Dharamshala, India — “Peace of mind is not a matter of religion, but a matter of human survival, and on an individual basis, when you have compassion, you will feel very happy and peaceful,” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama while he delivering a talk on cultivating compassion and dignity in schools to scholars and students from the University of Colorado Boulder and the Compassion Institute, California, USA.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives a speech on cultivating compassion and dignity in schools to the teachers and students from the University of Colorado Boulder and the Compassion Institute, California, followed by a question and answer session online from his residence in Dharamshala, HP, India on October 26, 2021.
Philip P. Distefano, Chancellor, University of Colorado Boulder, welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama and audiences and Dr Sona Dimidijian, director, Renee Crown Wellness Institute, University of Colorado Boulder hosted the event.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his speech by saying: “in the past, a great deal of violence and killing has taken place out of anger and hatred. Some people may think that anger brings energy to a situation, but it is only effective in the short term. These days human beings want peace because peace is the basis of life. To develop a more peaceful world we must also look within. When our minds are at peace, in a crisis, even if there is a weapon to hand, we’ll not be inclined to use it."
"so ultimately, peace of mind is the key factor for world peace. Peace of mind is loving-kindness, and loving-kindness comes from meditation and contemplation, and I wake up every morning thinking about compassion. Peace of mind is not a matter of religion, but a matter of human survival, and on an individual basis, when you have compassion, you will feel very happy and peaceful.”
“In the Tibetan language, there is a phrase which says that whether it is promoting your own well-being or promoting the well-being of others, the root of it is altruism and intention. Again, whether it is promoting immediate well-being or long-term well-being, for example, when you are able to cultivate true altruism and kindness, you will immediately feel the consequences, which is the basic peace within you,” said the spiritual leader of Tibet.
“Compassion and kindness were very active in our lives when we were young, and gradually, we paid less attention to these. It is wrong that the modern education system does not pay attention to these either. The purpose of education is not to create troublemakers, but to create peace of mind. Through education, we can create peace of mind, therefore, in the field of education, we should pay more attention to the warm-heartedness,” His Holiness added.
“We are social animals, we have to live on this planet and we have to live together as brothers and sisters among 7 billion people. Therefore, more compassionate, then 7 billion people can become happier people. Problems cannot be solved through weapons and money, but through inner peace, we can solve the problem with genuine brotherhood and sisterhood,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama concluded.
