Virtual Talk Series on His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Four Principal Commitments: English Panel Two
The virtual talk series on His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s four principal commitments is an initiative by the Department of Information and International Relations as part of the celebration of the year 2020 as the ‘Year of Gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’ by the Central Tibetan Administration.
This panel features a talk in English by four speakers; Dr. Lobsang Tenzin Negi, Executive Director of Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-based Ethics at Emory University, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Founder and Director of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery and President of Sakyadita International Association of Buddhist Women, Gabriel Lafitte, Scholar and Researcher on Tibet’s Environment and Prof. John Powers, Author and Professor of Asian Studies and Buddhism, Australian National University.
Posted by TIBET TV on Tuesday, 8 December 2020
Dharamshala: The fifth day English panel of the weeklong virtual talk series on the four principal commitments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama featured eminent experts on Tibetan Buddhism and culture including Dr Lobsang Tenzin Negi, Executive Director of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion at Emory University, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Founder, and Director of Dongyu Gasal Ling Nunnery, Gabriel Lafitte, Scholar, and researcher on Tibet’s environment, and Prof. John Powers of Asian studies and Buddhism.
Sharing his perspective on His Holiness’s first commitment-promotion of human values, Dr Tenzin Negi said that while His Holiness regards material resources as important but he is more assertive about the significance of emotional needs when it comes to human well being. He recognises that no amount of material resources alone can fulfill emotional needs and insists that only inner resources can fulfill emotional needs.
In support of his view, Dr Negi makes reference to ‘Ethics for new Millennium’, a book written by His Holiness in which he talks about the need for a revolution. A revolution, he says has nothing to do with political, economic, or even a technical revolution.
“By calling out for a spiritual revolution, His Holiness is certainly not advocating a religious solution to our problems but rather he is calling for a greater appreciation for basic human values”, clarifies Dr Tenzin and further explains that basic human values are but basic human spirituality and not something based on religion. He went on to describe two dimensions of spirituality with a metaphor used by His Holiness. He compares the two dimensions of spirituality to clean water and different tea flavours. The clean water in reference refers to basic human values and religious values are compared to various tea flavours. “While we appreciate different flavours of tea, he adds, “we don’t need them for survival. What we need for survival is clean water and air”.
In that sense, Geshe Lharampa Dr. Negi underlines that values like love and compassion for His Holiness are not mere luxuries but necessities and urges people to nurture and cultivate those values as well.
“It’s a precious gift of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the world”. he said.
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo said that for Buddhism, no one is better suited to be a spokesperson than His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
“He is an example of all the qualities which are needed in a spokesperson of Buddhism. His sincere care for global peace and harmony is an emphasis on religious harmony. He goes out of his way to meet with spokesmen from other religions. His ever more interest and enthusiasm to learn more about other religions, have dialogue, and understand them on a deeper level is an inspiration for others,” she said.
Despite being a prominent figure in Tibetan Buddhism, His Holiness never enforce Buddhism on people. Instead, he would ask people to take from Tibetan Buddhism whatever they find relevant and useful. This shows the practice of genuine religious harmony
“It is not easy to trace where religions have gone wrong since all religions promote love, kindness, and peace, etc yet history throughout evidenced that wars are waged in the name of peace and love. Such a crisis emphasises us to rethink our understanding of genuine religious harmony”, she noted.
Jetsunma believes that religions are not at all perfect in all aspects and it is important to adopt humility, appreciation, and respect when approaching other religions as she believes that all religions have great strengths and also a great weakness.
Gabriel Lafitte, Scholar, and researcher on Tibet’s environment said that His Holiness’s ability to think long term for the environment is the only way forward.
He said, “when the world is consumed by anger and accusations, His Holiness has consistently and patiently forged us to think long term. He reminded us to respect all sentient beings. He is indeed Chenrezig, lord of compassion and connection”.
As early as the 1980s, His Holiness has been preaching universal responsibility when the world was dealing with the crisis of wars and destructions. Even though the 21st century is less catastrophic than the previous century, Gabriel warns that the dangers of rewriting history and repeating the same mistake still lurking today. He asserts that the universal responsibility proposed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the only relevant solution for today’s crisis and for many crises to come.
His Holiness’s comprehensive, inclusive, and holistic approach to the environment, he said, enables people to widen their perspective to be more aware of the long and short-term consequences of the way how human desire becomes wants which further turns into needs and rights.
“In today’s exhilarating speed and short attention span world, we need voices capable of speaking for the whole planet and for all that lives”.
“We need to be reminded that the earth is our only home and there is no fantasy escape to some other planets if things go downhill for us. His Holiness challenges us to think differently, to discover, and question our presumptions about what truly matters and what can be done”, said the researcher on Tibet’s environment and suggests to pay heed to to the Tibetan plateau, Tibetan civilization, and its culture that has lived amicably throughout with nature.
Prof. John Powers of Asian studies and Buddhism spoke on the importance of His Holiness’s commitment to the revival of Nalanda tradition and the connection of Tibetan Buddhism to Nalanda tradition.
Prof. Powers makes it very clear that China’s claims over Tibetan Buddhism is historically and factually not true and mentions that very early on Tibetans have decided that Indian Buddhism were going to be the source of orthodoxy and that Chinese Buddhism was not true dharma.
“When Buddhism was revived in Tibet, there was no question that India would be the true source for this, and one of the most important places Tibetans travel to and from which they imported teachers was Nalanda University. There is a strong connection between Nalanda and Tibet and many great teachers at Nalanda played an important role in Tibetan Buddhism” he said and added that His Holiness’s repeated assertion on Nalanda tradition is an attempt to deny the Chinese government’s claim over Tibet Buddhism.