DHARAMSHALA: His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with 800 Tibetans pilgrims from Tibet on 6 December 2016.

“It is a fact that Tibetans inside Tibet have been suffering under Chinese rule for over three generations. However, we have not lost our spirit and hope. Despite all the atrocities by Chinese, we have not lost our spirit. Instead it makes us much stronger and more united.” His Holiness said.

The spiritual leader also expressed his sadness over the troubles Tibetans inside Tibet had to go through from 1956 onwards especially during the chaotic period of Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959 and throughout the Cultural Revolution.

“I have faced a lot of hardships since my young age. Amidst all the trouble, every Tibetan looked up to me with a hope. It was a big responsibility in stressful times, yet I am able to keep a clam and peaceful mind due to the practice of developing Bodhicitta,” he said.

He added that Tibetan Buddhism should not be limited to prayers and rituals, rather through investigation and examination. He urged them to practice and preserve the vast and unique tradition of Nalanda masters, which has the ability to “go shoulder to shoulder with modern science.”

“I have been meeting with lots of scientist for over 30 years. Initially there were much hesitation from abbots and scholars over the negative influence of science. Now, I say that I am a follower of Buddha with scientific mind,” he said citing the story of how Mao Zedong in 1954 during their meetings referred to his thinking as scientific and logical thinking.

However, it was undone when at the end he said that religion was poison, said the Dalai Lama.