His Holiness Addresses 9/11 Anniversary in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON, DC, 12 SEPTEMBER 2003: “If
there is a solution, there is no need to worry. If there is no
solution, there is no point in worrying.” With these words of
Shantideva, an ancient Indian Buddhist master, His Holiness the Dalai
Lama opened his talk yesterday to an audience of some 5,000 people, of
whom 2,000 stood outside the packed Washington National Cathedral, at
an event to commemorate the second anniversary of September 11 tragedy.
Urging the listeners to cultivate peace as an antidote to violence, His
Holiness said the tragic event must be remembered spiritually and used
for personal growth. He called on his audience not to blame a
particular community for the tragedy. The talk was broadcast live on
internet.
Earlier, in the morning, His Holiness was interviewed by the
Chinese service of the Voice of America-to be broadcast both on radio
and VOA TV. Asked if he had any message to be broadcast by the service
to the Chinese and Tibetan peoples, His Holiness urged the Chinese
people to understand the Tibetan situation better, and the Tibetans to
preserve and promote their religion and culture. Talking to the
Tibetans inside Tibet, he said, “Although I have been physically
separated from Tibet for the past 44 four years, in my mind I have
never been separated from Tibet; I always pray for Tibet, and I always
try to do things that are beneficial for Tibet.”
A report by Office of Tibet, New York