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