His Holiness concludes the UK visit with Oxford talk
Saturday, 31 May 2008, 9:46 a.m.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama meeting a select group of Oxford University professors and scientists before the start of his public talk at Oxford’s prestigious Sheldonian auditorium |
Oxford: The warmth and respect
with which His Holiness the Dalai Lama was received yesterday upon his
arrival and programme that took place at the Blackfriars was also
evident this morning in Oxford’s premier Sheldonian Theatre or
auditorium that was attended by a capacity filled audience of 1200
people ranging from eminent university professors to students
and general public who had reserved their seats months in advance.
His Holiness’ visit to Oxford on Friday is at the invitation of the
Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies and the Blackfriars Hall of Oxford
University. His Holiness’ entrance in the Sheldonian Theatre was
greeted with applause and a dignified silence thereafter after he waved
all to take their seats.
“Your Holiness, it is an extraordinary honour to welcome you here
today. You have achieved a special, perhaps a unique, position in the
world. People are longing for someone they can admire and respect, not
just for a particular skill or quality, but for their character and
behaviour. At the same time, nowadays most people also do not want to
be talked down to. You manage to combine wisdom with humility, to think
deeply but to speak simply. Despite all your troubles, you can still
convey optimism,
and even make us believe in the possibility of peace,” Prof. Richard
Gombrich, Chairman of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, said in
his welcome remarks, prior to inviting His Holiness to speak.
His Holiness in his public talk on, “Why it is important that the
Buddhist Tradition be more widely understood and how this can be
achieved?”, said although all the major religious traditions of the
world have the same potential and seed of compassion we need different
approaches because of different mental dispositions.
“We should study objectively and meet with genuine practitioners of
other faiths and religious to get a sense of their practice,” His
Holiness said, adding that it is unfortunate to see that at times
religious institutes or centres are more concerned about their own
survival than focusing on the real essence of the teachings.
: His Holiness addressing a meeting of officials and guests of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and others |
His Holiness explained his two main commitments in
life, namely, promotion of basic human values and promotion of
religious harmony.
Answering a question from Oxford University’s lecturer in Buddhist
studies, His Holiness said that in the past he had said that his
religion is Compassion or kindness.
“Loving kindness is compassion. I mean it has universal value, no need
for monasteries or churches. Even animals appreciate kindness,” His
Holiness said. Among other dignitaries, the public talk was also
attended by the Mayor of Oxford, who also took part in the special
meeting audience with His Holiness prior to the talk.
Later in the day, His Holiness gave an audience to 240 descendants of
40 British diplomats, officials, military personnel and travellers who
were in Tibet before 1950. Five members of this group, ranging from 50
to 80 years, who had the good fortune of having actually lived in Tibet
when it was a free country, greeted His Holiness on stage at a
centrally located educational house. Also present were descendants of
three of the four British representatives who were at the installation
of the current Dalai Lama in 1940 – the only Europeans ever to have
been at the installation of a Dalai Lama.
During this historic meeting, His Holiness was introduced to each
British family, some of whose connection with Tibet dated back to 1889.
Each of them showed old Tibet photos of their family to His Holiness
and had their group photo taken with the Tibetan spiritual and temporal
leader.
According to Mr. Roger Croston, the audience coordinator, all the
members of the British in Tibet group were delighted to have had the
opportunity to be in the presence of His Holiness and to actually meet
and speak with him.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama (L) meets worshippers in Oxford/AFP |
“Everyone is very pleased. They are keen to support because their
father or grandfather had witnessed the independent Tibet. They agree
with His Holiness that history is history and that we must look to the
future. They recognise the opportunity to extend a positive
encouragement to China and want to help the Tibetan cause. They want
China to be reasonable and want to tell the truth because their parents
were there when Tibet was free,” observed Mr. Croston, an engineer by
profession and a very keen follower of Tibet’s history.
The descendants of British officials and military personnel, among whom
include the actress Joanna Lumley, will be sending a petition to Prime
Minister Mr. Gordon Brown urging the British Government to give due
importance to the legacy inherited from the British presence in Tibet
through its treaty obligations “to pursue a robust engagement of the
Chinese leadership to respond positively to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
who has made every effort through his ‘Middle Way’ approach to resolve
the
issue of Tibet with the Chinese Government.” They will say that “Such a
positive and proactive policy is in the best interests of China, Tibet
and the common humanity of the whole world.”
In the evening, His Holiness launched the “Tibet Album” Website of
Oxford University’s popular Pitt Rivers Museum at an invitation only
function of less than 100 guests because of space restrictions. The
Tibet Album presents more than 6000 photographs spanning 30 years of
Tibet’s history. These old black and white photos document the ways
that British officials and visitors encountered Tibet and the Tibetan
people.
“We know how strongly Your Holiness is committed to the preservation
and promotion of Tibetan culture. The Museum is proud to assist in
this, and we recognise the enormous importance of objects in
documenting and recording Tibet’s history. Our current project, the
‘Tibet Album’ is about making such things available not just here but
to all via the worldwide web,” said Mr. Michael O’Hanlon, the Museum’s
Director, in his welcome address.
The contents of the website: www.tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk was introduced by
Dr. Clare Harris, who has led the ‘Tibet Album’ project. As and when a
photo was projected on the screen, His Holiness in his typical informal
manner responded by leaving his seat to point at a figure he remembered
having seen when he was in Tibet and on a couple of occasions shared a
joke to the delight of the audience.
His Holiness in his brief speech extended his appreciation to the
museum for the work it has done in preservation of old photos of Tibet
and suggested that it might be worthwhile to also have the collection
of those photos of the bygone era of Tibet taken by the likes of late
Heinrich Harrer, author of “Seven Years in Tibet” and others.
Yesterday, His Holiness gave the keynote address at the Symposium on
“Prayer and Contemplation in the Christian and Buddhist Traditions”.
This symposium planned since last year was organised by the
Blackfriars, which is the Oxford University’s college dedicated to
Christian teachings. In his welcome address, Father Richard Finn,
Blackfriar’s Regent of Studies, spoke about His Holiness’ “tireless
work as an advocate of peace, of understanding between religions, and
devotion to the Tibetan people”.
During his stay in Oxford, His Holiness and his entourage were housed
in the President’s Lodging of the Magdalen College that is usually
reserved for heads of states and other important guests.
Tomorrow morning, His Holiness will be leaving Oxford for Delhi via
London. His Holiness is being accompanied during his 12-day visit to
London, Nottingham and Oxford, by his London-based Representative Mr.
Tsering Tashi, who is also responsible for coordinating His Holiness’
visit programmes that included several important meetings and public
engagements as well as significant meetings with Chinese journalists
and Chinese students and scholars, all of whom showed much respect for
the Tibetan leader and were not only awed by his presence but also
touched by His Holiness’ humility in spite of his high international
moral standing.
–Report filed by Office of Tibet, London