“An Appeal by the Dalai Lama to the World”
ZURICH: A little book on His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s thoughts on secular ethics by the former German television journalist and long-time supporter of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Franz Alt, hits the bestseller list of SPIEGEL, a renowned German weekly magazine, for several consecutive weeks. The SPIEGEL presents the little book on its bestseller list as “An Appeal by the Dalai Lama to the World” outlining his thoughts on secular ethics for a peaceful century.
The 56-page book, which is also available for free download on the publisher’s website (http://www.beneventobooks.com) in 8 languages, has been released on the eve of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday. It is based on interviews Franz Alt had conducted with His Holiness the Dalai Lama over the past 30 years and deals mainly with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s experience and views on ethics and the universality of basic human values. An excerpt:
“For thousands of years, violence has been committed and justified in the name of religion. Religions have often been intolerant and still are in many cases. For that reason I say that in the twenty-first century, we need a new form of ethics beyond religion. That is why I am speaking of a secular ethics that can be helpful and useful for over a billion atheists and an increasing number of agnostics. More integral than religion is our fundamental human spirituality. That is the affinity we humans have for love, benevolence, and affection – no matter what religions we belong to.”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Franz Alt, and Benevento Publishing will be donating all royalties and profit from this little book to German Aid to Tibetans for education, health and cultural projects of Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal.
