Zanskar — His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Zanskar on Monday and addressed the assembly and said, "The Chinese Communists have taken away not only our political rights; they have also sought control of our spiritual traditions. When I was in Beijing in 1954 Mao mentioned to me that religion is poison. I believe he was sincere according to his own way of thinking, although I said nothing in return, but in my own mind I realized he was hostile to the Dharma."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama travelled to Zanskar by helicopter from Leh, Ladakh, UT, India, on July 21, 2025. His Holiness was warmly welcomed by the monks and people of Zanskar and the District Commissioner, Kargil, Rakesh Kumar, the Senior Superintendent of Police, as well as by three Councillors from the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated the KarGön Mega Summer Symposium and then addressed the assembly and said, "I left my native place in Amdo and came to Lhasa where I studied for some years. I gave public talks in Tibet and visited the great monastic seats, the centres of learning, around Lhasa.
"The Chinese Communists have taken away not only our political rights; they have also sought control of our spiritual traditions. When I was in Beijing in 1954 Mao mentioned to me that religion is poison. I believe he was sincere according to his own way of thinking, although I said nothing in return, but in my own mind I realized he was hostile to the Dharma.
"The Chinese Communist policy is that religious tradition is no more than blind faith and so deserves to be destroyed. They consider the Dharma with animosity. However, the teaching of the Buddha we uphold that combines study, reflection and meditation. The study of the great treatises in the light of logic and reason is something wonderful.
"I learned about Buddhist philosophy and logic, as well as ‘mind and awareness’, from my childhood. Being able to think about the Buddha’s teaching is invaluable. It was explained to me in terms of logic and reason. Later, I discovered that even modern scientists found our logical approach, derived as it is from the Nalanda Tradition, attractive and interesting.
"Unlike other religions that are based more on faith, in our tradition of Buddhism we place emphasis on logic and reasoning. These tools are immensely important and can help us improve our understanding of almost any topic. We don’t just take for granted what previous masters have taught.
"Because we place special emphasis on logic and reason in the way we teach and study Buddhism, Chinese Communist authorities have imposed specific restrictions on our traditions. As a result, there has been a decline and destruction of Buddhist teachings in Tibet. However, in exile we have been able to keep our traditions alive and our efforts have received substantial support from the government and people of India.
"As far as I’m concerned, I studied the classic texts and took exams for my Geshé degree. One of my most important teachers was a Mongolian master named Ngodrup Tsognyi who helped me understand the philosophy of the Middle Way. Debate with people like him enabled me to gain a good understanding of the teachings. On the basis of my own experience, I’ve learned how beneficial engaging in debate can be. It’s an approach that allows us to really use our intelligence.
"There may be times when we have to interpret what the Buddha taught. This is good. It broadens our understanding. We Tibetans in exile are a relatively small group, but because we take a logical approach, we have been able to preserve our traditions. Here in Zanskar, at this critical time, these traditions are being preserved through logic and reason—that’s all I have to say, thank you," His Holiness concluded.
