His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressing the congregation at the Global Buddhist Summit 2023 at the Ashok Hotel in New Delhi, India on April 21, 2023. Photo: OHHDL/Tenzin Choejor

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New Delhi – His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses the Global Buddhist Summit 2023 in New Delhi on Friday and he said, “Many of the problems we face are to do with how we view reality. We tend to accept that things exist in the way they appear. We project a sense of reality onto what appears before us. The Buddha’s teaching of emptiness helps us see that what we perceive does not reflect reality. Then we can overcome our feelings of attachment and craving. And when we do that, the mind becomes pure."

The Global Buddhist Summit 2023 was held over two days at the Ashok Hotel meeting hall in New Delhi, India on April 20-21, 2023 and was hosted by the Ministry of Culture of India and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Global Buddhism Summit on April 20, 2023.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed the congregation of high lamas, Sangha leaders, Dharma practitioners, prominent scholars and ambassadors from 30 countries, including the United States, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Burma, Bhutan, Mongolia, India and Tibet on April 21, 2023.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “One thing that defines the Buddha’s teaching is his explanation of dependent arising. Of the two syllables of the Tibetan term for this, ‘ten-jung’, the first means dependent and the second, arising. This gives us an insight into reality. Everything is dependent. Nothing is independent. Things arise in dependence on other factors. Since nothing is independent, everything comes about through dependent relationships."

“Why is understanding dependent arising important? Because when we don’t have this insight, we grasp at self as something substantial and real. This in turn can lead to our drawing distinctions between ‘us’ and ‘them’ that feed conflict. We develop attachment to those like us and aversion to others who we see as different," His Holiness continued.

The spiritual leader of Tibet said, “Compassion too is at the heart of the Buddha’s teaching. Chandrakirti indicates this when he pays homage to compassion at the opening of his ‘Entering into the Middle Way’. He compares compassion to a seed, to the moisture that allows the seed to grow and to the eventual fruit."

“The heart of the Buddha’s teaching is a combination of compassion and wisdom and as Buddhists our task is cultivate these two qualities," the Buddhist leader mentioned.

“Many of the problems we face are to do with how we view reality. We tend to accept that things exist in the way they appear. We project a sense of reality onto what appears before us. The Buddha’s teaching of emptiness helps us see that what we perceive does not reflect reality. Then we can overcome our feelings of attachment and craving. And when we do that, the mind becomes pure," His Holiness the Dalai Lama said.

His Holiness said, “As Buddhists we need to pay attention to the process by which we grasp at the reality of things. If no solution to our problems was presented, to focus only on suffering would be demoralizing. When we achieve insight into reality, we can also see that it is possible for us to attain enlightenment. So, as a result of deep reflection we gain a sense of freedom."

“I struggle with this, but feel I am making progress. Chandrakirti says when you are able to gain deep insight into reality, compassion for suffering beings arises naturally. He states that on the two wings of insight and compassion we will soar to the further shore of enlightened liberation. I’m now in my late 80s, but I continue to practise and aspire to reach the path of preparation.”

His Holiness said, “ What we need is the cultivation of resting and analytical meditation, an understanding of reality and the practice of compassion. These are the sort of teachings that come alive within you, therefore they’re worth the effort,".

“I can also assure you that paying attention to the courage of compassion enables you to transform adversity into opportunity," His Holiness the Dalai Lama said.

“I was born in north-east Tibet and came to Lhasa where I studied the works of Buddhist masters who presented ways to develop wisdom and compassion. Their advice had a deep impact on me. Another factor that distinguishes Buddhism is the wide collection of means to effect inner transformation. It’s very rich in meditation practices that have an impact on our day-to-day conduct. Incorporating the Buddhadharma into our lives is a way of expressing gratitude to our teachers,” His Holiness said.

The themes of the two-day conference are: 1. Buddha Dhamma and Peace, 2. Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability, 3. Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition, 4. Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India’s centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, Southeast and East Asia.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama left New Delhi for the Global Budhist Summit 2023 from Dharamshala on April 19, 2023 and returned to his residence in Dharamshala on April 22. Tibetans and Himalayans welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama from the Kangra airport to his residence in Mcleod Ganji with white Tibetan scarves, flowers and big smiles of joy on their faces.