Shillong, Feb 03: Tibetan spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama was conferred an honorary doctorate in philosophy by Martin Luther Christian University in Shillong.
Amidst tight security, the Dalai Lama begins his three-day visit to Meghalaya from Monday.
Making India an example of tolerance and an all-embracing country, the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama said China should learn from India in accommodating different languages, scripts and different cultures harmoniously even as he made it clear that Tibet was not seeking separation from China.
“India is the most populated democratic country in the world, despite some drawbacks and problems it is basically very stable,” the septuagenarian spiritual leader said, adding that India has been his home for almost 55 years now.
Observing that India was multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-racial “like United Nation”, the Dalai Lama said, “I tell my Chinese friends to learn from India”, even as he highlighted that the Tibetan script was different from the rest of China. Iterating that Tibetans did not want secession from China, the Dalai Lama, however, stressed on preserving the unique script, culture and ecology of Tibet.
Significantly, the religious leader also called for equal respect to “non-believers”. “Out of the 10 billion people in the world, one billion are non-believers and they also have equal rights,” he said.
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso has observed that though India is religious, there is lot of corruption in this country.
“Is this modern education,” the Tibetan spiritual leader asked even as he observed that it was the “highly educated” that were corrupt. Addressing students at the 6th Convocation of the Martin Luther Christian University here on Monday, the Noble laureate urged modern educational institutions in India to try and inculcate the country’s ancient knowledge into their respective curricula.
Sending the audience into splits of laughter, the Dalai Lama, in his inimical style went on to say that he ‘teased’many of his “Indian friends” saying that they prayed probably to bring about successes into their “corrupted life”.
The spiritual leader, who visited Meghalaya for the first time since he made India his home, termed his adopted country as “wonderful and very nice” to live in.
He likened the country to the United Nations in its embracing a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-religion society, while blaming Chinese hardliners for infusing hatred against people living in Tibet.
“We are not seeking separation from China. We belong to China with common interests and common economic development,” the Dalai Lama emphasised.
Claiming to be a disciple of Gandhi’;s principle of non-violence, the spiritual leader said he nursed a hope that India’;s “concept of peaceful living” would make a better Asia and in turn make a better world.
“Over 3,000 years ago, India had the concept of Ahimsa (non-violence). Because of that it commands respect,” he said, adding that India was the living example of religious tolerance and culture.
A ppealing to people to shun violence in any form, the Dalai Lama said, “Power of the gun, power of the force and power of violence though very decisive, is of short period.” He felt that the power of truth immediately may not be very effective but years, decades and centuries after wards, the power of truth wins trusts, friends and more truthful people.
Among the dignitaries who were seen during the convocation was Meghalaya governor KK Paul, chief minister Mukul Sangma other dignitaries and the MLCU vice chancellor Robert G Lyngdoh- who was instrumental in getting the Dalai Lama to address the convocation.(SP News)
