His Holiness to consecrate new vihar at Bodh Gaya
Thursday, 1 February 2007, 2:13 p.m.
Dharamshala: His Holiness the Dalai Lama is expected to consecrate the statues of the Buddha, and his two main disciples, Arhantas Sariputta and Moggallana, enshrined at the newly built Maha Bodhi Vihar in Bodh Gaya on Saturday, 3 February.
In a ceremony this evening, the speaker of Sri Lankan parliament, W.J.M. Lokubandara, will inaugurate the shrine hall within the premises of Bodh Gaya’s Maha Bodhi Society of India, while the morning function was presided over by the speaker of state assembly, Uday Narayan Chowdhury.
Along with Dr. B.K. Modi and Ven. Dr. Dombagoda Rewatha Thero, president and general secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, His Holiness will also address the monk community at the Vihar.
Give more importance to moral values
Speaking on “peace through inner peace”, at a talk organised yesterday by the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition in Mumbai, His Holiness underlined the need for an education system that imbibes inner values among youths, adding that moral values should be taught in schools more seriously than is done currently.
“Today’s education system is not satisfactory, that is clear. The so-called modern education system is very related to external things and little is being taught about inner values and is therefore not complete,” His Holiness was quoted as saying.
When asked whether the new Gormo-Lhasa rail line will dilute Tibetan religion and culture, His Holiness said that “In the past few months alone, some 5,000 to 6,000 Chinese have come to Tibet by rail and only 2,000-3,000 have gone back. Those job-seekers who are finding it difficult to get jobs in China are heading for Lhasa.”
His Holiness further said that “China is also forcing prostitutes to go to Lhasa, leading to the increased danger of AIDS.”