Dharamshala: Tibet's spiritual and political leader, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on Sunday stressed that great India "must take the lead" in promoting "secular ethics" with "Indian tradition of non-violence and harmony among various faiths", to present a model before the rest of the world.
His Holiness the Dalai lama was speaking in Rishikesh where spiritual leaders drawn from various faiths said that voluntary efforts must complement governmental initiatives in cleaning the Ganga and addressing other pressing environmental concerns.
"You should be proud of your nation, and you should be proud of your spiritual heritage. You (India) must continue to promote non-violence and harmony among different faiths (no matter where you are)," His Holiness the Dalai Lama told The Indian Express, when asked about the challenges facing the country.
"No matter where they are, the Chinese find a way to promote their food. Similarly, Indians, wherever they are present in a group, in any part of the world, should promote the ideals of ahimsa (non-violence) and harmony," said His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He stressed that "modern-day secular ethics (like compassion and kindness)" must complement "traditional values (like non-violence in society)".
The 74 year-old, Nobel Peace laureate, His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Saturday told reporters that his life long commitment is to promote religious harmony. Addressing the media at Kangra airport in Dharamshala before leaving for Uttarakhand. He said his life long commitment is to promote religious harmony. "One of my life long commitment is promotion of religious harmony. I think almost 40 years ago, I participated in the Maha Kumbh Mela, for the first time. So at that time I received some sort of protests from some Buddhist group. Now, I think everybody now knows my commitment," he added.
