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The Appeal of the Dalai Lama to the World: The Way to Peace in a Time of Division

The 14th Dalai Lama, a noted Buddhist spiritual leader, is one of the most influential voices today in world peace and harmony between the faiths.

The Appeal of the Dalai Lama to the World: The Way to Peace in a Time of DivisionT

enzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, a noted Buddhist spiritual leader, is one of the most influential voices today in world peace and harmony between the faiths. In this book, he makes a passionate appeal for peace to the world in times of serious and seemingly steady conflicts.

The peace the Dalai Lama demands is rooted in a secular ethic that, beyond particular religions, is universally applicable. He points out that violence was practiced regularly over the years in the name of religion and that religion has also been used to support sectional political or economic interests. It therefore implies a form of ethics outside religion, which, in addition to the religious, can benefit atheists and agnostics too. It will be based on principles that don’t contradict religion but don’t depend on religion. Becoming anchored in our common humanity may enhance cross-cultural and interfaith acceptance of this secular ethic and thus serve as an acceptable basis for relations between different societies.

In this regard, the Dalai Lama takes up what he calls “our fundamental spirituality,” which he describes as “the affinity which we human beings have for love, benevolence and affection — regardless of which religion we belong to.”

In practice, the secular ethnicity recommended by the Dalai Lama as a necessary component in peaceful relationships between communities and countries in our time requires us to focus and build on what binds us instead of what distinguishes us. He notes that “humanity is all one big family” and notes that “we are still too focused on our differences and commonalities.”

It is essential for global peace to recognize our common humanity, despite and beyond our religious and national differences. This consciousness can enable us to reflect globally on the future of the entire world and also deal with crises affecting the whole planet (and not just those affecting the social groups with which we may identify). “We must live together, whether we want to or not,” the Dalai Lama tells us. “The only way to peace, compassion, attention and justice is to live together as brothers and sisters.”

This global awareness must encourage people from different religious and national backgrounds to change our relationship, from competition to cooperation. In this regard, the Dalai Lama says, ‘What better world can we ask the most important question is “How can we serve each other? It also works for our own good to think and behave globally.

He reminds us that altruism makes us happier. “If all seven billion people were first to look at what unites them and not what divides them, they would be less stressful and less angry.” As the Dalai Lama rightly points out, the process of working for global peace needs to begin with the individual.

In this regard, he cites the well-known saying: “Be the change which you want to see in the world.” Negative emotions are the main cause of violence, he notes. This must be resolved by instilling a positive attitude. The Dalai Lama recommends that instead of judging others, we should aspire to improve ourselves. Youth education for peace is a fundamental part of the Dalai Lama’s approach to building global peace.

This demands a major change in understanding what education is or should be. Educational structures should not only educate the brain but also the heart, the Dalai Lama says. It should emphasize the strengthening of human capacities such as fire, the sense of unity of mankind and love. In this connection, the Dalai Lama rightly notes, “our educational systems currently mainly focus on material values and understanding.” “Compassion and love were too much neglected in education,” he points out, adding, “we can and must changing that now.” He suggests “We should focus more on inner values.” The Dalai Lama talks about heart education — a form of social, emotional and ethical knowledge — that nurtures children in values such as love , compassion, forgiveness, tolerance and peace.

This education is needed from kindergarten to higher education and universities in every level of formal education and must be a global initiative. In addition to the internal transformation which is essential for us to be peace-loving people, the Dalai Lama recommends peace-building strategies on a broader level.

These include encouraging dialog as a means of resolving conflicts, which excludes war as a means of addressing differences. The Dalai Lama notes, “The idea that violence and weapons can solve problems is a disastrous delusion. Violence often leads to more aggression with few exceptions. In our interconnected world, war is an anachronism that conflicts between reason and ethics.” “Violent methods are outdated, “he explains.

This book is a precious gem for those who want peace in a badly hit world and who want to contribute to making the world a more harmonious place in their own way.

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