His Holiness Returns to Germany

By Tsering Wangdue / August 26, 2014;

His Holiness at the Hamburg Congress Centre
Photo:Photo/Manuel Bauer

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been on a four-day visit to Germany this month, his 38th visit to the country, at the invitation of the Tibetan Centre in Hamburg. He was warmly welcomed by the Indian Consul General in Hamburg, Dr Vidhu Nair, as well as people from the Tibetan Centre and the committee who had organised his trip, and members of the Tibetan community in Germany.

His Holiness spoke to around 7,000 people at the Congress Centre in Hamburg: “Secular Ethics – Human values in our life”, explaining the role that human values can play in solving major global issues, and how we can develop them in our everyday life and in meditation. Asked by a member of the audience about peace in the world today, His Holiness said “We all talk about ‘peace, peace’, but peace doesn’t fall from the sky. We have to do something to create it. Human beings have to solve their problems themselves. And the right way to create peace is to engage in dialogue.”

TV interview with Bettina Hansen
Photo: Jeremy Russell OHHDL

He was then interviewed by Bettina Hansen for her womens’ television program on ZDF TV. When she asked what makes him happy, he replied that he is happy to be one human being among the 7 billion others.

On August 24 and 25, His Holiness gave a teaching from the text of Shantideva’s classic work “A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life”, talking about a path in life in which one uses all one’s energy in serving others. He later visited an exhibition on Tibetan Nomads and their vanishing way of life at The Hamburg Museum of Ethnology, at the invitation of the Society for Threatened People and Tibet Initiative Deutschland.

The following day His Holiness gave the Avalokiteshvara, or Buddha of Compassion, initiation and then joined in the celebrations for the 35th and 25th anniversaries of the Tibetan Community in Germany and Tibet Initiatives Deutschland.

The Tibetan Centre, Hamburg was founded in 1977 by western Buddhists and follows Buddhism according to Tibetan tradition. The main activities are studies and meditation. The Dalai Lama has been patron of the Centre since its foundation.