Melbourne, Australia, 12 June 2011 (By Tsering
Kyinzom Dhongdue) - It is His Holiness’ fourth day in Melbourne. His
first public engagement this morning was with the members of Tibetan,
Mongolian and Bhutanese communities. He told the audience that “we
should be 21st century Buddhists. By this, I mean we must have full
understanding of the Buddha dharma.”
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama with
members of the Tibetan, Bhutanese and Mongolian communities in
Melbourne, Australia, on 12 June 2011. Photo/Rusty Stewart/DLIAL
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He encouraged the Tibetans living in Australia to
pay special attention in preserving our culture. He said, “We are in
exile not because of a natural disaster or a civil war. We left our
country because of a foreign occupation. It is our duty to keep our rich
and ancient heritage alive.” Refuting any speculation over his
devolution of political power, His Holiness told the Tibetans in the
audience to “be assured” that he has not given up on Tibet. “I have
taken my decision in the interest of the Tibetan people,” said His
Holiness.
His Holiness then headed off to start his second day
of teachings on Bodhisattva's Way of Life. After completing chapter 9
on wisdom, he drew attention to chapters 1 (The Benefits of the
Awakening Mind), 4 (Conscientiousness) and 8 (Concentration).
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama takes a
moment to read the text during his teachings in Melbourne, Australia,
on 12 June 2011. Photo/Rusty Stewart/DLIAL
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He spoke at length on emptiness, nirvana, the
Four Noble Truths and other central Buddhist concepts. Speaking in both
Tibetan and English, His Holiness again showed his remarkable prowess as
a Buddhist teacher, communicating these profound concepts not only in a
manner accessible to Tibetan and Western minds alike, but highly
relevant to the modern world.
During his lunch break, His Holiness met with a large group of
Chinese youth, Buddhists and democracy activists. Many of them are
members of the Chinese Tibetan Friendship Group in Melbourne, which was
formed on an advice by His Holiness himself on a previous visit.
His Holiness was touched by the warm reception from the Chinese
community. A group of Chinese women recited a prayer song in Tibetan for
him. He told them it was the same prayer that he has been reciting
every day since his childhood.
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama with
members of Chinese Tibetan Friendship Group of Melbourne, Australia, on
12 June 2011. Photo/Rusty Stewart/DLIAL
|
He said the Tibet-China relationship is over
1000 years. As far as Buddhism is concerned, it flourished in China long
before Tibet. So the Chinese are more senior students of Buddha. On the
political front, His Holiness reinforced his position on seeking
autonomy within China. He said, “We should resolve the issue through
friendship and mutual cooperation.”
His Holiness told the Chinese gathering that he is proud to show the
Chinese government on what he has done in achieving a genuine Tibetan
democracy, adding it is now the Chinese Communist Party’s turn to retire
after being in power for 60 years.
However, he made it clear that it is not his expectation that China
would change into a democratic country overnight. He said, “China is a
big country and is not used to democracy. It is good to go on that path
gradually. The first step could be to be transparent in the government.
It should start with allowing freedom of information and the press.”
