Dharamshala: - On the morning of June 1, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama started his three-day teaching to introduce Tibetan Buddhism to young Tibetans and students in Dharamsala. He taught primarily from two texts - Nagarjuna's Drops for Nurturing Beings and Tsongkhapa's In Praise of Dependent Origination.
Around 3,000 students attended the first day. In the morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama first introduced Buddhism and then he held a question and answer session with the students. The morning session with his Holiness was held in the big auditorium while in the afternoon the audience was split into smaller groups over each of which a Geshe presided. The Geshes were there to clear up any doubts expressed by the students.
Gefore His Holiness' teachings began, some old students of Dharamsala Buddhism Introduction Organization debated for ten minutes in front of him. His Holiness began, "All of you of the young and new generation, you could see how this world is well educated. We have made good development. When we first came to India, schooling and education were our main priorities. Though we have not completed everything we first wished for, we have had a lot of success till now.
"I have always said that a country's development starts from an individual and his ability. Each of those individuals have an idea as well as a special ambition. They realize the method of how to go about it. That is why the First World countries countries have developed."
His Holiness continued that no-one can say one religion is good and another religion is bad - that, Usually, religion is just like medicine and we have to prescribe it according to the conditions of each patient and each disease.
The 76-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate also recounted that he usually tells foreigners that changing one's religion is very complicated and difficult. It would be better to practice one's own religion and culture. He said, "I have a friend who had an idea to found a Buddhist center in France. But I told him that I didn't see it as suitable to start a Buddhist centre in France because the area there usually is Christian and the people there will not be comfortable with it. I also suggested that, if you can, spend the money to find a Buddhist Centre in a Buddhist area. Later I found that he founded a Buddhist center in Thailand. Just think, if a big Christian centre was founded in a Tibetan settlement, how will you feel?"
His Holiness then quoted a Tibetan proverb which says you should put yourself in the place of others.
This introduction to Buddhism was started in 2007 and this is the sixth teaching of the course, and at young Tibetans and students.
At the end of the June 3 teaching, Kalon Tripa (political leader) Lobsang Sangay will address the students about Central Tibetan Administration policy and hold a question and answer session. Penpa Tsering, speaker of Tibetan Parliament, will THEN talk about development of Tibetan Democracy and hold a discussion with the students.
