India’s ‘ahimsa’ panacea for world ills: Dalai Lama

New Delhi, November 21

India’s ancient traditions of non-violence, kindness, love and compassion are needed in today’s world where people are fighting on the basis of religion and countries over territorial disputes, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said here on Thursday.

India also needs to bring some kind of “revolution” in its education system by combing its 3,000-year-old ancient tradition of high moral teachings with the modern education, he said.

Delivering the 24th Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan memorial lecture on “universal ethics” organised by Indian Institute of Advanced Study, the 84-year-old said India’s message of “ahimsa, kindness, love and compassion” spread even during religious conflicts and world wars. Unlike in parts of world where Shia and Sunni Muslims fought with each other, there was no fighting within India, he said.

“Such high moral teachings of ancient Indian culture and tradition are need of the hour the world over now,” said the Dalai Lama, who escaped Chinese occupation of his homeland in 1959. There should be “genuine compassion (even) without attachment,” he stressed.

Paying tributes to Radhakrishnan for his role in bringing modern education system to India, he said the former President was an example of combination of modern education and ancient vedic knowledge, culture and traditions.

Later, answering a question from the audience on how he could always smile and remain happy, he said a person should treat even the enemy as the best teacher. The Dalai Lama said though at times he was concerned about China’s anger and its fear of him, as a Tibetan and a practising Buddhist since childhood, he never felt any anger towards it.

“I have special pills” to keep smiling and remain happy, he joked. To another question, the Nobel Peace Prize winner said “Indian vegetarian food” was better than “Chinese non-vegetarian food”. About plastic usage, he referred to global warming and increasing pollution levels across the world and suggested that print and electronic media should play a role in educating the masses instead of sensationalising news.

Former Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir NN Vohra and ICCR president and lawmaker Vinay Sahasrabuddhe also spoke on the need to uphold universal ethics. — PTI