His Holiness Holds a Day Of Teachings, Meets With Danish Media And Parliamentarians

June 1, 2009

Author: Staff Writer

Source: The Buddhist Channel/Tibet Custom

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=3,8225,0,0,1,0

His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the outset of giving teachings based on Nagarjuna's Commentary on Bodhicitta (Jangchum Semdrel) and Kalalashila's The Middle Stages of Meditation (Gomrim Barpa), told the audience of 3,600 people who had come to hear his teachings that he does not believe in conversion and therefore never tries to convert anyone to the Buddhist faith.

He said Westerners traditionally belong to the Christian faith and this is why they should stick to their traditional faith. He, however, said that if an individual on a voluntary basis finds something beneficial in practicing the Buddhist faith then that is fine.

The Tibetan spiritual and temporal leader said that in the past people could afford to live in isolation, as in the case of Tibetan people in Tibet, and not bother to have any links with people from the outside world or other faiths. But since the world has changed and various countries and the people have become more inter-dependent, the need to show respect and appreciation for different faiths is important, he said, adding that it is possible that among the audience there could be some who practice other traditions such as Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.

The teaching took place at the prestigious Bella Convention Centre and was attended by people from different parts of Denmark and Europe. Some Tibetans from Denmark and other parts of Europe as well as a few Chinese could also be seen in the auditorium. The teachings will conclude tomorrow morning. In the afternoon His Holiness will give a public talk on “Peace Through Inner Peace” to a capacity crowd of 4500.

Earlier in the morning, His Holiness met with around 80 members of the press at the hotel and answered a series of questions ranging from the issue of Tibet to how to increase happiness. In response to a question from a journalist about the status of Sino-Tibetan dialogue, His Holiness said that we have to admit that despite our best efforts there has been no progress and that the Chinese government has rejected our “Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People”. His Holiness said that our faith in the Chinese people still remained and that we are making every effort to reach out to the Chinese people, who it has been seen that through better information and awareness show sympathy and support the just cause of the Tibetan people.

His Holiness appealed to the international community to visit Tibet to investigate, without any restrictions from the Chinese government, the reality of the situation inside Tibet.