Published by: World Tibet Network News Tuesday, November 18, 1997

NEW DELHI, Nov. 16 (By Vishal Thapar) Hindustan Times. Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama today urged the humanity to be "selfishly wise rather than be foolishly selfish". He also paid rich tributes to India for its contribution to Tibetan Buddhism, declaring that "Tibet will remain dark without the light of Indian masters".

The Dalai Lama made these remarks during a discourse on the "Path for Spiritual Practice" to a packed audience, including many diplomats and foreigners, at Modern School's Shankerlal Auditorium this evening.

The widely-respected spiritual eader, the symbol of Tibetan identity over the first four decades made a fervent plea for coexistence and good neighbourliness mixing religious discourse with political message. He lashed out at ritualism and "religious hypocrisy", maintaining that religious plurality was in the larger interests of humanity.

"Buddhism is the best religion for me, but not for everybody. One religion cannot satisfy all varieties of people. While at the individual level, one religion and one truth may be all important, but at the community level there will be several religions and several truths. Religious pluralism is extremely relevant," the Dalai Lama said.

"It is hypocrisy to say that all religions are the same. Different religions constitute different approaches altogether," he explained. While maintaining that the concept of one religion and one truth was very important for an individual to develop faith, he warned against the dangers for fundamentalism, which he said was a perversion of religious faith.

The underlying strain throughout the Dalai Lama's two-hour discourse was the importance of altruism, compassion and coexistence. " Ill feeling or hatred is essentially self-destruction. Inner calm and altruism, which constitute one level of spiritualism, is good for your own well-being," he explained.

"Hatred for your neighbour will not harm him at all, and instead, directly harm your peace of mind," the spiritualist said in a discourse which reflected his sense of humour and immense charm. Peppering his lecture with earthy quotes, he said, "If you create pain for others, you will suffer. But if you give pleasure, immense satisfaction will be yours for the asking."

Holding compassion and concern for others as the essence of spirituality, the Dalai Lama said it was very important to utilise our intelligence and very existence for constructive purposes. He repeatedly stressed coexistence and "a sense of correctedness' as the path to salvation in a world where borders and barriers now had little meaning. He also talked on the philosophy of "one human family" and urged "compassion of thought and sense of caring". The guiding motive ought to be service and altruism.

He talked at length, often communicating with the help of a translator, on the different schools of Buddhism and gave a masterly discourse on Buddhist philosophy.

He dismissed the contention that Tibetan Buddhism was an "impure form of Buddhism", arguing that it was a composite form instead, much of it derived from the wisdom of the Indian masters, particularly Nagarjuna and Arya Asanga. The basic message of Tibetan Buddhism is that if you can help others, do it, but if you cannot, restrain yourself and at least do not harm anyone, the Dalai Lama said. He warned that the path of hatred and intolerance was lined with pain, restlessness and anxiety.

Ending off on a lighter note, the Dalai Lama, god-incarnate to most Tibetans, indicated that he was as human as anyone else. Asked what made his holiness most happy, he quipped cherubically: "Good sleep, good food".