Dharamshala, India — “Most of the problems in today's conflict-ridden world come from a lack of brotherhood and compassion. We should make our humanity more compassionate. We have neglected these values and become filled with hatred. This has led to wars and violence in the world,” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama while giving teaching to students from Indonesia.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivered a short general Buddhist discourse entitled " Jataka Tales " followed by a question and answer session to over 1,000 students from Indonesian schools online at his residence in Dharamsala, India, on August 11, 2021.
“I am looking forward to holding discussions with young Indonesians, some of whom have an interest in Buddhism. I’m a Buddhist practitioner, and one of my commitments is to promoting inter-religious harmony. All our different religious traditions, whether we’re talking about Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or Buddhism carry a common message about the importance of loving kindness,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama stated in his opening message.
“I am very happy to meet all your brothers and sisters in Indonesia. Whether you accept religion or not, all human beings from birth can survive only with the compassion and love of their mothers, without which we cannot survive, not only human beings but animals as well. Love and kindness are the key factors for survival. Most of the problems in today's conflict-ridden world come from a lack of brotherhood and compassion. We should make our humanity more compassionate. We have neglected these values and become filled with hatred. This has led to wars and violence in the world,” the Dalai Lama continued.
“I believe that most people are fed up with violence and war. Therefore, our religious communities have special responsibility to promote kindness and oneness of all human beings. We must live together on this planet, so we must work to make this world a more peaceful place," added His Holiness.
During the question-and-answer session with the students, His Holiness spoke about topics such as not giving up, hope and the problems he faced as a child and a refugee in exile.
“Our inner temple, where we cultivate compassion and love. If we combine this with our wonderful human wisdom, we can create a happier world, not just through prayer, but by engaging in practical action. I have been to Borobudur temple once and I am hoping to be able to visit again sometime soon,” His Holiness said when he was asked when he would pay another visit to the infamous Borobudur temple in Indonesia.
