Shewatsel, Leh, Ladakh, India - Celebrations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s current visit to Ladakh were held this morning at Sindhu Ghat, the site dedicated to the River Indus. In his welcoming address Tsering Angchok, Hon’ble Deputy Chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) paid homage to Avalokiteshvara, Champion of Peace in the world in the person of His Holiness, to Ganden Tri Rinpoché and to the Lamas, monks and other guests. On behalf of all the people of Ladakh he prayed that His Holiness will come to Ladakh again and again.
Festivities began with a song performed by Mipham Otsal celebrating His Holiness’s dedication to non-violence, compassion and harmony and his place as a pillar of Buddhism and peace in the world. A short sketch about His Holiness’s life followed rejoicing at his visits to Ladakh and reiterating the wish that he may come again and again. His Holiness was presented with mementos by Hon’ble CEC Tashi Gyalson, Executive Councilors, the Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Commissioner as tokens of gratitude from the people of Ladakh. He was then requested to address the gathering.
“I wish to thank you, my friends, people of Ladakh, for having organized this celebration. From here I can see the colossal statue of the Buddha at Stok. As far as I’m concerned, I’m a follower of the Buddha, our kind teacher. The essence of his teaching is non-violence, doing no harm to others, but being kind and compassionate towards them. I am a Bhikshu, a follower of the Buddha. Wherever I go, I tell people about the importance of non-violence. As a monk, a practitioner and a follower of the Buddha I consider non-violence and compassion to be his principal message.
“Today, there is growing interest in what the Buddha taught in many parts of the world, especially with regard to the workings of our mind and emotions. Of course, we talk about world peace, but peace in the world is dependent on individuals having peace of mind.
“Once I was in a large hall when I had a vision of the Buddha before me. He beckoned to me, so I approached him. He kindly patted me on the head and I was filled with mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. There and then I restated my determination to serve the Buddha Dharma with my body, speech and mind.
“The teaching of the Buddha is not just based on faith; it’s founded on logic and reason. This is true of his message of peace and not harming others. We need peace in the world. This is not just a matter of looking after one or two families, but of caring for all the people in the world. Therefore, I do my best to follow what the Buddha, our compassionate, kind teacher has advised. I consider it my responsibility to spread the message of non-violence as best I can.
“People have been very warm towards me here in Ladakh. They have made me welcome. I’ve come here in my monastic robes to talk about peace, not just peace in the world, but peace in our own lives, in our homes, remembering the kindness of the Buddha. I don’t have much else to say.
“As I told you earlier, I had a vision of the kind and compassionate Buddha as a result of which I try to do my best to serve him as well as I can.
“When we look at the world today, there is a tendency to resort to the use of force. We need to take more care to work to create a world free of violence. In your own lives, do your best not to do harm to others. We have to work for peace. This is part of my practice too. If each of us works to cultivate peace and non-violence wherever we are, there is some hope that we can achieve peace in the world. I feel that if we can do this, we’ll not only attain peace of mind in ourselves but we will create a positive atmosphere in the world around us.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved with organizing this gathering today. My life is dedicated to practising non-violence. This is what I try to let other people in the world know about. There is a growing concern about peace and non-violence in the world, which is very good. This is what we hope for and we have an obligation to work to achieve it. It is my prayer that we may create peace in the world. I urge all of you to do what you can to achieve it too. Once again, I’d like to thank you all—Tashi Delek.”
Following a joyful dance by 21 women, words of thanks were offered by Nominated Councilor Ven Kunchok Tsephel, which he concluded with the wish that His Holiness have a long life.
Finally, His Holiness joined his hosts, the organizers and other guests for lunch, after which he returned to Shewatsel Phodrang.
