Published by World Tibet Network News - Sunday, March 23, 1997

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan, March 22 (AFP) - The following is the brief statement made by the Dalai Lama in English on his arrival in the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung Saturday:

"Brothers and sisters, I am very very happy to be here with you. Since many years I have had the keen desire to visit this country. Now it has materialised I am very happy.

"First of all I want to express my greetings, good wishes and also my prayers to the brothers and sisters of this island. Then I want to express my deep thanks and appreciation to the Buddhist association which extended the invitation to me and also those other religious organisation which have joined this invitation.

"Now, perhaps, I think on this opportunity I explain shortly about my usual belief or thinking.

"Wherever I go I always have a feeling that I am just another human being. So as one of the human beings I always believe in basic human value is a very very important matter. So therefore, wherever I go I always try to promote human values, that is human affection, human sense of caring and a human sense of responsibility. If humanity becomes a society without human deeper values I believe that is a disaster.

"I believe like Taiwan, the material prosperity is very much developed, and under such circumstances there is a sort of possibility to neglect about deeper inner values. So, the well-balanced material progress as well as internal spiritual development, this must go together.

"Then, as a Buddhist monk, I also try to promote harmony among the different religious traditions, because not only in the past but even today due to the name of religious traditions sometimes more divisions, and in the worst cases bloodshed and conflict often happen. Bloodshed, due to the different name of religions. Such things are very, very unfortunate.

"So it is extremely important to have genuine harmony among different religious traditions on the basis of mutual understanding and mutual respect. Wherever I go, I always try to promote these two things deeper human values and harmony between the different religions.

"Here, in this particular place Taiwan, a large number of the Buddhist community since many years expressed their desire I come here.

"Then one particular thing about the Bhikhuni tradition of the highest ordination of Buddhist nuns available mainly in the Chinese tradition. So the next few days here, I'm looking forward to meet our Buddhist brothers and sisters ... and also I am hoping to learn about the Bhikhuni lineage of tradition.

"Of course I am looking forward to seeing your president. Of course I always keep in my mind that any activities of mine should not create any embarrassment for anybody. Here it seems the president is willing to see me so I feel great honor.

"So that's all, thank you very much."