His Holiness the Dalai Lama meeting Chinese followers in Tokyo
Photo/Office of Tibet
His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his thirteen-day Japan trip in Sendai, an area that had been damaged greatly in March 2011 by the Tohoku Earthquake and a tsunami that followed.
His Holiness expressed his thoughts about the devastating occurrence, saying, “Today, it’s a little more than three years since the most powerful earthquake to hit Japan and the consequent tsunami that caused extensive devastation followed by radiation problems. Many people died, many lost their homes; there’s been widespread grief and sadness. The purification rituals the Shinto priests have performed today are intended to help. I have great respect for all religions because of their intention to help, because they bring people solace. If tragedy strikes, don’t lose hope. Transform it into an opportunity to make things better.” His Holiness went onto give his own account of dealing with tragedy by recalling exile. “At the age of 16 I lost my freedom and at the age of 24 I lost my country. I’ve lived as a refugee for 55 years and yet I’ve never lost hope or given in to pessimism.”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama offering prayers with a Shinto priest for victims of the devastating natural disaster in Sendai
Photo/Office of Tibet
Following his speech in Sendai, His Holiness traveled to Osaka, where he visited Seifu Gakuen Boys School and spoke to an audience consisting of over 2,000 middle and high school students. His Holiness talked about the importance of keeping an emotionally balanced mind and how destructive emotions can manifest into suffering. He additionally made a visit to Myodo-kai Lay Buddhist Centre where he performed a consecration ceremony and spoke to the audience about the significance of what is known as true existence.
Later on in his trip, on April 11 and 12, His Holiness spoke at a “Mapping the Mind” conference in Kyoto which was attended by various scientists, scholars and practitioners. His Holiness gave insight into how one must adopt a wider mind set in order to understand emotions and the mind, so that a solution can be found for the everyday problems that one faces.
On April 14, His Holiness performed Vairochana-abhisambodhi rituals along with the monks from Namgyal Monastery at the Kyoasan University Auditorium. The following day, he gave a talk at the auditorium. On a question concerning the environment, His Holiness said, “[The] environment and climate change are a global issue too, not just of concern to Europe, Asia, Africa or the Americas. We should think of everyone not just me or us. What happens on this one blue planet where we live affects us all.”
His Holiness ended his trip on April 18 in Tokyo by meeting groups of Tibetan, Mongolian, and Chinese people.
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