‘Improvement of
workshops in settlements would benefit local Indian villagers’[Monday, 7 February 2011, 12:37 p.m.]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the inauguration of the newly built Government Industrial Training Institute at an Indian village located near Doeguling Tibetan Settlement in Mundgod, in Karnataka, south India, on 1 February 2011

DHARAMSHALA: Offering a financial contribution to the newly
inaugurated ‘Government Industrial Training Institute’  at an Indian
village neighbouring Doeguling settlement in Mundgod, His Holiness
described it as  “the Tibetans’ contribution to the transformation of
India’s rural areas.”Addressing the inauguration of the training
institute last week, His Holiness said: “I am indeed very happy that
our aim has now materialised with the start of this training institute.
As I had promised earlier, I will send a contribution of Rs 100 lakh to
the institute. As I knew that there are around 200 students in this
institute, I also want to give a separate of Rs 10,000 for a one day
picnic with meals and fruits.” Underlining for the need of more
efforts in the rural areas, His Holiness said the real transformation of
India must take place in rural areas. “We need to modernise the farming
system for which, technology, such as machineries and training are very
crucial. So I really appreciate your initiative to start these kind of
training centres in the rural areas, which I think is extremely
necessary and important in order to transform India in economic field.”His
Holiness the Dalai Lama also expressed gratitude to the Indian
government for their support to the establishment of Tibetan
settlements. “Initially we Tibetans came here empty handed, but
gradually with the support from the government of India and NGOs there
is much improvement in the Tibetan settlements. So it is a duty on the
part of our community to serve and help you when and wherever possible.
For instance in Orissa, the Tibetan community helped in the construction
of school buildings in the neighbouring tribal areas. It is our
contribution to the transformation of the rural areas of India.”His
Holiness the Dalai Lama recounted his childhood penchant for machines.
“Since my childhood I love [playing] with machines. Instead of studying
texts and teachings, I spent more time in working with the machines.”“The
workshops in the Tibetan settlements, including tractor repairing
centres, should have improved and extended so that we can help the local
Indian villages with these facilities. But I really feel sorry that
there is no active work in these workshops. I suggested that our
workshops should reach a certain level of standard so that we can not
only earn for ourselves but also serve to the local Indian community,”
His Holiness said.“I also very much appreciate the state
government for taking serious concern for developments in the rural
areas,” His Holiness added.His Holiness further said: “While you
work hard to modernise India, you should not neglect the thousands of
year old India’s own spiritual tradition. This is very important. The
spiritual education is not only for the monastic community, but India’s
sophisticated inner science such as human emotions and mind should be
taught in the schools. Nowadays, some of the world’s well known
scientists are really showing genuine interests about inner science. In
order to develop and promote inner peace, we need to train our mind by
knowing the system of human emotions. Inner peace can never be brought
about by drugs and money, which may possibly bring more jealousy to the
contrary. Some of the top modern scientists began to realise the need
for inner peace through the training of mind.” “I always have a
view that India is a big country with over a billion population. Apart
from being the world’s second most populous nation, India has deep
rooted democracy with independent judiciary, free press, freedom of
expression and religion among others. In comparison to other
neighbouring countries, India is a very very stable and peaceful of the
last 60 years,” His Holiness said.His Holiness praised India for
its genuine democracy, and peace and harmony between different
religious traditions.  “India has a large Muslim community but they are
very peaceful. Of course, few individuals including Hindus and Muslims
create some problems which is quite understandable, but over all it is
very peaceful.”“India is a very important nation in the whole
world because of its millennia-old concept of ahimsa or non-violence
with which all major religious traditions live together in genuine
harmony. All the homegrown religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism
and Sikhism coexist very well with Zoroastrian. Christianity, Islam and
Judaism. So there is genuine harmony in India, which serves as an
example and model for the rest of the world,” His Holiness said.