His Holiness underlines study and preservation of Tibetan language [Tuesday, 21 December 2010, 8:19 a.m.]

DHARAMSALA:
Expressing his concern over the impression of the declining standard of
Tibetan language in the schools in exile, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
called on the school teachers and students to take greater
responsibility and put greater efforts in studying their language.“Even
though the Tibetan language is not that much useful in fields like
business and legal studies, but its use is paramount in studying
teachings of the Buddha (Kagyur) and commentaries (Tengyur) contained
in more than 300 volumes,” His Holiness said while addressing hundreds
of Tibetans in Ravangla Tibetan settlement in Sikkim on last Saturday,
18 December.His Holiness said foreign Buddhist scholars are
learning to read Tibetan language and they also read well because they
are able to work hard. “Since Tibetan is our mother tongue, we are the
ones who should preserve it. If the outsiders take so much interest in
Tibetan language, we should of course treat it as a precious gem and
preserve it,” he added.He commended the school’s initiative
towards educating the illiterate elder people in the settlement. “This
kind of novel initiative has never appeared in the past work reports of
the settlements, so you all have made an innovation,” he added.Underlining
the importance of education, he said our experience proved that the
tragic period we began to face in 1950s was the result of our inability
to think about learning about changes happening in the outside world
and how we could move with the changes. Such thoughts were never in our
minds, nor did they occur or we thought about. Some Tibetans who
returned to Tibet from pilgrimage in India spoke about great changes
taking place there and some of them called on the Tibetan government to
think about it. But the overall situation remained as usual, His
Holiness added.His Holiness spoke in detail about efforts made
in establishing schools rather than monasteries after coming to exile
in 1959. We considered the building of schools as the most important
task. So we have achieved considerable progress in imparting modern
education during the last fifty years as there is negligible number of
illiterate Tibetans in exile and many of the new generation received
the opportunity to go to schools irrespective of the level of standard
they have attained. In this settlement, you all have done well enough
in education and it is very important to educate elder people who are
illiterate, he said.Comparing with his earlier visit to the
settlement, His Holiness said the settlement has made progress over the
years, which he said is the result of determined efforts made by both
the administration and general public. Despite prolonged period of
being refugees, all of us have kept up our determination and done our
best to make a change for better. So I would like say thank you all, he
said.His Holiness called on the staff members to work as servants of the people.Earlier
in the morning, His Holiness received a grand welcome reception on his
arrival in the settlement. He was warmly welcomed by the chief
secretary of the state government, secretary of religious department,
legislative members and other dignitaries. Later as His Holiness
arrived in the Tibetan settlement, Tibetan residents, including
schoolchildren stood in long lines carrying ceremonial scarves (Khatak)
to greet him as scent of burning juniper leaves pervaded the
atmosphere.  His Holiness also paid a visit to Nelung Monastery near
Ravangla settlement which is under construction.  It was His
Holiness the Dalai Lama’s fifth visit to Ravangla, during the course of
which over 3000 Tibetans and local people, including Sikkimese
government ministers and secretaries attended his teachings and talks. 
More photos of Ravangla visit:

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the chief minister of Sikkim lighting butter lamps at Buddha Park, in Ravangla, Sikkim, on 19 December 2010

His Holiness the Dalai Lama planting a tree sapling at Buddha park, in Ravangla, Sikkim, India, on 18 December 2010/Photo:Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

His Holiness the Dalai Lama poses with Indian security personal before leaving for Gangtok, Sikkim, on 19 December 2010/Photo: Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL