His Holiness the Dalai Lama is now in the fourth week post-surgery. The surgical incision has completely healed without any complications. The physiotherapists have said His Holiness is making good progress every day and are very satisfied with the speed of His Holiness’s improvement. His Holiness’s overall health status is stable and very satisfactory.

Dr. Tsetan D Sadutshang and Dr. Tsewang Tamdin
Physicians to His Holiness the Dalai Lama

July 24, 2024

He expressed to them both his great admiration for the spirit of the European Union that has preserved peace among its members and in the region for more than six decades. In the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation that followed World War II, the European Union has seen the common good as more important than the local interests of individual countries. This demonstrates, he wrote, a sense of wisdom and maturity in a world that has become increasingly interdependent and challenging.

He wished them both every success in ensuring that the European Union remains a strong model for others to follow.

“Today, the world is facing very challenging times”, he wrote. “It is my belief that the United Kingdom has the opportunity to make a significant contribution to peace and stability in our ever more interdependent world.

“During several visits to the United Kingdom I have appreciated the British public’s enthusiastic interest in my efforts to promote basic human values like warm-heartedness and inter-religious harmony. I have also been deeply touched by the affection and friendship shown to me by people from all walks of life.

“Historically, Tibetans have enjoyed a long and unique relationship with Great Britain and, over the years, many British people have shown strong support for the Tibetan people's aspirations for freedom and dignity, for which I remain grateful.

“I wish you every success in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of the United Kingdom.”

“As a centre of learning,” His Holiness wrote, “the original Nalanda University shone like a sun in the east. Education, rooted in rigorous study, discussion and debate, flourished at Nalanda, attracting students from far and wide across Asia. In addition to philosophy, science, mathematics and medicine they learned about the age-old Indian traditions of ahimsa and karuna, which remain not only relevant but also essential in today’s world.

“In addition to these positive qualities, students at Nalanda developed a thorough understanding of the workings of the mind and emotions, which arose out of the traditional Indian meditative practices for developing tranquility—shamatha, and insight—vipashyana. I believe that the way the Nalanda tradition presented these qualities in terms of logic and reason means they can be readily combined with modern education for the wider benefit of humanity.”

His Holiness concluded, “I am encouraged by the growing interest among young people across India and further afield in ancient Indian knowledge and wisdom. It has such great potential to contribute to the creation of a more compassionate world. Committed as I am to creating greater interest and awareness in ancient Indian knowledge, it is wonderful that a new Nalanda University has been established in this historic location—may it prosper and thrive.”

“With a rich civilization rooted in the longstanding traditions of ‘karuna’ and ‘ahimsa’,” he wrote, “India is also the world’s largest democratic country. She has great potential to contribute to global peace and happiness. I admire India’s strength and leadership in the wider world.

“For us Tibetans, India will always be the Arya Bhumi, the Land of the Noble Ones, the source of our spiritual culture. Therefore, we feel great respect for and kinship with our Indian brothers and sisters. This is also why I am committed to encouraging a greater awareness of India’s historic understanding of the workings of the mind and emotions, which can be the basis for achieving inner peace, developing warm-heartedness, and overcoming destructive emotions like anger.”

His Holiness concluded by offering his prayers and good wishes.

“South Africa has been a stable, democratic country since the end of apartheid,” he wrote. “Its diverse multinational society, encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions living in peace together, sets an example for others to emulate. I hope that under your leadership the country will continue to prosper and develop and that you will also strive to improve the lives of those who are less privileged.

“May I wish you every success in meeting the challenges and opportunities that may lie ahead and in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of South Africa.”

“I believe women are more empathetic and sensitive to the feelings of others,” he wrote, “qualities I first learned from my loving mother. There is also scientific evidence that when it comes to compassion, women are more sensitive to others’ pain. Therefore, I have long been a proponent of women's leadership, and it is a source of great inspiration. It is my firm conviction that if more of our leaders were women, the world would be a more understanding, peaceful place. Indeed, in human history most warriors were men, whereas women consistently show more concern and warm heartedness for others’ well-being.

“During my visits to Mexico, I have been encouraged by your people’s interest in my efforts to promote basic human values like warm heartedness and inter-religious harmony with a firm belief in the oneness of humanity.”

His Holiness ended his letter by wishing Ms. Sheinbaum every success in meeting the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in strengthening happiness in Mexico and the wider world.

Performers from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) in ornate costumes danced and sang on each side of the aisle as His Holiness drove to the foot of the Tsuglagkhang (the Main Tibetan Temple). Offered the ‘chema changphu’ by way of welcome he took a pinch of tsampa and tossed it in the air. Another he ate. He dipped a finger into a cup of clear tea, which he tasted, and then accepted a sip of curd. He smiled and waved to well-wishers who filled the yard.

An estimated 7000 people attended the ceremony, including 1900 participants from the three groups of patrons. The temple had been elaborately decorated. Garlands of marigolds adorned the arch over the entrance to the courtyard and pillars within the temple were similarly festooned. Meanwhile pillars in the area around the temple were wrapped in brightly coloured cloth that will not perish and can be used again.

Presiding over the ceremony, and seated facing His Holiness, was Prof Samdhong Rinpoché. To his right sat Thamthog Rinpoché, Abbot of Namgyal Monastery, Lobsang Dhargyey, present Lobpön of Namgyal Monastery and the former Lobpön. To his left sat Ösel Dorjé Rinpoché and three Geshés from Namgyal Monastery.

To begin with the Chantmaster led the congregation in reciting the ‘Prayer Concerning the Three Continuous Practices’ and then ‘Clouds of Ambrosia: a Prayer Invoking the Series of Reincarnations of Chenrezig’ composed by Trulshik Rinpoché. Tea and sweet rice were served.

The actual ceremony, which was based on White Tara, the Wish-fulfilling Wheel Granting Longevity, began with a visualization of the Lama arising in the form of White Tara. Prior to today, which saw the culmination of the ritual, Samdhong Rinpoché has been leading the congregation in collecting longevity mantras for the past five days. A refrain to the verses of prayers went, ‘May you extend the life of our glorious, sacred Lama by 100 aeons’.

At a certain point Samdhong Rinpoché stepped up to the throne to hand His Holiness a long-life arrow that he accepted and duly flourished. ‘Tsog’ was offered to him in the form of a huge ritual cake as a procession of offerings began to be carried through the temple. The protectors and guardians of Tibet, such as the Five Long Life Sisters, were invoked.

When it came to offering a mandala to request His Holiness to live long, the representative of the former CTA staff and the representative of former bodyguards held up the mandala base while Samdhong Rinpoché offered symbolic representations of the body, speech and mind of enlightenment; the vase of longevity; symbols of the Five Buddha Families; nectar; nectar pills; the seven royal emblems; the eight auspicious symbols; and the eight auspicious substances to His Holiness.

After the chanting of a prayer for His Holiness’s long life by his two Tutors and another by Jamyang Khyentsé Chökyi Lodrö, His Holiness addressed the congregation.

“Today, my Dharma friends have made this Long-Life Offering to me. I have dreamt of Palden Lhamo sitting on my shoulders and telling me that I would live to be a hundred years old or more. We Tibetans are in a difficult situation. I was born in far-off Do-Mé, but I have become quite well-known. I have done service to support the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings in terms of both scripture and realization. And I will live to be 100, so you can feel at ease about that.

“While we’re alive, as practitioners of the Buddhadharma, if we can cultivate the awakening mind of bodhichitta, the altruistic aspiration for enlightenment, and an understanding of emptiness, we will be making our lives worthwhile. As you know, I reflect on the awakening mind and emptiness every day. This is the best way to fulfil our goals. This is what will please Palden Lhamo. Cultivating these two principles as an offering of practice is the best offering we can make to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

“Today, in Tibet, China and other parts of the world, increasing numbers of people are paying attention to these two principles. Therefore, I urge you too to think about them every day. You have gathered here sincerely to offer this ceremony to me, but cultivating these two principles is the way to please me and the Buddhas.

“Today is my birthday according to the traditional reckoning. This is the fifth day of the fifth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, which was the day on which I was born.”

The occasion was concluded by recitations of the ‘Prayer for the Flourishing of the Dharma’, prayers of auspiciousness, the prayer of the ‘Words of Truth’ and the dedication from the ‘Samantabhadra Prayer’.

Addressing the congregation once more His Holiness announced:

“This Long-Life Offering has been made by three groups: former members of staff of the CTA, past and present staff of the Men-Tsee-Khang and the Association of Former Bodyguards—I thank you all.”

With that His Holiness smiled, waved to the crowd, and left the temple to return to his residence.

“It fills me with admiration and pride to see India upholding its responsibility as the world's largest democracy. These elections have indicated how much the people of India value their democracy. India is one of the great ancient civilizations, a distinctive and fundamental feature of which has been ahimsa and karuna and is increasingly being regarded as a leader in the community of nations.

“On this occasion too, I would like to take the opportunity to express the Tibetan people's immense gratitude to the government and people of India for its warm hospitality. It is due to India's consistent generosity and kindness to us that we have been able to preserve our ancient cultural heritage in exile, in peace and freedom. We have also been quite successful in creating a greater awareness and interest in ancient Indian wisdom among new generations of our Indian brothers and sisters.

“As you prepare to resume office for a new term, I wish you continued success in meeting whatever challenges may lie ahead in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of this great nation.”

His Holiness concluded his letter by offering his prayers and good wishes.

Next, members of the Introduction to Buddhism Course, adult women and men, engaged in an energetic demonstration of their debating skills. They discussed points of Tibetan grammar, as laid out in Thönmi Sambhota’s treatise known as ‘Sum-chu-pa’.

His Holiness then addressed the gathering:

“Today, although we are in exile, whether young or old, we take an interest in education. The mature students who have just debated before us have demonstrated their enthusiasm for education. In the monastic centres of learning such as Sera, Ganden and Drepung, monks have long studied and engaged in debate on the Nalanda model. Now laypeople are taking an interest in this approach as well. This all contributes to keeping our traditions alive. Students are also learning to debate at school. It seems we’re all involved.

“There are growing numbers of Chinese who are interested in learning more about Tibetan Buddhism. We should think about how we can help them. A key point to note is that our tradition is not only about prayers and rituals, it involves rigorous study and debate. Sharing these skills is how we can help interested Chinese uphold the Buddhadharma in study and practice.

“There are also people in other parts of the world where Buddhism was previously little known who are now taking an interest in what our traditions have to say about the workings of the mind and emotions, and so forth. I believe we have a responsibility to contribute to the good of the world by sharing what we know. I appreciate the example of debate that we’ve seen today.

“Among the refugee communities of the world, Tibetans are among the most successful in terms of keeping our spiritual traditions and culture alive. We should continue to make efforts in this direction.”

While the crowd enjoyed tea and bread His Holiness remarked that despite his age he has not lost a single tooth. He also mentioned a vivid dream he’d had of Palden Lhamo seated on his shoulders predicting that he would live to be 110 years old—the congregation applauded.

“What is most important,” His Holiness vouchsafed, “is the strong spiritual bond between us. I pray for everyone from the very moment I wake up. I pray that everyone should feel at ease.”

Taking up the ‘Key to the Middle Way’ once more, His Holiness spoke about the emptiness of body and mind. The body, he said, is a composite of different parts on the basis of which it is labelled—‘body’. The world too is a composite of different factors without which there would be no world. Things are dependently designated on the basis of their parts.

A person is designated on the basis of his or her body and mind. Without them there is no person. We all have a sense that ‘I am’; a notion of a self independent of body and mind; but there is no such self. To appreciate this, it is important to understand what is taught in the classic treatises.

“Examine yourself from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes,” His Holiness advised. “Ask yourself, Who am I? Where am I? Where is the person I think I am? Of course, when you try to dissect the different parts of your body and mind, you won’t find a person among them, but that doesn’t mean the person just doesn’t exist.

“A person exists only by way of designation on the basis of its parts. It’s important to realize that it’s only when body and mind come together that we can designate a person. Whatever appears to our mind seems to have a fixed, solid entity, an essential existence in and of itself, but that is not the case.

“When I meditate on emptiness, which I do every day, I recognize that it loosens the grip of the misapprehension of myself as an independent entity. Maybe that’s enough for me to say today.

“We are all happily gathered here and I would like to conduct the ceremony for granting the bodhisattva vows. Having a warm heart is a source of happiness. It involves being determined to help other sentient beings. It brings peace of mind, which is good for our physical well-being too.

“Today, I’m like a spokesman for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Imagine them in the space before you. Recall that you have been born in a place where the Buddhadharma is alive and resolve that you will generate a warm-hearted attitude towards all sentient beings. Be an example to others.

“As soon as I wake up in the morning, I think about how I can fulfil the aims of others and myself. I generate the awakening mind of bodhichitta.

“Now, I’ll recite the relevant verses, you please repeat them after me.

I seek refuge in the Three Jewels;
Each and every wrongdoing I confess.
I rejoice in the virtues of all beings.
I take to heart the state of Buddhahood.

I go for refuge until I am enlightened
To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly,
In order to fulfil the aims of myself and others
I develop the awakening mind.

Having developed the aspiration for highest enlightenment,
I invite all sentient beings as my guests,
I shall enact the delightful supreme enlightening practices.
May I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings.

“As I’ve said, I reflect on bodhichitta daily. This is the best medicine for all ailments. My Dharma friends, keep bodhichitta in your hearts.”

A thanksgiving mandala was offered by a number of senior TCV officials and the session concluded with a recitation of the ‘Words of Truth’.

A crowd of about 5500 had gathered in the temple and the courtyard. They included 1800 foreigners from 57 countries. However, the main focus of today’s teachings were young Tibetans. There were 900 TCV students from class nine and above, 161 college students, 40 young local Tibetans and 80 members of the Introduction to Buddhism Class.

Once His Holiness had taken his seat on the throne, children from Gopalpur TCV School recited ‘A Clear Mirror: The Compendium of Awareness’, a fundamental text, from memory. It opens with a verse of homage to Manjushri, then proceeds to explain the ways of knowing. Next, the children recited the single verse prayer for His Holiness’s long life followed by the Praise to Manjushri that begins:

Obeisance to my Guru and Protector, Manjushri,
Who holds to his heart a scriptural text symbolic of his seeing all things as they are,
Whose intelligence shines forth as the sun, unclouded by delusions or traces of ignorance
Who teaches in sixty ways, with the loving compassion of a father for his only son, all creatures caught in the prison of cyclic existence, confused in the darkness of their ignorance, overwhelmed by their suffering.

This they followed with verses of salutation from the ‘Ornament of Clear Realization’:

Through the knowledge-of-all, the Disciples seeking peace are led to true peace.
Through the knowledge-of-the-path, those intending to benefit wandering beings, fulfil the aims of the world.
Being perfectly endowed with the omniscient mind, the sages give various teachings with all kinds of aspects:
I bow down to the mother of all Buddhas together with the communities of Hearers and Bodhisattvas.

And the verse of homage from Nagarjuna’s ‘Fundamental Wisdom’:

I prostrate to the perfect Buddha,
The best of teachers, who taught that
That which is dependently arisen is
Without cessation, without arising;
Without annihilation, without permanence;
Without coming; without going;
Without distinction, without identity
And peaceful—free from fabrications.

His Holiness asked if, in addition to the ‘The Compendium of Awareness’, the children had memorized the ‘Versified Compendium of Logic and Reasoning’, both texts having be written by Akya Yongdzin, Yangchen Gawai Lodro. Their teacher told him they were working on it.

“I memorized both these texts when I was a small child,” His Holiness declared. “It’s part of our approach to study that we memorize the text, without necessarily understanding what it’s about, and receive comprehensive explanations of it afterwards.

“We are refugees, living in exile, and we can see that in general people of the world are not very interested in studying the great treatises by masters of the past, but we Tibetans have kept this tradition alive for more than a thousand years. The Chinese and perhaps the Vietnamese studied the texts but didn’t immerse themselves in logic as we did.

“As I mentioned, I memorized both ‘The Compendium of Awareness’and the ‘Versified Compendium of Logic and Reasoning’ when I was young and recited them before both my tutors. I learned about definitions and synonyms and also how we have to employ logic.”

His Holiness gave a transmission of the ‘Praise to Manjushri’ and led the congregation in reciting Om ara patsa na dhi.

“As I’ve told you before, when I was very small, maybe three years old, I visited Kumbum Monastery near to where I lived. There I saw and heard very young monks reciting Om ara patsa na dhi. I naturally joined in. That was the first mantra I recited and I’ve relied on it ever since.

“In Tibet, someone told a tutor to a previous Dalai Lama, maybe it was Phurba Chok, that he was an incarnation of Manjushri. ‘I don’t know about that’ he replied, but perhaps we could say I’m Manjushri’s neighbour. Perhaps I could say that too. Not only have I studied the four schools of Buddhist thought, I’ve had the opportunity to acquaint myself with other religious traditions. Moreover, I’m blessed with the four types of wisdom: great wisdom, deep wisdom, quick wisdom and clear wisdom.

“Tibetans are quite bright and have a natural sense of right and wrong, but you schoolchildren would do well to develop these four kinds of wisdom and the abiliity to think logically. So, you should not only recite mantras, you should also learn how to analyze things.

“As far as keeping Buddhism alive is concerned, I’ve done my best and will continue to do so. Meanwhile, I feel the Buddha has taken care of me.”

His Holiness took up the text of the ‘Key to the Middle Way’, a book he composed himself. Noting a reference to mistaken consciousness as a source of suffering, he emphasized that it is not enough to read about such things, we have to learn to recognise them in ourselves and transform them.

He read steadily through pages that touched on the importance of dealing with the mind, briefly explained the Four Seals, outlined the Four Schools of Tenets, highlighted the difference between provisory and definitive teachings, and accentuated the Four Reliances.

With regard to the question, what is emptiness? His Holiness advised that we need to develop a conceptual understanding of emptiness through reasoning; we need to recognize the object of negation. We also need to appreciate that emptiness means emptiness of inherent existence. Ignorance of the emptiness of inherent existence is the root cause of all bad consciousnesses and the suffering that is a consequence of them.

He mentioned the Two Truths as well as the Middle Way between existence and non-existence, the crucial point being that emptiness doesn’t deny the possibility of valid conventional truths, laws, or sciences.

His Holiness stopped reading when he reached this verse from Nagarjuna’s ‘Precious Garland’:

A person is not earth, not water,
Not fire, not air and not space
Not consciousness, and not all them.
What else is a person?

He remarked that with regard to conventional phenomenon, what we are saying is that when we scrutinize things, we cannot find them. However, without critical analysis, examining what is good or bad, whether we’re dealing with ourselves or others, whether we or they are young or old—all these qualities exist and can be found. He clarified that things exist by way of mere appearance, but when examined under critical analysis they fall apart and are found not actually to exist the way they appear.

He observed that over the years, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim have made tremendous strides in development and prosperity. His Holiness expressed the hope that both Chief Ministers will continue to strive to improve the lives of those who are less privileged.

He wished both Pema Khandu and Prem Singh Tamang success in meeting whatever challenges may lie ahead in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of their respective states.

Thank you for your kind understanding.

June 3, 2024

“Your Holiness, on behalf of everyone present I would like to express our gratitude to you for inviting us to this conference co-hosted by Emory University and the Dalai Lama Trust.

“Among us are Emory faculty, staff and students; Emory-Tibet Science Initiative (ETSI) students, teachers and staff; Tibetan teachers and students who are following Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning (SEE Learning) programs, as well as other observers and participants.

“For the first time, Tibetan monastic scholars who have systematically studied modern science are presenting the first outcomes of their research in the field of contemplative practice. This is an historic event, the fruit of your visionary introduction of science to the Tibetan monastic centers of learning about 20 years ago. Science has become an integral part of Tibetan monastic education. As a result of this education, monks and nuns are emerging as scientists.

“Before handing over to Dr Barbara Krauthammer, Dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences, I’d like to introduce David Nassar, Vice-president of the Templeton Foundation and John Cunningham, Executive Director of the Templeton Foundation. We are grateful for their presence and the Foundation’s support of the ETSI Program over the last ten years.”

Dr Negi explained that Emory students who are studying Tibetan culture, Buddhist philosophy and the Buddhist science of mind; ETSI students and Tibetan school-children would each put a question to His Holiness.

On behalf of Emory University Dr Barbara Krauthammer thanked His Holiness for his vision and kindness.

“I have nothing special to say today,” His Holiness replied. “From our study of Buddhism, we have access to a great deal of information about psychology, the workings of the mind and emotions. When they talk about religion, people are generally referring to matters of faith not how to conduct an investigation. However, the Nalanda Tradition places emphasis on taking a critical, analytical approach, and its scholars are learned when it comes to the study of the mind.

“When the Indian master Shantarakshita came to Tibet in 8th century he recognized that Tibetans have an ability for deep thought. This was a measure of his kindness to us.

“I like to talk about secular ethics and what make them important is that they can be applied by anyone whether they are religious or not. The crucial issue is to discover how to achieve peace of mind. Buddhists also have to understand that what’s important is not the conduct of rituals, but whether we can endow others and ourselves with peace of mind. And the way to do this is by employing the mind.

“In the monastic curriculum we learn about the four Buddhist philosophical schools, but when we interact with other people it’s more practical to talk about how our mind and emotions work. This is something of common interest. The way we can help other people is to discuss how to relax and achieve peace of mind from a scientific point of view.

An Emory University student asked His Holiness how to keep hope alive in our world today.

“A lot of the time,” His Holiness replied, “we have all sorts of expectations, but what we have to keep in mind is that bad as well as good things can happen. We have to use our intelligence to solve the problems we face. We have to examine what is really going on. Sometimes we may turn to religion in search of a solution, but much more effective is to employ our intelligence and our ability to reason.

“When we engage in formal debate in the monasteries, it’s customary for challengers to cite quotations from scripture to support their assertions. The defenders take off their hats to indicate their respect, but then reply that what has been cited is not logically necessary. Instead, they declare that what’s important is to employ our critical faculties.

“A scientific approach is an excellent tool for assessing the reality of any given situation. The Nalanda Tradition too teaches us how analyze and investigate without resort to scripture.”

A monk from the ETSI program asked how monastics who have studied science can contribute to society. His Holiness responded:

“The very purpose of studying is to be able to serve others better. As I’ve already said, we have to use our intelligence with reason and logic. Of course, there is a great deal we learn about the mind from reading books, but we must understand that we will learn more and in greater detail if we examine our minds in a scientific way.”

Noting that His Holiness is keen to encourage an appreciation of secular ethics and that their essence is compassion, a Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) student asked what the nature of compassion is.

“Different traditions teach us how to be more considerate and well-mannered,” His Holiness told her, “but compassion in terms of active concern for others is the key issue. Secular ethics provides us with the means to guide society, but on a person-to-person level, what everyone appreciates is warm-heartedness.”

Two science books published by ETSI were presented to His Holiness. The visitors gathered in their various groups around him to have their photographs taken, and then they departed for the first session of their conference.

“It is wonderful to see how firmly rooted democracy has become in Taiwan,” he wrote. “The Taiwanese people have not only developed a flourishing, robust democracy, but have also achieved great prosperity, while at the same time preserving their rich cultural traditions.

“May I wish you every success in meeting the challenges that lie ahead in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of Taiwan.”