Photo: dalaialama.com
The Dalai Lama gave teachings at a religious festival in the north of India, conveying the message that above all and no matter what religion we follow, humanity comes first
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the 83-year-old Tibet’s spiritual leader visited parts of the Nubra Valley, close to Leh, and gave teachings for the sixth edition of the summer Buddhist debate, Yarcheos Chenmo, on July 15. The Buddhist religious festival is attended by over 8000 locals and tourists in and around the Samstanling Monastery in Sumur, Ladakh.
He began his teachings at the Diskit Phodrang or Palace, where he was greeted by thousands of well-wishers from all religions and backgrounds, and spoke on matters of theism. He stated that theistic religions rely on an idea of a Creator who endows infinite love and mercy, and that non-theistic religions dictate that they lie within our own hands. “Those of us gathered here, whether we follow religion or not, whether we count ourselves Buddhist, Muslim, Christian or Hindu, we are first of all human beings. Our religious identity is secondary,” he said.
On July 16, His Holiness left Diskit for Sumur, where he was greeted at the Samstanling Monastery by Abbot Ganden Trisur Rizong Rinpoche and Tsultim Nyima, the reincarnation of the founder and owner of the monastery. At the inauguration, he spoke first welcoming His Holiness and addressing the audience. He addressed the Buddha’s unique teachings on emptiness and dependence, making him an incomparable teacher.
Photo: dalaialama.com
His Holiness referred to the Tibetan tradition of debate, the reliance on study and practice of Buddhism to help retain its traditions (whether in Karnataka or otherwise), the importance of monasteries to help promote further education, and tributes to teachers who helped him on his spiritual path. He explained, “the logic and epistemology that prevailed in ancient India have lapsed in modern times, but we Tibetans kept them alive in our monasteries. Our studies are rigorous. We memorise texts word by word, study commentaries to them and engage in debate during which we refute others’ positions, assert our own and rebut criticism.”
Subsequent days of teaching revolved around His Holiness addressing the crowd by prompting them with questions about the relevance of Monastic teachings, the importance of science in curriculums, logic and debate about theistic and non-theistic religions, as well as what we as individuals can do to promote peace in the world.
The teachings were concluded by him stating that, “whether we follow a spiritual path or not, we need to improve our education. And in this, logic and psychology can be very useful. Although great insight can be derived from Buddhist literature we don’t need to deal with it from the point of view of religion, we can take an academic approach.”
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