His Holiness wrote, “May I also take this opportunity to congratulate you on the success of India’s G20 presidency, culminating in the summit on the theme of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutambakam—One Earth, One Family, One Future’. This is a theme that resonates strongly with me. I firmly believe in the oneness of humanity and encourage other people to appreciate its importance whenever I can.

“As India’s longest staying guest, I have found it a great privilege and source of satisfaction to witness India’s growing stature on the international stage, reflected in events such as the G20 summit. That meeting also provided a great opportunity to highlight the interdependence of our shared world.

“India’s traditions of ahimsa and karuna are more than 1000-years old. As the largest democracy and most populous nation on the planet, with a long tradition of inter-religious harmony, India presents an example to the world. In addition to this, India’s growing scientific and technological capabilities enhance its emerging leadership.

“On behalf of the Tibetan people, may I once again express deep gratitude to the government and people of India for their hospitality and generous assistance to us over the last 64 years.

His Holiness concluded his letter with prayers and wishing the Prime Minister “continued good health and success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of this great country, and in contributing to the creation of a more compassionate, peaceful world.”

“I pray for those brothers and sisters who have lost their lives,” he wrote, “and offer my heartfelt condolences to their families, as well as to others affected by this catastrophe.

“I am aware that the Libyan authorities and the international community through several international organisations are offering support to the rescue efforts and providing relief to the affected people. Such a show of international concern and assistance will go a long way towards mitigating the effects of this calamity.

“As a mark of my solidarity with the people of Libya, the Gaden Phodrang Foundation of the Dalai Lama, is making a donation towards the relief and rescue efforts.”

“I offer my condolences to Your Excellency, the families of those who have lost loved ones and pray for all those affected by this great tragedy,” he wrote.

“I am aware that your government is doing everything it can to provide support to help the rescue and relief efforts in the quake zones. It is also heartening that the international community is sending aid following the earthquake.

“As a token of my solidarity with the people of Morocco affected by this tragedy, I have asked the Gaden Phodrang Foundation of the Dalai Lama to make a donation towards the rescue and relief efforts.”

His Holiness concluded his message with prayers.

His Holiness wrote, “I have had the honour of meeting him several times. He was a good friend to me and also to the Tibetan people. He lived a meaningful life till the age of 95.

“We remain grateful for the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s interest in and steadfast support for the dignity and freedom of our Tibetan people.”

He concluded his message with prayers again for the late Zulu leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

To begin with His Holiness reported an occasion during a pan-Buddhist gathering in Varanasi when he had a clear vision of the Buddha. He felt the Buddha recognised how he had studied his teachings and cultivated the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the view of emptiness in practice,

“Although almost 2600 years have passed since the Buddha was alive, his teachings continue to flourish because there are people who study, practise and share them with others.

“What’s important in terms of preserving ethics and practising the teaching is for the teaching to flourish within us. I was born near the border of Tibet and I’ve pursued the Dharma since I was a child. I’ve studied works from the Three Collections and applied the threefold approach of study, reflection and meditation. Practising the teachings entails cultivating the mind within.

“Understanding reality involves coming to understand that phenomena do not exist as they appear to us—as solid and independent. Their existence is merely designated.

“These days there are many people in traditionally Buddhist countries who are renewing their interest in what the Buddha taught because it is akin to science. In due course they may look back and see that what they initially thought was unattainable, cultivating the altruistic awakening mind and a clear view of emptiness, can be achieved after all.

“Cultivating a good heart brings benefit to yourself and others. It leads to your showing others love and affection. Modern education tends to focus on material development to the neglect of inner values. But if you can cultivate a good heart, it will bring you peace of mind. If you’re warm-hearted you’ll find you naturally attract more friends.

“The crucial thing is to combine compassion for others with an understanding that persons and phenomena are empty of inherent existence. I’ve put these two principles into effect and they have brought me great benefit. Things appear to have some sort of essential existence, but it is only an appearance.”

His Holiness turned to the ‘Auto-commentary’ to Chandrakirti’s ‘Entering into the Middle Way’ and read through the fourth chapter. This focusses on diligence or joyous effort, which is the source of all good qualities. The Bodhisattva on the fourth ground is known as Radiant. His Holiness reported that his junior tutor, Trijang Rinpoché used to joke that because the senior tutor, Ling Rinpoché, had a shiny, bald head he was ‘radiant’.

His Holiness announced that he wished to lead the congregation through the process of the all-encompassing yoga mind. He explained that the best way to fulfil your own interest is to cultivate a good heart. He pointed out that even birds and animals appreciate kindness.

Being kind to others, he said, is a true source of happiness. He remarked that peace in the world will not come about because of official resolutions and declarations but because individuals develop a good heart. He clarified that experiencing our mother’s love and affection at the beginning of our lives is ultimately the basis on which we can build peace in the world. The essence of a good life is to have a good heart.

He asked his listeners to meditate briefly on what he had said and then to imagine that these thoughts transformed into a moon disk at the heart.

Next His Holiness asked the members of the audience to examine themselves, to ask where was their self. Where is the sense of ‘I’ that appears to control our body and mind.? He explained that there is a person who works to help others, for example, but there is no independent, solid self as there appears to be. Again, he invited his listeners to meditated briefly on what he had said and to imagine this insight transforming into a white, five-spoked vajra standing on the moon disk previously visualized at the heart.

He confirmed that these two principles, the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the view of emptiness, comprise the core of his own practice. He assured his listeners that if they meditate steadily on these ideas, they will be able to transform their minds.

In answering a question from the audience His Holiness stated that generating concentration alone is insufficient to counter wrong views. To do that it’s also necessary to cultivate analytical meditation.

As the session came to an end representatives of the attending Buddhist groups offered a thanksgiving mandala. There was then a recitation of a prayer for His Holiness’s long life composed by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö. Finally, members of the various Buddhist groups were able to have their photographs taken with His Holiness.

Once His Holiness had taken his seat, a group of Theravadin monks chanted the Mangala Sutta in Pali, the ‘Heart Sutra’ was then chanted in Chinese. Representatives of various Buddhist groups, monastics, lay-people, women and men, offered a mandala and representations of the body, speech and mind of the Buddha.

His Holiness addressed the gathering:

“Here, today, are followers of various traditions. We all pay respect to the Buddha, who attained enlightenment having collected immeasurable merit and wisdom. His speech, in particular, fulfils the needs and wishes of the three kinds of beings. Essentially, he taught how we can all become good-hearted. We should investigate the causes through which the Buddha became enlightened. We too have Buddha-nature, but it is obscured by defilements such as the misconception that people and phenomena exist independently.

“As a monk and a follower of the Buddha, it’s my daily practice to reflect on the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the view of emptiness. I recall that things are not as they appear. They only exist on a nominal level. Not only do we need to counter our inclination to grasp at the existence of an independent self, we must also resist our self-cherishing attitudes. The ‘Offering to the Spiritual Master’ (Lama Chöpa) says:

Since self-centredness is the doorway to all torment,
While caring for my mothers is the foundation for all that is good,
Inspire me to make the core of my practice
The yoga of exchanging myself for others.

“We are all the same in wishing for happiness and seeking to avoid suffering. What binds us in the cycle of existence is our misconception concerning independent existence. When I think about emptiness, I consider that everything is like an illusion. By familiarizing myself with this I can reduce my grasping at independent existence. These attitudes, grasping at inherent existence and self-cherishing, have been with us for beginningless time.

“The altruistic awakening mind of bodhichitta is the primary source of happiness for self and others. When you develop it, your mind relaxes and you’ll be at ease. Whatever unfavorable circumstances you may face, they will not disturb your peace of mind. Think how good it would be if all sentient beings were free of obstacles and defilements.

“Jé Tsongkhapa prayed:

Wherever the Buddha's teaching has not spread
And wherever it has spread but has declined
May I, moved by great compassion, clearly elucidate
This treasury of excellent benefit and happiness for all.

“As a Buddhist monk I too have studied the classic books and I’m impressed to find that what they and the Buddha say is true. The Buddha’s teaching does not become outdated. Rituals to achieve longevity are one thing, but the best means to ensure we live long is to generate bodhichitta and the view of emptiness.”

His Holiness mentioned that as he was coming to the temple the congregation was chanting the verse in praise Tsongkhapa that begins, ‘Avalokiteshvara, great treasure of immeasurable compassion’. This prompted him to recall that, like Tsongkhapa, he also comes from Amdo and as a follower of Tsongkhapa he plans to continue to teach as he has been doing until he is one hundred years old or more.

When Tsongkhapa was alive there was little discussion of science, but nowadays Buddhism and science are studied together. Both reveal the truth from different angles. His Holiness repeated that he was born near to where Tsongkhapa was born, he studied his works and wherever he can he shares what he has learned with others.

Turning to the text he has been reading to this group of Southeast Asian Buddhists, the auto-commentary to Chandrakirti’s ‘Entering into the Middle Way’, His Holiness remarked that he had received the transmission of the root text from his Abbot, Ling Rinpoché, and the transmission of the auto-commentary from Sakya Khenpo Kunga Wangchuk.

“I reflect on this teaching every day. Sometimes I think of the line of scholar-adepts who have passed it down to us. The line starts with the Buddha and continues with Nagarjuna and Chandrakirti and I allow myself to think that I’m right at the end of the line.

“People belonging to various traditions have come here from many different places. I’d like to greet you all.

“Towards the end of ‘Entering into the Middle Way’ Chandrakirti writes:

This suchness just explained is most profound and terrifying, yet people with past habituation will certainly realize it;
others, however, despite vast learning, will fail to comprehend.
Thus, seeing those other traditions as constructed by the authors’ own minds as akin to the treatises that set forth propositions on self,
forsake admiration for treatises and systems contrary to this one. 11.55

“He implies that even the learned may not understand this point of view unless they really study it. The principal treatises that present the view of the Middle Way are Nagarjuna’s ‘Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way’ and Chandrakirti’s ‘Entering into the Middle Way’. It’s my experience that if we reflect on what these masters have taught day by day, we can bring about a transformation in our minds. Doing that is the proper way to make offerings to the masters of the past.”

His Holiness turned to verse 29 of the second chapter of the ‘Auto-commentary’ to Entering into the Middle Way’ which is where he had reached last year. He began to read about ethics. He emphasized once again the importance of cultivating the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the view of emptiness and ascending the path to enlightenment.

His Holiness revealed that he feels that after years of steady practice he is on the verge of reaching the path of preparation. To make further progress will require a combination of concentration and insight. The crucial point is to seize the opportunity that is available to us. He suggested that at a time when Buddhism is declining, we can serve the teaching by cultivating analytical and focussed meditation. He reiterated that it is possible to transform our minds through study, reflection and meditation.

Noting that Chandrakirti praises great compassion right at the beginning of ‘Entering into the Middle Way’, His Holiness observed that one reason is that this is what really gives rise to peace of mind. He went on say that as human beings we didn’t take miraculous birth. Our mothers gave birth to us and then nurtured us with love and affection. It is because of this that we have the potential to cherish others.

“When you really develop compassion, you feel the suffering of others to be unbearable. That’s why you generate the wish to become enlightened. In addition, the source of suffering, ignorance, is uprooted by realizing emptiness.”

In reading to the end of the second chapter, His Holiness made clear that if we develop compassion and other virtues we will reap good consequences, whereas unwholesome conduct leads to bad migrations or life as a miserable human being. He continued to read the third chapter, the Third Mind Generation, that deals with the Bodhisattva ground called ‘luminous’.

The third perfection, patience, is a cause for safe-guarding other qualities. His Holiness explained that when someone has harmed you it’s something that has already been done. If you resent what has happened and seek to retaliate you create more problems. Patience and forbearance are crucial means of preventing this. The third chapter goes on to review the qualities of patience. When he had completed reading it, His Holiness announced that he would stop for the day.

“Although this is a time when the Dharma is in decline,” His Holiness told the audience, “we have met with it and encountered books composed by great masters of the past. This gives us access to the teachings that we should not waste. Therefore, I urge you to practise well.

“Of course, there’s nothing that does not become easier with familiarity. When I was young, I encountered all sorts of things that seemed difficult to achieve, but as I became familiar with them, they became easier to fulfil. Familiarity brings even what seems impossible within our reach.”

His Holiness also said, “I would like to applaud the head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and his team for their dedication that has made the mission possible. They have demonstrated India’s scientific and technological maturity.”

“As the longest staying guest of India, I rejoice at this great triumph,” His Holiness said, adding, “I am confident that the Indian Space Research Organisation will continue to strengthen its leadership role in further scientific endeavours.”

His Holiness concluded his message with prayers and good wishes.

Former MP and current President of the LBA, Thupstan Tsewang, briefly welcomed His Holiness and thanked him for having visited Ladakh once again, for giving teachings, and for having given audience to so many of the people of Ladakh.

Addressing members of the audience as, “My dear dharma brothers and sisters”, His Holiness told them that he was pleased to come to Ladakh for several weeks to avoid the humidity of the rainy season in the lower regions of India that include Dharamshala, his long-term residence in Himachal Pradesh.

“The people of Ladakh have shown me great devotion and clearly have sincere faith in the teaching of the Buddha. I’ve been pleased also to see the friendship and camaraderie that exists here between Muslims, Buddhists and people of other faiths.

“After Tibet lost its freedom, I came into exile, and since then I have observed the unchanging faith and dedication of the people of the Himalayan region from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. On this occasion too, I was able to come to Ladakh and give some teachings. I would like to thank everyone here, lay people, monastics, our Muslim friends and others for their friendship and warm-heartedness. The people of the Himalayan region hold me close in their hearts, and I feel close to them too.”

His Holiness recited the first verse of the Praise to Manjushri:

I pay homage to Manjushri
Who has a youthful demeanour,
And whose light of wisdom
Dispels the darkness of ignorance.

“I have been doing the practice of Manjushri, the combined practice of peaceful and wrathful aspects of Manjushri, for many years. As this verse makes clear, Manjushri helps dispel the darkness of ignorance, which essentially involves the misconception that beings and things exist independently and objectively. Insight into the nature of things also brings clarity to our day-to-day conduct.

“We all bask in our mother’s affection from the moment we’re born. This is the way our lives start and why it’s important that we then continue to live our lives in the light of love and compassion.

“Everywhere in world people talk about peace. But will it simply fall from the sky? It will not. Generally, we fight for our own victory and the defeat of our rivals. It would be much better if we had a stronger sense of the oneness of humanity. So many people died in the first and second world wars, but what good did it bring? We must try to resolve differences through dialogue and discussion, not by resorting to the use of weapons. We should protect the lives of others.

“From the moment of birth, we survive as a result of our mother’s love and compassion. If we go on to live our lives on the basis of love and compassion, we’ll find true peace of mind and be able to contribute to peace in the world.

“I’m 88 years old, nearly 90. I’ve seen such violence during my lifetime. Nuclear weapons were used at the end of the second world —very sad. Instead of thinking of others in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’ and being focused only on our own side, we should aim for peace and harmonious coexistence in the world. I pray that we may create a world in which there is no more violence or fear.”

His Holiness pointed out that historically people have also fought each other in the name of religion. But, since all religions convey an essential message of love and being of service to others, others, to fight on the basis of religion is contradictory. He added that there are differences in philosophy, but these are differences we should respect, not fight over. We should aim for the kind of inter-religious harmony we find in Ladakh.

The apricots and apples he had been offered reminded His Holiness of the apricots that grew abundantly in Norbulingka. “I used to sit under the trees and knock them down with a stick. We had apples too, but not as good as these.” His Holiness then bit into an apple to show how strong his teeth are and that he has not lost a single tooth that he received from his mother.

His Holiness mentioned how important it is to study philosophy and logic, which really helps achieve peace of mind. It’s one thing to pray, he said, but if you study it helps reduce your ignorance. He revealed that he’s found from his own experience that meditating on the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the view of emptiness really strengthen peace of mind.

“I would like to thank the local Union Territory Government, the Government of India for all their help while I’ve been here. I would also like to thank the organizers of this event and my fellow guests for receiving me here today.

“I have nothing else to say. We’ll meet again in the coming years. Thank you.”

After lunch, as he was preparing to leave, His Holiness had a few final words to add.

“You have invited me here with joy and celebration, for which I’d like to say—Tashi Delek.

“Elsewhere in India distinction is sometimes drawn between one caste and another. However, you should know that all human beings are the same with no need to regard some as high and others as low. As for us, we are all followers of the Buddha. We all have the same Buddha nature and the ability to achieve Buddhahood. Therefore, it would be better if we worked to develop the awakening mind of bodhichitta by cultivating love and compassion towards everyone.

“That’s all. Thank you.”

“Just a few minutes ago,” he told them, “I met a woman who is 106 years old, and like her I consider it to be auspicious to live long. As the number of people who show me trust and devotion continues to grow, it certainly helps the Guru to live long. Thank you.This gives me the courage to live to be more than 110 years old.” The congregation applauded with delight.

“Of course, there is not much to be proud of if you’ve lived a long life dedicated solely to fulfilling your own personal goals at the expense of others. But to live a long and meaningful life in the service of others will definitely bear beneficial fruit.

“By cultivating the awakening mind of bodhichitta, you earn merit. And by understanding emptiness, you accumulate wisdom. It is very important to train yourself to listen, to reflect on what you have heard or read and to then put them into practice.

“If you think about the awakening mind of bodhicitta, you will develop a sense of caring and compassion for all living beings, including gods and spirits. All of them have, at one time or another, been part of our lives, and related to one another too. Like us they seek happiness and do not wish to suffer. If you cultivate compassion for them, you too will reap the benefit, instead of attracting harm from these gods or demigods.

“Conflict and violence in the world arise due chiefly to self-cherishing attitudes that lead us to pursue self-fish aims and disregard the well-being of others, which ultimately brings suffering back to us. If we consider all other human beings as being just like us, born from a mother’s womb and nurtured in the shelter of her loving-kindness we will not only achieve peace of mind ourselves, we will also make others happy too.

“The Buddha was not an enlightened being from the start. His enlightenment came about as a result of training his mind to develop bodhichitta over a long period of time. Finally, he engaged in six-years of deep meditation before he attained complete enlightenment, full of wisdom and without any fault. Therefore, it is important that all of you, my spiritual brothers and sisters, pursue the path to Buddhahood by accumulating merit and wisdom.

“This morning, I am going to give you a long-life empowerment related to White Tara. The crucial factor in seeking to live long is to be warm-hearted. This is what will yield peace of mind, which is the most important factor in living a meaningful life.”

When he had completed giving the long-life empowerment, His Holiness told those gathered before him that he was glad they had firm faith and were motivated to practise diligently.

He observed that in India sometimes distinction is drawn between one caste and another. He told the gathering that if that is the case in the region of Sham, they should know that all human beings are the same with no need to regard some as high and others as low. He asked them not to dwell on such distinctions.

As for us, he said, we are all followers of the Buddha. We all have the same Buddha nature and the ability to achieve Buddhahood. Therefore, we would be better to work to develop the awakening mind of bodhichitta by cultivating love and compassion towards everyone. That’s all, he said, and bade the audience good bye.

Soon afterwards, His Holiness boarded a helicopter, flew back to Leh, and returned to his residence at Shewatsel Phodrang.

On his way to the teaching ground, His Holiness inaugurated the sites of a proposed degree college and a new residence (Phodrang) for him and his household.

President of the Khaltse, Sham administration, Tsewang Norbu, Jamyang T. Namgyal, MP and Tashi Gyalson, the LAHDC CEC made speeches to welcome His Holiness. Tsewang Norbu declared that the people of the Sham Region felt both fortunate and blessed to be able to fulfil their wish to offer His Holiness a proper welcome and to receive teachings from him.

Adult members of the local community and students from the region presented cultural performances to celebrate the occasion.

His Holiness was then requested to address the gathering estimated to number more than 15,000 people.

"Today" he began, "I am very pleased to meet the people of this region, who show me such affection regardless of whether they are a religious or not.

"I have visited many different places across the world and have concluded that we are all the same as human beings. All of us cherish love and affection, therefore it's extremely important to promote and adopt these qualities among ourselves. We've all been nurtured in the shelter of our mother's love and affection from the moment we were born.

"It is wonderful that there is a growing sense these days of the need to promote these heartfelt qualities. Although there has been tremendous progress in material development, thinking of others in terms of ‘us' and ‘them' has led to widespread jealousy and suspicion. One way to counter these negative feelings is to cultivate an appreciation of the oneness of humanity.

"I'd like to acknowledge your devotion and rock-like faith in me and assure you that tomorrow I will offer you a long-life empowerment related to White Tara tomorrow morning.

"The purpose of religious practice is to tame the mind, and, by eliminating the three poisons of greed, jealousy, and ignorance, to develop a warm heart. For my part, I make a point of cultivating the awakening of the bodhichitta mind every morning when I wake up, which brings me peace of mind and good health. It may be, part of religious practice to pray and perform rituals, but the most important thing is to become a peaceful person. The prayers I make to be able to benefit others contributes to my developing peace of mind. We must seize the opportunity to be friendly, not hostile, to each other.

"Happiness is not about being rich or famous, but enjoying peace of mind. This is what brings us real satisfaction. Therefore, it is essential to found our lives on the practice of love and compassion. Ultimately, when the time comes to draw our last breath, we'll be surrounded by family and friends, who will respond with loving kindness similar to the love and affection our mother showed us when we were born."

His Holiness emphasized that whether you believe in religion or not, it is important to cultivate warm-heartedness and live a meaningful life. This is the way to be happy and live in peace.

Jamyang T. Namgyal, MP and Tashi Gyalson, the CEC, were among those who welcomed His Holiness to the function. On behalf of the people of Ladakh, they expressed wholehearted gratitude to His Holiness for the extraordinary way his teachings and advice have enriched the lives of the people of Ladakh. Over the years, he has encouraged them to cultivate a warm heart and work for the welfare of their fellow human beings. They requested His Holiness to continue to visit Ladakh and to stay longer.

Chief Executive Councillor, Tashi Gyalson presented a brief report on the development of Ladakh in recent times, which has included bringing basic facilities, such as electricity, better roads and other infrastructure, to remote regions. He was also happy to announce that Tibetan refugees in Ladakh are also benefitting from the welfare schemes introduced by the Union Territory of Ladakh.

There were three song and dance performances. Two of them were traditional cultural dances, while the third was a song written by a Ladakhi scholar extolling the qualities of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

His Holiness was invited to address the gathering. He said that he found the sight of the great statue of the Buddha across the valley in Stok Village inspiring. Consequently, he recited a verse of homage to the Buddha from the ‘Song of Experience' by Jé Tsongkhapa:

Your body is created from tens of millions of excellent virtuous factors,
Your speech fulfils the hopes and wishes of limitless beings,
Your mind sees all knowable objects exactly as they are,
I bow my head to the Chief of the Shakyas (Shakyamuni Buddha).

Having paid his respects to the Buddha in this way, His Holiness commented on human beings need for love and affection.

"Although there have been cruel and unkind people throughout human history, one factor that unites us all is the love and compassion we have received from our mother. This experience becomes the basis for us to cultivate a warm heart and work for the welfare of all sentient beings.

"As a Buddhist monk, I respect all the world's religious traditions. And whenever I can, I visit other people's places of worship. Although they may differ in terms of philosophy, what our various religious traditions have in common is that they all promote friendship and warm-heartedness.

"Tibetan Buddhism is derived from the pure lineage of the Nalanda Tradition which emphasizes critically examining the teaching of the Buddha as he advised his disciples to do. Masters like Acharya Nagarjuna, Dignaga and so forth, carefully examined the words of the Buddha and distinguished between those teachings that can be regarded as definitive and those that are only provisional and cannot be accepted literally. Our custom of examining the Buddha's teaching in the light of logic and reasoning has attracted the interest even of modern scientists. Many of them are keen to learn about what our rich Buddhist tradition has to say about the workings of our mind and emotions."

His Holiness observed that we cannot impose religious faith upon others. In contemporary society there are many good people devoted to the welfare of others, who do not necessarily subscribe to any faith tradition—and yet they have good heart. They may find if useful to incorporate secular principles into their lives.

Looking at the snow-capped mountains beyond Stok, His Holiness was reminded of the prayer to Chenrezig, "In the land encircled by the fence of snow mountains…" Ladakhis and people of the Himalayan region adjacent to the Tibetan plateau have been Buddhists for a long time. If they were able to follow the teaching of the Buddha in an appropriate way, he said, they would be able to promote secular principles. His Holiness mentioned that he tries to take a modern scientific approach to make Buddhist principles accessible to the wider world.

His Holiness told the gathering that he appreciated the people of Ladakh's faith and devotion. He assured them that he will continue to visit Ladakh, which generally enjoys a dry climate when the monsoon makes the Indian plains wet and humid.

Executive Councillor, Tashi Namgyal Yakzee offered a vote of thanks and prayed that His Holiness will live a long, healthy life and continue to benefit humanity at large.

His Holiness wrote, “As I have stated earlier as well, Himachal Pradesh has been my home since May 1960, and I naturally feel an affinity for its people. I pray for those brothers and sisters who have lost their lives. I also offer my heartfelt condolences to their families as well as to others affected by this natural catastrophe.”

“I know the state government and other related agencies are doing everything they can to provide relief and alleviate the effects of this most unfortunate calamity. As a mark of my solidarity with the people of Himachal Pradesh, The Dalai Lama Trust is making a donation towards rescue and relief efforts.”

His Holiness concluded his letter with prayers and good wishes.

Sheikh Nazir Ahmed Sharifi, Vice President of the Anjuman-e- Imamia chanted a moving prayer to formally open proceedings. Shia Representative, Ashraf Ali Barch, President Anjuman Imamia, addressed the gathering in Ladakhi. He expressed great admiration and affection for His Holiness as a man of peace, as someone who consistently declares that we are all the same as human beings, and as someone who makes great effort to promote inter-religious harmony.

Sunni Representative, Dr Abdul Quayoum, President of the Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam (AMI), addressed the gathering in English.

“Once again His Holiness the Dalai Lama is here with us in this mosque and it is the holy month of Muharram. His Holiness is renowned for his teachings about peace, harmony, brotherhood and righteousness. He loves to come to Ladakh and we love to listen to him. We are thankful to you for keeping Ladakh in your heart, please don’t forget us.”

Dr Abdul Quayoum mentioned that a translation of the Holy Quran into Tibetan is being prepared and he read aloud from a foreword His Holiness has provided.

“I commend the Muslim Community of Ladakh for translating the Holy Quran into Tibetan. As I often say, all the major religions of the world convey the same message of love, compassion and altruistic service to other living beings. For thousands of years our various religions have brought immense benefit to countless human beings. I have no doubt it would be helpful if their sacred scriptures were translated into the different languages of the world.”

His Holiness spoke to the congregation of men and women in Tibetan and his words were translated into Ladakhi.

“Whoever I meet,” he said, “I consider we are all the same as human beings. All eight billion people alive today were sheltered by their mother’s love and affection as soon as they were born. This is how things begin. Therefore, later, when we’re grown up and in the middle of our lives, we should do what we can to take care of others. If we do that, when we come to die, we’ll do so in an atmosphere of affection.

“The sad thing is that although we start out basking in our mother’s love and affection, we later come to focus on differences of religion, race or nationality that lead us to view other people in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’.

“What’s past is past, we can’t change it, but what we can do is to work to create a more peaceful world now and in the future. In addition to this, we have to take account of global heating. All over the world it is getting hotter and hotter. Scientists have warned us about this and the evidence is clear before us. Moreover, the Buddhist scripture, the Abhidharmakosha speaks of the world being destroyed by fire. What we see now may be the beginning of that process.

“Historically human beings have fought and killed each other. Now, when there are risks that affect us all, we should exert ourselves to help each other in an atmosphere of peace and harmony.”

As he bit into a ripe apricot, His Holiness remarked that he is 88 years old, but he still has all his teeth.

He observed that if we were all to cultivate a stronger sense of the oneness of humanity, we would be better able to work together out of love and compassion. People around the world, he said, are fed up with fighting and trying to solve problems through the use of force is out of date.

“Every human being on this earth is the same in wanting to be happy and not to suffer pain. I pray that the people of the world may not harm each other but live in peace and harmony.

“Our gathering here at this mosque is a symbol of brotherhood and sisterhood. I’m a Buddhist monk, but I respect all religious traditions because at their core is a common message about the value of love and compassion. It’s not helpful to talk critically about ‘my religion’ or ‘their religion’.

“In Tibet nearly all of us follow the same Buddhist tradition and yet there are differences among the Sakya, Kagyu, Nyingma, Geluk and Jonang traditions. Sometimes we refer to these differences in terms of the colour of our hats, comparing ‘yellow hats’ with ‘red hats’ and so on.

“I have received instructions from teachers of all these different traditions and I’ve made an effort to put them into practice. One of the reasons I’ve done so is to establish harmony among our various Tibetan traditions.

“We’ve all come together in this mosque today to show our friendship and respect for each other. Among us here are members of the two major Muslim communities, the Shia and Sunni traditions, and I would like to offer a Dharma Wheel to each of them.

“In Ladakh we can observe a strong tradition of harmony and ethics. While preserving a sense of love and affection for one another as human beings, it would also be good to maintain harmony among our religious traditions.

“Now, it’s time for lunch.”

His Holiness and other guests enjoyed a sumptuous lunch together.

As he was about to get to his feet to leave, several members of the congregation came forward to seek his blessings. As he walked to the door, he smiled and waved to people on either side of the aisle, and they were pleased to smile in return. During the short drive through Chochut Yokma and Choglamsar, groups of well-wishers lined the road with silk scarves and fresh flowers in their hands, eager to catch a glimpse of His Holiness as he passed. He reached his residence in just a few minutes.

“I have had the privilege of visiting Hawaii several times and have also visited Maui,” he wrote. “I deeply appreciate the people of Hawaii’s interest in my efforts to promote basic human values and inter-religious harmony. Also, in the course of my interaction with the Hawaiian people, I have been touched by their deep devotion to their traditions and heritage. Therefore, I am particularly sad to learn of the damage caused to the former capital in the wildfire. I pray that you and the people of Hawaii will find the spiritual strength to deal with this tragedy.

“While the damage to buildings may be irreparable, I understand that everything is being done by the federal, State of Hawaii and other agencies to provide necessary help and support to the people affected by this calamity.”

His Holiness’s letter ended with his offering his prayers and good wishes once more.

“I’m glad to meet you,” His Holiness told them. “When we Tibetans came into exile in India, we witnessed democracy at work and we discovered that there are people for whom religion has little attraction. Of course, religious practice can be very helpful, but it is also the case that people use religion as an excuse for stoking conflict with others.

“In my own life I have received teachings belonging to the Sakya, Kagyu and Nyingma traditions, as well as the Geluk tradition, and I practise them all. But religion is not for everyone and what’s important is that we find ways to encourage people to develop positive qualities like love and compassion on a secular basis.

“Right from our birth we are nurtured by our mother’s affection. We form a natural bond with her that has nothing to do with religion. In some ways this experience of love and affection is coloured by attachment, but in others it is simply a natural response.

“Despite the huge numbers of people who died violently in the first and second world wars, there are people today who seem to be driven by an urge to fight, even if it provokes a third world war. They persist in developing powerful weapons, oblivious of the fact that if they use nuclear weapons, they will be destroyed too. If we don’t put effort into building peace, the whole of humanity will suffer.

“Whether people follow a religious practice or not, we all need love and compassion. Basic morality follows from this. Indeed, wars are fought because of a lack of love and compassion.

“I’m a Buddhist practitioner, but I try to take the instructions for developing love and compassion and present them in a secular context. Implementing secular ethics enables us to build on and enhance the experience of compassion and affection we learn from our mothers. Look at animals, they show each other affection without the intervention of religion. Similarly, children reveal an affection for one another regardless of the religion, nation or race they belong to. Children display an open friendliness that adults would do well to emulate.

“We don’t need to focus on what might divide us. What we need instead is a sense of the oneness of humanity, an awareness of how we are all the same. We must put effort into building harmony throughout the world. As human beings we all have the same kind of face with two eyes, a nose and a mouth. If we were to meet someone with a third eye, that would be really strange.

“When we Tibetans came into exile and met all kinds of different people, we discovered that we were just like them. Although we have faced great difficulties as a result of the Chinese communist invasion, today, when the Chinese people are suffering widespread flooding, we can only feel sympathy and concern for them. Such disasters are a symptom of the climate crisis. As a mark of my solidarity with the people of China, I hope to be able to make a donation to the relief efforts.

“As Buddhist practitioners we pray,

May all sentient beings have happiness
And the causes of happiness.
May all sentient beings be free from suffering
And the causes of suffering.

“And although we only have a vague idea of what all sentient beings means, we can at least take all the beings on this earth into account.

“As I said, I have great sympathy for the people of China struggling with these floods and I hope they have the courage to surmount the challenges they face. Our scriptures mention that the world will eventually be destroyed by water, fire or wind and global heating seems to indicate fire.

“When I first came to Ladakh, one of my companions was distressed by how barren the hills were. Due to the steady efforts you’ve made to plant trees and so forth, things have changed.

“In Dharamsala and other places on the plains of India at this time of year, it’s humid and wet with rain. When I come to Ladakh I appreciate that the weather is dry and the temperature moderate. I’m also grateful for the affection that’s shown me. Thank you.”

Asked the difference between empathy and compassion, His Holiness explained that compassion is about working to free others from suffering. He mentioned that there are three kinds of suffering: the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change and the suffering that pervades the cycle of existence. He added that as long as we labour under the influence of karma and delusion, we will suffer. These are the circumstances from which we seek to find freedom.

He declared that he has meditated for years on the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the wisdom understanding emptiness. As a consequence, he has gathered experience of the path of accumulation and looks forward to reaching the path of preparation. Beyond that is the path of seeing, the attainment of true cessation and the first bodhisattva ground. From there it’s a matter of ascending the paths and grounds until the attainment of Buddhahood. When you see that achieving this really is possible, it brings great confidence that you have made your human life worthwhile.

Questioned about what can be done to reduce the abuse of drugs, His Holiness replied that this is a problem that derives from short-sightedness, People who turn to drugs see no other solution to their problems and are attracted to the short-term gratification drugs bring. Young people need to see their lives in a broader context. Parents and teachers would do well to advise those in their care to adopt a broader and more extended vision of what they can do.

Finally, His Holiness was asked what advice he would give a SEE Learning teacher who is just starting out in the program. He suggested that in the matter of education, there’s no need to introduce religious ideas such as the existence of past and future lives. It’s much more important to focus on more immediate issues here and now. Make secular ethics the basis on which to overcome problems.

His Holiness remarked that he has sought to cultivate the awakening mind of bodhichitta, as well as an insight into emptiness, throughout his life, but he recognizes that this kind of experience is not for everyone. Whatever he has achieved has been a result of effort.

He pointed out that praying to Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion is a means to accomplish inner growth. Similarly turning to Manjushri can help us improve our intelligence and wisdom by dispelling the darkness of ignorance from our minds.

He noted that growing numbers of modern scientists these days are paying attention to and learning from what the Nalanda Tradition has to teach about the workings of the mind and emotions.

He thanked the delegates for coming to see him.