai Lama said he was not willing to reveal the secret, prompting peals of laughter from the audience.
The spiritual leader had a mantra for maintaining good health too. "Constant anger and hatred actually eat into our immune system. On the other hand, compassion strengthens our inner strength. Inner strength reduces anxiety or stress, which is good for health. That is why we should develop compassion," he said.
The Dalai Lama narrated how a priest from Nalanda University had gone to Tibet in the ninth century and brought enlightenment to the people. "It was India which brought light to Tibet. I consider the relation between India and Tibet like the relation between a guru and disciple. The relationship is very deep not because of economic and political reasons but mainly for spiritual reason," he said.
"In fact, I consider myself a son of India. A few years ago, some Chinese reporters asked me why I identified myself as India's son. I told them that my mind and each part of my brain are filled with the knowledge and thought of Nalanda. Besides, my body survived on Indian dal, chapati and rice. That is why both physically and spiritually, I am a son of India," said the Dalai Lama.
He said wherever he went, he wanted to be a messenger of ancient Indian knowledge. He said the knowledge was relevant to "find a path when it (world) was in crisis or in violence".
The Nobel Laureate also sounded worried at the continuing increase in the gap between the poor and the rich. "Even today there is a huge gap between the rich and poor in many countries, including India. We have to uplift the poorer section of society," he said.
The Dalai Lama said despite remarkable changes in many fields, the caste system continues to hold back India. "This is very bad. We have to change that. I think the caste system was created by landlords. And that feudal system I think somehow influenced the religious traditions," he said.
The Dalai Lama today reiterated that instead of addressing him as His Holiness or as a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama, he preferred to consider himself as a simple human being. "Otherwise, I feel as if I am separated from the others and a lonely man," he said.
The Dalai Lama delivered a talk on Ancient Indian Knowledge in Modern Times and released the Assamese version of his autobiography, My Land and My People, at the university. The event was organised by Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University and Lawyer's Book Stall, publishers of the Assamese autobiography.
The Dalai Lama, who reached Guwahati yesterday with an entourage of 20 people, will attend a programme at Dibrugarh University in Upper Assam tomorrow morning. He will then return to Guwahati and fly to Tawang in a helicopter.
