His Holiness the Dalai Lama Attends Thank You India Event in New YorkWednesday, 6 May 2009, 12:23 p.m.
New York: His
Holiness the Dalai Lama on Tuesday attended a function organized by the
Office of Tibet for over 100 invited representatives of the Indian
community in the New York area to thank India for its assistance to the
Tibetan people.In his welcome remarks, Lobsang Nyandak Zayul,
representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the US, referred to
the many years of assistance by the people and government of India, and
how the Tibetans in India have been organizing different events this
year to say “Thank You India” for the 50 years of support. He expressed
a desire to work closely with the Indian communities in the United
States.Mr. Satya Dev Negi (Lobsang Tenzin Negi), who hails from
Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, addressed the gathering. He said, “It is
indeed humbling to hear the fondness with which Your Holiness and the
people of Tibet speak of India, and to witness your deep appreciation
and admiration for the long relationship the two countries have shared
over the centuries.” “It is my strong feeling that India, too,
has immensely benefited from this relationship. India in general, and
the Himalayan regions of India in particular, have gained so much from
the presence of His Holiness and the Tibetan people over the last 50
years,” he added.Mr. Negi said that His Holiness had taken upon
himself “to be a tireless goodwill ambassador to the world for the best
of what India stands for” by highlighting India as a model for
religious tolerance and pluralism. He said, “We owe a debt of gratitude
to His Holiness and the Tibetans for preserving and bringing back to
India the great Buddhist tradition, a rich treasury of learning that
encompassed the disciplines of philosophy, psychology, linguistics,
literature, and the practices of cultivating the heart and mind.”He
spoke about the special relationship between the Indians along the
Himalayan region and the Tibetan people. Mr. Negi said, “When it comes
to the Himalayan regions, from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, it is the
Tibetans who have been the gurus, and we have been the disciples. For
centuries the Himalayan people from these regions have received
unfailing guidance and assistance from Tibet. The Buddhist temples in
these regions are a living example of that close and special
relationship.”He said that in the past, people from these
regions went to Tibet for higher education and today they receive
education in the re-established monastic and other Tibetan institutions
of learning in India. He added, “I myself, if it were not for Your
Holiness and the Tibetans, would probably have been a shepherd
somewhere in the Himalayas unable to even take care of myself, much
less to be in a position to offer anything meaningful to others. But
there are thousands of others like myself, who were able to receive
education and many opportunities solely due to the kindness of Your
Holiness and the Tibetan people.”In his address to the
gathering, His Holiness spoke about India’s role in spreading knowledge
in Tibet. His Holiness said Tibet is called the Land of Snows and
although the colour of snow is white, Tibet was in the dark until the
light was brought from India.Referring to “India as the
Teacher” and “Tibet as the Disciple”, His Holiness said that Tibetan
Buddhism was the Nalanda tradition and the fact that the cultural
heritage was having some benefit was even acknowledged by modern
scientists. His Holiness recalled a communication from Mr. Morarji
Desai (in response to His Holiness’ message of congratulations after he
became the Prime Minister of India) in which he referred to India and
Tibet as the two branches of the same Bodhi tree. His Holiness said
that Indian-Tibetan relationship was not just 50 years old but more
than a thousand years old.His Holiness said wherever he went he
always took the opportunity to express his gratitude to India. His
Holiness talked about his two commitments of promotion of human values
and of religious harmony and said that these were not his ideas but
merely things that he learnt from India. He talked about the philosophy
of Ahimsa and of religious pluralism in India referring to equal
opportunity and freedom that followers of religious traditions like
Zoroastrianism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism (all traditions that
came from outside) enjoyed in India.His Holiness said, “I
consider myself a messenger of India’s traditional values” and
suggested that it was time “my boss India” became more proactive in
asserting these values internationally. He said when the whole world
is showing much interest in the philosophy of Ahimsa, India should take
the opportunity in its promotion. His Holiness said that under Ahimsa
or non-violence dialogue was essential.His Holiness said the
Indian communities abroad also had the responsibility in spreading the
profound Indian thoughts and suggested that they hold discussions and
other meetings on such topics wherever they resided.His
Holiness also referred to the critical situation in Tibet saying that
when the disciple is facing difficulty the teacher has the
responsibility to assist. He said half-jokingly that many Indians
revere Lord Shiva, but his permanent residence is Mt. Kailash in Tibet.
Therefore, in a way Lord Shiva is Tibetan, he said, adding that this
shows the close relationship between Tibet and India.His
Holiness concluded by saying that he had advised the Office of Tibet to
have the Tibetan communities here have closer ties with the Indian
communities, just as the Tibetans in India have with the Indian people
there.On 6 May, His Holiness will be interviewed by noted
writer Fareed Zakaria for his TV program Fareed Zakaria GPS. This
interview will be aired by CNN on Sunday at 1 pm Eastern Standard Time
in the United States. His Holiness then leaves for Albany for his
final program in the United States before he returns to India.
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