His Holiness the Dalai Lama Attends Interfaith Meet in Wroclaw, PolandWednesday, 10 December 2008, 10:30 a.m.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama receives an honourary doctorate at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, on 8 December 2008, during an eight-day visit to Poland which began on 5 December. AFP PHOTO / PAWEL ULATOWSKI. |
Wroclaw, Poland: His
Holiness the Dalai Lama participated in a meeting of different
religious faiths at a Jewish synagogue, organised by the mayor’s office
in Wroclaw, Poland, on Tuesday. Mayor Rafat Dutkiewicz, received His
Holiness the Dalai Lama and his entourage upon their arrival in the
Wroclaw city.In a response to a question from a Vatican Radio
reporter, His Holiness said that all major faiths of the world, despite
their different traditions, had the same core message of love,
compassion, tolerance and forgiveness. His Holiness underlined the
importance of mutual respect with different religious faiths.
Wroclaw religious leaders welcome His Holiness (Photo: Bartek Sadowski) |
His
Holiness underlined the role that religious leaders in the present time
should play in the protection of the world’s environment. Prior
to the interfaith meeting, Mayor Rafat Dutkiewicz informed His Holiness
of the closeness between the different faiths in the city both in terms
relationships they enjoyed and of the close physical locations of their
respective places of worship. On hearing this, His Holiness
suggested the possibility of an opportunity to visit and meet with
leaders of these different faiths. His Holiness told the
Mayor that promotion of religious harmony and dialogue between the
major faiths was one of his three key commitments in life. The
mayor accompanied His Holiness for a visit to the historic Carmelite
Convent and participated in a prayer meeting with the nuns of the
convent. The prayers were led by Archbishop Marian Golebiewski, which
followed an exclusive meeting session with the nuns normally cloistered
in the convent.His Holiness the Dalai Lama also a public talk
on the theme of “Peace and Tolerance” to an audience of 6,000 people,
consisting largely of young people at the Centennial Hall.
His Holiness with nuns of the Carmalite Convent (Photo: Bartek Sadowski)
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“Peace of
mind is essential for happiness,” His Holiness said, adding that “Inner
peace cannot be bought with money and neither is it available in
supermarkets or created by sophisticated machines”. His Holiness said
one must develop the peace of mind developed within their inner self.Scores of people, mostly local residents, listened and watched His Holiness on giant screen installed outside the hall. The audience both in and outside the hall gave an enthusiastic and warm response to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s talk.His
Holiness gave interviews to the Polish National Television and to a
reporter from the Rzeczpospolita, one of the biggest circulation
newspapers in Poland. His Holiness told them that he was
pleased to be in the city of Wroclaw because he sense the genuine warm
feeling of the people including from those he has seen lining the
streets to greet him.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s public talk on “Peace and Tolerance” at the Centennial Hall, Wroclaw (Photo: Bartek Sadowski) |
His
Holiness said although by blood he is a Tibetan, physically even though
they are Polish, we are both members of the same human family. Feeling
the warmth of the people, he is happy to be in Poland again, His
Holiness added. This is His Holiness’ third visit to Poland but first to the city of Wroclaw. On
Wednesday, the City Council of Wroclaw will be present His Holiness
with the title of an Honourary Citizen at an official function in the
City Hall, followed by an official luncheon in honour of His Holiness’
visit.Earlier on Monday, the Jagiellonian University in Krakow,
honoured His Holiness the Dalai Lama with the Doctorate Honoris Causa
for “promoting the attitude of respect and understanding towards people
of different worldviews and religious beliefs and peaceful struggle for
Tibet’s freedom and the recognition of the human rights of its people”.–Report filed by the Office of Tibet, London